Recent Catholic Proclamations!

Well, I read online on CNN today some amazing things (Vatican: Non-Catholics 'wounded' by not recognizing pope http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/07/10/pope.churches.reut/index.html).
Hmmm... WOW! Not to defend the beliefs of the Orthodox or most Protestant religions... or to attack Catholics, but STILL!!! This really demands some response from me.

I was born and raised a Catholic, but I am Catholic no more. Much of my family and my folks and relatives are still Catholic. Most of our relatives and my families dearest friends are Catholic too.

I have known and loved and been loved by some of the nicest people you'd ever want to ever meet in this life - all of these Catholics. And so I understand what it is to be Catholic. To be raised Catholic. To be an Altar Boy. To go to parochial school. To have an appreciation for a reverence of formalized worship in ways non-Catholics might not. I still get my ire up whenever anyone slanders or speaks sideways about Catholics. Most don't even know a Catholic and look down their nose at them when they speak about them.

However I really got a little put out by this latest bit from the Catholic Church leadership.

They act like and claim they are the One True Church - Christ's Church itself! They act like other believers are second class and sub-rate. Well let's look at a few things here...

How many Catholics bring their bibles to mass? How many read the bible? How many even possess a bible?

There is a smugness about the way that Catholics believe that they are beyond needing to know the scriptures on a personal basis. Like as if the priest will read and understand the Word of God for them, and will tell them what they need to know at church on Sunday.

What does the bible say about itself?

Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?
Mark 12:24

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Romans 1:16

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17

This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Galatians 3:2

So if the word of God is the power of God unto the salvation of our souls, why isn't there the proper emphasis in reading and understanding it at a personal level in the Catholic Church? Why aren't priests everywhere directing their congregations to read it? Study it? Learn it?

Hmmm.

Perhaps because things they will read will not jive well with the things that the church is telling them.

Baptism for Babies: No commandment or direct example of this. In fact, the Ethiopian eunich was told "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest". A baby is not capable of reptentance, understanding, or faith - prerequisites for baptism into Christ and into His Church.

Calling priests "Father": Jesus said, "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven."
Matthew 23:9

Other things not found in scripture: Limbo, Pergatory, Confession of sins to a Priest, Penance being given by the Priest, Catholic Priests, Nuns, Earning or Meriting Salvation (Good outweighing Evil), worship of saints, worship of Mary, creating a special class of saints created by the Catholic church, etc

More Things Forbidden in the Bible but Practiced by the Catholic Church:

Ritualized Rote Worship: Jesus said, "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words."
Matthew 6:7

Bishops Being Unmarried and Without Children:
Paul said to Titus in Titus 1:5-9,...
"For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict."

and Paul also told Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:2, "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife"

and there are many, many more differences between the Catholic Church and God's Holy Scripture!

Why then do you suppose they do things the way they do? Why no bibles in Sunday mass? Why no bible study? Why bring back the Latin mass? So ritualized worship in a dead language can be performed as another mysterious thing that only the priests can understand??!!

ARGH!! I so wish that Catholics would look to God for the simple truth found in His Word! I truely love and respect Catholics, but cannot respect the error they teach and practice. In truth, most are sincere, loving and decent folks - the ones I know. They want to do the right things. They have been taught all their lives what those right things are.

Oh yeah. I almost forgot. This is a biggie.

In Matthew 16, where the Catholics say Jesus called the apostle Peter "Cephas" and said "On this rock I will build my church".

Jesus wasn't talking about Peter! "The Rock" is that "Jesus is the Christ" and the son of the "Living God"!!!

He was talking about what Peter had just said previously by Divine revelation from God the Father in heaven - that Peter had just answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ! Jesus had asked "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" and then asked his disciples "But who do you say that I am?"

THAT was the topic of conversation. THAT is the Rock the Church is built on.

And if Peter was the First Pope in the way you claim - then why didn't he act like it?!!?? Read Acts 11 and Acts 15. Peter did not preside over the other elders and apostles like a Pope! Not when large matters of doctrine were to be decided!

I apologize for upsetting you if you have been upset or offended or hurt in reading this. I do not apologize for saying **anything** that the Word of God says (Let God be true and every man a liar), but in the feelings you might have experienced reading this if you, like me were born and raised a Catholic. If you know and love and are loved by Catholics. If those who love you most in this world and all you know about God are Catholics and the Catholic Church. It is not my intention to upset you or anger you or frustrate you. It is to direct you to God's Holy Word and what it says. To truth. God's truth and not man's.

And as to if the Catholic Church is the One True Church...

Those that do what God's Word says to do are the members of His Church, and are His disciples and "Christians" indeed! They are His mother and brothers....

"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
1 John 2:3-6

"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."
1 John 5:2-3

Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.” But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
Luke 8:19-21

"These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."
Acts 17:11

I love Catholic people and desire that all people everywhere (Catholic and non-Catholic) come to the truth revealed in God's Word!

A Blessing and A Curse

“Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. Deuteronomy 11:26-28

"And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:1-12

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world
Matthew 25:34

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels
Matthew 25:41

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Revelations 22:14