1. Why you left the Catholic church?
These are some of the reasons.
The Roman Catholic Church believes many false doctrines that are contrary to the Bible,
and were unknown to the early Church, such as:
1. Human Tradition is Elevated to or above the Word of God. 1545 AD.
2. Wrong Gospel, Wrong Message of Salvation.
3. Confession of Sins to a Priest to Obtain Absolution of Sins.
4. Penance.
5. Priests.
6. Celibacy of Priests and Nuns. 1079 AD.
7. Confirmation.
8. Extreme Unction. 526 AD.
9. Infant Baptism. 370 AD.
10. Transubstantiation. 1215 AD.
11. Adoration of the Host (wafer bread). 1220 AD
12. The Mass. 394 AD.
13. Other Mediators Between God and Man.
14. Prayers to Saints. 375 AD.
15. Purgatory. 593 AD.
16. Papal Infallibility. 1870 AD.
17. Indulgences. 1190 AD.
18. Idolatry = Making Images. 786 AD.
19. Mary Veneration. 431 AD.
20. Catholic Attitudes to the Bible. 1229 AD.
21. Peter as the Rock.
22. 15 Apocrypha Books Added to the Old Testament Bible. 1546 AD.
23. Names of Blasphemy. 350 AD.
24. Rosary Prayer Beads. 1090 AD.
25. Low Moral Standards.
26. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary.
27. Crossing Oneself. 300 AD.
28. Was Peter the First Pope?
29. Roman Catholic Lies, Immorality, Corruption.
30. The Inquisition, Torture, Massacres, Murders, Wars. 1184 AD.
31. 15 Evidences that the Roman Catholic Church is Mystery Babylon the Great, the
Whore of Revelation 17.
32. Who gave us the Bible? God or the Roman Catholic Church?
33. They turn people away from Christ to honour twelve other things.
Conclusion.
The Roman Catholic Church has developed many doctrines, which cannot be remotely
proven from the Bible. For example, the Assumption of Mary is not in the Bible.
Question: Did God leave important teachings out of the Bible? Is God forgetful?
The Roman Catholic Church cannot clearly and easily show its history before 320 AD, when
the Roman Emperor Constantine professed conversion, amalgamated pagans and
Christians, and declared himself to be the head or pontiff of the Universal (Catholic) Church.
The early Church never had many of the doctrines that the Roman Catholic Church now
has. Isaiah 8:20 says: "If they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no
light in them."
Question: What are some errors of the Roman Catholic Church?
ERROR 1: HUMAN TRADITION is elevated to or above the Word of God.
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy or vain deceit, after the tradition of
man,.... and not after Christ." Colossians 2:8.
Jesus charges the Pharisees for exalting tradition above the Word of God in the same way
that the Roman Catholic Church does:
1. "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" Matthew
15:3.
2. "Ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites."
Matt.15:6,7
3. "In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
Matthew 15:9.
4. "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind." Matthew 15:3,6,7,9,14.
I challenge Catholics to test their doctrines by God's Word.
The Church does not give birth to the Word of God, but the Word of God gives birth to the
Church. "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth." James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23.
The Word of God saves us, and we become part of a local Church. This has always been
the case.
"He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that
I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." John 12:48.
Roman Catholicism quotes Church traditions as the authority as to why they add unbiblical
doctrines.
ERROR 2: WRONG GOSPEL, wrong message of salvation.
Roman Catholics, since childhood are taught that to get to heaven one must keep the
sacraments, the mass, and do good works. This is different from the Bible's definition of
the Gospel.
Question: What is the Gospel?
Answer: "I declare unto you the Gospel ... how that Christ died for our sins ... that he
was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures." 1
Corinthians 15:1-4.
The Gospel message saves us: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the
power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth." Romans 1:16.
Therefore the Gospel is this: Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again. We are
saved when we believe this message, receiving Christ as our Saviour. This means that we
must trust Christ's blood sacrifice on the cross as being the full payment for all our sins.
Paul strongly warns against preaching or believing "another Gospel" in Galatians 1:6-9.
"So say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have
received, LET HIM BE ACCURSED." Galatians 1:9.
Question: What is this OTHER FALSE Gospel?
Answer: Any idea that we can earn salvation by our good works.
1. "Knowing that a man is NOT justified by the WORKS of the law, but by the FAITH of
Jesus Christ, 2. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the FAITH of
Christ, and NOT by the WORKS of the LAW:
3. For by the WORKS of the law shall NO FLESH be justified." Galatians 2:16.
Note that three times we are told that we are not saved by keeping the WORKS of the law.
Other verses that say the same thing are as follows: Ephesians 2:8,9,10. Galatians
3:2,10,11,26; 5:4 Philippians 3:9; Romans 3:20,28; 4:5; 11:6; Titus 3:5.
The Bible says that NO AMOUNT of good works can save us.
Several problems exist for those who trust their works to save them:
1. They never know if they've done enough good works to make it into heaven. They
never know for sure if they are going to heaven. The pope doesn't know for sure. So
how can he help you to become sure of eternal life.
2. They are saying that Christ's death on the cross was not good enough to save them
and it was a waste of time. "If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in
vain." Galatians 2:21.
3. They are rejecting Christ from being their Saviour.
4. They are grouping themselves with every other false religion whose one thing in
common is trusting their own works, or merits, or law-keeping to get them into
heaven.
Ephesians 2:8-10 states that we are not saved by our works, but that after we have
received Christ as our Saviour, we will show good works. Paul says:
"Not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith
of Christ." Philippians 3:9.
To teach the all-sufficiency of the saving work of Christ would undermine the entire structure
of Catholicism. People are told that if they leave the Roman Catholic Church, they'll surely
go to hell. People are kept in bondage of fear of missing salvation if they leave the Roman
Catholic Church.
The Catholic "Gospel" leaves Christ out. It teaches people that if they perform well enough
such things as: attending mass, partaking of sacraments, praying to Mary (saying the “Hail
Mary”), confessing sins to a priest, doing good works etc, they may eventually pass through
the fires of purgatory after hundreds of years to then enter heaven.
Do you have real salvation in Christ, or are you trusting in keeping Catholic Church rules to
save you?
Many times I have asked Catholics how they were saved. They reply "That's personal, I
don't need to tell you." I say: "Then that proves that you are not saved and that if you died
now, you would surely go to hell, because Romans 10:11 says "Whosoever believeth on
him SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED."
If you were really saved you would be happy to tell me how Jesus saved you.
ERROR 3: CONFESSION OF SINS to a priest to obtain absolution of sins.
Catholic Canon law 870 and 888 state that a priest has power to forgive sins, and
confession to a priest at least once a year is necessary unto salvation.
Early church writers such as Chrysostom (350AD), and Basil (350AD) wrote strongly in
favour of confessing sins to God only.
The Bible gives these examples of confessing sins to God only:
1. When Simon of Samaria sinned after being baptised he was told to pray to God for
forgiveness. Acts 8:22.
2. The apostles never heard confessions, but said in Acts 10:43 that: "through his name
whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."
3. Peter never forgave the sins of Cornelius. Acts 10:44-48.
4. Paul never forgave the sins of the Philippian jailer. Acts 16:30-34.
5. Only God can forgive sins. "Who can forgive sins but God only." Mark 2:5-11.
6. When Peter sinned by denying Christ, he confessed to God and was forgiven. When
Judas sinned by betraying Christ, he confessed to some priests and then committed
suicide. Matthew 27:3-5. Question: What about James 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for
another that ye may be healed."
Answer: This confession contributes to restoration of health, because the sickness has
come on the patient as a punishment for some sins that he committed.
See 1 Corinthians 11:29-31. If we are sick, and are conscious that we have hurt any
person, we should make confession to them. The reason is "that ye may be healed." This
verse in no way proves that if we confess our sins to a priest, that the priest has power to
declare such sins to be forgiven because:
1. This confession is not to be made by a person in health to obtain salvation, but by a
sick person that he may be healed.
2. This verse commands mutual confession, meaning that the priest should also
confess his sins to the people, “one to another.”
3. No mention is made of confession to a priest, or any minister of religion.
4. This confession is for faults where one has injured another. Nothing is said about
confessing sins to those we have not injured such as a priest.
5. There is no mention here of absolution, by a priest or by any person.
6. Only He (God) whose law has been violated can pardon or forgive an offence. No
third person can forgive a sin between two people.
7. Catholic "auricular confession" is so evil because:
• it gives so much power to the priesthood to suppose that they can absolve sins.
• it pollutes the mind by keeping impure thoughts in the mind long enough to
make confession and to state them in words.
• it gives a man such power over a female to suppose that it is required by
religion that all sins passing in her mind should be disclosed to him. The very
things that a seducer would like to know are the thoughts of his intended victim.
Virtue would be safe nowhere. This practice has greatly corrupted community
morals as seen by so many Catholic priests being sued for sexual abuse of
women and children.
Question: But doesn't John 20:23 say that a priest has power to forgive sins, "Whosoever
sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are
retained?"
Answer: The meaning is, not that man can forgive sins (because only God can), but that
they were to declare on what terms and conditions, to what characters, and to what
attitude of mind, God would forgive sins.
God was saying that people might have assurance of forgiveness who would comply with
those terms. Those who did not comply should not be forgiven, and their sins should be
retained. Jesus here is giving the apostles (and by extension all Christians) the privilege of
announcing heaven’s terms on how a person can receive forgiveness of sins. If a
person believes in Jesus Christ, then a Christian has the right to announce his forgiveness.
If a person rejects Jesus Christ’s blood sacrifice on the cross as the full payment for his
sins, then a Christian can announce that persons sins are not forgiven.
Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man, not a priest, not Mary, and not the
saints. "There is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ
Jesus." 1 Timothy 2:5.
ERROR 4: PENANCE.
Catholicism believes that a priest has the power to forgive or retain sins and impose
penance as a means of testing the genuineness of the person's confession, and of making
a satisfaction to God for that sin.
Answer: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.
We only confess our sins to God. No mention is made of penance here or anywhere. No
good works that we do by penance will ever satisfy God, but sinners can be accepted and
forgiven only on the ground of Christ's sacrifice, through which alone the justice and wrath
of God against sin have been satisfied. Romans 3:24-28.
"He is the propitiation for our sins ..." 1 John 2:2.
Penance is performing outward acts such as repeating prayers, like the "Hail Mary" or the
"Rosary", as a payment for sin and to satisfy God. Roman Catholicism bases penance on
Ezekiel 18:30, Luke 13:5 and Acts 2:38 where they incorrectly translate "repentance"
(metanoeo = to turn, repent, to change one's mind) as "penance".
ERROR 5: PRIESTS.
A Roman Catholic priest is one who acts in the place of Christ, supposedly making
unbelievers into Christians by "baptising" them. He converts the bread into Christ's flesh in
the mass, and he forgives sins in the confessional.
In the Bible, all ministers are called elders, bishops or pastors, all referring to the one office,
but there is no office of "priest". Christ is our Great High Priest, the only mediator between
God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), so there is no need for other priests to mediate for us. Peter
never called himself a priest, but did call himself a "fellow elder". 1 Peter 5:1.
In Acts, there is no reference anywhere to a sacrificing priesthood. In Revelation 1:6 ("hath
made us kings and priests unto God"), and in 1 Peter 2:5,9 ("ye are a holy priesthood", "ye
are a royal priesthood"), all believers are priests and have direct access to God through
Christ. We don't offer an atoning sacrifice because only Christ did this on the cross. The
only sacrifices we offer to God are prayers (Ephesians 6:18), praise and money (Hebrews
13:15,16), and ourselves in service to God (Romans 12:1). This Biblical truth of the
priesthood of all believers was rediscovered in the Protestant Reformation of the 1500's.
A pastor's real job is to preach the gospel, teach the Word of God and pray, not to hear
confession, or change bread to flesh etc. Peter in 1 Peter 5 when he instructed fellow
preachers, made no mention of any Roman Catholic priest’s practices of today. ERROR 6: CELIBACY of priests and nuns.
Forbidding priests and nuns to marry was introduced in 1079 and has led to much
immorality.
What does the Bible say?
1. "A Bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife." 1 Timothy 3:2.
2. "Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and
Cephas?"
1 Corinthians 9:5.
3. Peter was married, because Jesus healed his mother in law. Matthew 8:14; Luke 4:38.
4. "It is not good that the man should be alone." Genesis 2:18.
5. "To avoid fornication, let EVERY man have his own wife, and let EVERY woman have
her own husband." 1 Corinthians 7:2.
6. a) "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith,
b) giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
c) Speaking lies in hypocrisy;
d) having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
e) FORBIDDING TO MARRY, and commanding to abstain from meats." 1 Timothy
4:1-3. Here God describes the Catholic Church’s forbidding priests and nuns from
marrying.
The Catholic church, in support of celibacy quotes Matthew 19:11,12 and I Corinthians
7:8,32-34.
These passages say it is permissible to be celibate if one so chooses, but it is never to be
commanded. Priestly celibacy has caused so much sexual immorality between priests,
women and boys, as priests sexually proposition women for fornication and boys for
homosexual relations.
ERROR 7: CONFIRMATION.
Catholic Confirmation is supposed to be the conferring of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of
hands. One false doctrine leads to another false doctrine. The false unbiblical doctrines of
infant sprinkling and salvation by works lead to the false doctrine of Confirmation.
Confirmation of children is not in the Bible. Check it yourself. Laying on of hands is used to
set apart men for a ministry:
1. "When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them." (7 men of honest report). Acts
6:6.
2. “And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them
away.” Acts 13:3. They laid hands on Paul and Barnabas as they sent them on their
first missionary journey.
3. "Lay hands suddenly on no man." 1 Timothy 5:22. Don't ordain pastors suddenly.
4. "Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying
on of the hands of the presbytery." 1 Timothy 4:14.
5. "doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands ..." Hebrews 6:2.
Nowhere in the New Testament does a preacher lay hands on 8 year old children, who are
unsaved. ERROR 8: EXTREME UNCTION.
This sacrament states that "At the end of life, sin can be totally undone and man is prepared
for immediate entrance into everlasting glory." This idea is found NOWHERE in the Bible.
This will not get a dying person into heaven. His only hope is to receive Jesus Christ as his
own Saviour, trusting Christ's blood sacrifice on the cross as the full payment for all his sin.
Mark 6:13 is the Catholic defence for this error, yet this verse says nothing about dying
people, but only about demonised and sick people being healed. When Pope Pius XII died
in 1958, his personal physician was dismissed for telling of his frightful and terrifying fear of
death and hell.
Question: Since the Pope isn’t sure of heaven, how can he help Catholics get to heaven?
Answer: Keeping the sacraments is a net that traps Catholics into believing that they will
get to heaven by good works. The sacrament system enslaves a person's mind to the
Roman Catholic church from the cradle to the grave.
Nobody was ever saved in the Bible by keeping the sacraments. Catholic children are
trapped into the sacrament system around age seven or eight years old, when they have
neither the knowledge of the Bible nor the maturity to test it with the Word of God.
Question: How can Catholics escape the trap of the sacraments?
Answer: By calling on Jesus Christ to be their only Saviour; by basing their life on the
Word of God.
ERROR 9: INFANT "BAPTISM" (370 AD).
The Catholic infant "baptism" is NOT Bible baptism because:
1. Baptism in the New Testament Greek means "immerse, dip, fully whelm" as one may
check in Strong's Concordance dictionary. “Baptizo” in Greek means "immerse";
“Rhantizo” (4472) in Greek means "sprinkle." Catholic sprinkling is not Biblical
immersion.
2. No baby was ever sprinkled in the Bible. Check it.
Question: "What doth hinder me to be baptised?”
Answer:“If you believe with all your heart you may. I believe that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God. Acts 8:36,37. Question: How can a baby believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God?
3. Baptism means nothing unless a person has received Jesus Christ as their Saviour. It
is always saved first, then baptised. Never does anyone get baptised in order to be
saved. "Baptism is the answer of a good conscience towards God." 1 Peter 3:21.
Question: How can a baby show a good conscience towards God?
Answer: He can't. Baptism is something that each person must decide to do himself
to publicly show that he is trusting Christ's death to pay for his sins, burial of the old
lifestyle, and resurrection with Christ to a new way of life. Romans 6:1-5. Sprinkling
does not picture Christ's death, burial and resurrection.
4. Baptism does not save a person, as the Catholic church claims. Only Christ's blood
can cleanse us from sin. If we were saved by baptism, then Christ's death was a waste
of time. Galatians 2:21.
5. The repentant thief on the cross was not sprinkled by water, yet he was saved by
trusting Christ alone to save Him, not his good works. "... we receive the due reward of
our deeds: ...Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Jesus said
unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise." Luke 23:41-
43. Notice that he was promised eternal life, being unable to lose it. The Catholic Church
says that you can’t be sure of eternal life and that you can lose it.
6. Ananias who was not a Catholic priest, but just a layman, baptised Paul. (Acts 9:17-
19). This shows that baptism by a non-Catholic is valid.
7. Children under the age of accountability go to heaven at death.
"children ... of such is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:1-10; Matthew 19:14.
"I (David) shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." 2 Samuel 12:22, 23.
Question: Doesn't John 3:5 say "Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God?"
Answer: It does not say "born of water baptism", but "born of water." What is meant by
water? It is the water of the Word of God, because the Word of God produces
conviction of sin and shows a person's need of Christ.
Paul says "With the washing of water by the word." Ephesians 5:26.
Peter says: "being born again, ... by the Word of God." 1 Peter 1:23.
James says: "of his own will begat he us with the Word of truth." James 1:18.
Peter says: "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptised, which have
received the Holy Ghost ...?" Acts 10:47.
Cornelius' household here were saved before being baptised, thus proving that baptism
does NOT save. Salvation is appropriated only by calling on Christ to save us. Romans
10:13.
ERROR 10: TRANSUBSTANTIATION (1215 AD).
Definition: The whole substance of the bread and wine is converted into the actual and
real entire body and blood of Christ.
Answer: Radbertus first invented this doctrine in the 9th century. Catholics support this by a
literal view of Matthew 26:26-29. "Take eat; this is my body. For this is my blood of
the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Consider these reasons why the bread and wine were symbols of Christ’s body and blood,
to be partaken in for remembrance purposes only, and that there was no material
conversion of the bread to the body, nor of the wine to the blood of Christ.
1. Jesus, after saying "this is my blood" in Matthew 26:28 also said "I will not drink
henceforth of this FRUIT OF THIS VINE" in Matthew 26:29, showing that the
grapejuice was STILL WINE and had not been changed to blood.
2. Jesus often referred to Himself in symbols. So why see Him as literal in a symbolic
context?
John 10:7 "I am the door." Did Jesus mean he was literally wooden? No.
John 14:6 "I am the way." Did Jesus mean he was literally a road? No.
John 15:5 "I am the vine." Did Jesus mean he was literally a tree? No.
John 8:12 "I am the light." Did Jesus mean he was literally a torch or a sun? No.
John 6:48 "I am the bread of life." Did Jesus mean he was literally a loaf of dough?
No.
John 6:63 states clearly that Jesus was speaking spiritually, not literally:
"The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life."
Luke 22:19 states clearly that the Lord's supper is for remembrance purposes: "This
do in remembrance of me." This is a metaphor, where one thing is said to be anotherthing because of it’s similarity. A metaphor is a figurative use of terms without
indicating their figurative nature, for example, “he shall eat his words”.
3. The bread and wine did not become Christ's body and blood because:
a) Christ was still present with them. Christ would have had 2 bodies, one which died
on the cross and one which did not.
b) To drink blood was forbidden in Acts 15:20,29 "We write unto them, that they
abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled,
and from BLOOD."
In Deuteronomy 12:16 "Only ye shall not eat the blood."
4. The tense of the Greek verbs "EAT" in John 6:50,51,52,53,54,56,57,58 is in the
AORIST tense showing a ONCE-FOR-ALL, point action, that is NOT CONTINUAL.
The Biblical Lord's supper is to be a repeated event, and therefore has no saving
merit. Roman Catholics are commanded to believe in transubstantiation because it
was stated at the Council of Trent (11 October 1551) that this doctrine was essential
for salvation. They pronounced curses on anyone who would deny it.
Paul the Apostle, in contrast, pronounced a double curse on anyone who preached a
gospel different from the all sufficiency of Christ's death, burial and resurrection to
save us from our sins. Galatians 1:6-9 puts a double curse on this "other gospel" of
transubstantiation for salvation.
5. Before Christ ascended to heaven, He promised to come to us during the Church Age,
NOT in the sacrifice of the MASS, but by the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-18 as
Comforter): "He shall give you another Comforter ... even the Spirit of truth ... I will not
leave you comfortless: I WILL COME TO YOU.” Note: Christ will return to earth a
second time visibly in glory. This is what is meant by 1 Corinthians 11:26 "For as often
as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death TILL HE COME."
Note: This means that Christ does not come literally and visibly as the wafer in the
mass, but to the air as in 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17.
6. At the Council of Constance in 1415 it was agreed to withold the cup from the
congregation lest the wine be spilt. However this contradicts 1 Corinthians 11:25-29
where ALL Corinthian believers drank of the wine: "Whosoever shall eat this bread
and drink this cup unworthily." v.27. Drinking the cup is mentioned six times in five
verses. Transubstantiation is not a mystery, but an absurdity; not a difficulty but a
contradiction.
Question: How then do we eat his flesh and drink his blood?
Answer: Through the WORD OF GOD.
John 6:63 "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh."
John 5:24 "He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me, has
everlasting life."
The scribes who knew Jeremiah 31:31-34, "I will put my law in their inward parts", and
Jeremiah 15:16, "Thy words were found and I DID EAT THEM; and thy word was unto me
the joy and rejoicing of mine heart", understood the idea of receiving God's Word into one’s
inner being.
Peter got the message, while others planned to desert Jesus:
"Thou hast the WORDS of eternal life." John 6:68.
"Being born again ... by the WORD of God." 1 Peter 1:23-25.
Peter knew that Jesus was speaking about the WORD of God, and not about literal flesh
and blood. Question: If this doctrine of transubstantiation only arose in the 9th century, and if it is so
necessary to Roman Catholic salvation, what happened to those who lived before the 9th
century not believing this doctrine? Did they all go to hell?
Question: What about the thief on the cross who repented and never took the wafer? Did
he go to hell? No! Jesus said he went to paradise.
ERROR 11: ADORATION OF THE HOST (Wafer Bread).
Catholic doctrine requires Catholics to bow down to and worship the wafer bread as God.
"There shall arise false prophets....if it were possible they shall deceive the very
elect....wherefore if they shall say unto you,....behold, he is in the SECRET CHAMBERS;
BELIEVE IT NOT." Matthew 24:24,26.
The Catholic priest does and says precisely this. He says that the bread is Christ and puts
the bread into the monstrance, a secret chamber. Christ says, BELIEVE IT NOT!
ERROR 12: THE MASS (instituted in 394 AD).
Definition: At every mass, Christ is sacrificed again.
Catholic doctrine says: "In the mass, no less than on Calvary, Jesus really
offers His life to His heavenly Father."
Question: Must Christ be continually sacrificed in the mass, or was His blood sacrifice on
the cross 100% sufficient to pay for all our sins for ever?
Answer: Christ's blood sacrifice on the cross IS 100% SUFFICIENT to pay for our sins,
because:
1. In John 19:30 Jesus said, "IT IS FINISHED", which in the Greek is "Tetelestai"
meaning "to make an end, to accomplish, to complete something, not merely to end it,
but to bring it to perfection or its intended goal." It means that the whole work of
salvation, the purpose for which Christ came into the world, has been accomplished
on the cross. Nothing more can be added to it. This is why we cannot save ourselves
by our good works, or religious rituals, as it is adding to Christ's finished work on the
cross.
The mass says that Christ's death on the cross is not good enough to fully pay for all
our sins or to save us. The mass says that we get to God apart from Christ's blood
sacrifice on the cross.
The mass says that Christ's blood sacrifice on the cross was a waste of time, as
Galatians 2:21 states: "if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
2. When Christ died, the veil in the Jewish temple was torn from top to bottom (Matthew
27:51). This veil separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. The Holy of Holies
was entered once a year by the High Priest on the day of atonement (Exodus 26:33).
The tearing of this veil (60 ft high, 30 ft wide, 1 ft thick) was a type of Christ's human
body, torn on the cross. This showed that a "new and living way" was opened for all
believers into the very presence of God. No other sacrifice and no other priesthood
was needed, just Christ's High Priesthood. "2Having therefore, brethren, boldness to
enter into the holiest by the BLOOD OF JESUS, by a NEW AND LIVING way, which
he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, HIS FLESH." Hebrews
10:19,20
We can now enter into the holiest presence of God without priestly sacrifices. 3. The New covenant, which operates now in the Church Age states: "Their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is 3"NO
MORE OFFERING FOR SIN." Hebrews 10:17,18. The Catholic priest "offering Christ
weekly," contradicts this clear statement that there is "NO MORE OFFERING FOR
SIN" needed.
4. Christ's sacrifice is clearly stated as ONCE FOR ALL, not to be repeated. "We are
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ 4ONCE FOR ALL."
Hebrews 10:10.
"But this man after he had offered 5ONE SACRIFICE FOR SINS FOR EVER, sat
down on the right hand of God." Hebrews 10:12.
"By 6ONE OFFERING he has perfected FOREVER them that are sanctified."
Hebrews 10:14.
Not just is Christ's sacrifice the one and only sacrifice for sins forever, but no more
offering is needed: "Now where remission of these is, there is 7NO MORE
OFFERING FOR SIN." Hebrews 10:18.
8"Nor yet that he should OFFER HIMSELF OFTEN...9For then must he OFTEN have
suffered since the foundation of the world: but now 10ONCE in the end of the world
hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Hebrews 9:25,26.
"So Christ was 11ONCE offered to bear the sins of many." Hebrews 9:28.
"For Christ also has 12ONCE suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might
bring us to God." 1 Peter 3:18.
5. Catholic priests performing the “mass resacrifice” is a waste of time and of no value in
taking away sins. "Who 13needs not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice
first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did 14ONCE, when he
offered up himself.”Hebrews 7:27
"and every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, WHICH 15CAN NEVER TAKE AWAY SINS." Hebrews 10:11.
It is only by this one sacrifice of Christ on the cross that people can be saved. The
continual sacrifice of the mass is not needed and opposes the Bible.
a) Notice that there are 15 statements that clearly teach the 100% sufficiency of
Christ's blood sacrifice on the cross.
b) Each clearly says that Christ's sacrifice is ONCE for all.
c) No more sacrifice is required.
d) Priests sacrifices can never take away sins.
The mass is a sacrifice without blood. Yet the Bible says that "without the shedding
of blood there is no remission." (of sin). We do not need to sacrifice Christ again.
His sacrifice 2,000 years ago is sufficient.
f) Confession is also called "RECONCILIATION."
Christ alone on the cross "made reconciliation for the sins of the people." Hebrews 2:17.
"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." 1 Corinthians 5:19.
"when we were enemies, WE WERE RECONCILED to God by the death of his Son." Romans
5:10.
"God, who HAS RECONCILED us to himself, by JESUS CHRIST." II Corinthians 5:18. "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet NOW
HATH HE RECONCILED." Colossians 1:21.
Notice that the Biblical reconciliation is:
1. Past tense.
2. By Jesus Christ, not by a Catholic priest.
3. We already possess reconciliation, we don't get it at confession.
ERROR 13: OTHER MEDIATORS BETWEEN GOD and MAN.
We have Christ as our Great High Priest who gives us full access to God's throne of
grace. We do not need a human priest, nor Mary, nor dead saints to intercede for us.
"Seeing then that we HAVE a GREAT HIGH PRIEST....JESUS CHRIST the Son of
God....Let us therefore COME BOLDLY unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Heb. 4:14,16.
The Catholic priest, not only makes Christ's death on the cross a waste of time, but he also
takes Christ’s place as intermediary between man and God, when he says that you can't
be saved unless you come to mass performed by him. They call him “Vicar” meaning “in the
place of”. “For there is one God, and ONE MEDIATOR between God and man, the man
Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5.
Catholicism calls Mary a "Mediatorix".
Jesus is falsely portrayed as being ANGRY with people.
Mary is falsely portrayed as being MERCIFUL, and as Jesus' mother, is seen as uniquely
able to pacify Jesus Christ's supposed anger towards people.
The Bible says that there is ONE MEDIATOR who is Jesus Christ and no one else. Jesus
Christ is the merciful and faithful High Priest. Because he has suffered earthly temptations,
he is well able to comfort us in earthly temptations. Hebrews 2:17,18.
Question: Where does it say that Jesus is angry with Christians?
Answer: Nowhere. "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness." Hebrews 8:12.
ERROR 14: PRAYERS TO SAINTS.
The Bible states that all true believers are "saints".
"To the saints which are at Ephesus." Ephesians 1:1.
"To all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi." Philippians 1:1.
"Praying to saints" is a Catholic device to stop people from praying to God and turns people
away from developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Again, this false doctrine teaches that dead saints are more approachable and helpful than
Jesus Christ.
Question: Do you see that a constant theme of Catholicism is to turn people away from
Jesus Christ? It turns people instead to Mary, saints, a wafer, a priest, traditions,
popes, etc.
Why? What have they got against Jesus Christ? In fact, prayers to saints are:
1. Contrary to the Bible which says "After this manner pray ye: "Our Father". Matthew
6:9.
2. Contacting the dead is forbidden in Deuteronomy 18:10,11.
"There shall not be found among you any one that ... is a necromancer."
A necromancer is one who seeks to contact the dead. Much of what is attributed to
saints is false. For example, St Philomena was proclaimed a saint by Leo XII, and
Pope Gregory XVI blessed one of her images. Rome later admitted that she never
existed and in 1961 struck her off the list of saints.3. There is no Bible example of praying to saints, nor is there any Bible example of them
having power to answer prayer. We pray to God the Father with Jesus as our only
intercessor. Once again, "There is one mediator between God and man, the man
Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 2:5.
ERROR 15: PURGATORY.
Purgatory is an imaginary half-way place between heaven and hell, where unforgiven sin is
purged away. This is a great evil because:
1. It deceives Catholics into thinking that they may be lukewarm and easily avoid hell.
2. It denies that Christ's blood sacrifice on the cross is sufficient to pay for all our
sins.
It says that Christ did not die for all our sins, so we must be punished for them in
purgatory.
3. It denies the Biblical doctrine of true salvation in Christ and certainty of eternal life,
forcing a person to work for their salvation.
Answer: The Bible states clearly that Christ purged our sins on the cross.
1"When he had by himself PURGED OUR SINS." Hebrews 1:3, and
2"There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." Romans
8:1;John 5:24
Why didn't the Apostles discuss purgatory?
Did God and the Apostles forget to tell us something important? No. When a believer dies
he is immediately present with Christ. "To be absent from the body and to be present
with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8. There is no mention here of having to spend time in
purgatory. 4Jesus in Luke 16:19-31 reveals that there is a great gulf between paradise and
hell. People cannot pass from one to the other.
Catholics defend purgatory by quoting 2 Maccabees 12:40-46 where a "sin offering" is
offered for dead soldiers who had committed the sin of idolatry. This not only contradicts the
Bible, but also contradicts Catholic teaching, because idolatry is a mortal sin that would
confine a person to hell. The Book of Maccabees has never been regarded as inspired by
Jews or Christians.
For the Roman Catholic, purgatory teaching is:
1. A terrifying prospect of entering a place of unspeakable torture. Millions of Catholics
live and die in great fear of death, to spend an unknown number of years in purgatory.
Christ came to "deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to
bondage." Hebrews 2:15. Roman Catholicism is a religion of fear.
a) Fear of purgatory.
b) Fear of the priest.
c) Fear of the confessional.
d) Fear of death.
e) Fear of the consequences of missing mass.
f) Fear of the discipline of penance.
g) Fear of the righteous judgment of an angry God.
2. A great money raiser
Suffering in purgatory may be shortened by gifts of money, masses, prayers by the
priests, etc. Question 1: If the Pope or priest, really has the power to shorten or stop the suffering of
souls in purgatory, why does he not, if he is a good man, render that service
freely and willingly as a service to humanity?
Purgatory is a "gigantic fraud" and a "colossal racket", because it deprives the poor of their
last pennies and extorts large funds from the rich in exchange for NOTHING.
Question 2: Mr priest, how do you know when to stop saying masses, or if you've said too
many? How do you know when the person is out of purgatory?
Question 3: Mr priest and pope, when you die, do you know for sure you’d go to heaven?
Answer: I don't know.
This message of purgatory offers NOTHING to a sad and perishing world.
Problem: The purgatory doctrine represents God as a respecter of persons. Because of
money, a rich man can pay more for prayers and masses, than can a poor man. The rich
man therefore passes more speedily through purgatory and into heaven than the poor man.
The Bible teaches that entrance into heaven is not based on one’s wealth, but on one’s
response to receiving Jesus Christ as Saviour alone. Compare death for a believing
Protestant or Baptist which is the joy of promotion to heaven.
ERROR 16: PAPAL INFALLIBILITY (declared in 1870 AD).
Definition: When a pope is speaking in his official position on any issue of faith or morals,
he is speaking infallibly, meaning without error.
Answer: The apostles never regarded any man to be infallible. Only the Word of God is
regarded as without error.
If Peter was pope, which the Bible says he was not, then he made mistakes as in Galatians
2:11-14 when he was deceived by Judaizers. "But when Peter came to Antioch, I withstood
him to the face, because he was to be blamed."
The following events from history show the error of papal infallibility.
1. Pope John XII, in the "Liber Pontificalis," the Catholic publication discussing the lives
of the popes, states that "He spent his entire life in adultery."
2. Popes Innocent III, Gregory XI, Clement IV, Hadrian VI, and Paul IV all disagreed with
papal infallibility.
3. Pope Stephen VI (896) had the dead pope Formosus (891-6) tried, questioned, fingers
hacked off, dragged through Rome and thrown into the Tiber river.
4. Pope Hadrian II (867) declared civil marriage to be valid, but Pope Pius VII (1800-23)
declared it to be invalid.
5. Pope Eugene IV (1431) had Joan of Arc burned alive as a witch, but later Pope
Benedict IV in 1919 declared her to be a saint.
6. Pope Pius XI in 1929 endorsed Fascism and called Mussolini "a man sent by God."
However, before World War II, he warned people against Mussolini.
7. The Vatican advised the German Catholic Party to vote for Nazi candidates. In 1933,
the Vatican and Hitler signed a concordat, where the Catholic church swore allegiance
to the Nazi government. Later on Pope Pius XI condemned Hitler.
How can a supposedly infallible man make so many errors of judgment, and even contradict
other so-called infallible popes? Surely this disproves papal infallibility to any honest, openminded person. ERROR 17: INDULGENCES.
Definition: A person after confessing his sins to a priest, in order to be free from the
punishment still due for his sins, requires the church to pray for his rehabilitation. The
person must do penance works such as fasting, making pilgrimages, giving money, making
prayers or inflicting pain on oneself, as a penalty for sins committed.
Historically, people found it easier to pay money to the Roman Catholic church than to pray
for long hours. The Roman Catholic church preferred money because the Pope ran out of
cash in building St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. So the Roman Catholic church issued the
person with an official statement that he had received release from the penalties through
the payment of money. This document was called an indulgence. They could be bought for
friends and relatives who had died and passed into purgatory, thus shortening the time that
they would have to spend there.
Martin Luther objected to Tetzel, a Catholic indulgence seller, who publicly announced to
people that if they put a coin in a box, a dead relative's soul would immediately pop out of
purgatory. His advertising slogan was: "As the coin in you pop, a soul from purgatory doth
hop."
Answer: Obviously, this teaching cannot be found in the Bible. After Word War II, the
Archbishop of Winnipeg asked mothers who had sons killed in the war, to pay $40 to have
masses said on behalf of their sons to guarantee their salvation and entrance to heaven.
This practice continues in many parts of the world, and accounts for the great wealth of the
Catholic church as seen in the big cathedrals it builds.
Which Bible verses forbid indulgence selling?
1. Jesus warns against this practice in Matthew 23:14, a verse that Catholics have cut
out of modern Bible versions. "Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For
ye devour widows houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall
receive the greater damnation."
The Pharisees of Jesus' day, as well as Catholic priests of today, tell widows that their
dead husband has gone to purgatory. They ask her if she wants him to go to heaven.
If yes, she will have to pay the priest to say a mass to pray for his soul to leave
purgatory. Widows don't usually have much money, so he tells her to sell her house to
pay for it. This is how widows houses are devoured by priests who for a pretense
make long prayers.
2. The Israelites were forbidden to give money for the dead. "None of them can by any
means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him." Psalms 49:7. No gift of
money can save another person. Only the blood of Christ can.
3. Peter says: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold ... but with the precious blood of Christ." 1 Peter 1:18,19. Nobody
is redeemed with indulgence money.
4. Simon the sorcerer offered the apostles money so that anyone that he laid hands on
would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Peter rebuked him strongly in Acts 8:20-23
saying: "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the GIFT OF
GOD may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for
thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness."
Salvation is the gift of God that each of us must claim freely for ourselves when we call
on Christ to be our Saviour. No baptism, eucharist, confessional to a priest, penance,
extreme unction, or paying money can save us, only faith in Christ's precious saving
blood to pay for our sins. ERROR 18: IDOLATRY. This is MAKING IMAGES.
The Catholic Council of Trent declares that: "It is lawful to have images in the church and to
give honour and worship to them. ... Images are put in churches that they may be
worshipped."
The Oxford dictionary defines an idol as: "An image used as an object of worship. A
person or thing that is the object of excessive devotion." An Idolater is a devoted admirer
of idols.
Answer: What does the Bible say about images and idols?
1. Exodus 20:4, 5.
a) Thou shalt not MAKE unto thee ANY graven image, or any likeness of any
thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the
water under the earth.
b) Thou shalt not BOW DOWN thyself to them.
c) Nor SERVE them.
If you make any graven image you’ve broken this commandment, whether you
worship it or not.
Question 1: Do Catholics MAKE graven images? Yes.
Question 2: Do Catholics KNEEL down to statues of Mary or Jesus? Yes.
Question 3: Do Catholics SERVE Mary? Yes, as in "Legion of Mary."
2. Leviticus 26:1.
a) "You shall make you NO IDOLS nor GRAVEN IMAGE.
b) Neither rear you up a STANDING IMAGE.
c) Neither shall ye set up any IMAGE OF STONE in your land to bow down unto
it."
Question 4: Do Catholics rear up STANDING IMAGES? Yes.
Question 5: Do Catholics set up any IMAGE OF STONE? Yes.
3. Deuteronomy 4:16.
"Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and MAKE you a GRAVEN IMAGE, the similitude of ANY
FIGURE, the likeness of MALE or FEMALE."
Question 6: Do Catholics make graven images of MALE or FEMALE? Yes.
Mary is a female. Jesus and the apostles are males.
4. Deuteronomy 16:22.
"Neither shalt thou SET thee UP ANY IMAGE: which the Lord thy God HATES."
Question 7: Do Catholics SET UP ANY IMAGES? Yes.
Question 8: Does God HATE IMAGES? Yes.
5. 1 Thessalonians 1:9.
"How ye turned to God FROM IDOLS to serve the living and true God."
Question 9: Did the early Christians turn FROM IDOLS? Yes.
6. Deuteronomy 27:15.
"CURSED be the man that MAKES ANY GRAVEN or MOLTEN IMAGE, an
abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a
secret place."
Question 10: Does God put a curse on any person that makes any image? Yes.
Question 11: Why does God call an image an ABOMINATION? Because He hates
it.7. Isaiah 40:18,19.
"To whom then will ye liken God? or what LIKENESS will ye compare unto him? The
workman melteth a graven image"
Note: God has no visible form and we cannot liken him to any material object.
The Catholic answer is that they say that they do not worship images.
God's reply is not to MAKE IMAGES.
8. The early Christians had NO IMAGES.
Early Christian writers such as Irenaeus, Clement, Cyprian, Athanasius, and Jerome,
wrote strongly AGAINST images, statues and any manner of prayer or veneration
regarding them. The Council of Constantinople in 381 AD voted unanimously to
remove all images from the churches.
9. The Catholic church removes the second commandment against MAKING graven
images from the list of 10 Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17. This presents them with
the problem of only having 9 commandments. They resolve this problem by splitting
commandment number 10 into 9 and 10 as follows:
9. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods.
This is seen in the book "A brief summary of the Ten Commandments" by the
Daughters of St. Paul, p.12,13:
WHAT ARE THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD?
The Catholic Catechism The Bible
The Commandments of God are these ten:
"I am the Lord your God:
1. You shall not have strange Gods before me. 1. No other gods.
[omitted] 2. No Graven Images.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord 3. Don’t take God’s Name in vain.
your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's day. 4. Keep Sabbath Day Holy.
4. Honor your father and your mother. 5. Honour Father and Mother.
5. You shall not kill. 6. Don’t Murder.
6. You shall not commit adultery. 7. Don’t Commit Adultery.
7. You shall not steal. 8. Don’t Steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness 9. Don’t bear False Witness.
9. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife. 10. Don’t Covet.
10. You shall not covet your neighbour's goods." Exodus 20:1-17.
The number Two Commandment should be “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
image.” 20:4
Check your Catechism to see if they have left it out.
Question: Why do you think they left it out?
10. Every Catholic institution has images of Mary, Jesus, male and female figures.
An example of this are two statues at the French Papal Palace of Avignon, one of
Jesus about 10 metres above ground level, and the other is an enormous statue of
Mary, much larger, grander and higher up than that of Jesus. This gives greater
honour to Mary than to Jesus. It also clearly breaks the second commandment
forbidding making images of things in heaven.
Question: Who do we believe, the Word of God or the Catholic Church?
"We ought to obey God, rather than men." Acts 5:29. ERROR 19: MARY VENERATION.
Here are some of the many errors associated with Mary veneration:
1. Historical connection with Pagan mother and child worship.
Mother and child worship started at the Tower of Babel. Nimrod, King of Babel was
killed for his great evil. His wife Semiramis, fearing that she would lose control,
devised a plan to maintain the people's loyalty. She and everybody knew about the
future birth of a virgin born Messiah/Saviour promised in Genesis 3:15 as the "seed of
the woman" who would bruise satan’s head. So Semiramis had an illegitimate son,
whom she named "Tammuz." She commanded that everyone worship herself and
Tammuz as the fulfilment of Genesis 3:15, claiming that her son was supernaturally
conceived and was the promised saviour.
When the people at Babel were scattered, they carried this mother and child worship
with them wherever they went. This is why we see so much mother and child worship
in so many ancient societies.
“They forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.” Judges 2:13.
When the early Christian church grew through the preaching of Paul and others, no
compromise was made with pagan mother and child worship. When the Ephesians
were truly converted, they destroyed their idols of the goddess Diana, so that the
silversmith craftsmen were going out of business. (Acts 19:24-27). When the Roman
Emperor Constantine professed conversion in 320 AD, he commanded that everyone
in the Roman Empire become “Christian”. At this time, half the empire were pagan
worshippers of mother and child, and the other half professed to be Christian. It is
obvious that you cannot pass a law to compel everyone to follow a certain religion, as
people have their own free will. A compromise was reached which allowed the pagans
to continue their mother and child worship, yet still give the appearance of being
Christian.
They simply changed their pagan mother and child worship to worship Mary and
Jesus.
For example, in the following ancient cultures, the mother and child were represented
as follows:
Mother Son
Babylon Semiramis Tammuz
China Shingmoo
Germany Hertha Child
Scandinavia Disa
Etruscans Nutria
Greece Aphrodite or Ceres Bacchus
Rome Venus Jupiter
India Devaki Krishna
Asia Cybele Deoius
Canaan Ashtaroth Baal
Ephesus Diana
Egypt Isis Horus
Phonecians Lady of the Sea, Astark
• This resulted in Mary worship becoming an official doctrine of the Roman Church in
431 AD at the Council of Ephesus. Since then, Mary worship has grown, so that
Mary is now called the "Mother of God", the "Queen of Heaven", "Madonna", etc.
• Note also that Mary never claimed to be the "Queen of Heaven" as this was a
pagan goddess that apostate Israelites made cakes to, thus provoking God to anger.
"the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the Queen of Heaven,... that they
may provoke me to anger." Jeremiah 7:18 and 44:17,18,19,25.
• In pagan religions, the mother was worshipped as much or more than her son, yet
the Bible clearly shows that Christ is to be worshipped and NEVER Mary.
2. The Bible never mentions Mary interceding for us.
Who did the thief on the cross appeal to for salvation? Was it Christ or Mary? Jesus
said: "Come unto ME, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28.
"Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37.
"No man cometh unto the Father, but by ME." John 14:6.
Praying to Mary is a device to turn people away from praying to Christ. Acts 4:12
states that there is no salvation in anyone but Christ. Luke records a woman saying to
Jesus about Mary in Luke 11:27,28, “Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the
paps which thou hast sucked (Mary). But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that
hear the Word of God, and keep it.”
As a man, Jesus always said "No!" to Mary's requests. For example, in John 2:3,4,5
Jesus rejected Mary's request for more wine by saying: "Woman, what have I to do
with thee?" Mary then told the servants, "Whatsoever he saith unto you, DO IT."
Jesus did not say "Yes mother, I will do anything you ask."
3. The Immaculate Conception.
Definition: "Mary was born sinless and led a sinless life." She was declared to be
"infallible" and this was made official by Pope Pius IX in 1854. He said, "There is no
salvation to those who do not believe this dogma."
Answer: Even St Augustine wrote that Mary's flesh was "flesh of sin" and that "Mary
springing from Adam, died because of sin." Mary acknowledges that she is a sinner
by calling God her Saviour. Only a sinner needs a Saviour.
"My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." Luke 1:47.
"For ALL HAVE SINNED and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.
"There is none righteous, no not one." Romans 3:10.
4. Perpetual Virginity.
Definition: "Mary remained a virgin all her life, never having sex with her husband
Joseph and therefore having no other children."
Answer: This idea is found NOWHERE in the Bible. This idea was official dogma in
451 AD. Note these Bible verses disproving this false doctrine:
a) "Joseph took unto him his wife: and knew her not TILL she had brought forth her
firstborn son..." (Matthew 1:25). This means that Joseph knew Mary sexually in
normal marriage relations after Jesus was born.
b) Jesus' fellow Nazareth townsfolk who grew up with him asked: "Is not this the
carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? and his brothers, James, Joses,
Simon and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?” (Matthew 13:55,56).
Jesus here has brothers (adelphos) and sisters (adelphai). Catholicism attempts to
explain these away as cousins. This cannot be valid because the Greek word for
cousin is "anephios." Mark 6:3 also translates these as "brothers" and "sisters".
c) Jesus had brothers: "Neither did his brethren believe in him." John 7:5.
"These all continued ... with his brethren." Acts 1:14.
Nine times the Bible says that Mary was not a perpetual virgin. 5. The Assumption of Mary.
Definition: "Mary ascended into heaven in a bodily form."
This was made official and "infallible" by Pope Pius XII in 1951.
Answer: This is NOWHERE mentioned in the Bible.
"No man has ascended up to heaven, but ... the Son of man ..." John 3:13.
“Ascended” in the Greek means "go up of one's own power", not taken up as was
Elijah or Enoch.
Objection: Doesn't Revelation 12:1-7 describe a woman in heaven clothed with the
sun, having the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head, giving birth
to a man child (Christ), refer to Mary?
Answer: No. Because:
a) Genesis 37:9,10 shows this woman to be the Israelite nation, with the sun
representing Jacob, the moon representing his wife Rachel, and the 12 stars
representing the 12 tribes of Israel. Christ was born of Israel. The Israelite nation is
often referred to as a woman in Isaiah 54:5, "thy Maker is thine husband," and
Jeremiah 31:32, "although I was a husband unto them."
b) This woman cannot be Mary, because this woman is on earth during the
Tribulation, whereas Mary's spirit is in heaven at that time.
c) This woman is persecuted on earth during this time, yet Mary in heaven cannot be
persecuted on earth.
6. False Prophecies and Miracles attributed to Mary.
Many "visions", "miracles" and "prophecies" have been attributed to Mary. For
example, the vision attributed to Mary at Fatima in 1917 told three shepherd children
to repeat the rosary daily. It called for people to reform their lives and to build a chapel
in her honour.
Also, the message at Meddjugorje, Yugoslavia, attributed to Mary said that: "God is
not looking for great believers, but simply for those who respect their faith and live
peacefully. Peace is more important than conversion, fasting, penance or prayer."
Question: Do you believe that every vision a person claims to have is true and
from God?
Answer: Satan can give false visions, miracles and prophecies to deceive
people away from the gospel of salvation by faith in Christ. "Though
we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel, let him be
accursed." Galatians 1:8.
Notice how these visions turn people's attention AWAY FROM CHRIST to something
else, such as, saying the rosary or peace. These visions have three errors in
common:
a) They usually point people to peace and the Catholic church.
b) They glorify Mary, instead of Jesus.
c) They contradict and ignore the Bible.
Beware of Satan transforming himself into an angel of light. To avoid being deceived,
we must test everything by the Word of God. Charles Chiniquy, a former priest from Montreal, Canada, who became a Presbyterian
minister, tells of the following conversation between himself and his bishop when
doubts began to assail him regarding the place given to Mary:
CC: "My lord, who has saved you and me upon the cross?"
He answered, "Jesus Christ."
CC: "And who paid your debt and mine by shedding His blood; was it Mary or
Jesus?"
He said: "Jesus Christ."
CC: "Now, my lord, when Jesus and Mary were on earth, who loved the sinner
more; was it Mary or Jesus?"
Again he answered that it was Jesus.
CC: "Did any sinner come to Mary on earth to be saved?"
"No."
CC: "Do you remember that any sinner has gone to Jesus to be saved?"
"Yes, many."
CC: "Have they been rebuked?"
"Never."
CC: Do you remember that Jesus ever said to sinners, ‘Come to Mary and she will
save you?'
"No", he said.
CC: "Do you remember that Jesus has said to poor sinners, “Come to me?” "
"Yes, He has said it."
CC: "Has He ever retracted those words?"
"No".
CC: "And who was, then, the more powerful to save sinners?"
"Oh, it was Jesus!"
CC: "Now my lord, since Jesus and Mary are in heaven, can you show me in the
Scriptures that Jesus has lost anything of his desire and power to save
sinners, or that He has delegated His power to Mary?"
And the bishop answered "No."
CC: "Then, my lord, why do we not go to Him, and to Him alone? Why do we
invite poor sinners to come to Mary, when, by your own confession she is
nothing compared with Jesus, in power, in mercy, in love, and in compassion
for the sinner?"
To that the Bishop could give no answer. (Fifty Years in the Church of Rome,
p. 262).
ERROR 20: CATHOLIC ATTITUDES TO THE BIBLE.
1. The Roman Catholic church has a history of burning Bibles.
2. When it could not stop Bibles being printed, it denied anti-catholic scriptures by saying
"that's your interpretation", meaning that the Bible has no authority if anyone can
interpret it in any manner.
3. They allow Catholics to read the Bible, but teach that it is wrong and sinful to put any
interpretation on scriptures that is contrary to Roman Catholic doctrine. In other words,
don't think for yourself, you may discover that Catholic doctrine is full of error and
contradictions. Just blindly accept everything Rome tells you. Trust Rome. ERROR 21: PETER AS THE ROCK (Matthew 16:18,19).
The whole structure of the Roman church is built on the assumption that in Matthew 16:13-
19, Christ appointed Peter to be the first pope and so established the papacy. If we destroy
the papacy of Peter, the foundation of the papacy is destroyed along with the whole Roman
hierarchy.
"And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter (Greek: 1 Petros, 2masculine, 3a person, 4a
large stone, 5a piece or fragment of rock such as a man might throw); and upon this rock
(Greek: 1Petra, 2feminine, 3not a person, but a 4cliff, a mass of projecting immovable
rock.)
I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and WHATSOEVER thou shalt
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and WHATSOEVER thou shalt loose on earth shall
be loosed in heaven."
Catholicism claims several false doctrines from this passage:
a) Peter is the rock.
b) Peter is the first pope, with special spiritual supremacy over the church.
c) This same spiritual authority has always resided in the popes of Rome, as being
Peter’s successors. (This idea is nowhere mentioned in Scripture).
d) Christ built his church on Peter. This is contrary to God’s Word which says:
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” I
Corinthians 3:11.
e) Christ gave Peter keys to admit into heaven only those who came through the Roman
Catholic church.
f) Those not coming through the Roman
church would be bound in sin and unable
to enter heaven.
Each of these six claims can be shown to
be false as follows:
1. Peter is not the rock, because the
12 disciples, knowing well the Old
Testament, recognised the Rock as a
description or name for God.
"He is the Rock, His word is perfect."
Deuteronomy 32:4.
"The Lord is my Rock, and my fortress." Psalms 18:2.
"For who is a God save the Lord? Or who is a Rock save our God." Psalm 18:31.
We see here that there is NO OTHER ROCK than God, not even Peter.
Jesus Christ is the foundation rock on which the church is built.
a) The Old Testament prophets said so. (Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22).
b) Jesus said so referring to Himself as "the stone which the builders rejected is
become the head of the corner." Matthew 21:42.
c) Peter said so, stating that Christ is "the stone ... which is become the head of the
corner. Neither is there salvation in any other ... " Acts 4:11,12.
d) Paul said so, stating that "the rock that followed them was Christ." 1 Corinthians
10:4 and "other foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 3:11. Catholicism is saying that salvation is not in Christ, but in Peter as the first of a
succession of popes. Peter, however, contradicts this wrong idea by saying that,
“Christ is the chief corner stone” in 1 Peter 2:4-8.
"To whom coming, as unto a living stone. (v.4).
Behold I lay in Zion a Chief corner stone... he that believeth on him shall not be
confounded. v.6
The stone which the builders disallowed is become the head of the corner. (v.7). And a
stone of stumbling,and a rock of offence,even to them which stumble at the word,
being disobedient.” v.8
Even if we allow Catholicism to believe that Peter is a foundation stone upon which
Christ built His church, Catholicism has to admit that other New Testament apostles
and Old Testament prophets make up the foundation equally as much as Peter does,
because:
• "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
himself being the chief cornerstone." Ephesians 2:20.
• “And the wall of the city had 12 foundations, and in them the names of the 12
apostles of the lamb." Revelation 21:14.
Peter is given no greater importance than any of the other apostles.
"Thou art Peter (Petros), and upon this rock (Petra) I will build my church." Matthew
16:18.
Answer: In the Greek, the word "Peter" is Petros, a person, masculine, a rock or
stone that a man might throw.
In the Greek, the word "Rock" is "Petra", not a person, but a cliff, a mass of projecting,
immovable rock. It refers not to Peter, but to Peter's declaration of Christ's deity,
"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
"PETROS" means a small, moveable stone, but "PETRA" means an immovable
foundation, in this case, Peter's statement on Christ's deity, upon which Christ would
build His church.
• Christ made two complete, distinct statements:
He said: 1. Thou art Peter, and
2. Upon this rock (change of gender, showing change of subject), I will build
my church.
Peter was not characterised by a "PETRA" immovable foundation, as seen in
these incidents:
a) Peter soon tried to stop Jesus going to the cross, so Jesus gave him a
stinging rebuke: "Get thee behind me, satan." (v.23). These are strong words
to use against someone who has just been appointed pope.
b) Peter slept in Gethsemene during Christ's agony.
c) Christ rebuked Peter for rashly cutting off Malchus' ear.
d) Peter boasted that he was ready to die for Christ.
e) Peter then shamefully denied with curses that he knew Christ.
f) Paul rebuked Peter for error and hypocrisy at Antioch in Galatians 2:11, "But
when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he
was to be blamed." g) In Mark 9:33-35, the disciples argued as to who was the greatest among
them. Had Jesus already given Peter the chief rank of pope, then Christ
would have simply referred to His previous granting of power to Peter. Yet
Jesus just said that the greatest shall be last and servant of all.
h) Augustine and Jerome state that the Rock is Christ, not Peter. Mark's gospel
was written by Mark, assisted by Peter, yet neither Mark's gospel or Peter's
letters mention this incident. They would surely mention it if we needed to
know it.
God is called the "Rock" 34 times in the Old Testament. It was clearly a title of God.
Every Jew would be shocked to call a man the "Rock". Therefore "Peter" and "Rock"
are translated as two different words, with two different meanings.
Note: In John 1:42, Jesus said, "Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called
CEPHAS, which is by interpretation, a STONE." Cephas (2786) is a Syriac surname
given to Simon, which is "Petros" in Greek, not "Petra". Peter did not call himself by
his Syriac name (Cephas), but by his Greek name (1 Peter 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1). The word
for rock (Petra) in Matthew 16:18 is the same word used for the rock fortress at Edom,
known as "PETRA." It is 1.4 kilometres long, 226 metres high, 457 metres wide. Jesus
did not say that Peter was the PETRA rock fortress, but that Simon was Petros, a
piece of rock. Only God is called "a ROCK." Jesus is just saying to Simon, "I will make
you a firm and distinguished preacher in building my church."
2. Peter is NOT the first pope, with supremacy over the Church because of these
reasons:
a) At the Jerusalem council in Acts 15:13-19, the advice of James not Peter was
sought and followed. James, not Peter was the spokesman who handed down the
decision.
b) If Peter was the first pope, he would have had a greater position than the other
disciples. When the disciples discussed which of them was the greatest in Mark
9:33-35, Jesus had a great chance to affirm Peter's headship as the first pope, but
Jesus simply said that the greatest shall be a servant of all. Thus Jesus showed no
special papal leadership to Peter. Nor should we.
3. Peter was given the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Christian profession in the
Church Age), only in the sense that it was Peter who opened the door of Gospel
preaching opportunity to Israel on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38-42), and to the
Gentiles in the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:34-46). Peter opened the door, and
everybody who received Christ as Saviour went into the Kingdom of God through
Christ.
ERROR 22: FIFTEEN APOCRYPHA BOOKS added to the Old Testament Bible in
1546 AD.
Roman Catholicism added these books in order to undermine Protestant belief in the Bible
as sole authority. Some apocryphal books seemed to support Catholic dogma. We reject
the Apocrypha for these reasons:
Reason 1: The Jews never received these books. They were rejected by both Jews and all
Christians up till 400 AD. Jesus never quoted from the Apocrypha. Reason 2: They have many errors of time, history, geography, as well as contradictions to
the Bible. Examples of errors are:
1. Judith falsely states that Nebuchadnezzar reigns over the Assyrians, whereas he ruled
Babylon instead.
2. Judith has Holohernes moving an immense army 300 miles in 3 days (2:21).
3. Tobit could not have witnessed the division of Israel into the Northern and Southern
kingdoms in 931 BC (Tobit 1:4), and have been deported 200 years later in 734 BC
(Tobit 1:10).
4. Ecclesiasticus 3:3 states that giving money forgives sins, which contradicts the work of
Christ on the cross.
Reason 3: Christ and the Apostles in the New Testament quote 260 times from 35 out of 39
Old Testament books, yet they never quote from the Apocrypha.
Reason 4: Josephus in 90 AD listed all the 39 Old Testament books, yet he did not include
the Apocrypha. The Catholic church only added them at the Council of Trent to defend the
Protestants attack on purgatory, where 2 Maccabees 12:40-45 tells of Judas Maccabeus
offering a sacrifice for soldiers who died while guilty of the mortal sin of idolatry.
ERROR 23: NAMES OF BLASPHEMY.
Officials of the Roman Catholic church take names for themselves that are reserved to God,
the Lord Jesus Christ such as:
1. Pontifix Maximus is a papal title meaning in Latin "chief bridge maker" between earth
and heaven. However, Jesus Christ is the only One who can claim this title because
"no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6). This was a title of Julius
Caesar and of the Roman Emperors of paganism, thus showing how modern Roman
Catholicism is of pagan origin. Constantine, a politician, in 320 AD, hijacked the
church of Rome, taking control of it for himself. Hence, all popes accept the title
“Pontifix Maximus” which title belonged to the Roman Emporers from Julius Caesar
onwards.
2. Holy Father is a title the pope claims for himself. However, this title occurs only once
in the Bible, and used when Jesus addresses His Heavenly Father in John 17:11 in
His great prayer before His betrayal, arrest and crucifixion. It is blasphemy for any
man to claim this title for himself. It belongs only to God the Father.
3. Father is a title that every Roman Catholic priest claims for himself and expects to be
called. Jesus warns in Matthew 23:9, "Call no man your father upon the earth: for one
is your father which is in heaven."
Objection: But isn't it wrong to call your earthly parent "father"?
Answer: No, because in Romans 4:1, "Abraham our father, as pertaining to the
flesh, hath found?" God refers to Abraham as "our father pertaining to the flesh" which
is an acceptable usage. Obviously the Roman priest is not your physical father, but
claims to be a spiritual father, which is what God forbids. We ought not to call a priest
"father", unless he is your physical parent.
4. Monsignor means "my Lord", and this clearly is a title belonging only to God, the Lord
Jesus Christ. This is a name of blasphemy that Romanism takes from God.
5. Reverend is a title of many Roman Catholic priests and Protestant ministers. This is
also a title for God in Psalms 111:9, "Holy and Reverend is his name." It is always
blasphemy for any man to take to himself a title of God. No preacher in the early
church claimed "Reverend" as his title, nor can we today.
In Revelation 17:3, John saw a whore riding a beast described as "full of names of
blasphemy." These five names of blasphemy of the Roman Catholic church link it
with the whore called "Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and
abominations of the earth." Rev. 17:5.
6. “God himself on earth” is a papal title in the New York Catechism.
7. Other Blasphemous titles given to Mary are Queen of Heaven, the Gate of Heaven,
our life, Mother of Grace, Mother of Mercy, etc. Heaven has no Queen, only the King.
Christ is the Door, the Life etc. For Mary to hear all Catholic prayers she would need to
have the omniscient powers of God. This is Blasphemy!
ERROR 24: ROSARY PRAYER BEADS.
Saying the rosary is often assigned to a person after he has been to confession as a
penance or as a means of storing up merit in heaven. The rosary may be defined as:
1. A series of prayers, in its long form consisting of:
15 "Our Fathers" (the Lord's prayer, addressed to God the Father).
15 "Glory be's", and
150 "Hail Mary's" addressed to Mary as follows:"Hail Mary, full of grace ...pray for us
sinners."
2. A chain of beads for counting the prayers. Note that the rosary has TEN TIMES as
many prayers addressed to Mary (150), as are addressed to God the Father (15), with
none addressed to Christ. It thus exalts Mary 10 TIMES more than GOD.
Jesus forbids the rosary prayer in Matthew 6:7,8 "But when ye pray, use not vain
repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much
speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them."
The Bible teaches that the true believer should pray to God from the heart reverently,
thankfully, humbly, thinking of what he is doing, and of God to whom he is speaking.
Buddhists and Moslems use a prayer device similar to rosary beads. Reject the
rosary.
ERROR 25: LOW MORAL STANDARDS.
The Protestant moral code comes directly from the Bible. Example, "Don't steal" means
"Don't steal."
The Roman Catholic moral code is mainly based on Catholic Canon law, and only
secondarily on the Bible. For example, "Don't steal" means "stealing is alright provided that
the value of the thing stolen is not excessive." (Liguori)
The authority of the church as interpreted by the priest is what matters. The Catholic
standard of morality is not to stir the conscience to decide right and wrong for itself, but to
let the papal church decide what is right and wrong. Drinking liquor and gambling
considered as vices by Protestants, are not counted as evil by Romanist's except when
indulged to excess.
Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits states that "if anything shall appear white to our eyes
which the church has defined as black, we likewise must declare it to be black." This means
"DON'T THINK, just accept whatever Rome tells you."
Consider these moral sins perpetrated by Roman Catholicism:
1. Alcoholic Liquor.
"LOOK NOT upon the wine when it is red ... it bites like a serpent." Proverbs 23:31,32.
"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."
Prov. 20:1.
"Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink." Habakkuk 2:15.
Roman Catholic theologian Liguori states that, "It is not a mortal sin to get drunk,
unless one loses completely the use of his mental facilities for over one hour." The Protestant cannot force his will and conscience to approve, believe and do what
his mind knows to be wrong.
Jack Kennedy is considered a good Catholic, even though he made his millions
illegally selling liquor in the prohibition days. This liquor ruined millions of people's lives
through domestic violence, road deaths, deformed children of alcoholic parents, etc.
2. Gambling.
Roman Catholicism favours games of chance, especially as they play bingo in church
halls. Gambling is an attempt to get something for nothing through the throw of dice,
turn of a wheel etc. It is an attempt to live off the greed of others, not by honest toil.
Gamblers often end up broke. Bingo familiarizes young people with other forms of
gambling, and gives gambling the church stamp of approval. Organised gambling
flourishes where the muscleman is boss and where business is done by threats,
coercion and corruption, which are common methods used to extract gambling debts.
Gambling is addictive to many people.This enslaves whole families into lives of
poverty and fear.
"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Matthew 19:19.
Gambling wants to take as much as possible from one's neighbour, not love him as
ourself.
3. Sexual abuse by priests of children.
The Roman Catholic church has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in compensating
the victims of priest's sexual abuse of children. In many cases, these priests have
simply been moved to another parish when their crime came to light. If the Roman
Catholic church is the mother of holiness, how can this be?
ERROR 26: DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND MARY.
This is simply false, having no foundation in the Bible, yet why do Catholics accept this so
blindly?
ERROR 27: CROSSING ONESELF.
This is a practice that is not found in the Bible either. Jesus never crossed himself, nor did
the apostles, nor should we.
ERROR 28: WAS PETER THE FIRST POPE
?
No, because:
1. Peter was married,and popes cannot be married. Jesus healed Peter's mother in law.
"When Jesus was come into Peter's house,he saw his WIFE'S MOTHER laid, and sick
of a fever." Matt 8:14,15
"Have we not power to lead about a sister, a WIFE, as well as Cephas (Peter)?" 1
Corinthians 9:5
2. Peter would not allow men to bow down to him, as he forbad Cornelius in Acts
10:25,26. "Cornelius met him, fell down at this feet, and worshipped him. Peter ... said
stand up; I myself am a man." The pope likes men to bow down to him.
3. Peter rejected the "tradition from your fathers," (1 Peter 1:18), yet the Catholic church
and popes base their teachings on man's traditions.
4. Peter wore no crown as the pope does.
5. Peter had no wealth as the pope has: "Peter said, silver and gold have I none." Acts
3:6.
Peter never ACTED like a pope, never DRESSED like a pope, never SPOKE like a
pope, and people never APPROACHED him as a pope.
6. Peter never took to himself the title "PONTIFIX MAXIMUS" as all the popes willingly
accept, as seen by the initials P.M. after their names in the Vatican. This was a title of
the pagan Roman Emperors from Julius Caesar's time on. It means "Chief BridgeMaker between earth and heaven." This is a name of blasphemy for a man to take,
and Peter never saw himself as such. Jesus Christ is the only Bridge Maker between
earth and heaven. John 1:51.
ERROR 29: ROMAN CATHOLIC LIES, IMMORALITY and CORRUPTION.
More than 50 popes show themselves to be atheists or unbelievers. The history of the
popes records homosexuality, rape, murder, adultery, drunkenness, selling religious offices,
etc. This behaviour is hardly fitting a "Holy Father" or "The Vicar of Christ".
Examples include the following:
1. Pope Sergius III (904 - 911) obtained his office by murder. He fathered several
illegitimate children by Marozia, who assassinated Pope Leo VI (928 - 929), and put
her own teenage son (John XI) as Pope.
2. Pope John XII (955 - 964) is described in the Catholic Encyclopedia as a coarse,
immoral man. The Catholic collection of the lives of the Popes, the "Liber Pontificalis"
said: "He spent his entire life in adultery." Catholic bishop Luitprand states that "he had
no respect for single girls, married woman or widows - they were sure to be defiled by
him."
3. Pope Boniface VII (984 - 985), John XII and Leo VIII were described by the Bishop of
Orleans as "monsters of guilt, reeking in blood and filth."
4. Pope John XV (985 - 996) split the churches finances among his relatives and was
described as "covetous of filthy lucre and corrupt in all his acts."
5. Pope Benedict IX (1033 - 1045) committed murders and adulteries in broad daylight,
robbed pilgrims, and was regarded as a hideous criminal. The people drove him out of
Rome: The Catholic Encyclopedia says, "He was a disgrace to the chair of Peter."
6. Pope Innocent III (1198 - 1216) promoted the Inquisition, surpassing all his
predecessors in killing over one million people.
7. Pope Boniface VIII (1294 - 1303). The Catholic Encyclopedia states "Scarcely any
possible crime was omitted - heresy, gross and unnatural immorality, idolatry, magic,
simony ... his whole pontificate was one record of evil." Dante visited Rome and
described the Vatican as a "sewer of corruption" and assigned Boniface VII, Nicholas
III and Clement V to the "lowest parts of hell." He proclaimed to be an atheist and in
1302 issued the "Unum Sanctum" officially declaring the Roman Catholic church as
the only true church, outside of which no one can be saved.
8. Pope John XXIII (1410-1415) was accused by 37 clergy witnesses of fornication,
adultery, incest, sodomy, simony, theft and murder. It was proved by a legion of
witnesses that he had seduced and violated 300 nuns. He kept a harem at Boulogne
of 200 girls. He was publicly called the devil incarnate. He has been called the most
depraved criminal who ever sat on the papal throne.
9. Pope Pius II (1458 - 1464) fathered many illegitimate children and taught others to do
likewise.
10. Pope Paul II (1464 - 1471) maintained a house full of concubines.
11. Pope Sixtus IV (1471 - 1484) financed his wars by selling church offices to the highest
bidders.
12. Pope Innocent VII (1484 - 1492) fathered 16 illegitimate children by various women.
13. Pope Alexander VI (1492 - 1503) committed incest with his two sisters and daughter.
On 31 October 1501, he conducted the worst ever Vatican sex orgy.
14. Pope Paul III (1534-1549) as a cardinal fathered 3 sons and a daughter. He consulted
astrologers.
15. Pope Leo X (1513 - 1521) "was possessed by an insatiable love of pleasure, revelry
and carousing. (Catholic Encyclopedia). Luther visited Rome & said: "No one can imagine what sins
& infamous actions are committed in Rome." A saying was: "If there is
a hell, Rome is built over it."
16. Pope Joan was a female pope whose name was changed to Pope Zacharias. Luther,
on visiting Rome reported her statue in a back street. John Huss referred to her in his
defence at the Council of Constance and this went unchallenged. She died in
childbirth while in a public procession.
17. Pope Eugene IV (1431 - 1447) condemned Joan of Arc to be burned alive as a witch,
but Pope Benedict IV (1919) declared her a saint.
18. Pope Stephen VI (896 - 897) brought the dead body of former Pope Formosus (891 -
897) to trial, hacked off his decaying finger and had him dragged through the streets of
Rome and thrown into the Tiber river.
19. The "great schism" of 1378 lasted 50 years, where Italian and French popes cursed
each other. Is this the same morally pure church that Christ left to preach the gospel?
When confronted with such evil papal history, the Catholic church, which claims
"infallibility", teaches that "A sinful pope ... remains a member of the church, and ...
from whom we may not withdraw obedience." Catholic Encyclopedia Volume 4, page
435.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:18,20, "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a
corrupt tree bring forth good fruit ... by their fruits ye shall know them."
20. Pope Alexander III decreed in 1170 that wills had to be made in front of a priest, or
excommunication (cutting off from church and sentence to hell) would result.
The Catholic church has much to be embarrassed about in it's history, as seen from
these 20 popes.
ERROR 30: THE INQUISITION TORTURE, MASSACRES, MURDERS AND WARS.
So openly corrupt was the Catholic church, that many noble people left in protest, looking to
Jesus Christ for salvation and to the Bible for truth, while rejecting the false claims of the
popes. These were called heretics and bitterly opposed and tortured by the Roman Catholic
church.
Pope Innocent IV in 1252 approved torture and ordered civil authorities to burn "heretics" in
the "Ad exstirpanda" Bull.
This torture was reinforced by Popes Alexander IV, Clement IV, Nicholas IV, Boniface VIII
and others from 1254 - 1303.
Roman Catholic documents revealed that they murdered around 68 million protesters from
1100 to 1800 AD when the Inquisition stopped.
The following torture devices were used against protesters:
1. The rack which stretched and dislocated joints.
2. Heavy pincers tore out fingernails.
3. Thumbscrews dislocated fingers.
4. "Spanish boots" crushed legs and feet.
5. The Iron virgin was a hollow metal case with knives inside, which pierced the victim
placed in it.
6. Hanging.
7. Eyes gouged out.
8. Molten lead poured into ears and mouth.
9. Being forced to jump off cliffs onto sharp spikes below. 10. 100,000 Albigenses (Protestants) were massacred in one day in 1211, then burned in
heaps.
11. Pope Pius IV sent the Italian army to massacre many women and children at Orange
in 1562.
12. 10,000 Hugenots (French Protestants) were killed in Paris on St Bartholomews Day
and 75,000 the week after. The Hugenot wars killed 200,000 Protestants.
13. The “30 Years War” in Germany saw the population drop from 15 million to 5 million
due to Catholic armies invading and killing 900,000 protestants.
14. The Spanish Armada was sent to conquer Protestant England by Catholic King Philip
of Spain. "Bad weather" destroyed this fleet off the coast of England. The inquisition
was ordered by papal decree and confirmed by pope after pope. Why did no pope
stop the Inquisition torture? Jesus said "turn the other cheek", "love and forgive our
enemies", and "do good to them that despitefully use us". Was the Roman church
acting like Jesus Christ here?
15. Galileo was sent to a dungeon and publicly flogged because he believed that the earth
moved around the sun. On 22 June 1663, Galileo had to fall on his knees to escape
the cruel death ordered by Pope Urban VIII and sign a retraction "I abjure, curse and
detest the error and heresy of the earth moving around the sun ... it is absurd, false
and erroneous."
Truly, the Roman church is "drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of
the martyrs of Jesus." Revelation 17:6.
Two Roman Catholic devices to muzzle opposition are:
a) Accusations of "bigotry". A bigot is "one who is obstinately and intolerantly devoted to
his own church, party, belief or opinion." Romanists gag opposition by branding their
opponents as "BIGOTS". Anyone who opposes Romanism in writing is branded as a
"HATE MONGER" or "HATE LITERATURE" distributor, hoping to silence anyone who
disagrees with it. "The Jesuits have urged the Catholic church in America to label
every criticism of it as "bigotry"." - Christianity Today, October 28, 1957.
When Romanism, Communism and Islam are in the minority, they talk of tolerance
and freedom. When they are in the majority, they show very little tolerance or freedom
to Protestantism or Democracy. The Roman church shows herself to be the biggest
bigot ever. It has been said that:
Rome in the minority is a lamb.
Rome as an equal is a fox.
Rome in the majority is a tiger.
Pope Boniface VIII in 1302 decreed in the “Unam Sanctum”, the doctrine of the "two
swords": the spiritual sword of the church and the earthly sword of kings which should
submit to the Roman Catholic church. Dr de Luca of the University of Rome, was
commended by Pope Leo XIII in 1901 by saying: "The Catholic church has the right
and duty to kill heretics by fire and sword." This proves that Rome has not changed.
b) Whenever Rome is refuted by a Bible verse, they reply: "That's just your
interpretation", meaning that no one can really interpret the Bible, so leave it up to
Rome to be the authority rather than the Bible. It is a device to wrest authority from
the Bible to Rome. Ask:“Who interprets it?”Pope? ERROR 31: FIFTEEN EVIDENCES that the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH is MYSTERY
BABYLON the GREAT, THE WHORE OF REVELATION 17.
Who is the whore/woman in Revelation 17? God has given us similarities to prove
conclusively that she is the Roman Catholic church. What are these similarities of the whore
with the church of Rome?
1. The WOMAN which thou sawest is that great CITY, which reigns over the kings of
the earth. Revelation 17:18.
Question: Which city reigned over the kings of the earth in the first century?
Answer: Rome, no doubt. The Roman emperors and popes are called "Pontifix
Maximus".
2. She is called the "GREAT WHORE" (17:1). A whore is unfaithful to one husband, by
having relationships with many suitors. So is the Roman Catholic church, unfaithful to
God’s Word as seen by her adopting so many false, unbiblical doctrines.
3. "With whom the KINGS OF THE EARTH have committed fornication. (17:2). The
Roman Catholic Church has always sought to further her purposes by controlling
politicians, kings and governments. She is the state church in so many countries like
Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, South America and Ireland. She seeks to control
governments in every country. In Revelation 17:3, she is sitting on a beast, as a rider
sits on a horse controlling it.
The early Church kept separate from the State because its task was to win people to
Christ, baptise and teach God's Word. The Roman Catholic Church’s association with
governments is outside God's instructions. God calls her relationship with the kings of
the earth, "fornication".
4. "Inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication."
17:2. It is very hard to reason with a drunk person. Alcohol controls his mind so that he
cannot see reason. So it is with many Catholics, who are so convinced of Roman
Catholic false doctrines, even though the Bible so clearly opposes them. They cannot
see the truth of God's Word and salvation. They will not search the Scriptures to see if
the Bible’s claims are true. Acts 17:11. They are controlled by false doctrine, like
alcohol controls a drunkard, so they cannot see Bible truth.
5. She sits on MANY WATERS. (17:1). Rev. 17:15 tells us that "The WATERS which
thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples and multitudes, and nations and
tongues." The Roman Catholic church has an influence in many, if not every nation in
the world.
6. She is FULL OF NAMES OF BLASPHEMY. (17:3). Rome claims titles and attributes
which belong only to God, such as 1"Holy Father", 2"Father", 3"Monsignor" = my Lord,
4"His Holiness", 5"Pontifix Maximus", 6"Pope" = Father of Christians, 7"Reverend",
8"Filii Vicarii Dei" = in the place of the Son of God.
7. "The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth." (17:9). Rome is
well known as being built on seven hills.
8. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour. (17:4). Popes, cardinals and
priests dress in scarlet on festival occasions.
9. Decked with gold and precious stones. (17:4). The Roman church has much gold
and wealth.
10. Having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.
(17:4). Much sexual immorality is committed by priests such as fornication,
homosexuality, child molestation etc. This is hateful to God.
11. "Mystery". (17:5). Much mystery exists in her services. For example, Latin services,
converting bread to the body of Christ, how long must people spend in purgatory, etc. 12. Babylon the Great. (17:5). Roman Catholic mother and child worship was adopted
from the ancient mystery religion of Babylon's mother and child worship. As Rome
conquered countries, it adopted their religions.
13. The Mother of Harlots (17:5). Rome has given rise to many other religions, of similar
practices.
14. The woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs
of Jesus. (17:6). The Roman church has constantly persecuted, tortured, and burned
at the stake, any people who disagree with papal control and who try to break away.
Eg: John Huss, Savonarolla, etc.
15. The ten horn nations that the Roman church tries to control, turn on Rome, hate her,
strip her wealth, EAT HER FLESH, and burn her with fire. (17:16). Eating her flesh is
a clever judgment on a system that claims to eat Christ’s flesh daily. As Roman
Catholicism claims to eat Christ's flesh, so too will the antichrist eat Roman
Catholicism's flesh in the future 7 year Tribulation.
ERROR 32: WHO GAVE US THE BIBLE? GOD OR THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH?
The Roman Catholic Church claims that it gave us the Bible, and that it determined which
books should comprise the New Testament and Old Testament.
Their argument is as follows:
"The church existed before a word of the New Testament scriptures was written. After they
were written, the church determined the Canon. Therefore the church is the authoritative
voice that must be obeyed, for without the church, we would not have the Bible."
"Q.17 Who can determine what books make up the Bible? Just as Christ's infallible church
alone can assure us that the Bible is divinely inspired, so the church alone possesses the
authority to indicate which books are included in it."
"This is Catholicism", John Walsh (Garden City, NY, Image Books, 1959) p.177.
Is this argument correct? Did the Catholic church produce the Bible, or did it come into
existence some other way? Catholicism claims that by its authority we have the Bible, and
therefore it alone is the official interpreter of Scripture. If we want to know the true meaning
of the Bible, we are told that we must listen to the church that gave us the Bible.
This Catholic church claim is false because:
1. The Catholic Church today with its many man made doctrines is an entirely different
system as to the first century church.
2. The Bible nowhere claims that the church gave us the Bible. The Bible came as
follows:
From God, to the Apostles and Prophets, and then to the Churches.
The Churches submitted to the Apostles and Prophets, who submitted to God. The
Bible is an expression of the mind of God. The Bible is authoritative as God.
The Church is not of higher authority than God.
God gave the Bible for the church to submit to, and not for the Bible to submit to the
church. The Apostles and Prophets were part of the church, but even they submitted
to the Word of God.
3. Israel was the vehicle through which God gave the Old Testament. When Israel turned
from God, God judged them. Because Roman Catholicism has turned from God, God
will judge her in the Tribulation. 4. The Old Testament Canon of 39 books of Scripture was established by 400 BC, well
before the Roman Catholic church was started, as seen by the Dead Sea Scrolls
containing all Old Testament books except Esther.
5. Jesus endorsed the 39 books of Old Testament Scripture as being the authentic
Word of God, well before the Roman Catholic church ever came about.
6. The main criterion in determining whether a book should be included in the Canon of
Scripture pertained to its author. If the author was a known prophet of God, his
works were preserved. This was at the direction of God, not the Catholic Church. No
Pope ever said: "Thus saith the Lord." The Old Testament was accepted by the people
of God because it was written by the Prophets of God.
Though the people of God were involved in gathering these sacred writings, this
never gave the people authority over or equal to Scripture.
7. By 96 AD, the early church had accepted the 27 New Testament books as canonical,
as seen from early church writings. The early church accepted the Scriptures because
it believed them to be from God. The early church saw itself as subject to the
Bible's authority, not vice versa.
The Catholic church maintains that the books comprising the New Testament Canon
were determined at the Council of Carthage in 397 AD. THIS IS INCORRECT.
This council simply affirmed and restated what the early churches had always
accepted.
We must not make the mistake of thinking that the Scriptures received their authority
because some council made a public statement of their acceptance. The early
churches pastors, deacons and people all submitted to the Bible as their authority
because it came from God.
Though the church existed before the New Testament was written, this does not give
the church authority over or equal to the Scriptures. The church must always be
subject to the authority of God's written Word.
8. Israel as a nation existed before the Old Testament was written, yet it would be
wrong for Israel to claim authority equal to or greater than the Old Testament.
The same must apply today, that no institution (like the church, home or government,
even though it is older than the New Testament) can claim authority greater than the
New Testament.
9. To support its position, the Catholic church advances the error that the scriptures
never claimed to be adequate to meet all our needs, based on John 21:25 "And there
are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every
one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be
written." John here never hints this idea. He just says that God saw fit to give us what
He gave us as being able to meet all our spiritual needs.
Paul says the opposite to the Roman Catholic church in 2 Timothy 3:16,17. "All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, (not by the Roman Catholic church) and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That
the man of God may be PERFECT, (or complete) throughly furnished unto ALL good
works”.
Here the Bible can furnish us to all good works.
Peter says that the Bible is sufficient to meet all of our needs:
“His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” II
Peter 1:3. 10. The procedure which God used to gather these books did not give the collecting
agency an authority equal to the Scriptures. God gave us the scriptures as our final
and only authority in all matters of faith or morals.
ERROR 33: THEY TURN PEOPLE AWAY FROM CHRIST TO 12 OTHER THINGS.
Christians in history who were reproached for the name of Christ, were martyred, glorifying
Christ by their death. The Roman Catholic Church, who martyred these Christians for their
love and faith in Christ, is referred to as: “on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part
he is glorified.” I Peter 4:14.
The Roman Catholic Church speaks evil of Christ as follows:
1. People are turned from trusting Christ alone to save them, to trust in church
sacraments and good works to save them.
2. People are turned from trusting Christ’s Word, the Bible, to trust Catholic ideas
and tradition as the guide to life.
3. People are turned from confessing sins directly to Christ as mediator, to confessing
sins to a priest as mediator.
4. People are turned from trusting Christ as the sole sufficient Saviour, to trust a wafer
that is said to become Christ.
5. People are turned from praying to Christ, and told to pray to saints.
6. People are turned from trusting Christ for protection, and pointed to trusting
statues, medals and images to protect them.
7. People are turned from looking to Christ lovingly welcoming them into heaven, and
pointed to fear purgatory at death.
8. People are pointed to pray to Mary as merciful, and are turned away from praying
to Christ . as harsh, unwelcoming and unapproachable.
9. People are turned away from Christ as the Rock on which the church is based. and
are pointed to Peter as the Rock.
10. People are pointed away from Christ as the only bridge to heaven, to Popes as
pontiff (bridge builder) instead. John 14:6.
11. People are pointed away from accepting Christ’s promise of forgiveness in I John
1:9, to do works of penance and contrition to regain God’s favour instead.
12. People are told to reject Christ speaking to their consciences about Rome’s errors
and evils, and to trust Catholic doctrine and Papal infallibility instead.
All of this is speaking evil of Christ, His Word and His work.
The Roman Catholic influence in the New International Version has resulted in part of I
Peter 4:14 being omitted. Compare the NIV with the King James Version:
NIV. 1 Peter 4:14 King James Version.
If you are insulted for the name of If ye be reproached for the name of
Christ, you are blessed, for the spirit Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of
of glory and of God rests on you. glory and of God resteth on you:
---- OMIT ---- on their part he is evil spoken of,
---- OMIT ---- but on your part he is glorified.
By turning people from Christ to other things, truly the Catholic Church is speaking evil of
Christ. As such, they can be justly called an antichrist.CONCLUSION.
God says: "COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and
that ye receive not of her plagues." Revelation 18:4.
Religion may make a person feel comfortable and righteous, but God reminds us that "all
our righteousness are as filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6. Nicodemus was one of the most religious
men in Israel, yet he needed to be born again.
Religion is man's efforts to reach God by good works and sacraments, but salvation is
trusting in Christ's blood sacrifice on the cross as the full payment for our sins. You can be
religious, yet not saved and still go to hell. Receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour and you'll
then become a son of God.
There are seven possible reasons why some people choose to remain in the Roman
Catholic church:
1. Lack of knowledge of the Word of God.
2. Fear of rejection by family and friends.
3. Fear of going against ancestors.
4. Fear of becoming a social outcast.
5. Habit.
6. Fear of going to hell.
7. Fear of change to the unknown.
Ask Christ to save you rather than a church. Trust the Bible to guide you rather than a man
made system.
