I read with much interest your “tag- of- war” (using scripture of course) with those who wholeheartedly defend the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Based on Scripture we all know and can very well see how “off” they could be. But I would like to give them credit for their insistence and resolve. I was once too a die-hard defender of the so-called “Catholic faith” until I started reading the Bible and studying it with an open mind. My eyes were then opened.

Certainly there should be only one “Christian Faith” –one focused on Christ alone. Jesus said we should “worship the Lord your God and serve Him only”(Matthew 4:10). So we must worship ( by bowing, kneeling, praying , obeying–these being ways by which a person worships) only God in “Spirit and in Truth” (John 4:23). And we pray by invoking the name of Jesus (John 16:23-24) and no one else. To pray to “saints” and to ask them to bring our “petitions” to God is not only a disobedience but equally pointless because the dead can not hear us. Only God can because He is Omnipresent. John was clear about this in 1 John 5:14-15. To bestow this virtue to any one else who He is merely a creation is tantamount to elevating that person to a level of diety. That is of course IDOLATRY.

It is naturally difficult to bring light (as you were trying your best to accomplish) to those who choose to be blind as the Pharisees were in John chapter 9. Their religion blinded them so it was futile to make them recognize the Son of God in Jesus. An example is to make an Iglesia ni Cristo member accept Jesus as God. He will cite selected verses and conclude his belief is correct. And he will get offended if you disagree.

I have read countless arguments back and forth and sadly the main point which is in Christ is often missed. It is a common pitfall to establish a belief first and then search for verses to defend it. The way to understand the Bible is to read it in its entirety and accept its message of Salvation. The Gospel of Christ is about His Kingdom and not about “churches”. Likewise it is important to pray for discernment. God through His grace will open the eyes of those who belong to Him.

I sincerely pray that someday there will be no more Catholics and Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, etc but just one church belonging to Jesus being its founder, with Him as Head and the believers, His body, as members.

God bless

vic

If you’ll examine the Bible, God is spirit, and the Spirit has no flesh and bones. Now, why are you using the images of the Saints when in fact you want to worship God. And the teaching of Christ is clear that to worship God, you need to worship him in Spirit and in Truth not by the use of the images.

Christ did not tell you to memorize that prayer. And He did not tell you to recite it in pagan way.

You said that statues are there to remember your savior not to worship it. However, your action contradicts what you’re saying. Besides, Christ’s teaching is clear that in worshiping God, you should worship Him in Spirit and in Truth not through images.

Christmas

So, you agreed that Christmas is based in pagan feast. But didn’t you know that Christ forbid his followers to take part of the pagan rituals and feast?

You claimed that Catholics are worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth. However, it was just a claim because what really Catholics do is worshiping God through the images of Saints.

Catholic are asking God for his blessings but they are serving the images of the Saints. Every time they received grace they thank the images of the Saints.

Here’s in the Philippines, when the homes of the Catholics got burned, the first thing they did was saving all the images of their Saints. But then in the end, they’re thanking the images of their saints because for them they were saved by those images. What a fool thinking.

Inspired Books?

Just like what I said, Catholics successfully collected the Holy Scriptures used by Christ and his apostles, including the writings of the Apostles. However, not all books collected by the Catholic and included them into the Bible are inspired in fact Catholics are using some books that contains doctrines not of God because those books clearly contradicted the teachings of God in the old testament and the teachings introduced by Christ in the new testaments.

You consider the Catholic church an authority on this but then it failed to follow the teachings of Christ. In fact, Catholic introduced doctrines that contradicts the truth recorded on the Holy Scriptures. Purgatory is one of these teachings.

Rock Foundation

Just like what I said, if Christ has said “… and upon you, the rock, I will build my church” then I will not be arguing with you because it is already clear that the church would be built on Peter. But that’s not the case and besides, Peter himself explained that it’s Christ who is the Rock Foundation and this is even attested by Apostle Paul. So who should I believed with, your conclusion or the explanation of the Apostles?

And another thing, it is not Peter alone who have given the keys to heaven. Check your bible about it.

Finale

Actually, I am not offended by your comment. I replied to your comment because I have answers to your argument.

Well, I am listening. In fact I replied your comment because I am reading your comment and I understand what you are talking about.

I am checking the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church and compared them to the teachings of Christ in the Bible and I found out that almost all doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church go against the teachings of Christ recorded in the Bible.

And you couldn’t blame me but blame the authorities of the Roman Catholic Church for teaching doctrines that contradict the teachings of Christ recorded in the Bible.

On my second comment, and who assures you that the canon of books that the Church collected is really inspired, assures you that they are inspired and you’re using it. Why not use the ‘Gospel of Thomas’ or any other book you may find at that time. Who has authority to choose the books? Can anyone just say that the book that he is reading is inspired? And who chose the books of the King James Bible? Are they linked to Christ. And why do they rejected the Deuterocanonical Books? The Lord founded His Church and He preserves it from error thru the Authority He has given Peter to bind or to loose. If your point is to be considered, anyone may choose any book that he ‘feels’ inspired and that is against “that all may be one.” I hope that you don’t call me “vain in reasoning, having a senseless and darkened mind” without looking at what you’re saying first. What authority assures you that you’re interpretations of the Bible is true and not erroneous?

On my third comment, still, I don’t think so. Matthew would have mentioned anything of what Jesus is standing on and anything that He may have been holding if that’s the very case. And He may have not began what He was saying with “You are Peter” but ommiting this and only beginning His sentence with “Peter, upon this rock…” like in the other parts of the Gospels. Another is He would have said only Peter’s name when He was giving him the keys namely, the sentence should be: “Upon this rock I will build my church. And you are Peter and I will give you the keys…”

Last, I just thought you are Catholic who is just looking for answers because of your post. Forgive me if I offended you with my comments. This is eating-up yours and my time and even I have answers to you, I think you will not listen and we’re going round the bush. You will easily find other resources to enlighten you before you judge the Catholic Church. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for spending time in answering to my posts. I cannot blame you because in the Philippines the Catholic Faith had been very mixed with superstions called ‘pamahiin’ or dwarves or lucky charms called ‘anting-antings’ which eclipsed the true teachings of the Church. Very many Catholics in the country is ignorant of their spiritual practices.

If we say Pagan festival then these are festivals that are not only celebrated by pagan but are also against the doctrines of Christ.

If Christ taught the true Christian to worship God in Spirit and in truth and forbid us to worship images, then adapting pagans way of worshiping clearly contradicts the doctrine of Christ.

Read Romans 1:19-22

Romans 1:19-21