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