The Roman Catholic "Church"© 2007, Martha K. Miller
"…And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."Revelation 17:3b-5.
The claims that the Catholic church is the virgin "woman" depicted in Revelation 12, are false. That is Israel giving birth to the Messiah, whom they rejected. The woman in that chapter is not the virgin Mary of the Catholic church, and Mary never remained a perpetual virgin physically as the Catholic church claims. The Mary of the Bible was a virgin, but because she was married to a human man and had other children after Jesus, she didn't remain a virgin. There is also NO record in the Bible, nor in history, of anyone having his or her virginity restored, not even Mary's. The Mary of the Bible did not possess any "mystical" qualities or powers. She was a humble Jewish girl who obeyed the law of Moses, and consequently was chosen by God to carry God's Son. She was nothing more than an obedient vessel for God to use to bring about His glory, not to deify her.
The Bible mentions very little about Mary, but what it does mention is that she declared that she was in need of a Savior (Luke 1:47) as much as anyone else. She also pointed to obedience to Jesus, not herself (John 2:5). Since she knew the Law and the prophets, she knew that the worship of the Queen of heaven was FORBIDDEN by the Lord. (Jeremiah 7:18) She would be appalled at anyone declaring her Queen of heaven when it was abhorred by God (Jeremiah 44:15-29). She knew it was an abomination to the Lord that He would punish not bless. So the apparitions, who say they are to be co-redemptrix, or are to be the queen of heaven, or are to be worshipped, are FALSE. We are to worship God and God alone. Jesus is our ONLY redeemer.
False Teachings of the Catholic Church
Christians have been condemned by the Roman Catholic Church in both the councils of Trent and Vatican II. 3 The so-called ecumenical Catholic church has declared over 100 anathemas (curses) on Christians who believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Those curses are still dogma. Yet they "bless" the Buddhists, Islamics, and other religions that hate the God of the Bible, or don't believe there is a God, or refuse to give Jesus His rightful place as God. That's blatant heresy and hypocrisy. I find it difficult to understand how anyone can say the Roman Catholic Church is Christian. They add to and take away from the word of God; they preach another gospel and another Jesus; and place the authority of the Popes above the authority of the Scriptures. So, by that definition Roman Catholicism is a cult.
God's word condemns the Roman Catholic Church and any other religion that changes His word, preaches another gospel and refuses to listen to what the word of God says. "Do not add to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar." (Prov. 30:6). "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take anything from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." (Deuteronomy 4:2). "If any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received (from the Apostles) let him be accursed (anathema)." (Galatians 1:8) "He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has One who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him on the last day." (John 12:48). 3
| **Catholic Dogma | Biblical Truth |
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Church has authority over Scripture: "The manner of interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church which exercises the divinely conferred commission and ministry of watching over and interpreting the Word of God." (Paragraph 119) |
Scripture has authority over the church: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.(2 Timothy 3:16) |
| Born again by water: "The water of baptism truly signifies our birth into the divine life." (Paragraph 694) |
Born again by the Word of God and the Spirit of God: "For you have been born again, not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit. (1 Peter 1:23, 3:8) |
| **Catholic Dogma | Biblical Truth |
| Justified repeatedly by works and sacraments: "Those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell." (Paragraph 1035)"The sacrament of penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification" (Paragraph 1446) |
Justified once by faith in Jesus Christ: "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness" (Romans 4:5; 8:30) |
| Saved by meriting graces: "We can merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for…the attainment of eternal life." (Paragraph 2010) |
Saved by unmerited grace: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) |
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Saved by good works: A treasury of prayers and good works makes it possible for Catholics to attain their own salvation and at the same time cooperate in saving their brothers. (Paragraph 1477) |
Saved for good works: "For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) |
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Salvation is in the Roman Catholic Church: The Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation. Anyone refusing to enter it or remain in it cannot be saved. (Paragraph 846) |
Salvation is in Jesus Christ: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." (Ephesians 1:7) |
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Purified by the fires of Purgatory: "After death they undergo purification [in Purgatory], so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven." (Paragraph 1030) |
Purified by the blood of Jesus Christ: "The blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7) Note: Purgatory is NEVER mentioned in the Bible |
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Communion is a continual sacrifice for redemption: "The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice… the same Christ who offered Himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and offered in an unbloody manner… for the sins of the living and the dead." (Paragraphs 1367, 1414) |
Communion is a memorial of Christ's finished work: "Do this in remembrance of Me." (1 Corinthians 11:24-25) |
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Catholics receive Jesus frequently & physically in the stomach: "The body and blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ… is truly, really, and substantially contained in the Eucharist." (Paragraphs 1374-78) |
Receives Jesus permanently & spiritually in the heart: "[God] put His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." (2 Corinthians 1:22) |
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Catholics need a priest & are not saints unless canonized: "In the forgiveness of sins, both priests and sacraments are instruments which our Lord Jesus Christ … wills to use to efface our sins and give us the grace of justification." (Paragraph 987) |
Christians are priests and saints: "You are 'a royal priesthood,' a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him that called you out of darkness in to His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:1) |
As you can see, there are major differences in essential doctrines. They even take away one of the Ten Commandments that says, "You shall not make for yourself any carved image…you shall not bow down to them nor serve them," (Exodus 20:4-5), and divide the one about coveting your neighbor's wife and coveting his goods (Exodus 20:17). The Catholic church may have been on target at one time, but power (and money) corrupted her very quickly. All their hospitals, orphanages, homeless shelters, and other charitable activities give the church an "endearing and pious" appearance to the surrounding community. Their good deeds and charities are commendable by human standards, but the Scripture calls their righteousnesses (or good works) filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), because they are not done for the glory of God but to glorify the Catholic church. They are using "good works" to deceive millions. Other cults deceive in the same way because they know that mankind, if hungry enough can be lead about by their "bellies". The Bible speaks of the enemies of Christ having their bellies as their god (Phil. 3:18-19).
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