Catholicism's False Doctrines

2/3/12 11:56 AM

Catholicism's False Doctrines

This article will discuss doctrines of the Catholic Church that are not biblically based and often contradict Scripture. It is not intended to insult Catholics or in any way say that Catholics will not be saved. It is the papacy itself that is in error. God will lead his true children to the truth of His Word.

Idol Worship

Beginning around the 4th and 5th centuries, images and statues were created to show the conflicts of martyrs and sacred history to those people who could not read. These simple people, who fully respected the saints and/or martyrs portrayed in the statues and images, began to show veneration and respect to the images themselves. In the beginning, Christians were hesitant to introduce the veneration of images because of the pagans, who they had only recently converted, might have had cause to begin idolatry once more. Early on, the Catholic Church ordered that images of Jesus, Mary, and saints be placed in temples and churches. Furthermore, they ordered that these images be given honor. Here's a quote from one of the early popes: Creed of Pope Pius IV. "I most firmly assert, that the images of Christ, of the Mother of God, ever virgin, and also of the other saints, ought to be had and retained, and that due honor and veneration are to be given them." No one today can deny that the Catholic church authorizes and even blesses the veneration of images, even going so far as saying that images do miracles. Another problem is that when most people of the world see some seemingly supernatural event, they immediately consider it of God. But consider the purposes of God. What reason would He have for making a statue bleed or cry? Especially since He asserts that the worship of images is forbidden, He would have no wish to delude people into the veneration of images. More likely, these 'heaven-sent' events are either perpetrated by charlatans or Satan's angels. I won't go into much more depth, but the point is that the Bible is totally
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against image worship and there is no excuse for it. It is a pagan tradition that Catholicism has embraced as doctrine. Just read God's words in Exodus 20: 4, 5 to discover the truth for yourself. Is it any wonder that to cover up their guilt for ignoring God's Word, the Catholic Church totally disregards the second commandment and removes it from their catechisms and bibles? Exodus 20: 4, 5--"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of thsoe who love me and keep my commandments.

Priestly Intercession and Indulgences

The Catholic Church has always preached the need for confessions to a priest for absolution of sins. They even say that it's bad to go to God directly for forgiveness! Read this quote from Pope John Paul II's writings: It is good to renew and reaffirm this faith at a moment when it might be weakening, losing something of its completeness or entering into an area of shadow and silence, threatened as it is by the negative elements of the above-mentioned crisis. For the sacrament of confession is indeed being undermined, on the one hand by the obscuring of the mortal and religious conscience, the lessening of a sense of sin, the distortion of the concept of repentance and the lack of effort to live an authentically Christian life. And on the other hand, it is being undermined by the sometimes widespread idea that one can obtain forgiveness directly from God, even in a habitual way, without approaching the sacrament of reconciliation. A further negative influence is the routine of a sacramental practice sometimes lacking in fervor and real spontaneity, deriving perhaps from a mistaken and distorted idea of the effects of the sacrament. Apostolic Exhortation So, here, the pope is saying that you can only get forgiveness through priests! And this is not a new teaching. The Church has always had a long tradition of teaching that priestly confessions are necessary for salvation. This is totally unbiblical. Let's see what God's Word has to say on the matter. 1 Tim 2:5-- For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man
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Christ Jesus; 1 John 1:7-- But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:8-- If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:9-- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:10-- If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 2:1-- My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

The Catholic Church also teaches that remission of sin can be had by purchasing indulgences or paying penance. Catholics are taught to believe that they will go to Purgatory if they don't buy indulgences or constantly do good works to try and take at least part of their punishment away. If you do happen to die with sins hanging over your head, then you will go to Purgatory and you will have to rely on your relatives and friends to buy your way to heaven. So, in a sense, the Church teaches that you can "work" your way to heaven. Does the Bible teach this? Are we supposed to work off our punishments that we are supposedly due or burn in purgatory to make it to heaven? To find out, let's look at what the Bible says again: 1 John 2:12-- I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. Col 1:14-- In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Rom 5:1-- Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Eph 1:7-- In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Acts 26: 18; Romans 3: 22-28; Galatians 2: 16; 1 Peter 1: 18, 19; 1 John 1: 9, 10; 2: 1, 2 Get the picture? There is ample evidence from God's Word that we must only have faith in Jesus, ask Him for forgiveness and He will take our sins from us. By dying for our sins, Jesus paid the price of our lives in full. We just have to accept that His blood can cover our sins. Pray to Jesus, not some earthly priest who has sins of his own. Jesus will forgive you.

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Mary

One of the most popular types of idolatry practiced by Catholics, as well as people of other faiths, is the worship of Mary. The teaching is from Catholic sources that Mary, as the mother of Christ, is due the same worship as that of her Son. They believe that since she was chosen to bear Jesus, she must be immaculate (without sin) and incorruptible (will never sin). They say that she is the only mediator between us and God and should be prayed to, worshipped, and pretty much treated equal to or above Jesus. Let's look at some of the writings of the Church: Catechism of the Catholic Church 969 ... "Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation ... Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix."

Pope John Paul II "The Pope, at the beginning of his episcopal service in St. Peter's Chair in Rome, wishes to entrust the Church particularly to her in whom there was accomplished the stupendous and complete victory of good over evil, of love over hatred, of grace over sin; to her of whom Paul VI said that she is ' the beginning of the better world;' to the Blessed Virgin. He entrusts to her himself, as the servant of servants, and all those whom he serves, all those who serve with him. He entrusts to her the Roman Church, as token and principle of all the churches in the world, in their universal unity. He entrusts it to her and offers it to her as her property." -- Insegnamenti Giovanni Paolo II (1978)

Questions and Answers about Mary 6. How is Mary our intercessor? Mary is our intercessor because in heaven she continues to intercede with her Son, Jesus, for us in the world. She is our intercessor because of the following reasons: (1) As worthy Mother of God
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and full of grace, she occupies a middle position between God and his creatures. (2) Together with Christ and under him, she cooperated in the reconciliation of God and mankind while she was still on earth. (3) Now from heaven she distributes the graces that God bestows on his children. Of course, this intercession is always secondary and subject to Christ's primary and self-sufficient intercessory role. All favors granted by God to his rational creatures are granted in virtue of and because of Mary's intercession. It is not necessary that we explicitly implore her intercessions in our prayers. But whether we mention her or not, it is through her that we receive whatever we receive.

This is only a small sample of the writings of the Catholic Church concerning Mary, but it is quite typical of their publications. They make it sound so nice and easy. But there's a problem. There are absolutely NO words or texts in the Holy Scriptures that support the worship or veneration of Mary. It doesn't really say all that much about her at all. The Catholic Church just starts saying that Mary is our mediator in heaven and you can't have salvation without her; without biblical evidence. Below is a diagram showing the difference between the Catholic teachings and what the Bible teaches.

See the difference? The following is what the Bible really teaches: 1 Tim 2:5-- For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 1 Tim 2:6-- Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. John 14:6-- Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

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Acts 4:10-- Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. Acts 4:11-- This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Acts 4:12-- Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. The Holy Word teaches us that only through Jesus Christ can we be saved. By dying on the cross, He redeemed us. Mary did nothing to help that. It is Antichrist to teach that Mary is Christ, and this is exactly what the Catholic Church is teaching. Mary is dead, just like any other human being. Prayers to Mary will get you nowhere. Pray to God alone and He will hear your prayers.

Baptism

Another teaching of the Catholic Church is that baptism be done by sprinkling. This, also, goes against the clear Word of God. If you look at Matthew 3, Mark 1, and John 3, you will see that John the Baptist did all of his baptizing in the River Jordan. Why would he do this if it was just a sprinkling? Let's look at the original Greek that the word 'baptism' is translated from: G907. baptizo, bap-tid'-zo; from a der. of G911; to make whelmed (i.e. fully wet); used only (in the N.T.) of ceremonial ablution, espec. (techn.) of the ordinance of Chr. baptism:--baptist, baptize, wash. So, in the days of the New Testament, baptism was done by full immersion. That's why John the Baptist used a river for his baptisms. So why do we get baptized by immersion at all? What's the reason for it? Rom 6:3-- Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Rom 6:4-- Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Col 2:12-- Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. Baptism symbolizes our burial with Christ, which is the reason for full immersion, and coming up out of the water is symbolic of being raised from the
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dead to eternal life. This symbolism would not be conveyed as effectively by sprinkling. Also, the church baptizes babies, which is not scriptural at all. Some people try to prove it by citing examples from the Bible saying, 'and his whole household was baptized.' Nothing can be proved from this. Who says any infants were actually in the household? Again, we must go to the Word to discover the truth. Mark 16:16-- He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. From this we can see that if you believe, you're saved, if you don't, you're not. It's that simple. However, babies don't have the capacity to make that decision. It is folly to believe that just baptizing your infant will save him/her from hell (eternal death).

The Commandments

I won't go into much depth here, because I've already written an article about the true Sabbath. To read it go HERE I will only show a list of the true commandments from the Holy Scriptures versus the commandments as taught by the Catholic Church. I have shortened all but the 4th commandment to conserve space. To read the full commandments, go to Exodus 20: 3-17.

Real Commandments

vs.

Catholic Commandments

1. You shall have no other gods before me. 2. You shall not make for yourself a graven image. 3. You shall not take the name of
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1. You shall have no other gods before me. 2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. 3. Remember the Sabbath day, to
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the Lord your God in vain.

to keep it holy.

4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it 4. Honor your father and mother. holy. Six days you shall labor and do all thy work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them , but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 5. Honor your father and mother. 6. You shall not murder. 7. You shall not commit adultery. 8. You shall not steal. 9. You shall not lie. 10. You shall not covet 5. You shall not murder. 6. You shall not commit adultery. 7. You shall not steal. 8. You shall not lie 9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife 10. You shall not covet your neighbor's possessions.

Notice any differences? First off, you will notice that the Catholic Church has decided to get rid of the second commandment altogether. You will remember that it concerns idol worship (discussed at top of article). This frees up the Church to be able to honor and venerate images and statues without having to explain to their members why they're going against the second commandment. The second problem here is the fourth commandment, or the third if you're looking at the Catholic list. It concerns the Sabbath day. Click to go to the Sabbath Article The main problem is that the Church has taken the 98-word commandment and shortened it to only 8 or 9, depending on what version you read. This, then, frees the Church to substitue their false sabbath (Sunday) for the real Sabbath (Saturday). The commandment actually says 'the seventh day.' This obviously means Saturday. By taking out that distinction from the commandment, the Church is able to confuse its members into believing that Sunday is the real sabbath. The last error concerns the tenth commandment (9th and 10th in Catholic version). The Catholic Church broke up the 10th commandment into two so they wouldn't end up with nine after getting rid of the 2nd commandment. Smart, huh?
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What happens at Death?

The belief that, at death, you immediately go to heaven (or hell), is the great misconception about death. However, this belief is not restricted to the Catholic Church. Most of Christianity teaches this, albeit not as openly as some television evangelists such as Benny Hinn or LeSEA ministries. Let's look at what the Bible says about death. Gen 3:4-- And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: This was the first lie told by Satan to cause the downfall of the human race. It was that Eve would never die if she ate the forbidden fruit. But what did God tell Adam and Eve? Gen 2:17-- But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. So God said that they would die if they ate the fruit. That only means their bodies, right? Let's look some more. Ezek 18:4-- Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezek 18:20-- The soul that sinneth, it shall die. So, the soul that sins will die, as well as the body. Also read the following: Eccl 9:5-- For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Eccl 9:6-- Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. The dead know nothing! How could the dead be alive if they know nothing? For more information about death and hell click HERE. Read God's Word and trust what it says; not your priest or church.

Well, I hope that this article has helped to teach you the truth about the
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Catholic Church's doctrines. Remember, however, that God has chosen people in all faiths and churches, including the Catholic Church. Follow what God tells us in Revelation 18: 4, 5. 'Come out of her, my people.' If you find yourself in Babylon, the fallen churches, then read God's Word, pray, and He will guide you to the true church. Also, read God's End-Time Church

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