Can Roman Catholicism be Considered Christianity?
Nov 1, 2017 15:41:06 #
It’s that time of year again when we remember the Protestant
Reformation. But this year, it’s really something special: 500 years
have passed since the greatest movement of God in church history
next to the birth of the church at Pentecost.
But was the Reformation really necessary? Were the Reformers
merely a pack of spiritual naysayers looking to rain on Rome’s
innocent parade? Were they not looking to take their ball and mitt to
start their own game?
The Reformers were not moved by preferences to seek and start
another denomination. They were moved by Scripture to break from
something that could not be considered Christian. Five centuries
have not improved Rome’s doctrine. The need for her reform could not be greater.
Tragically, several reasons remain why Roman Catholicism still is not Christian. At this 500th year anniversary, it’s worth
taking a thorough look at ten doctrines which render Rome outside of Christ. Many of these are sufficient on their
own.
1. Rome’s teaching on justification differs from biblical Christianity.
The issue of justification pertains to the most important question facing humanity: how can unrighteous people stand
righteous before a righteous and holy God? It’s the question of questions; the crux of the human race. Answer this
correctly, and all is well. Answer it otherwise, and face eternal condemnation.
What does Rome teach on the issue?
From the Council of Trent, 6th session, Canon 30:
If anyone says that after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and the debt of
eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentant sinner, that no debt of temporary punishment
remains to be discharged either in this world or in purgatory before the gates of heaven can be opened,
let him be anathema.
Put another way, if you believe that, by faith alone in Christ alone, all of your sin—past, present, future—is completely
forgiven, with no guilt or punishment from God remaining, with the result that you stand satisfactorily righteous before
God, then you are damned.
However, Scripture teaches precisely what Rome condemns:
“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom. 3:28).
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
Right standing with God is a gift granted on the basis of faith alone in Jesus Christ. His life really was that righteous. His death really that propitiatory. His resurrection really that vindicating. Sinners stand permanently righteous before holy God as a gift of his grace, not
works, and by faith alone in Jesus Christ, not grace-infused works. To assume that our works could contribute to a fraction of our justification
is nothing short of monstrous pride.
While addressing the works-based gospel of the Judaizers several centuries prior to the Reformation, the apostle declared that a gospel
which differs from that of Scripture is a damning system (Gal. 1:8-9).
2. Rome’s teaching on the papacy differs from biblical Christianity.
Rome asserts that the pope (derived from a Latin word for “father”) is a position of succession from the apostle Peter.
The title refers to the Bishop of Rome exclusively as the universal bishop. Other titles for the pope include “Vicar of
Christ,” “Pontiff,” “Holy Father,” and “His Holiness.” He is considered the head of the Church, who possesses power to
pull from the treasury of merit to grant indulgences. When he speaks ex cathedra, he is considered to speak infallibly.
For a time, there were three simultaneous popes and the papal seat was in Avignon, France.
The papacy was mostly architected by Leo I, while Gregory I most likely was the first individual to take the title, “pope.”
Rome teaches:
The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor, is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of
the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful. For the Roman Pontiff, by reason
of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power
over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered (CCC #882).
Cardinal Gibbons wrote, “To be true followers of Christ all Christians…must be in communion with the See of Rome,
where Peter rules in the person of his succession” (The Faith of our Fathers, 104).
In the 1894 encyclical, The Reunion of Christendom, Pope Leo XIII said that the pope holds “upon this earth the place of
God Almighty.”
Such statements are in grave contradiction with the Bible. Rome has effectively exalted her pope—a sinful man—to the
position of Lord of the church. But there is one Lord (Eph. 4:5). And no pope has died for the church, risen for the church,
and possesses sovereignty over the church. The only individual who possesses “full, supreme, and universal power over
the whole Church,” holds a “power which he can always exercise unhindered,” with whom one “must be in communion”
to be a Christian, and who has ever held “upon this earth the place of God Almighty” is the God-man, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Christ alone has universal power over the church (Matt. 16:18, Eph. 1:22-23). Christ alone holds a power which is
exercised unhindered (Matt. 28:18). Christ alone is the one with whom one must be in communion for salvation (John
15:4-5, 7; Rom. 8:1; 1 Cor. 15:22; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 1:4; Phil. 2:9). Nowhere does Scripture teach that an individual as
the pope serves as “Holy Father” (cf. Matt. 23:9), much less that one must be united to him for salvation. Scripture
affirms Christ alone is head of the true Church (Eph. 1:22-23). That’s why he is called, “Lord” (Phil. 2:9-11).
Understandably, this was the primary issue for many of the Reformers.
Consequently, Rome’s teaching on justification itself renders it something other than Christianity.
3. Rome’s teaching on Mary differs from biblical Christianity.
Rome’s mariology speaks for itself. Mary is venerated with titles such as, “Queen of the Universe,” “My Sovereign,” “The
Hope of Christians,” and “More Merciful than Jesus.” She receives greater veneration than all the other saints and
angels.
The Immaculate Conception is the Catholic doctrine which teaches that Mary was conceived without a sin nature. Thus
she was not a recipient of Jesus’ redemption, but instead was, and is, a participant in it (“co-redemptrix”).
Pope Leo XIII said in an encyclical on September 22, 1891, “As no man goeth to the Father by but by the Son, so no
man goeth to Christ but by His Mother.”
In another encyclical from September 8, 1892, Leo said, “It is a great thing in any saint to have grace sufficient for
salvation of many souls; but to have enough to suffice for the salvation of everybody in the world is the greatest of all;
and this is found in Christ and the Blessed Virgin.”
In other words, Mary herself possesses the righteousness to save every soul. Thus, she holds a status equivalent to that
of Christ.
John Paul II said in an encyclical, Veritas Splendor, “Mary is the Mother of Mercy because it is to her that Jesus entrusts
his Church and all humanity.”
Alphonsus Ligouri, a saint and doctor of Rome, wrote one of the most popular mariolatry devotionals in Roman
Catholicism, called, “The Glories of Mary.” Even a brief reading of this work sends chills up one’s spine at the biblical
desecration. Here is a sampling of Rome’s mariology:
And when I shall find myself in the last agony of death, oh Mary!…May it be to thy eternal glory that thou
hast saved from hell a miserable wretch, and brought him to thy kingdom, where I hope to console myself
by being always at thy feet to thank, bless, and love thee throughout eternity (114).
With reason does the ancient writer call her ‘the only hope of sinners,’ for by her help alone can we hope
for the remission of sins (83).
What poor sinners we should be if we had not this advocate [Mary], so powerful and so merciful, and at the same time so prudent and so wise, that the judge, her Son, cannot condemn the guilty, if she defendsthem (220).
It goes without saying that these statements are the height of blasphemy. For Rome, Mary holds the functional place of
God the Father (humanity is entrusted to her), God the Son (she is the hope of sinners and mediating peacemaker for
God and man), and God the Spirit (she grants perseverance). In fact, Mary holds a place higher than God (“All obey…
Mary—even God himself”).
But Scripture does not speak even remotely of Mary in this way. Mary
understood herself to be a sinner in need of mercy and justification, just like all
humanity (Luke 1:46-47, 50, 54). In reality, Mary, like the rest of us, is included in
the “all” who have “fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), born with a
deceitful heart (Jer. 17:9), inherently incapable and unwilling of pleasing God
(Rom. 8:7-8), and utterly unrighteous (Rom. 3:10-12), apart from the saving
work of God. Finally, Mary can in no way accomplish “remission of sins,” serve
as “peacemaker between God and man,” or participate in redemption. “For there
is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).
If there were ever a moment where Jesus would have affirmed her as high as
Rome, it would have been here:
While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore Youand the breasts at which You nursed.” But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke
11:27-28).Instead, Jesus considers the individual of a higher blessedness than Mary should they simply obey Scripture.
Finally, it should be noted that there exists remarkable and uncoincidental parallelism between Rome and Ancient
Babylonian Paganism, particularly concerning the veneration of Mary, and the worship of Venus and the wife of Nimrod.
Reformation. But this year, it’s really something special: 500 years
have passed since the greatest movement of God in church history
next to the birth of the church at Pentecost.
But was the Reformation really necessary? Were the Reformers
merely a pack of spiritual naysayers looking to rain on Rome’s
innocent parade? Were they not looking to take their ball and mitt to
start their own game?
The Reformers were not moved by preferences to seek and start
another denomination. They were moved by Scripture to break from
something that could not be considered Christian. Five centuries
have not improved Rome’s doctrine. The need for her reform could not be greater.
Tragically, several reasons remain why Roman Catholicism still is not Christian. At this 500th year anniversary, it’s worth
taking a thorough look at ten doctrines which render Rome outside of Christ. Many of these are sufficient on their
own.
1. Rome’s teaching on justification differs from biblical Christianity.
The issue of justification pertains to the most important question facing humanity: how can unrighteous people stand
righteous before a righteous and holy God? It’s the question of questions; the crux of the human race. Answer this
correctly, and all is well. Answer it otherwise, and face eternal condemnation.
What does Rome teach on the issue?
From the Council of Trent, 6th session, Canon 30:
If anyone says that after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and the debt of
eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentant sinner, that no debt of temporary punishment
remains to be discharged either in this world or in purgatory before the gates of heaven can be opened,
let him be anathema.
Put another way, if you believe that, by faith alone in Christ alone, all of your sin—past, present, future—is completely
forgiven, with no guilt or punishment from God remaining, with the result that you stand satisfactorily righteous before
God, then you are damned.
However, Scripture teaches precisely what Rome condemns:
“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom. 3:28).
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
Right standing with God is a gift granted on the basis of faith alone in Jesus Christ. His life really was that righteous. His death really that propitiatory. His resurrection really that vindicating. Sinners stand permanently righteous before holy God as a gift of his grace, not
works, and by faith alone in Jesus Christ, not grace-infused works. To assume that our works could contribute to a fraction of our justification
is nothing short of monstrous pride.
While addressing the works-based gospel of the Judaizers several centuries prior to the Reformation, the apostle declared that a gospel
which differs from that of Scripture is a damning system (Gal. 1:8-9).
2. Rome’s teaching on the papacy differs from biblical Christianity.
Rome asserts that the pope (derived from a Latin word for “father”) is a position of succession from the apostle Peter.
The title refers to the Bishop of Rome exclusively as the universal bishop. Other titles for the pope include “Vicar of
Christ,” “Pontiff,” “Holy Father,” and “His Holiness.” He is considered the head of the Church, who possesses power to
pull from the treasury of merit to grant indulgences. When he speaks ex cathedra, he is considered to speak infallibly.
For a time, there were three simultaneous popes and the papal seat was in Avignon, France.
The papacy was mostly architected by Leo I, while Gregory I most likely was the first individual to take the title, “pope.”
Rome teaches:
The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor, is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of
the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful. For the Roman Pontiff, by reason
of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power
over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered (CCC #882).
Cardinal Gibbons wrote, “To be true followers of Christ all Christians…must be in communion with the See of Rome,
where Peter rules in the person of his succession” (The Faith of our Fathers, 104).
In the 1894 encyclical, The Reunion of Christendom, Pope Leo XIII said that the pope holds “upon this earth the place of
God Almighty.”
Such statements are in grave contradiction with the Bible. Rome has effectively exalted her pope—a sinful man—to the
position of Lord of the church. But there is one Lord (Eph. 4:5). And no pope has died for the church, risen for the church,
and possesses sovereignty over the church. The only individual who possesses “full, supreme, and universal power over
the whole Church,” holds a “power which he can always exercise unhindered,” with whom one “must be in communion”
to be a Christian, and who has ever held “upon this earth the place of God Almighty” is the God-man, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Christ alone has universal power over the church (Matt. 16:18, Eph. 1:22-23). Christ alone holds a power which is
exercised unhindered (Matt. 28:18). Christ alone is the one with whom one must be in communion for salvation (John
15:4-5, 7; Rom. 8:1; 1 Cor. 15:22; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 1:4; Phil. 2:9). Nowhere does Scripture teach that an individual as
the pope serves as “Holy Father” (cf. Matt. 23:9), much less that one must be united to him for salvation. Scripture
affirms Christ alone is head of the true Church (Eph. 1:22-23). That’s why he is called, “Lord” (Phil. 2:9-11).
Understandably, this was the primary issue for many of the Reformers.
Consequently, Rome’s teaching on justification itself renders it something other than Christianity.
3. Rome’s teaching on Mary differs from biblical Christianity.
Rome’s mariology speaks for itself. Mary is venerated with titles such as, “Queen of the Universe,” “My Sovereign,” “The
Hope of Christians,” and “More Merciful than Jesus.” She receives greater veneration than all the other saints and
angels.
The Immaculate Conception is the Catholic doctrine which teaches that Mary was conceived without a sin nature. Thus
she was not a recipient of Jesus’ redemption, but instead was, and is, a participant in it (“co-redemptrix”).
Pope Leo XIII said in an encyclical on September 22, 1891, “As no man goeth to the Father by but by the Son, so no
man goeth to Christ but by His Mother.”
In another encyclical from September 8, 1892, Leo said, “It is a great thing in any saint to have grace sufficient for
salvation of many souls; but to have enough to suffice for the salvation of everybody in the world is the greatest of all;
and this is found in Christ and the Blessed Virgin.”
In other words, Mary herself possesses the righteousness to save every soul. Thus, she holds a status equivalent to that
of Christ.
John Paul II said in an encyclical, Veritas Splendor, “Mary is the Mother of Mercy because it is to her that Jesus entrusts
his Church and all humanity.”
Alphonsus Ligouri, a saint and doctor of Rome, wrote one of the most popular mariolatry devotionals in Roman
Catholicism, called, “The Glories of Mary.” Even a brief reading of this work sends chills up one’s spine at the biblical
desecration. Here is a sampling of Rome’s mariology:
And when I shall find myself in the last agony of death, oh Mary!…May it be to thy eternal glory that thou
hast saved from hell a miserable wretch, and brought him to thy kingdom, where I hope to console myself
by being always at thy feet to thank, bless, and love thee throughout eternity (114).
With reason does the ancient writer call her ‘the only hope of sinners,’ for by her help alone can we hope
for the remission of sins (83).
What poor sinners we should be if we had not this advocate [Mary], so powerful and so merciful, and at the same time so prudent and so wise, that the judge, her Son, cannot condemn the guilty, if she defendsthem (220).
It goes without saying that these statements are the height of blasphemy. For Rome, Mary holds the functional place of
God the Father (humanity is entrusted to her), God the Son (she is the hope of sinners and mediating peacemaker for
God and man), and God the Spirit (she grants perseverance). In fact, Mary holds a place higher than God (“All obey…
Mary—even God himself”).
But Scripture does not speak even remotely of Mary in this way. Mary
understood herself to be a sinner in need of mercy and justification, just like all
humanity (Luke 1:46-47, 50, 54). In reality, Mary, like the rest of us, is included in
the “all” who have “fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), born with a
deceitful heart (Jer. 17:9), inherently incapable and unwilling of pleasing God
(Rom. 8:7-8), and utterly unrighteous (Rom. 3:10-12), apart from the saving
work of God. Finally, Mary can in no way accomplish “remission of sins,” serve
as “peacemaker between God and man,” or participate in redemption. “For there
is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).
If there were ever a moment where Jesus would have affirmed her as high as
Rome, it would have been here:
While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore Youand the breasts at which You nursed.” But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke
11:27-28).Instead, Jesus considers the individual of a higher blessedness than Mary should they simply obey Scripture.
Finally, it should be noted that there exists remarkable and uncoincidental parallelism between Rome and Ancient
Babylonian Paganism, particularly concerning the veneration of Mary, and the worship of Venus and the wife of Nimrod.
Nov 2, 2017 18:20:25 #
padremike
Loc: Phenix City, Al
Dummy Boy wrote:
It’s that time of year again when we remember the ... (show quote)
I won't bother to read your hate mail we've all seen it before.
In his later life Luther realized he'd unleashed the gates of hell. He remarked that now every milkmaid thinks they can interpret Holy Scripture. 25,000 different Protestant Christian Denominations, sects, sub-sects, etc., later, all claiming "their interpretation" of scripture is the correct interpretation, are the fruits of the Reformation.
I'm up for this debate if you are and, again for the umpteenth time, I remind you I am not a Roman Catholic. For some reason this fact has never seemed to penetrate thru your disgusting hatred.
Nov 3, 2017 10:00:35 #
padremike wrote:
I won't bother to read your hate mail we've all se... (show quote)
...but you bothered to stop by...to declare you won't read it. It wasn't even directed to you, wow, you really think you're the center of my universe, what an arrogant jack off.
Nov 3, 2017 13:05:09 #
padremike
Loc: Phenix City, Al
Dummy Boy wrote:
...but you bothered to stop by...to declare you won't read it. It wasn't even directed to you, wow, you really think you're the center of my universe, what an arrogant jack off.
And what an ambassador of the love of Christ you are not! You are the Jewish priest and the Levite who passed the wounded man that the hated Samaritan cared for. I make no claim to be the center of your universe but I am trying to stir your God given conscience against the hatred you feel and project towards other Christians. Part of the prayer we pray for Christian unity is as follows: "Receive us all into your Kingdom, and grant us your peace and your love, that with one mouth and one heart we may glorify and praise your all honorable, Holy and Majestic Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen."
And you return hatred for love. Stop it!
Nov 3, 2017 15:06:38 #
padremike wrote:
And what an ambassador of the love of Christ you a... (show quote)
Hahahahahahahaha......hahaha...I wasn't addressing you at all, you're not even mentioned, in fact: no one in particular was mentioned.
You're so prideful, and full of self love, why do you need my approval to believe in Christ, why is it that you've never matured enough to see how prideful you speak. Why would I care about offending you, you don't care about offending me.
I am not spreading hate by talking about what a reformation Christian looks like.
And you took upon yourself to assume it was message to you and now you're trying to turn around on me that I'm being hateful to Catholics.
You have spent an inordinate time trying to convince me how terrible and mean spirited I am, and yet it is you, you state that which:
"People hasten to judge in order not to be judged themselves"
-Albert Camus
Your a pathetic excuse for a human being, beliefs aside.
Nov 3, 2017 22:51:21 #
padremike
Loc: Phenix City, Al
Dummy Boy wrote:
Hahahahahahahaha......hahaha...I wasn't addressing... (show quote)
Albert Camus, the French philosopher, is a philosophical mentor you choose? Interesting. Perhaps you pick, choose and interpret portions of his selected quotes that suit your purpose just like you have scripture?
I should apologize to you because I actually thought I was conversing with a rational and sane, albeit a misguided Christian. I was wrong. The way you attack Catholic Christians is more closely associated with those who have been condition by radical Islam believers than Christianity and you need to stop. You are hurting yourself more than you will ever hurt their faith and their Church. If where you attend church presently you are being taught this hatred then go someplace else to worship. Just a suggestion but a valid one.
Nov 4, 2017 03:44:42 #
padremike wrote:
Albert Camus, the French philosopher, is a philoso... (show quote)
How exactly have I attacked Catholics by asking about their beliefs.
What do you want to tell me about your faith. I have asked you questions in the past and you have decided that I am too stupid to understand the answers, or you dismissively say that "you won't bother to read it, it's too complicated."
Why does a loving God, want to create so much mystery? Why have believers or the true intellects of the church created so many lies, and yet all of the answers are right in scripture. If it requires a life time of study to believe and what is the point of faith? You've got it all figured out, explain it.
You sure struggle with definitions. Presenting how Catholic beliefs differ from Protestant beliefs is not an attack.
You did say you didn't bother to read it though, I guess questions aren't strong suit, just being childish.
What does questioning someone about their beliefs have to do with irrationality?
Only a petty, prideful jerk, considers simple questions about someone's faith hatred. I ask the same questions of Muslims, is that hate.... irrational?
You aren't hurting my faith or my feelings, you injected yourself into an argument of your own making. I didn't direct any of the comments to you, but you continue to stoke your own hatred by continuing to respond.
Subtract your faith, and you're still a pathetic little worm. I'm sure that you've been told that before.
Nov 5, 2017 15:19:52 #
susanblange
Loc: USA
The Vatican is modern day Babylon. Isaiah 14:4-5. "That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the scepter of the rulers". Isaiah 47:1. "Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans..." Rome is a city on seven hills. Revelation 17:9. "And here is the mind which hath wisdom, The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth". Jeremiah 51:26. "And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate forever, saith the Lord". Christian theology will be utterly rejected by the true Messiah.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.