Conversation with a Catholic Webmaster
My journey to seek the truth in the Bible many times takes many twists and turns and I encounter many people along the way. I never seek to belittle or attack anyone, but I always approach people with the direct Word of God and nothing else. As I subscribe to no denominations, but to Christ directly I have and will continue to interface and refute any tradition or doctrine that is obviously contrary to the Bible. This is controversial, but necessary as souls are on the line.
In this post Catholicism is the subject. As I was doing research I came across a site that claimed to back up Catholic doctrine with scriptures so I definitely began to read it and saw that there were many contradictions so I emailed the web-master who did reply to me. Here are the emails in their entirety.
____________________________________________________________________________
Hello John,
Greeting in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I wanted to email you concerning your website [NAME OMITTED] as I am extremely curious to many of your analyses of the scripture to support Catholic doctrines. I do not subscribe to any particular church or "religion" as I am a firm believer of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ directly and I take the Bible as a literal thing as a whole. Therefore, because of this, I have a hard time accepting many doctrines and as a Truth Seeker and a person who chases after Christ and seeks His face as often as I can.
Catholicism is very interesting in that it "appears" to be an amalgamation of many pagan rituals that predated it that once a particular land or country was conquered or "converted" that these rituals, holy days and procedures now end up repackaged as Catholic Doctrine. I truly believe that Jesus came not only as the Savior of us all, but also as the example on how we should live and how we should reach others. Jesus (as well as other authors) were quite clear when they spoke about many subjects and precepts and didn't need any extra interpretations whatsoever. There is so much in the Catholic catechism that just doesn't line up with the Bible alone, but needs some explanation or justification given by another human who came along after Christ, the Apostles and the Prophets.
Before Christ ascended into Heaven He said that He would send the Comforter or the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-16) and that He would glorify Christ and would guide us into all truth. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would back up everything Jesus said to prove that He was sent by Christ. Jesus never danced around any issues not did He put anything up to conjecture. Jesus said that He was the way, truth and the life and that NO ONE came to the Father, but by Him. Jesus didn't mention His mother nor anything related to purgatory, indulgences, baptism of the dead or anything like that. As I have researched many of these practices were of a non-Christian origin and again when a new land was conquered or "converted" these things were assimilated into the Catholic faith system. It seems that the Catholic church made it a compromise to ameliorate with things not Christian to include everyone under one umbrella.
Again, I am interested in how these things can be when there is not any CLEAR reference to them in scripture. Words like pope, purgatory, transubstantiation, sacraments, and rosary don't seem to exist anywhere in the Bible. There was any establishment of the celibate priesthood or anything like this. The only time Lent was mentioned was when the widows of Zion were weeping for Tammuz which was part of a cult! The Bible says that if a man (woman) seeks wisdom as of God and I do on a regular basis. When Jesus was crucified the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies in the temple from everything else was torn apart. Ever since then God has welcomed us into His presence for ourselves. He knows we don't understand everything and that's why He said for us to speak with Him like a son to a Father. He told us to come boldly before His presence and make our petitions known. Jesus told us how to be saved and it didn't involve anyone, but the repentant and Christ. It just feels like Catholics (as well as many Protestant branches) stretch the scriptures to fit a concept that they believe versus what the Bible literally said. Jesus came to destroy religion because He fought against the machine of the Pharisees and Sadducees His whole ministry.
I have a hard time accepting being forgiven by another man when the Bible says that I can do that myself. The Bible said nothing about how we worship, but that we should worship in spirit and in truth. Though I see though I see through a glass darkly the Holy Spirit is my guide. I am not alone and I want wisdom I am to ask God. Jesus never spoke of a mediator between Him and us. The Bible never says anything about Mary being translated into Heaven. I cannot find a single scripture where anyone prayed to a dead person for guidance or healing from God. Jesus told us that we would lay hands on the sick and that they would recover and that greater works we would do. I would think that if Jesus wanted us to know these things they would have been written down in the Bible so that there would be no mistake. John 15 stated that we are His friends and that He lets us know what He is doing (that we can understand of course).
My God is not some distant figure who sits on a throne millions of miles away that I have to appease to get into Heaven. I have a personal, deep relationship with God in which I talk to Him and He talks to me. I have seen miracles, manifestations and evidence of His mighty Spirit and His glory. He has comforted me and delivered me when I was in trouble and He has healed me when I was near death's door. All I did was seek Him directly and He opened up so much to me that was verified in His Holy Word. Not a tradition, person, office or dogma had anything to do with it. However, nevertheless I am curious to what Catholics feel the way they do because our God is too complex to truly understand which is why we worship and adore Him, but I do know that He will reveal Himself to whomever asked. Ask Moses or Abraham...
Please know that I do not attack you dear brother, but we as Bible believing Christians need to unite against our adversary the devil and reach the lost, the hungry, the poor and abused. We all have been a lifetime to seek God and know Him and to love Him as He loves us and we should not waste it on frivolity, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of our God! God Bless you friend and I look forward to your reply!
In His Service,
What Is The Bible Truth?
http://whatisthebibletruth.blogspot.com
____________________________________________________________________________
I received this reply from John a couple of days later:
____________________________________________________________________________
I appreciate these sentiments, but anyone who is searching for the truth will discover that the Catholic Faith is the Faith that Christ and the apostles gave us, as I demonstrate in all my "Biblical Basis" books. If it weren't for the Catholic Church, we wouldn't even know what the Scriptures were. There is no inspired table of contents. If the Catholic Church had the infallible authority to determine the Bible canon, then she must have the infallible authority to teach us how to get to heaven. And she does, for Christ built His church upon Peter, to whom He gave the infallible authority to bind or loose in heaven what he bound or loosed on earth (Mt 16:18-19)
God bless.
John S.
____________________________________________________________________________
I responded back to John the only way I knew how... Biblically...
____________________________________________________________________________
John...
Thank you for your reply. I will have to disagree with your deductions in that the crux of Catholicism is that it is the way to Heaven when Christ Himself declared that He was the way, the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. There is not a mediatrix or "middle-man" to this process which is a big portion of Catholic teaching. To say that "If it weren't for the Catholic Church, we wouldn't even know what the Scriptures were" also doesn't make much sense according to the Bible because it clearly says in John 1 that the Word was in the beginning, was God, is God and that this same Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Christ told us that salvation was through Him, the law was fulfilled through Him and that if we've seen Him we've seen the Father. The Apostles only perpetuated the Words of Christ only. Confession of sins to Jesus, believing on Jesus and that Christ died once for the sins of the world.
Jesus is the cornerstone upon which the Church is built. Even today, architects and builders realize that to build any structure, you must have a very accurate starting point upon which everything else can be built. Jesus is that Precious and Perfect cornerstone upon which everything in the Christian life is based. Surely, a flawed sinful man such as Peter could NOT have been the cornerstone of the church. In Matthew 16:23, just five verses after Jesus spoke of the "rock," he called Peter "Satan." There's no way Jesus was referring to Peter as the "rock" in Matthew 16:18. Jesus Christ is the only Rock upon which the Church is built..."For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1st Corinthians 3:11).
Jesus came so that we would have a direct and personal relationship with Him. We are supposed to live on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and as far as I am concerned the Catholic faith is blended with too many non-Biblical practices and traditions to be what Jesus intended. For example:
The Pope - Pontifex Maximus or "Supreme Pontiff" The Babylonian kings and the Caesars carried this title and they were the heads of their pagan cults. This title was given to the Bishop of Rome by the emperor Gratian who was... a man. He is an elected man by imperfect people and I have a hard time to believe that he is infallible like Jesus Christ... Not possible. The Bible doesn't support this. Even Peter cursed and flawed.
40 Days of Lent - Lent originated in the ancient Babylonian mystery religion. The forty days’ abstinence of Lent was directly borrowed from the worshipers of the Babylonian goddess…Among the Pagans this Lent seems to have been an indispensable preliminary to the great annual festival in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Tammuz.
Queen of Heaven - According to history the Babylonian worship of the Queen of Heaven goes back to the days following the death of Nimrod. As the story goes, after Nimrod's death, his wife, Semiramis, was determined to retain her power and wealth as a leader of the people. So, she came up with the idea that her husbands death was for the salvation of all mankind. Semiramis got the people to believe her son was born miraculously. After the they then referred to her as the “Virgin Mother” from that day forward. Truth be known, after Nimrod died, Semiramis committed adultery and had gotten pregnant. To prevent the people from killing her for proving she was “human” by her obvious pregnancy, she lied and told them her husband Nimrod had ascended to the Sun and is now called Baal. After she convinced them of this, she then stated he appeared to her and impregnated her without touching her with the rays of his glory.
Celibate Priesthood - Bishops (e.g., pastors, priests) according the Bible are supposed the husband of one wife (I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6). It is important to note that the priests of pagan Rome were also required to be celibate, and this tradition dates back all the way to Babylon and Semiramis several thousand years before.
I could go on and on, but I'm not writing to stir up trouble, but I am writing because I have extensively read the Bible and don't see where Christ or the Apostles set up any formal church nor set up the practices that Catholicism teaches outside of the written scripture which are from the lips of God. Our traditions make the Word of God of no effect (according to the Bible) and with that in mind God never needed us to spread His Gospel because He said that "In the last days He would pour of His Spirit upon all flesh" which means that God is in total control of His message and its delivery.
We are born in sin and shaped in iniquity. We all have to repent before Christ and receive Him as our savior. Paul admitted that he had a "thorn in his flesh" that he prayed to be removed that God did not. God said that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. We are all faulty, broken, sinful creatures until God saves us and then as Paul stated that our righteousness is as "filthy rags" before God. He is our salvation and He is our deliverer. No church organization can biblically say that. None...
John... In the grand scheme of things if held up to the Word of God no church "meets the mark" of being the official faith. Jesus told us to believe on Him and what He said. The "church fathers" are men who had to be saved. Every church minister, leader, prelate or officer has to be saved. The Bible only states that we must be saved and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It doesn't borrow from any other culture nor does it borrow from any other system. The Bible says to believe on Christ alone. The Apostles did, the disciples did and so must we all. We simply cannot rely on the words of men to get us to Heaven. The Bible is the only infallible standard and it doesn't need our elaboration, justification or interpretation. I truly believe that it stands alone. Many traditions that our mainstream denominations hold as standards have pagan or non-biblical origins and God doesn't need the works of darkness to promote His Gospel.
Christ and I have a relationship that gets stronger as each year goes by. I speak to Him like I speak to my earthly father and He loves me and He speaks to me to show me the way. Isn't that what this life is about? Returning to the fellowship that Adam had with God before the fall? When Jesus returns as King of Kings there is no mention of anyone else sharing his glory. When He left He said that He would send the Comforter to be with us... not a spiritual leader, but His Spirit. God bless you John and I hope that we all will be close to Christ as He desires to be with us. I pray that we all truly understand our relationship with Him and that what doesn't belong to Him will pass away from us.
God Bless you Sir...
WITBT
____________________________________________________________________________
I have yet to receive a reply to this email, but when I do I will post. As I have said before I am not attacking Catholics nor am I attacking anyone, but it is time that we as people realize that the Bible is the only true standard and besides that all others fail.
God Bless you all!
In this post Catholicism is the subject. As I was doing research I came across a site that claimed to back up Catholic doctrine with scriptures so I definitely began to read it and saw that there were many contradictions so I emailed the web-master who did reply to me. Here are the emails in their entirety.
____________________________________________________________________________
Hello John,
Greeting in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I wanted to email you concerning your website [NAME OMITTED] as I am extremely curious to many of your analyses of the scripture to support Catholic doctrines. I do not subscribe to any particular church or "religion" as I am a firm believer of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ directly and I take the Bible as a literal thing as a whole. Therefore, because of this, I have a hard time accepting many doctrines and as a Truth Seeker and a person who chases after Christ and seeks His face as often as I can.
Catholicism is very interesting in that it "appears" to be an amalgamation of many pagan rituals that predated it that once a particular land or country was conquered or "converted" that these rituals, holy days and procedures now end up repackaged as Catholic Doctrine. I truly believe that Jesus came not only as the Savior of us all, but also as the example on how we should live and how we should reach others. Jesus (as well as other authors) were quite clear when they spoke about many subjects and precepts and didn't need any extra interpretations whatsoever. There is so much in the Catholic catechism that just doesn't line up with the Bible alone, but needs some explanation or justification given by another human who came along after Christ, the Apostles and the Prophets.
Before Christ ascended into Heaven He said that He would send the Comforter or the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-16) and that He would glorify Christ and would guide us into all truth. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would back up everything Jesus said to prove that He was sent by Christ. Jesus never danced around any issues not did He put anything up to conjecture. Jesus said that He was the way, truth and the life and that NO ONE came to the Father, but by Him. Jesus didn't mention His mother nor anything related to purgatory, indulgences, baptism of the dead or anything like that. As I have researched many of these practices were of a non-Christian origin and again when a new land was conquered or "converted" these things were assimilated into the Catholic faith system. It seems that the Catholic church made it a compromise to ameliorate with things not Christian to include everyone under one umbrella.
Again, I am interested in how these things can be when there is not any CLEAR reference to them in scripture. Words like pope, purgatory, transubstantiation, sacraments, and rosary don't seem to exist anywhere in the Bible. There was any establishment of the celibate priesthood or anything like this. The only time Lent was mentioned was when the widows of Zion were weeping for Tammuz which was part of a cult! The Bible says that if a man (woman) seeks wisdom as of God and I do on a regular basis. When Jesus was crucified the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies in the temple from everything else was torn apart. Ever since then God has welcomed us into His presence for ourselves. He knows we don't understand everything and that's why He said for us to speak with Him like a son to a Father. He told us to come boldly before His presence and make our petitions known. Jesus told us how to be saved and it didn't involve anyone, but the repentant and Christ. It just feels like Catholics (as well as many Protestant branches) stretch the scriptures to fit a concept that they believe versus what the Bible literally said. Jesus came to destroy religion because He fought against the machine of the Pharisees and Sadducees His whole ministry.
I have a hard time accepting being forgiven by another man when the Bible says that I can do that myself. The Bible said nothing about how we worship, but that we should worship in spirit and in truth. Though I see though I see through a glass darkly the Holy Spirit is my guide. I am not alone and I want wisdom I am to ask God. Jesus never spoke of a mediator between Him and us. The Bible never says anything about Mary being translated into Heaven. I cannot find a single scripture where anyone prayed to a dead person for guidance or healing from God. Jesus told us that we would lay hands on the sick and that they would recover and that greater works we would do. I would think that if Jesus wanted us to know these things they would have been written down in the Bible so that there would be no mistake. John 15 stated that we are His friends and that He lets us know what He is doing (that we can understand of course).
My God is not some distant figure who sits on a throne millions of miles away that I have to appease to get into Heaven. I have a personal, deep relationship with God in which I talk to Him and He talks to me. I have seen miracles, manifestations and evidence of His mighty Spirit and His glory. He has comforted me and delivered me when I was in trouble and He has healed me when I was near death's door. All I did was seek Him directly and He opened up so much to me that was verified in His Holy Word. Not a tradition, person, office or dogma had anything to do with it. However, nevertheless I am curious to what Catholics feel the way they do because our God is too complex to truly understand which is why we worship and adore Him, but I do know that He will reveal Himself to whomever asked. Ask Moses or Abraham...
Please know that I do not attack you dear brother, but we as Bible believing Christians need to unite against our adversary the devil and reach the lost, the hungry, the poor and abused. We all have been a lifetime to seek God and know Him and to love Him as He loves us and we should not waste it on frivolity, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of our God! God Bless you friend and I look forward to your reply!
In His Service,
What Is The Bible Truth?
http://whatisthebibletruth.blogspot.com
____________________________________________________________________________
I received this reply from John a couple of days later:
____________________________________________________________________________
I appreciate these sentiments, but anyone who is searching for the truth will discover that the Catholic Faith is the Faith that Christ and the apostles gave us, as I demonstrate in all my "Biblical Basis" books. If it weren't for the Catholic Church, we wouldn't even know what the Scriptures were. There is no inspired table of contents. If the Catholic Church had the infallible authority to determine the Bible canon, then she must have the infallible authority to teach us how to get to heaven. And she does, for Christ built His church upon Peter, to whom He gave the infallible authority to bind or loose in heaven what he bound or loosed on earth (Mt 16:18-19)
God bless.
John S.
____________________________________________________________________________
I responded back to John the only way I knew how... Biblically...
____________________________________________________________________________
John...
Thank you for your reply. I will have to disagree with your deductions in that the crux of Catholicism is that it is the way to Heaven when Christ Himself declared that He was the way, the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. There is not a mediatrix or "middle-man" to this process which is a big portion of Catholic teaching. To say that "If it weren't for the Catholic Church, we wouldn't even know what the Scriptures were" also doesn't make much sense according to the Bible because it clearly says in John 1 that the Word was in the beginning, was God, is God and that this same Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Christ told us that salvation was through Him, the law was fulfilled through Him and that if we've seen Him we've seen the Father. The Apostles only perpetuated the Words of Christ only. Confession of sins to Jesus, believing on Jesus and that Christ died once for the sins of the world.
Jesus is the cornerstone upon which the Church is built. Even today, architects and builders realize that to build any structure, you must have a very accurate starting point upon which everything else can be built. Jesus is that Precious and Perfect cornerstone upon which everything in the Christian life is based. Surely, a flawed sinful man such as Peter could NOT have been the cornerstone of the church. In Matthew 16:23, just five verses after Jesus spoke of the "rock," he called Peter "Satan." There's no way Jesus was referring to Peter as the "rock" in Matthew 16:18. Jesus Christ is the only Rock upon which the Church is built..."For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1st Corinthians 3:11).
Jesus came so that we would have a direct and personal relationship with Him. We are supposed to live on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and as far as I am concerned the Catholic faith is blended with too many non-Biblical practices and traditions to be what Jesus intended. For example:
The Pope - Pontifex Maximus or "Supreme Pontiff" The Babylonian kings and the Caesars carried this title and they were the heads of their pagan cults. This title was given to the Bishop of Rome by the emperor Gratian who was... a man. He is an elected man by imperfect people and I have a hard time to believe that he is infallible like Jesus Christ... Not possible. The Bible doesn't support this. Even Peter cursed and flawed.
40 Days of Lent - Lent originated in the ancient Babylonian mystery religion. The forty days’ abstinence of Lent was directly borrowed from the worshipers of the Babylonian goddess…Among the Pagans this Lent seems to have been an indispensable preliminary to the great annual festival in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Tammuz.
Queen of Heaven - According to history the Babylonian worship of the Queen of Heaven goes back to the days following the death of Nimrod. As the story goes, after Nimrod's death, his wife, Semiramis, was determined to retain her power and wealth as a leader of the people. So, she came up with the idea that her husbands death was for the salvation of all mankind. Semiramis got the people to believe her son was born miraculously. After the they then referred to her as the “Virgin Mother” from that day forward. Truth be known, after Nimrod died, Semiramis committed adultery and had gotten pregnant. To prevent the people from killing her for proving she was “human” by her obvious pregnancy, she lied and told them her husband Nimrod had ascended to the Sun and is now called Baal. After she convinced them of this, she then stated he appeared to her and impregnated her without touching her with the rays of his glory.
Celibate Priesthood - Bishops (e.g., pastors, priests) according the Bible are supposed the husband of one wife (I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6). It is important to note that the priests of pagan Rome were also required to be celibate, and this tradition dates back all the way to Babylon and Semiramis several thousand years before.
I could go on and on, but I'm not writing to stir up trouble, but I am writing because I have extensively read the Bible and don't see where Christ or the Apostles set up any formal church nor set up the practices that Catholicism teaches outside of the written scripture which are from the lips of God. Our traditions make the Word of God of no effect (according to the Bible) and with that in mind God never needed us to spread His Gospel because He said that "In the last days He would pour of His Spirit upon all flesh" which means that God is in total control of His message and its delivery.
We are born in sin and shaped in iniquity. We all have to repent before Christ and receive Him as our savior. Paul admitted that he had a "thorn in his flesh" that he prayed to be removed that God did not. God said that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. We are all faulty, broken, sinful creatures until God saves us and then as Paul stated that our righteousness is as "filthy rags" before God. He is our salvation and He is our deliverer. No church organization can biblically say that. None...
John... In the grand scheme of things if held up to the Word of God no church "meets the mark" of being the official faith. Jesus told us to believe on Him and what He said. The "church fathers" are men who had to be saved. Every church minister, leader, prelate or officer has to be saved. The Bible only states that we must be saved and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It doesn't borrow from any other culture nor does it borrow from any other system. The Bible says to believe on Christ alone. The Apostles did, the disciples did and so must we all. We simply cannot rely on the words of men to get us to Heaven. The Bible is the only infallible standard and it doesn't need our elaboration, justification or interpretation. I truly believe that it stands alone. Many traditions that our mainstream denominations hold as standards have pagan or non-biblical origins and God doesn't need the works of darkness to promote His Gospel.
Christ and I have a relationship that gets stronger as each year goes by. I speak to Him like I speak to my earthly father and He loves me and He speaks to me to show me the way. Isn't that what this life is about? Returning to the fellowship that Adam had with God before the fall? When Jesus returns as King of Kings there is no mention of anyone else sharing his glory. When He left He said that He would send the Comforter to be with us... not a spiritual leader, but His Spirit. God bless you John and I hope that we all will be close to Christ as He desires to be with us. I pray that we all truly understand our relationship with Him and that what doesn't belong to Him will pass away from us.
God Bless you Sir...
WITBT
____________________________________________________________________________
I have yet to receive a reply to this email, but when I do I will post. As I have said before I am not attacking Catholics nor am I attacking anyone, but it is time that we as people realize that the Bible is the only true standard and besides that all others fail.
God Bless you all!
Comments
Post a Comment