(this was forwarded to me...kindly read on.. thanks)

[aphrodite]

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The Roman Catholic "Church" is Not Christian

Practically all precepts of the Roman Catholic religion contradict the Bible repeatedly. It is the largest cult in the world and most preachers will not openly say so because it is so large. For Catholics who read this, please remember this: the person that tells you the truth is the one that cares.

For a glimpse of the atrocities committed by the Roman Catholic religion, do a net search on the Inquisition or the Crusades. During the Inquisition, the Catholic religion killed millions. Why? Primarily to suppress any and all opposition to the pope. Side "benefits" included taking the material wealth of its victims and showing the pope's power. The Catholic Inquisitors tortured, crippled, burned, and imprisioned millions of people. Whatever happened to love your enemies? (Matthew 5:44)

Before we get to specific problems with Catholic doctrine, let's review how this bloodthirsty organization treated a man who simply wanted to get the Bible into the hands of the common people. In the late 1300s John Wycilf translated the scriptures from the Latin Vulgate. Some 40 odd years after his death, the Catholic religion dug up his bones and burned them calling him an arch-heretick. In the 1500's William Tyndale sought to translate the Bible into the language of the common people, English. He could not gain approval from the Catholic religon so he worked as an outlaw on the run in Europe, translating the Bible. He was eventually captured, condemned and executed in 1536. It is because of people like these men, Tyndale and Wycliffe, that we have the scriptures today. If the Catholic religion had its way, we'd still be in ignorance about the Bible and enslaved to the pope. Time fails me here to tell of other marytrs like John Hus, John Rogers, etc. who were killed by popish persons.

I'll list the catholic tradition first and then what the Bible has to say about the matter.


* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - Call priests father, e.g., Father McKinley.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS -

Matthew 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - Forbidding the priesthood to marry.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS -

1) It is devilish to forbid God's people to marry when He has given marriage to be received with thanksgiving.
1 Timothy
4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

2) Peter was married (remember the pope is supposedly continuing the apostolic line through Peter).

Matthew
8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.

Mark
1:30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.

Luke
4:38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.

3) Paul, a great apostle, remained single; however he made it very clear that he could marry if he wanted to.

1 Corinthians
9:5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - Mary never had other children after the Lord Jesus. A perpetual virgin.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS - Mary and Joseph indeed had children. They were the Lord's half brothers and sisters for their father was Joseph and mother was Mary.

Matthew
13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
13:56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
Mark
6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - Mary is the queen of heaven.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS - Worshipping the queen of heaven (which is not the Mary of the Bible) is worshipping another god and it provokes the Lord to anger.

Jeremiah
7:17 Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
7:19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?

* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - Mary is the mother of God.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS - Mary is the mother of the earthly Jesus, not God. Jesus pre- existed from everlasting as God (see John 1:1). When He came to redeem mankind, He laid aside His glory and was made like unto sinful man so that He could take our punishment (Hebrew 2:9). God has no mother. He has lived from everlasting which means He had no beginning.

Isaiah
43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. [If Mary gave birth to God, she'd be God.]
Psalm
93:2 Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.

Micah
5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler [Jesus] in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Philippians
2:6 Who [Jesus], being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - Pope called Holy Father.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS - The term Holy Father is only found one time in the entire Bible. It was when Jesus prayed before He and His disciples went to the garden of Gethsemane. He referred to God the Father as Holy Father. It is blasphemy to call a man by God's name

John
17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - Purgatory, nuns, popes.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS - None of these is mentioned in the Bible. It is a sin to add to the Bible.

Proverbs
30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
The pope is a man who takes upon himself honor which belongs to no human being. Even the very name by which he allows himself to be called (Holy Father) is highly presumptuous and blasphemous (see above).

One does not need the pope to determine what God's will is. The Bible says that God has given the Holy Ghost to each believer and that He (the Holy Ghost) guides and leads us into all truth. All a believer needs is the Bible and the Holy Ghost to know the will of the Lord. Popery has been treacherous, but worse, each pope has been the blind leading the blind. Jesus said that both will fall into the ditch. Catholics, come out of this system that cannot save and know Jesus for youself, intimate and up-close.

NOTE: Purgatory is supposedly a place where a person is purified of sins--even popes supposedly go there. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the one that purifies us of our sins. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.... When a person dies their eternal home is sealed--heaven or hell--no in between. Hebrews 9:27 ...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - Venerating/worshipping images. Pope bows to statues of Mary, people worship the eucharist and have statues/candles in their homes and churches.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS - It is idolatry to venerate images. We are not even supposed to make them.

Exodus
20:4 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.
20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God...
* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - The mass. Through transubstantiation, the wafer/host and the wine supposedly become the actual blood and body of Jesus Christ when the priest prays over them.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS - Jesus died once for sins, never to be repeated. He sits on the right hand of God and does not reappear in the mass as a mass of blood and flesh.

Hebrews
10:12 But this man [Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
John
19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

1 Corinthians
11:24 And when he [Jesus] had given thanks, he brake it [bread], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come (not for the forgiveness of sins or to receive Jesus).

* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - Saved, in part, by good works.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS - Good works are the fruits that grow out of being saved. They do not make you saved. An apple does not make its tree an apple tree, it was already an apple tree before any apples appeared. When you see the apples; however, you know what kind of tree it is. If a person is saved, he will shew forth good works because he has the spirit of Christ in him. The good works don't make him saved only the blood of Jesus can do that.

I John
1:7b ...the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Acts 16:31b
...believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

Romans
3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

What about James 2:20 "faith without works is dead"?

The kind of faith that saves is a faith that shows forth the works of God. Even devils believe in Jesus and tremble (James 2:19). Many people believe in Jesus but they won't follow Him. They have a faith, but not the kind that saves. If a person has true faith in Jesus, the Holy Ghost dwells in him and will cause good works will show forth in his life. The good works confirm the faith by which the person was saved. James 2:21-23 uses Abraham as an example. Abraham believed God so when God asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham, out of his faith in God, offered up Isaac.


* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - The church is founded on Peter.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS - Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church. Peter was a man like you and me. Jesus called Peter Satan in Matthew 16:23 when Peter rebuked Jesus dying. When Cornelius tried to worship Peter, Peter responded, "Stand up; I myself also am a man." (Acts 10:26). The pope needs to remember Acts 10:26 when he has men bowing to him and kissing his hand like he is worthy of worship.

1 Corinthians
3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Matthew
21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected [Jesus], the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - Confessing sins to a priest. Petitioning saints and Mary.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS - We are to confess our sins and needs to God alone.

I John
1:9 If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Matthew
6:9, 12 After this manner...pray ye: Our Father... forgive us....

1 Timothy
2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus [not Mary, not saints, not priests, not the pope];

I John 2:1, ...And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

* * * *
There are many other scriptures that could have been used here to testify against the doctrines of the catholic religion. There are also many other doctrines of the catholic religion which could have been refuted (e.g. the sacraments, receiving the Holy Ghost, salvation through the catholic religion, penance, rosary, etc.).

* * * *
The Catholic religion has a history of taking the money of poor widows in order to say masses for the dead (which do no good) and collecting the material possessions of nuns. In Italy, the heart of Roman Catholicism, there is an often used saying that goes, "Without money, they don't sing the mass." That is really pitiful on several fronts--1) mass is blasphemous and people who trust in it are hell-bound 2) there's no such thing as purgatory and 3) the gift of God is without price.

Roman Catholicism today is probably the wealthiest government in the world. It owns a good share of America's hospitals and has healthy real estate interests. The bottom line is, if you want to get right with God, you have to go through His Son, Jesus Christ, not some religious organization.

[aphrodite]

NOTE: off topics or unnecessary posts will be deleted right away. thanks.

[SPRINGFIELD_XD_40]

The Catholic religion has a history of taking the money of poor widows in order to say masses for the dead (which do no good) and collecting the material possessions of nuns.

Nuns are bound for hardships and dedication . By means of collection of material possessions , they are sent home to whoever is the next of kin and not for the interest of the church .

In Italy, the heart of Roman Catholicism, there is an often used saying that goes, "Without money, they don't sing the mass." That is really pitiful on several fronts--

Question is , who made the saying ? The author emphasizes the phrase HEART of RC .... in a way naay impact but lets say here in the Philippines ... anyone heard of such phrase ? Mas mahitabo pa sa hospitals na walay kwarta walay atiman .

1) mass is blasphemous and people who trust in it are hell-bound

Interesting indeed .... he or she could have provided detailed specific examples other than mga statements na gibasehan are all literally understood by so many people .

2) there's no such thing as purgatory and

if there is no such things as purgatory , it will also explain that there is no such thing as MORTAL SIN and VENIAL SIN .

the gift of God is without price.

Which is LIFE in general .

Roman Catholicism today is probably the wealthiest government in the world. It owns a good share of America's hospitals and has healthy real estate interests. The bottom line is, if you want to get right with God, you have to go through His Son, Jesus Christ, not some religious organization.

Not only the wealthiest but the leader of the RC is the worlds most powerful man on earth .

It is obviously a write up of another fanatical perdson whom I dont know if he or she has hatred or belongs to another Christian religion but not definitely RC .

These kind of issues are as old as the religion itself .....gi tubag na siya and gi explain na siya as old as the question itself pod , wala lang koy lingaw karon mao ni reply ko hehehehe .

[tolstoi]

this will boil down on how we interpret the wordings in the bible

[tolstoi]

why was my post erased?

hmm..that was no OT..coz if we follow the premise of the author that calling the priest 'father' is NON-CHRISTIAN then most likely every son/daughter who will call their male parent as 'FATHER' will also be tagged as NON CHRISTIAN!

[Labrador2]

up for this

[Rodrigo Busa]

Paul, a great apostle, remained single; however he made it very clear that he could marry if he wanted to.

there you have your answer. the priests they can also marry, but they chose not to (because if they want to marry, they can just quit being a priest). those who did marry still served but not as priest, however they do a great deal of evangelizing , but that's besides the point lets concentrate on the matter at hand. Why did Apostle Paul not marry? there must be some wisdom behind it? As you can see, missionaries like Apostle Paul roam through out the world preaching the word of the Lord to all nations. thus, if you have a wife you would rather stay with her and protect her and you know children have needs, etc, everything that we husbands do to our wife etc. you can also notice. during the new testament. Paul has written more letters to more chuches from all over the world where as compared to Saint Peter. does that mean Saint Peter therefore is Lazy? being married have its perks. and being unmarried have its own perks too. Just because priests are not married it does not mean that priests and the religion itself is bad/ "cult" as so explicitly mentioned. its just a choice. Just like what Paul "a great apostle" said.

just a question, though... why cant we Catholics or you christian churches marry as many times as we want just like the Muslims. food for thought.

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CATHOLIC TRADITION - Mary never had other children after the Lord Jesus. A perpetual virgin.

Let me quote a famed prayer of the Catholics, "Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with you blessed are you amongst women and blessed is the fruit of the womb Jesus."
since you are so well versed with your memory verses I will gladly let you fill in the blanks.
-What verse did angel Gabriel said to Mary that she will conceive a baby?
follow up question:
-Did the angel say that she will insert something in Mary's private parts so that she will get pregnant?

You see, virginity is not the hymen tearing the first time when something tears it. the hymen can and will be easily torn when you ride a horse, scrub the floor, So, does this mean the girl riding the horse is not a virgin anymore because her hymen was already torn? So to be precise, one can only loose virginity when she, for the first time, actually made an intercourse sexually.

now the term Virgin Mary Refers to the fact that she did not do intercourse. when she conceived JESUS!

The New Testament does not describe as "children of Mary" any of those whom it calls brothers and sisters of Jesus, and these have also been interpreted as "children of Joseph" by a previous marriage, as Mary's sister's children, or as Joseph's sister's children. quoted from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_virginity_of_Mary"

Just a question.
was joseph a single man when he married mary?
how many wives did joseph have?

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CATHOLIC TRADITION - Mary is the queen of heaven.

The Catholic teaching on this subject is expressed in the papal encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam, issued by Pope Pius XII. It states Mary is called the Queen of Heaven because her Son, Jesus Christ, is the King of Israel and heavenly King of the Universe. In the Hebrew tradition, the mother of the king is the queen.

In his August 15, 2004, homily given at Lourdes, Pope John Paul II quoted John 14:3 as one of the scriptural bases for understanding the dogma of the Assumption of Mary. In this verse, Jesus tells his disciples at the Last Supper, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also." According to Catholic theology, Mary is the pledge of the fulfillment of Christ's promise.Pope John Paul II - Homily August 15 2004 - Lourdes


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CATHOLIC TRADITION - Mary is the mother of God.

let me guess, quoted from the prayer... Holy Mary mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death amen?

hahay.

is Jesus not God? are you questioning the fact that Jesus is the Lord of Lords and the God of Gods? Mary is the Mother of Jesus?

grabe ra kaayo ka ka pilosopo. mother of God. Hello. Si, God kaya ga himo ni Mary, nya ngano naman intawn nga ma Mother of God naman hinoon ang imong translation.

gusto ka na ang among prayer usabon? as in Holy Mary mother of Jesus pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death amen. kamo nalang himo og prayer nya kami nasad manaway.

**********************

here in this Link are all the Popes http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...el_paepste.jpg
starting with Saint Peter -> to Pope John Paul II.please tell me... when was your church founded? do you have records it even existed at the time Jesus was around performing miracles?

* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - Venerating/worshiping images. Pope bows to statues of Mary, people worship the Eucharist and have statues/candles in their homes and churches.

You writer of this article I presume is an avid reader of the bible. tell me, how do people in the old times of the old gods worship their statues. In the altar of the Lord our Father how do they make an offering? what did they do?

They make big fires and burn sheep, best harvest, and even their own son should the Lord ask them to. Do you see catholic people make big bonfires and throwing in meat as an offering to the statue?
Do you see catholics worshiping a statue the way the old testament people do an offering?
does it really resemble anything like what happened in the story of Moses, the golden calf god the Israelites crated?

first and foremost. these men are not just statues of animals. who are they? they are the people who gave their lives to the belief that God our Lord existed they fought for Christianity. Each and everyone of their actions brought many to believe on one God. Their hearts were bent only for the Glory of God though they are Just men they followed Gods Footsteps even to their grave. They were living examples on how a christian should fight their every struggle in life. perhaps you do not know this anymore.

perhaps what you misinterpreted is the fact that these worships that you think they are doing. I will enlighten you. these so called worships that you say they are is wrong in every way that your pastors have told you. they are not worshiping they are praying that these saints may pray for them in their behalf. illustration person -> saint -> God. then you pull that thing where Jesus is the only mediator of God the Father. we never disputed that. the fact is a prayer of the righteous weighs heavy in the eyes of the Lord. then you say they are dead!, in the spirit these Saints and Followers of Christ, true Christians, are in heaven for (John 3:16). These men have been weighed and is found sufficient under the rigorous process of the Vatican.

In 1705, the Superior-General of the Lazarists requested that the holy process of de Paul's canonization be instituted. On 13 August 1729, Vincent was declared blessed by Pope Benedict XIII. He was canonized nearly eight years later by Pope Clement XII on 16 June 1737. In 1885, Pope Leo XIII gave him as patron to the Sisters of Charity.[3] He is also patron to the Brothers of Charity.
St. Vincent's body was exhumed in 1712, 53 years after his death. The written account of an eye witness states that "...(t)he eyes and nose alone showed some decay." However, when the body was exhumed again during the canonization in 1737 it was then discovered to have decomposed due to an underground flood. His bones have been encased in a waxen figure which is displayed in a glass reliquary in the chapel of the headquarters of the Vincentian fathers in Paris. His heart is still incorrupt, and is displayed in a reliquary in the chapel of the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity in Paris


* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - The mass. Through transubstantiation, the wafer/host and the wine supposedly become the actual blood and body of Jesus Christ when the priest prays over them.


Other Protestants do not accept this literal interpretation of Jesus. Protestant Scripture-based arguments fall into different classes: figurative versus literal language, grammatical cues, and comparisons with other passages. The Protestant view on Communion varies, though the bread and wine are viewed only symbolically by most. While the Reformed (Calvinist and Presbyterian) denominations refer to it as a "sacrament", most Protestants consider it an "ordinance".
Jesus repeatedly spoke in non-literal terms e.g. "I am the door", "I am the vine", "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees" (Matthew 16:6-12), etc. Figurative language in the Synoptic Gospels, the gospels that give the words of Jesus at his Last Supper, includes: "You are the salt of the earth ... You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:13-14) and many other verses. It is accepted by Catholics and Protestants alike that Luke 22:20 and I Corinthians 11:25 are figurative where Jesus says that the cup is the new covenant.
Believers in the literal sense of Christ's words, "This is my body", "This is my blood" claim that there is a marked contrast between metaphorical figurative expressions, which of their nature have a symbolic meaning, and what Jesus said about concrete things such as the bread and wine. Catholics point to St. Paul's discourse in I Corinthians, in which he explicitly rhetorically states, "is the bread that we eat not a sharing in the Body of Christ?" and that those who profane the Eucharist are guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. They also point to the beliefs of the early Church, in which the writings of the early Church Fathers document a belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
The Greek word "τοῦτο" ("this" or "this thing") in the phrase "Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου" ("This is my body") is a grammatically neuter word, and so does not refer to "bread" (in Greek "ἄρτος", which is a masculine noun) but can refer to "σῶμα" ("body"), a grammatically neuter word.
In four passages Jesus refers to bread ("ἄρτος", masculine) as his body ("σῶμα", neuter). These are (in the Revised Standard Version text):

* "Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body.'" Matthew 26:26
* "...took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, 'Take; this is my body.'" Mark 14:22
* "...he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body which is given for you..." Luke 22:19
* "...took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body which is for you..." 1 Corinthians 11:23-24

In these four passages there is no word in the original Greek text corresponding to the "it" that Jesus broke and (in three of them) gave; the word "it", which must be expressed in English, is only implied in Greek and most naturally refers to the word "bread" ("ἄρτος", masculine noun). Then, in the next moment, Jesus uses the grammatically neuter word "τοῦτο" (this), which cannot be referred to the word "ἄρτος" (bread), when, speaking of what he is giving the disciples, he says: "This is my body" (words which according to Catholic doctrine are the words which effect the actual consecration and change of substance at the very moment they are uttered), so that "this" now refers to his "body", not to "bread".
Transubstantiation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


* * * *
CATHOLIC TRADITION - Saved, in part, by good works.

WRONG we never said that. this here found below is what we Catholics believe in.

faith without works is dead. faith is the belief that Jesus saved you and has purchased you through his sacrifice, good works is the manifestation of that belief. hence faith without works is dead. James(2:17).

Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. ... Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." (Matthew 25:34-36, 40)

One reason for the split of Protestantism from Catholicism is Martin Luther's interpretation of Romans 3:28, "For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law." Luther understood this as meaning that we are saved by "faith alone." Luther was so convinced of the importance of this viewpoint that he included the word "alone" in his translation of Romans 3:28, even though it is not in the original Greek text. In today's second reading, James tells us that "faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (James 2:17). How do we reconcile this apparent contradiction between Paul's teaching that we are justified by faith apart from good works and that of James that faith without works is dead?

To reconcile this tension, we need to ask ourselves three key questions. (1) What is justification? (2) What are works? (3) What does the Bible as a whole teach on the subject of salvation by faith?

What is justification? Justification is the act of God in which sinners who confess their faith in Jesus Christ are declared innocent, as if they had never sinned. Justification is a free gift of God's grace, based entirely on the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. Justification happens at the moment when one submits in faith to Jesus Christ. In the early church, this change of heart (repentance and believing the gospel) was marked by the penitent receiving baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit. "Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3.
Justification is not salvation. Whereas justification happens at the beginning of the Christian life, salvation happens at the end of it, when the believer is finally admitted into God's eternal presence after judgment. For us, Christians in the world, justification is already in the past, but salvation is yet in the future. This is the consistent picture we get from the very letters of Paul. Paul speaks of salvation as a future event. For example:

Now that we have been justified by his blood, we will be saved through him from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9)
For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers (Romans 13:11).
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)

One problem that Luther had, and many Christians today still have, is that of confusing justification with salvation. If we keep the two events apart, we see that God who justified us by faith alone does not save us by faith alone. The justified person must bear fruit of good works, fruit befitting repentance or risk damnation on judgment day (see Matthew 7:16-23; John 15:1-2)


What are works? Another source of confusion on the issue of faith and works is that there are two kinds of works mentioned in the New Testament letters usually attributed to Paul. There are works of the law (erga nomou), mentioned in Romans and Galatians, which are believed to be written by Paul himself in his lifetime, and there are good works (erga agatha), mentioned only in Ephesians, which is believed to be written by Paul's disciple after Paul's death. What is the difference between works of the law and good works?


Works of the law are actions that are neither morally good or bad in themselves, which one does simply to observe a law. Such actions include keeping the Sabbath, circumcision, and avoiding certain meats. Good works, on the other hand, are works that are good in themselves in that other people benefit from them, such as, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick. What Paul condemns as irrelevant to justification or eventual salvation is works of the law, not good works. Good works are necessary for authentic Christian living since, as James tells us, faith without good works is dead (James 2:17).


See we are not so different on this stand point. martin luther just placed the word alone, which changed the entire context and made us disapprove passionately.


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CATHOLIC TRADITION - The church is founded on Peter.

The dogmas and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church teach that the institution of the papacy was first mandated by interpretations of several Biblical passages, mainly Matthew 16:13–19:[nb 2]
“ "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? ... And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." ” Catholics believe that this passage shows Jesus establishing his church on the shoulders of Simon son of John (Peter). Some authorities have previously asserted that the "rock" Jesus referred to was Jesus himself or was Peter's faith.The general scholarly consensus is that this account is accurate, and most modern scholars agree with the straightforward interpretation that the "rock" Jesus refers to in this passage is Peter.
The reference to the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" here is the basis for the symbolic keys often found in Catholic papal symbolism, such as in the Vatican Coat of Arms Pope - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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CATHOLIC TRADITION - Confessing sins to a priest. Petitioning saints and Mary.

John 20:22-23 as the primary Scriptural proof for the doctrine concerning this sacrament, but Catholics also consider Matthew 9:2-8, 1 Corinthians 11:27, and Matthew 16:17-20 to be among the Scriptural bases for the sacrament.

John 20:22
And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
23
If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Matthew 9:2-8

2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?
5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”
7 Then the man got up and went home.
8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

Matthew 16:17-20

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

1 Corinthians 1:2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints,

Romans 1:7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints

Colossians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse
(basically, look at the first verse in any letter addressed to a group of people in the New Testament)

The prayers of believers are effective because they have Jesus Christ as a mediator between them and God

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

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my take of the story is this...

“ John said to [Jesus], “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” 39 Jesus replied “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak evil of me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us.” 41 Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.


we Catholics drive out demons from the possessed in the name of JESUS our LORD. we Call upon His Mercy each and every part of Our lives. you may not like the way we do it but we love him from the bottom of our hearts. What you are trying to do right now is you are preventing us because we don't follow your ways. THE LORD said, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”. We speak no evil against God. Leave us Alone. Pray to the Lord the way you do and let us Catholics pray to Lord the way we do. Let us be. and may God bless you.

[Rodrigo Busa]

don't get me wrong. I was baptized a missionary baptist when I was 23. but since birth I was an avid catholic. hence, I know both doctrines quite well and where they clash.

you know what this article is doing? it will only strengthen the faith of the strong Catholics believers and remove the belief of God from the weak Catholics. So, beware of your words. for our God said in Mark 9:42. "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe [in me] to sin, it would be better for him if a great milestone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea."

why preach these kinds of things. does your church have nothing to say other than criticize ever other church out there? stop doing these things I beg thee and concentrate on your own doctrines. these kinds of banter contributed to a number of atheists. these kinds of boggle sent many astray from our Lord.

[kit_cebu]

wow...... dyslexia mode............

[nio1234]

kata-as ba ana mura sakit man sa mata basahon.....