| Unknown to the world at large is the fact | | | | judgment for every man will in the end be his |
| that millions of bible taught Christians care | | | | word and his word alone. (John 12:48) |
| little about ecumenical dialogue with | | | | |
| Catholicism. Because they believe in the | | | | The Catholic hierarchy not only agreed to put |
| promised "apostasy" of the church in the last | | | | the statements of the Pope on the same level |
| generation of time they will do anything to | | | | as the words of Christ but they managed to |
| stay clear of all the best efforts of | | | | keep God's word even from the clergy |
| ecumenicists to pull them into ecumenicism, | | | | themselves. The few bibles that were |
| syncretism, liberalism or anything else the | | | | available were chained down in the Catholic |
| papacy has to offer. | | | | Cathedrals and could not be removed for study |
| | | | until the seventeenth century. |
| In the present climate of political | | | | |
| correctness the responses from protestant | | | | Although the Bible is no longer chained |
| ministers and others seems cautious, | | | | Catholics have been well conditioned not to |
| apologetic and perhaps even a bit squeamish. | | | | seek it out for themselves right up to the |
| Even the Catholic clergy has prefaced many of | | | | present day. In a July 2007 Barna Report that |
| their assessments of the Popes statements | | | | surveyed 4000 Catholics it was discovered |
| with what seems like disclaimers. | | | | that they are 38% less likely to read their |
| | | | Bibles as Protestants. The report did not ask |
| Fox News published an explanation by Father | | | | the question of whether they would trust what |
| Jonathan Morris, July 11, 2007. Morris said | | | | they read but even a cursory examination of |
| he received a barrage of e-mails after the | | | | most Catholics would prove that belief in |
| Pope made his statement and felt compelled to | | | | biblical authority is almost non existent |
| address the concerns of the inquirers. Just | | | | among them. |
| in case Protestants may have thought the Pope | | | | |
| just condemned them all to hell, Morris said, | | | | When the Bible was translated and published |
| "...Pope Benedict does not believe, and has | | | | for "the common man" into English by reformer |
| never suggested, non-Catholics are all going | | | | Martin Tyndale, his reward was to be burned |
| to hell because they are not members of the | | | | at the stake by the Catholic Church. Martin |
| Catholic Church." | | | | Luther's life was threatened for drawing |
| | | | attention to the Bible but other reformers |
| Morris takes his concerns a step further and | | | | were not so lucky and the list of those who |
| says, "Speaking of salvation, from the sight | | | | were martyred by the papacy is a matter of |
| of things as I see it, it is quite possible | | | | historical record. |
| that many present day non-Catholic Christians | | | | |
| who are fervent believers in, and | | | | The sale of indulgences by the Catholic |
| practitioners of, the teachings of Jesus will | | | | Church was only the beginning of the |
| get to heaven before the throngs of | | | | reformation. It was seen by Luther and others |
| wishy-washy, nominal Catholics who only show | | | | that this notion was not just unbiblical but |
| up to the church doors for infant baptism, | | | | was a form of mind control based on the fear |
| the taking of marriage vows, and their own | | | | of hell. No protestant preaching of "hell |
| funeral. Of course, I don't know who will be | | | | fire and brimstone" produced as much fear as |
| on the other side of the pearly gates, but I | | | | the Catholic idea of both limbo and |
| believe, with the Pope, that there is more to | | | | purgatory, both which are also not biblical. |
| the challenge of personal justification and | | | | As the reformation theologians progressed |
| salvation than calling oneself a Catholic - | | | | into the latter part of the sixteenth century |
| or a Christian, for that matter." | | | | they discovered that not much of what |
| | | | Catholics were being taught was even remotely |
| Following the Pope's remarks Dr. Gerald | | | | biblical. |
| Kieschnick president of The Lutheran Church | | | | |
| of the Missouri Synod said, that it was this | | | | Both then and now it is believed by many |
| kind of thinking in the Catholic papacy that | | | | Catholics that the additional teachings added |
| precipitated the very 16th century | | | | to scriptures by patristic additions, |
| reformation that produced reformers like | | | | ex-cathedra or papal encyclicals is |
| Luther and Calvin. Dr. Kieschnick said "At | | | | supplemental to the Bible and thus would only |
| that time, Martin Luther said 'Popes and | | | | be very helpful. A careful look at these |
| councils can err.' Kieschnick said that this | | | | teachings is enough to see that they do more |
| is still true today. | | | | to supplant the Bible truths than to |
| | | | supplement them. |
| Weighing in on the controversy R. Albert | | | | |
| Mohler Jr., the president of Southern Baptist | | | | In most cases the Catholic dogma is |
| Theological Seminary in Louisville Kentucky | | | | diametrically opposed to the scriptural |
| made repeated reference to the fact that he | | | | teaching as in Mariology, observances of |
| was not offended. In remarks made in an | | | | sacraments, repetitive prayers, offering |
| article to the Baptist Press July 13, 2007, | | | | repeated sacrifice in masses, the priesthood, |
| Mohler was not reticent to point out that | | | | celibacy, canonization of saints, prayers to |
| while he appreciated the Pope's concern he | | | | saints and the list goes on. The worst |
| was sure the Pope was "not right on the | | | | aberration of God's word is the dangerous and |
| papacy, not right on the sacraments, not | | | | conflicting teaching of penance. Penance not |
| right on the priesthood, not right on the | | | | only is unbiblical but it makes God appear as |
| Gospel, not right on the church." Like many | | | | a complete dunce who can be bought off by |
| other Protestant leaders Mohler seemed guided | | | | repeated confessions and mumbling of prayers |
| by maturity and Christian love in his | | | | instead of repenting. Good hearted Catholics |
| response but would make no concession for the | | | | know that this doesn't cover them but the |
| Pope's arrogance or error. | | | | numbers of those who never realize this is |
| | | | frightening to imagine. Those souls have |
| The Washington Post had little new to say | | | | surely been victimized by the very religion |
| about the release of the document but the New | | | | they thought was delivering them as they skip |
| York Sun said in an article by Daniel | | | | along sinning through life between visits to |
| Johnson, July 11, 2007, "Some critics see | | | | the confessional. |
| this new document as part of a | | | | |
| 'traditionalist' counterrevolution that | | | | Sadly it is not just the Bible that Catholics |
| includes the ending of restrictions on the | | | | have had kept from them but it is their own |
| use of the old Tridentine Mass, which they | | | | dark history that remains unspoken. As the |
| claim signals a reversion to old-style | | | | reformation progressed Catholic inquisitors |
| Catholic anti-Judaism." | | | | tortured and murdered tens of thousand of men |
| | | | and women for the slightest descent from |
| Responses from notable televangelist's like | | | | papal dogma. |
| Pat Robertson, John Hagee or Rod Parsley seem | | | | |
| all too conspicuously missing from the media. | | | | The uninspired and totally unbiblical |
| One lengthy but superb article on the subject | | | | foundation for the Crusades was born of the |
| of the Pope's document is found on The | | | | papacy but the blame is placed on all |
| Christian Worldview Network website. | | | | Christendom by the secular world. This is |
| Ministries Doctor and writer Dennis Wright | | | | something Protestants neither earned nor |
| offers a balanced, fair and informative | | | | deserve. |
| article entitled "What We've Got Here is a | | | | |
| Failure to Communicate!" posted on July 13, | | | | No Catholic catechism class or message from |
| 2007. Wright holds no punches and reminds | | | | Catholic pulpits ever contains reference to |
| Christians that it is the Pope's authority | | | | the hundreds of thousands of Protestants that |
| that was first questioned during the | | | | were brutally hunted down and murdered by |
| reformation and the same questions remain to | | | | papal armies. Albigensis, Waldensis and |
| this day. | | | | others were slaughtered until nearly a half |
| | | | million of them had been martyred. In one |
| Dr. Wright reminds believers of something | | | | night papal armies pulled 100,000 French |
| that is taught in most conservative or | | | | Huguenots out of their homes and killed them. |
| mainstream Pentecostal, Evangelical and | | | | |
| fundamentalist churches throughout America | | | | Catholic history is never taught correctly to |
| and other countries around the globe. He | | | | the laity which is reflected in the fact that |
| says, "Part of the problem stems from what | | | | the average Catholic has no idea when their |
| Jesus said to Simon Peter in Matthew 16: "And | | | | church began. It was not till the edict given |
| I tell you that you are Peter, and on this | | | | by Emperor Constantine to make Christianity |
| rock I will build my church, and the gates of | | | | the state religion that Catholicism began. |
| Hades will not overcome it. I will give you | | | | That edict was more than 300 years after |
| the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever | | | | Christ's resurrection. For over three hundred |
| you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, | | | | years the believers were meeting in homes and |
| and whatever you loose on earth will be | | | | buildings with only the scripture as their |
| loosed in heaven." | | | | guide exactly as Protestants do today. |
| | | | |
| Every Greek scholar understands that "Peter" | | | | It is impossible to escape the parallels |
| is the Greek word "petros" (which means "a | | | | between the ancient Judaic system of worship |
| little rock") and that Jesus used a different | | | | and modern Catholicism. God gave his laws and |
| word for the "rock" upon which he would build | | | | commands to Moses who handed them down to the |
| his church. This is "petra" (which means "a | | | | Israelites. The entirety of those laws is |
| massive strata of rock"). Distinguished Greek | | | | contained largely in only two books of the |
| scholar A.T. Roberston says: "On this rock | | | | first five books of the Bible. The Jewish |
| [epi tautei tei petrai] Jesus says a ledge or | | | | priesthood added oral traditions to those |
| cliff of rock like that in 7:24 on which the | | | | first laws that fill dozens of books. |
| wise man built his house. [Petros] is usually | | | | |
| a smaller detachment of the massive ledge." | | | | By the time Christ came to earth he had to |
| | | | spend a large portion of time rebuking, |
| Thus, Jesus is not saying that He will build | | | | refuting and rejecting the huge and lumbering |
| His church upon Peter, but upon Himself! | | | | weight of the uninspired and man made |
| Ephesians 2:20 says that the church is "built | | | | traditions of the priesthood. He wasn't as |
| on the foundation of the apostles and | | | | gentle with the priesthood as PC guided |
| prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the | | | | Protestants are with Pope Benedict XVI today. |
| chief cornerstone." It should also be pointed | | | | He called them a generation of snakes and a |
| out that Peter never claimed supremacy for | | | | bunch of hypocrites. Jesus would surely be |
| himself." | | | | censored by today's standards. It seems |
| | | | reasonable to assume that he would be just as |
| Not mentioned by Dr. Wright is the fact that | | | | upset by what we have added to the beauty and |
| Peter was never even the leader of the first | | | | simplicity of his gospel, not to mention the |
| church in Jerusalem but it was pastored by | | | | twists, perversions and foolish |
| James the half brother of Jesus. Thirty or | | | | interpretations that we have attached to it |
| more years after his ministry began Peter had | | | | in this day. |
| to be rebuked by the apostle Paul for his | | | | |
| refusal to keep company with Gentiles. Not | | | | Yet for all this it does not mean that |
| only is this not the record of a great leader | | | | Catholics are not saved or heaven bound. |
| but no where does the bible itself recognize | | | | Fortunately Christ has placed only one |
| a papacy, a first pope or the call for the | | | | prerequisite on us all for entrance into |
| succession of popes. This non biblical | | | | heaven. It is the same for Catholics or |
| doctrine has never disturbed Catholic | | | | Protestants. Jesus said "All that the Father |
| theologians because by putting the Pope on an | | | | giveth me shall come to me; and him that |
| equal par with Christ as his Vicar or | | | | cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." |
| "earthly representative" the Popes can | | | | (John 6:37) This speaks not to the |
| declare anything they want to and it becomes | | | | universality of Catholicism but to the |
| cannon, "the word of God." | | | | universality of Christ's salvation. It also |
| | | | reminds us of the oft quoted phrase "God |
| It is this pompous and flawed presumption | | | | saves us not because of our religion, but in |
| that produced dozens of other non-biblical | | | | spite of it." |
| doctrines and dogma. It is also what led to | | | | |
| the reformation. | | | | A far more important question than "which is |
| | | | the true church" is "which is the true |
| Men like Luther, Calvin, Tyndale, Zwingli and | | | | salvation." Peter was the first to say that |
| many others should never have been labeled | | | | it was not his own name that provides |
| "Protestants." They were not protesting they | | | | salvation but it is the name of Jesus only. |
| were calling for a return to the original | | | | To wit; "Neither is there salvation in any |
| message of the Bible and complete recognition | | | | other: for there is none other name under |
| of Christ's supreme authority in his spoken | | | | heaven given among men, whereby we must be |
| word. Christ and the apostles gave stern | | | | saved." (Acts 4:12) The name is not Baptist, |
| warning to anyone who would add to or pervert | | | | or Catholic or Evangelical or Pentecostal, |
| his words. In Fact Christ said the basis of | | | | the name is Jesus. |