| Catholicism This page is not intended to bash Roman, Traditional, or Greek Orthodox Catholics. I do not consider Catholicism to be a totally "cult." However, they have several beliefs and or practices that are not Biblical. Catholicism is a true Christian Denomination that officially began at the Council of Nicaea. In fact, my closest friend Matt Davis is Roman Catholic. I love him, his wife, his kids, and his parents dearly. They are godly people who love the Lord with all their hearts. --Jeremy Brown (January 12, 2004) Overview of this Christian denomination at: http://www.namb.net/root/resources/beliefbulletins/american/roman_catholicism.asp http://www.christianstudycenter.com/religions/catholic.htm#origin http://www.biblefacts.org/history/denom/catholic2.html List of Roman Catholic Popes Some questionable Catholic linked doctrines and issues: 1) Stigmata - the belief that God allows people to have wounds like Christ did 2) Infant baptism - Go here. 3) Mary exaltation - calling Mary the queen of heaven, praying to Mary, bowing to images of Mary, apparitions of Mary, the belief that Mary was born without sin 4) Papal infallibility - the belief that everyone must trust that the pope is doing the will of God in all words, deeds, and rulings 5) Praying to dead people - the belief that the dead can hear your prayers and help your prayers come to pass with their own prayers 6) Purgatory - a belief that people are held in a limbo state after death and can be prayed into Heaven or indulgences given to grant the deceased entrance into Heaven 7) Transubstantiation - the belief that the bread and wine in communion are literally transformed into the blood and flesh of Christ 8) Holy Orders - a vow of life long celibacy and no marriage for nuns, priests, and monks 9) Confession to priests - the belief that you tell your sins to a priest and that the priest has the power to forgive your sins 10) Catholics only - the belief that the Catholic Church is the only true Christian Denomination 11) Drinking alcohol is not abstained from. Go here. I am pleased with their doctrines and issues like: Trinity, abstinence, no homosexuality, no abortion, no racism, and Christian fundamentalism. ____________________________________ How do you witness to a Roman Catholic The problem is that he is most likely not born again. It is because of this, that there is contention. I have found that it is often a futile exercise to try and convince a Roman Catholic that the teachings of his church are erroneous. Instead, I open up the Law (the Ten Commandments), then say that if he is not born again he is not a Christian (I show him John 3 and say that Jesus said it--in the Catholic Bible). Unless that happens, he is unsaved and cannot enter Heaven (and there is no purgatory). I then spread it out by letting him know that if someone is a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Salvation Army, Catholic or "whatever," and is not born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. When he is truly converted, the Holy Spirit will lead him into all truth and away from the error of Roman Catholicism. � 2003-2004 Living Waters Publications, Ray Comfort _____________________________________________ The founder of the Roman Catholic Church and first official pope was the Roman Emperor Constantine. Most Catholics try to say Peter was the first Pope and they think the church was built on him but the Church is built on Jesus. Not Pete. Though, we believe that Peter was no doubt the first to hold Bishop status in the early Christian Church. Examining all historical records, we find that the Catholic denomination didn't begin until the early 300's. However, we can consider Catholic to be among the first Christian denominations. Christians before this time did not label themselves denominationally. They were called Believers. They were later named Christians by Emperor Nero. Though I am not comfortable with all of this denomination's beliefs and practices, I do believe that many of it's participants are sincere, love God, and are saved. Catholicism is not a cult but I believe some of its members and beliefs are and have been cult-like. (Examples: Augustine of Hippo and Jerome) Let's examine the lives of some popular Catholics below: Ignatius the Bishop of Antioch, martyred around 107 or 115AD, was the first Christian leader to apply the word Catholic to the church. At this time, catholic only meant "all Christians." The Roman Catholic Church was first formed by its first Pope, Emperor Constantine. Constantine was troubled at the controversies arising from the empire's two largest religions, Paganism and Christianity. Emperor Constantine took the attitude, "If you can't lick them, join them."As a political move, Constantine merged the two religions into one that he would hard press upon the empire as a political move bringing long awaited unity to the empire's people. Constantine took the image of ISIS holding the child RA and meshed it with the idea of Mary holding Jesus. Another reason as to why the new religion was so successful. Both sides could relate. The spoken of mother and child image is not confined to Egypt. The same image appears in Babylonian, Druid, Oriental, African, and countless other pagan cultures. Constantine oversaw the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The Nicaean Creed is embraced by both Catholics and Calvinists until present day. Alexander of Alexandria helped Constantine in the Council of Nicaea. He did however try to get everyone excommunicated who didn't believe in the Trinity. Died in 326 AD Alexander of Lycopolis was a Catholic priest but also a pagan and a platonist. 409-448 AD St. Augustine. 354-430+ AD - Go here. Tertullian, a predecessor to Roman Catholicism, was an early heretic that Augustine, Jerome, and Calvin quoted some. Tertullian was a Montanist who believed in various unorthodox views. Montanists had proclamed several false prophecies and believed in the ordination of women for ministry. Both Montanists and Tertullian can easily be compared to Gnostic beliefs. He also believed that no one could be saved unless they were baptized in water. 155-220 AD Montanists were preCatholic -- 156 A.D. A fiercely ascetic movement arises in Phrygia around a man named Montanus, who declares himself the incarnation of the Holy Ghost. Ecstatics gather around him, given to visionary experiences which they believe are of divine origin and signal the imminent coming of the God's Kingdom. They literally expect the New Jerusalem to descend from the heavens onto Phrygiam soil. Early Christian fathers were alarmed to see Montanist sects spring up across Asia Minor, Africa, Rome and Gaul. Even Tertullian, the most famous theologian in the West at the time, joined the movement. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/apocalypse/etc/cron.html St. Nicholas was a Bishop in Turkey that died around 350 AD. He was present at the Council of Nicaea. Nicholas did enjoy making gifts for children. He is where the Santa Claus legends originated. Around the year 1600 AD, a movement within the Catholic Church called Jansenism was erected in an attempt to revive the Platonic Augustinian doctrines. Together, Platonism and Catholicism gave birth to Calvinism. Emperor Justinian - In 533AD, Made a decree that the Bishop of Rome was the head over all churches, the definer of doctrine, and the corrector of heretics. This act established the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome, which had been developing over a period of many years. With the friendship of the emperors in the capital city of the empire, it was natural for the religious leader of that city to gain pre-eminence over his counterparts in other cities. And so it was through the influence of the Bishop of Rome that the church became the Roman Catholic Church. The Inquisitions - Anyone who disagreed with the Roman Catholic Church's teachings were branded heretics and were excommunicated from the RCC then many times tortured, imprisoned, and or put to death. They took the 'repent or die' approach. The inquisitions were used off and on from the 300+ to 1839 AD. Most all sources refer to Augustine of Hippo being among the first to institute The Inquisitions. The Great Schism - The Catholic Church split into Western and Eastern in 1054AD. Greek Orthodox or Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church - Officially formed in 1054AD. This denomination claims to be the one true Catholic Church. They have always claimed to have the original Christian beliefs and practices. This denomination allows its priests to marry. This denomination denies papal infallibility, immaculate conception of Mary, and purgatory. The Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches consider each other to be schismatics and heretics. The Greek orthodox Churches are governed by a pope and councils. The Crusades - Began in 1096 and lasted until late 13th century. They were a series of wars by Western European Christians to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims who had conquered all of Israel. The Roman Catholic Church approved the crusades. The Knights Templar - Founded in 1118AD after the first Crusade to help Jerusalem maintain itself against Muslems and to ensure the safety of European pilgrims. They originally made their headquarters in the Mosque of Omar (Dome of the Rock) in Jerusalem. The Templars did not marry. They were permitted by the Vatican to regulate taxes and accept tithes in their areas of residence. The Templars included heavy cavalry, noble knights, farmers, and Roman Catholic priests. The Templars were a very powerful force in continental Europe and in the Holy Land. The order has similarities with Freemasonry. The order officially disbanded in 1314AD but schisms of the group have arisen globally. President John F. Kennedy - Born 1917 and assassinated in 1963. Popular, youngest president elected, Democrat, World War II hero, and Roman Catholic. Arguably a good president but known for his affairs with various women while being married. The most famous of the affairs was with actress and model Marilyn Monroe. Most popular quote, "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." Mother Teresa - 1910-1997 - Roman Catholic nun and humanitarian known throughout the world for her charity towards the poor and her passionate pro-life stance. Founded Missionaries of Charity in 1950 in Calcutta, India. Received several awards from various people. In my opinion, she showed herself to be quite the true Christian. Here is a site with links and info on her: http://www.drini.com/motherteresa/index2.html Edward M. �Ted� Kennedy � Born in 1932. Roman Catholic, Democrat, Senator, and ultra-Liberal who has been tried for murder. Pro Abortion, Pro Homosexual, Pro Same Sex Marriage, wants to allow flag burning, against the right to bear arms, wants to loosen restrictions on phone wire tapping, doesn�t want vouchers for private education, does not want the government to fund abstinence education, doesn�t want schools to have voluntary prayer, doesn�t want minors restricted from violent videos, and adamantly opposes Conservatives, Republicans, and Fundamentalists. Ted Kennedy gives Catholics, Americans, and Democrats a bad name. Traditional Catholic Church - Broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and formed in the 1960's in California, USA. This particular movement believes the Roman Catholic Church is in severe error and adamently opposes the present pope. This denomination believes that no one can be saved unless they embrace the Catholic denomination fully. Mel Gibson - Born in 1956. Actor, director, husband, father, and Traditional Catholic. Star of Mad Max, Lethal Weapon, Forever Young, The Man Without A Face, Pocahontas, Braveheart, Ransom, Conspiracy Theory, The Patriot, What Women Want, We Were Soldiers, and producer of The Passion of Christ. Believes he was placed on the earth to make The Passion of the Christ. One of my favorite actors. I am proud of him. Bil O'Reilly - Popular journalist, FOX News television personality, moderately conservative, hated by liberals, Roman Catholic, supports same sex unions, and a member of the independent party. Jeremy Brown 2003-2004 Works Cited: Wikipedia.com Funk & Wagnall's Encyclopedia Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary Mina Harrington (former Roman Catholic) Encarta Online EarlyChristianWritings.com Christian Classics Ethereal Library BACK |