Hi SBT,

When I was young I could sense that following Gods law from the Bible was the only way to be Christian. And as I got older I really studied the Bible and realized that obeying Gods Word, the Bible, was the only way to truly be Christian. Since the Bible is Gods word it’s just logical to obey it.

Naturally, when I heard about some of the things the Catholic Church either:

(a) Taught directly or

(b) let develop within the church but did not stop such things, I was astounded.

 

Even more so when I realized a lot of Catholics held fast to such things. This motivated me to produce this information page, to reach out to Catholics in a loving way.

 

I should point out I know many Catholics who themselves are good and honest people, and have been badly misled by the church when it comes to Gods word. People dedicate themselves in service to help the poor etc via missions etc which is fantastic, but why build a house with a construction opposite to what the Architect, God, wants? That would be silly.

So I sat down and started researching what the church teaches and what Gods' word says.

 

Doing this basic research, I found that Catholicism is a false religion.
 

Why? Well here are some good reasons why


- Within the Church there is a petition ttoo make Mary Co-
Redemptrix with Jesus ( False - not in the Bible )
- The Church is taught to be infallible iinn theology
( False - all men are imperfect )
- The Pope has title of "holy fatherr&"
( False & is massive blasphemy - only God has that title – in the Bible ).
- Purgatory is said to exist
( False - not in the Bible ).
- That praying for the "invocation ooff the Saints" works
( False - only one intercedes on our behalf with God which is Jesus Christ – in the Bible  ).
- The church teaches that people should <baaptize babies
( False - you need a solid knowledge of the scriptures to know what you’re getting yourself into BEFORE BAPTISM - babies don’t have this because they are too young – this is in the Bible )
- It teaches people to pray the Rosary - aa system of repetitive prayers
( False - God says in the Bible not topray like the heathenn do with repetitious prayer )
- The Eucharist is "the
unbloody sacrifice of the cross" and to be done each day ( False -  Jesus said his sacrifice was done ONCE and was enough – in the Bible. )
- The Catholic Church teaches that its trraditions
ARE AS IMPORTANT as the Bible ( False - this is a HUGE blasphemy! It is wrong to say that the head of the  church ( the Pope ) is EQUAL TO GOD from a theological standpoint and this implies the church is able to add or remove from Gods word ( False - no one is equal to God as it says in the Bible - and God says in the Bible never to add or subtract from the Bible. ).

Its so great knowing these things. I wonder how many people DONT know these things because they don’t know their Bible? I'm not an expert though....just humbly learning Gods' word as my life’s' work....


The list above is made up
from :

(1) studying the catholic church’s official documentation ( the Catholic Catechism ) including books written by ordained priests , and;

(2) Information obtained about Catholicism by talking to practicing Catholics.

You have to wade through piles of official and unofficial documentation but even if it doesn’t say it directly, the practices are real. I have citations from books written by catholic priests that underpin
unspoken  or implied teachings. The catholic Catechism reads like it was written by lawyers ( those in bondage to the law? ) and difficult to wade through. Its like a swamp......


(1) Mary is Co Repemptrix with Jesus Christ – Not in the Bible & this is blasphemy !


http://www.catholicsource.net/articles/coredemptrix.html

Note that this Marian dogma ( a dogma is just an idea or set of ideas adopted as policy but not found in the Bible ). This is not yet formally agreed by the Pope, but being pushed hard by ordained Bishops etc from within the church population - this ground swell within the catholic church alone is worrying, and appears to be proof of man-made doctrine threatening sound scripturally based worship.


While “Mary is Co-
Redemptrix   is not formal church policy (..... yet..... ), the fact that it is not being stopped in affect implies an apparent silent acceptance of the policy by church leadership. Really from a Bible point of view, it should be stopped and exposed immediately.

 

Also open:
http://www.christendom-awake.org/pages/marian/5thdogma/titlemag.htm ( a pro-catholic website )

Among Mary's "personal" titles we might list her divine motherhood, her Immaculate Conception, her virginity and her Assumption. Other titles might be considered more social or ministerial, such as those attributed to her by the Second Vatican Council: "Advocate, Auxiliatrix [Helper], Adjutrix [Aide], and Mediatrix."[2]

 

My comment here – even saying Mary is a "Mediatrix" is Biblically unsupported and missing the point entirely - that only Jesus is mediator between men and God.

 

 This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, [4] who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave himself as a ransom for all men...( 1 Timothy 2:3-6 )

 

And another confirmation of this :

 [The apostle Peter said] Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.... [12] Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10, 12 ) 

This is another fine warning from Gods word, the scriptures where we are always told to test all things :

"….To test all things to see they are good"   ( 1 Thess 5:21 ).

Here is an interesting article:


http://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=772

by Dr. Mark Miravalle

In a recent interview with Mel Gibson, Christianity Today (http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/passion-passionofmel.html) referred to Gibson as a traditionalist Catholic who likes the Tridentine Latin Mass and calls Mary Co-redemptrix.

There’s another well-known Catholic who also calls the Mother of Jesus the Co-redemptrix: His name is Pope John Paul II. He has done so on six occasions during his post Vatican II pontificate.

What does the Co-redemptrix title mean? From the Catholic perspective, it refers to Marys unique human participation with Jesus (and entirely subordinate to her divine son) in the historic work of saving humanity from sin. Jesus is the only Redeemer, in the sense that he alone as the one divine mediator between God and man could redeem or buy back the human family from the bonds of Satan and sin. But God willed that the Mother of Jesus participate in this redemptive process like no other creature.

 

Now most people may not see this play on words of calling Mary Co-Redemptrix but then saying “but Mary is not the same level/position as Jesus”. This misleads people badly, as the title implies one thing ( and most people will accept this title, thereby effectively making it official ) but then the church denies this position. This is just messing with peoples heads and is plain wrong.

Other examples of Marian worship :

* Mary wrongly hailed as "Mother of God" - implying the Trinity is Biblically correct (its not!)
        http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm

* Mary wrongly viewed seen as without sin ( sinless ) :

        http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm    "When there is question of sin, Mary must always be excepted."


Yet all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

Pretty clear isn’t it?

* Pope crowning Mary (photo) ....crowning someone implies a high office within the church.... 

http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/crown.htm


Just in case there was ever any doubt.....



www.biblelight.net/worship_of_the_virgin_mary.htm

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin! O my Mother! Thou who art the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the world, the advocate, hope, and refuge of sinners! I, the most wretched among them, now come to thee. I worship thee, great Queen, and give thee thanks for the many favors thou hast bestowed on my in the past; most of all do I thank thee for having saved me from hell, which I had so often deserved. I love thee, Lady most worthy of all love, and, by the love which I bear thee, I promise ever in the future to serve thee, and to do what in me lies to win others to thy love. In thee I put all my trust, all my hope of salvation. Receive me as thy servant, and cover me with the mantle of thy protection, thou who art the Mother of mercy! And since thou hast so much power with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the grace ever to overcome them. From thee I ask a true love of Jesus Christ, and the grace of a happy death. O my Mother! By thy love for God I beseech thee to be at all times my helper, but above all at the last moment of my life. Leave me not until thou
seest me safe in heaven, there for endless ages to bless thee and sing thy praises. Such is my hope. Amen. (Prayer of St. Alphonse Liguori, 3 yrs indulgence, Raccolta, 342)

Source:

With Mary to Jesus: a collection of Marian prayers, by Fr. Theodore Anthony Zaremba. O.F.M., Franciscan Printery, Pulaski, Wis.,1954. The introduction says: "The indulgenced prayers contained herein are from the latest official edition of the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum (Raccolta), a compilation of prayers and devotions enriched with indulgences by the authority of the Holy See."

Source   www.biblelight.net/worship_of_the_virgin_mary.htm


My emphasis added in bold directly above to show what appears to be the “tick of approval” from the Holy See.

This appears to be Marian worship.

 

More information from the Vatican :

http://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

197. How does the Virgin Mary help the Church?

After the Ascension of her Son, the Virgin Mary aided the beginnings of the Church with her prayers. Even after her Assumption into heaven, she continues to intercede for her children, to be a model of faith and charity for all, and to exercise over them a salutary influence deriving from the superabundant merits of Christ. The faithful see in Mary an image and an anticipation of the resurrection that awaits them and they invoke her as advocate, helper, benefactress and mediatrix.

198. What kind of devotion is directed to the holy Virgin?

It is a singular kind of devotion which differs essentially from the cult of adoration given only to the Most Holy Trinity. This special veneration directed to Mary finds particular expression in the liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and in Marian prayers such as the holy Rosary which is a compendium of the whole Gospel.

199. In what way is the Blessed Virgin Mary the eschatological icon of the Church?

Looking upon Mary, who is completely holy and already glorified in body and soul, the Church contemplates in her what she herself is called to be on earth and what she will be in the homeland of heaven.

 

(2) The catholic church is infallible ( ....supposedly…. ) :

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07790a.htm
II. PROOF OF THE CHURCH'S INFALLIBILITY

That the Church is infallible in her definitions on faith and morals is itself a Catholic dogma, which, although it was formulated ecumenically for the first time in the Vatican Council, had been explicitly taught long before and had been assumed from the very beginning without question down to the time of the Protestant Reformation. The teaching of the Vatican Council is to be found in Session III, cap. 4, where it is declared that "the doctrine of faith, which God has revealed, has not been proposed as a philosophical discovery to be improved upon by human talent, but has been committed as a Divine deposit to the spouse of Christ, to be faithfully guarded and infallibly interpreted by her"; and in Session IV, cap. 4, where it is defined that the Roman pontiff when he teaches ex cathedra "enjoys, by reason of the Divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter, that infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer wished His Church to be endowed in defining doctrine regarding faith and morals".

The church itself admits its made this one up ( i.e. dogma ) as you can see above. In affect the Bibles rules are being bent to suit the church.

Nowhere in the Bible does it mention the catholic church is infallible. This is a dangerous MAN MADE TRADITION!! God abhors tradition over His word:

"neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." (Mark 7:8)

"and why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?" (Matthew 15:3)

"thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that." (Mark 7:13)

They were so caught up in tradition, they could not see the coming of the Messiah they had been waiting for; they did not know the time of their visitation (Luke 19:44).

 

(3) The Pope being called "Holy Father" - this is pure blasphemy.

            http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11777a.htm

            “The petition should be addressed to the pope himself, and should therefore begin with the words "Beatissime Pater" (Most Holy Father).”

And from the Vatican :

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/index.htm


THE HOLY FATHER

The Roman Pontiff, as the successor of Peter, is the perpetual and visible principle and foundation of unity of both the bishops and of the faithful.
LUMEN GENTIUM, 23

 

However, from the Bible :

“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”  ( John 17:11 )

(4) Purgatory – not found anywhere in the Bible.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm

"Whereas the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has from the Sacred Scriptures and the ancient tradition of the Fathers taught in Councils and very recently in this Ecumenical synod (Sess. VI, cap. XXX; Sess. XXII cap.ii, iii) that there is a purgatory, and that the souls therein are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, but principally by the acceptable Sacrifice of the Altar; the Holy Synod enjoins on the Bishops that they diligently endeavor to have the sound doctrine of the Fathers in Councils regarding purgatory everywhere taught and preached, held and believed by the faithful" (Denzinger, "Enchiridon", 983).

This goes against the Bible where it says of the dead:

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.  ( Ecclesiastes 9:5 )

Again we see dogma ( from quote above )           “…..and the ancient tradition of the Fathers…. “

“Tradition of the Fathers….” - Again we see traditions overriding Bible truths.

Note too that the church says that saying Mass for peoples souls that are supposedly in a location which doesn't actually exist, is useful. Again, nowhere does it say this in the Bible. This is purely a catholic invention.

 

(5) Invocation of the Saints – the saints overriding Jesus place …..

           http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08070a.htm

The Catholic doctrine of intercession and invocation is set forth by the Council of Trent, which teaches that the saints who reign together with Christ offer up their own prayers to God for men. It is good and useful suppliantly to invoke them, and to have recourse to their prayers, aid, and help for obtaining benefits from God, through His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, Who alone is our Redeemer and Saviour. Those persons think impiously who deny that the Saints, who enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, are to be invoked; or who assert either that they do not pray for men, or that the invocation of them to pray for each of us is idolatry, or that it is repugnant to the word of God, and is opposed to the honour of the one Mediator of God and men, Jesus Christ (Sess. XXV).

This is not in the Bible, it is only a catholic dogma.

Nowhere in the Bible do we see the ability to pray through the saints to God. We do see in the Bible that other people/disciples prayed FOR saints while they were disciples on earth ( so they might have got Gods help at the time ), but NEVER is there ANY Biblical basis for thinking the saints can INTERCEDE on our behalf – this job alone is for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour :

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men..( 1 Timothy 2:3-6 ).

 

(5) Baby Baptism – not in the Bible….

 

Baptism of infants or children is never found in the Bible. In fact, to be baptized, you need an ADULT understanding so you can be VERY SURE you UNDERSTAND the high standards required of you by God BEFORE this step is taken.

Every person INDIVIDUALLY is accountable to God for his or her actions. Consequently it is a decision that only the INDIVIDUAL can make.

Can a baby make this decision?

Of course not.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02258b.htm#IX

The absolute necessity of this sacrament is often insisted on by the Fathers of the Church, especially when they speak of infant baptism. Thus St. Irenæus (II, xxii): "Christ came to save all who are reborn through Him to God, infants, children, and youths" (infantes et parvulos et pueros). St. Augustine (III De Anima) says "If you wish to be a Catholic, do not believe, nor say, nor teach, that infants who die before baptism can obtain the remission of original sin." A still stronger passage from the same doctor (Ep, xxviii, Ad Hieron.) reads:"Whoever says that even infants are vivified in Christ when they depart this life without the participation of His Sacrament (Baptism), both opposes the Apostolic preaching and condemns the whole Church which hastens to baptize infants, because it unhesitatingly believes that otherwise they can not possibly be vivified in Christ," St. Ambrose (II De Abraham., c. xi) speaking of the necessity of baptism, says:" No one is excepted, not the infant, not the one hindered by any necessity."

Note we see here “the fathers of the church”. Do we see any reference to scripture at all?  - no.

We do realise it is absolutely necessary to be baptized to enter Gods kingdom, however we must remember that we are saved by Gods grace ALONE – baptism is a serious commitment to God, but not an automatic saving by God – only God can decide if we are worthy of His grace.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. ( Eph 2:4-9 )

So by grace alone we are saved by God.

But first we need to understand God – this is through accurate knowledge of Him ( and of course a baby cannot do this as they are too young )

I therefore exhort, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, offerings of thanks, be made concerning all sorts of men, concerning kings and all those who are in high station; in order that we may go on leading a calm and quiet life with full godly devotion and seriousness. This is fine and acceptable in the sight of our Savior, God, whose will is that all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.  (1 Timothy 2:1-15 )

But we also need to follow Gods word – this requires accurate knowledge of Gods word through studying scripture ( again something a baby cannot do )

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake, and follow me. ( Matt 16:24 )

And that we must approach God with a clean heart and have repented of our sins in committing ourselves to Him ( which a baby cannot do )

True, God has overlooked the times of such ignorance, yet now he is telling mankind that they should all everywhere repent. Because he has set a day in which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has furnished a guarantee to all men in that he has resurrected him from the dead.” ( Acts 17:30-31)

You need consciously put faith in God

Moreover, without faith it is impossible to please [him] well, for he that approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.  (Hebrews 11:6 )

And turn your life around to please God:

“Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get YOUR sins blotted out, that seasons of refreshing may come from God    (Acts 3:19 )

Once you have made the decision to serve God, you need to be baptized:

Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded YOU. And, look! I am with YOU all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”

And another example :

Philip opened his mouth and, starting with this Scripture, he declared to him the good news about Jesus. Now as they were going over the road, they came to a certain body of water, and the eunuch said: “Look! A body of water; what prevents me from getting baptized?” With that he commanded the chariot to halt, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.  ( Acts 8:36 )

Again and again we see that a baby cannot make these decisions, and to be baptized requires an adult level conscious analysis of your life and again a conscious and independent decision to serve God and do things His way – no baby or infant has this ability.

In fact many people ask someone “what faith are you” , they may say “Oh well, I was baptized xyz when I was a baby so that must be it”.

Quite a few times I have heard this but there is no real desire to know more yet the church claims another adherent to its faith yet the person has little idea of God and His requirements of them. Is this fair?

Whereas, had the person followed common sense in the Bible example, they would have a solid foundation of knowledge upon which to follow Jesus. Certainly Jesus said “let the little children come to me” so they could be taught by him, but this was NOT a direct command to baptise children. This idea of baptising babies or children is based on traditions of men, not on solid scriptural study and understanding.

 

(6) Praying Repetetive prays are banned in the Bible

http://www.newadvent.org/etc/search.htm?safe=active&cx=000299817191393086628%3Aifmbhlr-8x0&q=rosary&sa=Search&cof=FORID%3A9

“How to recite the Holy Rosary

IN THIS ORDER…

INTRODUCTION

1.        IN THE NAME…

2. I BELIEVE IN GOD…

3. OUR FATHER…

4. HAIL MARY

5. HAIL MARY

6. HAIL MARY

7. GLORY BE

8. O MY JESUS…

THE FIRST DECADE

9. ANNOUNCE…

10. OUR FATHER…

11. HAIL MARY

12. HAIL MARY

13. HAIL MARY

14. HAIL MARY

15. HAIL MARY

16. HAIL MARY

17. HAIL MARY

18. HAIL MARY

19. HAIL MARY

20. HAIL MARY

21. GLORY BE

22. O MY JESUS…

THE SECOND DECADE

23. ANNOUNCE…

24. OUR FATHER…

25. HAIL MARY

26. HAIL MARY

27. HAIL MARY

28. HAIL MARY

29. HAIL MARY

30. HAIL MARY