Sunday, November 14, 2010

November 12 show - Debating Catholicism

Debating Roman Catholic doctrines using the 'church fathers,' ecumenical councils, and various creeds is a mental exercise between puffed up know-it-alls on both sides of the issues. There are never any winners since both sides in the cock fight claim victory. I played a clip on today's show of a Protestant and a Catholic apologist arguing over sola-scriptura. In the beginning of that Youtube video, the Catholic boasted that he won the debate hands-down. He admitted that the highlights he gathered in the Youtube were the slam-dunks he was able to land and that, no doubt, his opponent would choose a different set of clips for his own highlights video. You could hear the cheers of the Catholic side of the battle of words at the end.

What many Protestants don't understand, if they have never been a Catholic, is that the every-day Catholic sitting in the pew simply never heard of the doctrines their own church teaches. Rome has dummied down the people. Catholics have turned over those 'higher things' for their hierarchy to handle; all they need to do is be faithful to attend mass and do the day-to-day requirements. Debates with Catholics don't seem to reach the real life of a Catholic which consists of mysterious rituals, spooky atmosphere of incense, candles, statues and the tabernacle, monstrance and host.  

A Catholic lives a life of fear, never knowing whether they will be good enough to enter into heaven. They were taught growing up that if you commit a 'mortal sin' you will go to hell unless you can get to a confessional first and do the prescribed penance. Then you're good to go until you commit another one - then you better hope you don't die before you can get back to that little box of absolution. (Venial sins just get you in Purgatory.)  If a Catholic - even the pope - claims to be saved with the assurance of heaven, according to their church, they are guilty of the 'sin of presumption.'

I would love to see Protestant scholars direct their efforts to rescue Catholics from their bondage instead of academic exercises of prowess that sheds more heat than light. One winner I point to in this radio program is Jack Chick, the cartoonist so many orthodox Christian scholars love to belittle. His little cartoon booklets don't beat around the bush or speak with $3.00 words. You can google the cartoon booklets I mentioned and see for yourself what a punch they pack.

The first one I mentioned is "The Death Cookie," that shows how the worship of the host as if it were God (eucharistic adoration) is idolatry. It is used by church authority to blackmail the 'faithful' because the church teaches that it is the method of receiving Jesus into your life by way of the belly and out the usual course. If you defy the church and can't get to the host, you have been cut off from Jesus himself. They hold Jesus hostage. 


The other cartoon I spoke of is "Why is Mary Crying?" It documents the Roman Catholic view of Mary as the Queen of Heaven and proves it to be a pagan practice. The true Mary is being slandered by such false claims about her and this little tract really gets to the nitty gritty. 


Chick tracts may not be 'politically correct' in some Christian circles because it doesn't mince words. But when it comes to setting the captives free, they bear a lot more fruit than so-called scholarly debate.

11 comments:

  1. This is in general correct. However, not all Catholics are biblically ignorant. You may say, then, why don't they leave the church if they are not biblically ignorant? I think it is in part that they see Protestant churches in their communities, or Protestant publications, which are WORSE than what they get in the Catholic church, so why leave their primary social venue, where they are happy singing in choirs, doing charity, educating children (including good education on the Bible)? You have written about the excesses of Prosperity Preachers. And they are not the only Protestants who have abandoned the Bible by denying elements of the Nicene Creed (a good summary of basic tenets of the faith, which is upheld by Catholics and repeated often in church. I have been in all of these denominations, so I know from LONG experience what I speak of. It's hard to find a good parish/
    congregation/home group. Satan and lazy minds of the sheeple have made it hard.

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    1. Where are we instructed anywhere to rely on creeds? Yeshua and the Apostles and the Prophets pointed to the Written Word of God, not men.

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  3. As an ex Catholic who found a personal relationship with Jesus in my 30's, I appreciate these articles. It's very hard to convince a die hard Catholic that there is a way directly to Christ without earthly mediators but there are many seeking Catholics who have started to read the Word of God themselves and ask questions. We need to be thoughtful and considerate while boldly speaking the truth when we are given the chance to share that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

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  4. Jackie: Thank you for this post. I married into a Catholic family. I was an immature born-again Christian and thought everyone had the heartfelt love of Christ I did.

    You are absolutely right when you speak about the "fear" factor. I do think,though, you should address the Catholics who do not follow their faith as you have described. The Catholic "faithful" who are rigid, will not miss a weekly mass to partake the eucharist. The other does not attend mass but at funerals and weddings or special masses will attend and will genuflect, partake of the eucharist, etc.

    Personally, I think that, not unlike much of our society, these practices are just that, an automatic and mindless act passed on through generations.

    I love my Catholic family but they don't have a deep devotion to Jesus that is persued daily. My husband "chooses" to be mindless. I see it everyday. So, which is worse? Mindlessness or rigidity? It is all spritual deception. I pray for thier eyes and ears to be opened to the truth.

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  5. I was raised in a devout Catholic family and was well-versed in the Baltimore Catechism. I came to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ as a young college student over 35 years ago,I studied and read the Bible with great zeal, and was so excited in my new-found faith, that I thought I would love Catholicism even more.

    What opened my eyes to the errors of the Roman Catholic church was the abosolutely unbiblical basis for the mass - offering the sacrifice of Christ "anew" daily. I tried desparately to find how the mass lined up with the Word of God so that I could remain in the Roman Catholic Church, which I dearly loved and was so important to my family.

    As I read the Bible and came to know the truth of God's Word, then tried to understand the mass from a Biblical perspective, I found error after error in the saying of the mass itself, until 6 months later I knew I could not remain in the Catholic Church and serve the Lord in obedience when the very words of the mass itself were unscriptural.

    It has been very difficult for me to understand how anyone can profess the Living Christ and His free gift of eternal life, and know the Scriptures, and yet remain in the
    bondage of Roman Catholicism.

    I have been married to a pastor for over 35 years ( to the dismay of much of my extended Catholic family)and we are amazaed at the number of Protestants who consider Catholics to be those who simply love and worship the same Christ in a different manner, amd so the need to witness to these Catholics is not understood.

    I praise God for the Reformation - I was lost and now am found because someone cared enough to show me the free gift of God in Christ Jesus. Your article, Jackie, illustrates my experience/beiefs as a Catholic perfectly.

    We thank the Lord for those in my extended family who now know the saving grace of Christ, but are grieved for those family memebers who do not, and we have such a burden for those caught in the web of Romanism.

    Many thanks for your articles and testimony as a former Catholic, Jackie!

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  6. Hi J. Alnor, what a good expression and defensive are you talking about here. I don't know if you have spent many times on Catholicism for capturing the "fullness of the truth."
    The bible is not the only source we, as Catholics, form our liturgy, rather we follow what has been done from our first Christians, even before the bible was existed from their work.
    I don't know if you think they way we venerate (not worship) Mary is a paganism practice! It sounds to me that you are doing a comparison of Mary with goddesses? Why don't you seek the answer of; is it really true that the Catholic (Jesus' Church) adapt pagan rituals? You know what, "comparison" sometimes can blind our discernment of the truth. I recommend you to read a lot not from what you see but with the truth (John 7:24). A blind man cannot lead another blind man, there must be one who his eyes are well functioned for the truth which Jesus has been left for you and me.

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    1. Queen of Heaven is a pagan title, with attached pagan mysticism. Queen of Heaven was reserved for goddesses like Hera, Zeus' wife. Mary is NOT the Queen of Heaven OR the Mother of God! God has no partners, parents, or beginning. Mary was akin to a surrogate mother, being made pregnant with the Holy Spirit's power. Mary was Jesus' mode for him to be born like a human. She was ONLY the mother of Jesus' human form. And that form has not and will not be taken by him again! Just like everyone else, Mary had to accept Jesus as savior or she would have gone to hell. She was blessed among women because she was allowed to carry Jesus in her womb, but she has NO special place in heaven or, especially, Christianity. She has NO powers or authority to do ANYTHING for anyone! Only God does!

      Christianity is all about the Godhead ONLY. Anyone, dead or alive, who chooses to serve God are called saints and/or Christians. Jesus is the ONLY Advocate and Mediator and the Holy Spirit is the ONLY interpreter of prayers, Comforter, and guide. God is the ONLY one to be called Father, and is the Judge. NO human has ANY part in that. Therefore, when we pray, the Holy Spirit interprets our prayers according to God's will, Jesus mediates on our behalf, God answers the prayer, and the Holy Spirit gives us the answer. Priests or any other human that says otherwise are lying! By the way, the Apocrypha and any other similar source is NOT godly and IS humanistic.

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  7. In general, most, as in 99.9% or so, Catholics don't know diddly squat about Catholic doctrine. The really "good" Catholics only know some of the rules and regulations in the Catechism.

    Catholic doctrine was codified in the "The canons and decrees of the Council of Trent" (circa 1564).

    When announcing Vatican II, Pope John XXIII stated that the precepts of the Council of Trent continue to the modern day, a position that was reaffirmed by Pope Paul VI.

    Basically, its either the RCC way of sacraments and works or you are damned to hell.

    I attended Catholic schools from 7 - 12 grades. We didn't open a Bible once. The WORD is poison to Catholicism.

    BTW, my 7th & 8th grade music teacher was the real Brigitta Von Trapp (although her real name was Hedwig) so that "must" make me an expert.

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  8. Here's a great study by an old friend
    (Keith Green)on Catholicism ...
    http://www.scribd.com/doc/14110117/The-Catholic-Chronicles-by-Keith-Green

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  9. No doubt we have the ability to tell people they are wrong as a Catholic but I am not going to bash Catholics here. I think St. Mathew 7:3 states it best here. These man made denominations are all in some part works of the devil. The bride of Christ was never intended to be divided on doctern and beliefs. The Fathers heart is for us to over come and be in one accord under the blood of the Messiah. I Look forward to Romans 14:11 and Revelations 20:2. Peac be on you all!

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