Even though I am not one of those Christians who likes to live by the two edged sword by continually criticizing the faiths creeds and religions of other cultures, unfortunately that type of biased and bigoted attitude still goes on, and is no more rampant than on the websites of those that profess to be Born Again Christian believers? Like that fact or not that is the way things appear to be turning out at the moment.It almost seems like those that hold fast to this subjective stance are somehow or another acting under the mistaken belief that it is only going to be them that is going to be chosen by God to be saved and to inherit eternal life and that everyone else alive on the planet at the moment will go into eternal damnation. That statement could be not further from the truth.
There also could be some truth in the assumption that the fear and prejudices that surround certain groups that call themselves Christian (usually the Pentecostal movement) and that hold fast to this type of attitude maybe frightened that it is going to be the others, and not themselves, that are going to inherit eternal life, and that they will be somehow or another be left behind at the end of it all. At the end of the day this irrational type of fear is almost exclusively unfounded but could be one of the reasons these groups persistently attack others that they see as being a little bit different, even if that difference is only slight, than what they are.
Almost without exception those groups that hold onto this subjective position also believe that there is going to be some type of rapture, usually a pre tribulation rapture, that is going to suddenly and magically whisk them off the planet and up into heaven forever when the reality of the matter however is entirely different, as there will never ever be a rapture of the church, not now or not ever.
The unfortunate part of all of this is that those said same groups mentioned above have the audacity to call themselves Christian but yet show very little compassion or consideration when it comes to the feelings and circumstances of others that are of a different race, nationality or greed other than their own.
A prime example of this is the very frequent and repeated Catholic bashing by, shall I say, those that are non Catholic, and in that category the Born Again Christian believer seems to be the most amongst the most serial of the offenders.
For the sake of this exercise I have taken a chart from one of the sites mentioned above and then done a comparison check between both the Catholic and the non Catholic stance. The result that I have found is that even though there is a very marked difference between the two as far as system of beliefs was concerned. At the end of the day there is really very little difference as both believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was the Son of God who had come into this world to save mankind from our sins. Read the following and then decide for yourselves. Even if you decide in favour of one group or another it still needs to be remembered that even though one group may be more theoretically more correct than the other there is still no church anywhere on the planet that has reached a state of perfection within this earthly reign as there are simply no perfect people within any church group, neither the Catholic nor the Protestant, therefore there are no perfect churches.
THE STANCE OF THE BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN:
Calvary
There was only one sacrifice, at Calvary, and that was sufficient for all time.
‘…we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.’
‘…one sacrifice for sins forever…’
‘For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.’
‘…there is no more offering for sin.’ All these scriptures are from Hebrews Chapter 10
‘…who needeth not daily to offer up sacrifice…for this He did once…’ Heb 7:27
Salvation (being saved from hell)
You will definitely get to heaven if you trust in the Lord Jesus.
‘Verily, verily, I say unto you: he that believeth on me hath (already has) everlasting life.’ (This means you just have to believe; your salvation does not depend on any denomination). John 6:47
‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life…’ John 3:36
‘(Peter speaking) And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ Acts 2:21
Faith‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.’ Ephesians 2: 8 If you believe this scripture, the Roman Catholic Church would condemn you to hell for eternity.
Who can condemn you to hell?
‘I…have the keys of hell and of death.’ Rev 1:18. See also Rev 19:11 and 20:11-15. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can condemn someone to hell. Only He has the keys of hell and of death. He is the righteous judge, not any man, not any religious institution.
Who gets to heaven?
‘He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.’ John 6:47
‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16
‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.’ (Paul speaking to the prison keeper) Acts 16:31
‘For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.’ Galatians 3:26
Whoever has saving faith in Christ will be with Him in heaven, regardless of denominational membership.
How do you become a Christian?
The Lord Jesus tells us in the gospel of John Chap 3 verse 3 that we have to be ‘born again’ – born spiritually. Our spirit inside us has to be born, like our physical body was born. This happens when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, trusting in His blood sacrifice to atone (pay the penalty) for all our sins. Until this spiritual rebirth happens, the Bible tells us we are ‘dead in trespasses and sins.’ (Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 2:13). Once this spiritual birth takes place, we are ‘sealed’ with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13 and 4:30).The Holy Spirit takes up residence in our spirit and will never leave us. His presence in us is a guarantee of our full salvation. You can go to church every day of your life and still not be born again. Pray, confessing your sins, and ask the Lord to help you believe and to be born anew of His Holy Spirit. He will definitely answer your prayer!
Communion
The communion service is symbolic, and the purpose is to help us remember Jesus’ great sacrifice for us.
‘And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.’ Luke 22:19
‘…Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.’ 1 Corinthians 11:24
‘…as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.’ 1 Corinthians 11:25
The Lord’s Supper (the bread and wine) is simply to help us remember that He shed His blood for us and died for our sins. There is no magic change in the bread or the wine. The bread is still bread and the wine is still wine.
No special person called a ‘priest’ is needed to say anything over the bread and wine.
PriestsAll believers are members of ‘a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people …which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God…’ 1 Peter 2:9,10.
The Lord Jesus is our high priest who has gone before us into the heavenlies.
When believers are together they can at any time break bread and share wine together in remembrance of our Lord’s great sacrifice for us.
Prayer:‘But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.’ Matthew 6:7
Our Mediator (the one who goes between us and God):‘For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…’ 1 Timothy 2:5
Mary:
‘All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
‘(Mary speaking) And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.’ Luke 1:47
Mary too needed a Savior. She too needed forgiveness for sin.
The ‘Queen of Heaven’ is a pagan goddess. God was ashamed of the Israelites for worshipping this demonic being. See Jeremiah 7:18-20
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…1 Timothy 2:5
‘On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.’ Luke 11:28 the Lord Jesus replying to a woman in the crowd.
‘My mother and My brethren are these who hear the word of God and do it.’ Luke 8:21
Scripture (the Bible):
The Bible, the Word of God, is absolutely foremost.
‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God…’ 2 Timothy 3:16
‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’ Matthew 24:35 and Mark 13:31 and Luke 21:33.
‘Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.’ Psalm 119:89
‘…if any man shall add unto these things (scripture), God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book…’ Revelation 22:18 The Catholic Church has added many things.
“Father”
‘Call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.’ Matthew 23:9
The Pope‘…ye are all brethren (brothers).’ (No big chief) Matthew 23:8
‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.’ Matthew 23:27
‘The elders who are among you I (Peter) exhort, who am also an elder…’ 1 Peter 5:1
‘But when Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I (Paul) opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.’ Galatians 2:11
At the first ever church council in Jerusalem, James concluded the council’s deliberations by saying, ‘Therefore it is my judgment….’ and his judgment stood. He and not Peter made the crucial pronouncement. Acts 15:19
Peter was not the pope, because there was no such office. He was an apostle, because he had been with Christ and he was an eyewitness of the resurrection, as were all the apostles. No one after that generation is an eyewitness of the resurrection.
Please do a bit of research and uncover for yourself the disgraceful chain of perverts, murderers and thieves who have ‘sat in Peter’s chair’ and worn the ‘shoes of the fisherman’. Learn how many of the popes distinguished themselves by ordering the papal army to hunt down and murder true Christians like the Waldenses in Europe. If you can stand it, find out about the Inquisition, and the tortures inflicted by Dominican monks etc, and also get a copy of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. America was partly settled by Huguenots and others fleeing from the murderous agents of the popes.
Purgatory‘Verily I say unto thee; today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ Luke 23:43
‘…willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.’ 2 Corinthians 5:8
‘having a desire to depart and to be with Christ…’ Phillipians 1:23
‘Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men…’Mark 3:28
Burning in purgatory was a concept that started in ancient Babylon, when the pagan priests were paid to get the dead person out of the flames. The Roman church latched on to this concept to extort money from grieving families.
The Lord Jesus paid all the penalty for sin at Calvary. There is nothing we can add to His sacrifice.
Idols (statues):The Second Commandment: ‘Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath…Thou shalt not bow down (kneel) thyself to them…’ Exodus 20:4-5
‘And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.’ Psalm 106:36
‘Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: and the mean man boweth down and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.’ Isaiah 2:8
‘Neither be ye idolaters…’ 1 Corinthians 10:7
‘…flee from idolatry.’ 1Corinthians 10:14
An idol is anything or any being you worship or ‘idolize’ or address prayers to other than God Himself. God alone is to be worshipped. He alone is the object of our prayers and adoration. Not dead saints. Not Mary.
SaintsSaints are living believers. If you are a born again believer in Jesus, you are a saint.
‘…receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints…’ Romans 16:2
‘Paul…unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints (living believers) which are in all Achaia…’ 2 Corinthians 1:1
‘Paul…to the saints which are at Ephesus…’ Ephesians 1:1
‘…to all the saints…at Phillippi’ Philippians 1:1
‘…to the saints…at Colosse…’ Colossians 1:2
CalvaryJesus is offered again and again as a sacrifice at every mass.
THE STANCE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC:
Salvation (being saved from hell)
You might get to heaven if you are a good Catholic.
Faith
The Council of Trent excommunicates and condemns to hell anyone who says that we are made right (justified) with God by faith, trusting in Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary. ‘Let him be anathema (condemned).’ This ‘infallible’ Roman Catholic statement from the 16th century still stands and can never be revoked. The purpose of the Council of Trent was to condemn Protestant teaching of scripture.
Who can condemn you to hell?
The Pope thinks he can condemn you for many reasons, but he is just a mere man. No man has the power to send anyone to hell. The Catholic church claims for itself the power that belongs to Christ alone.
Who gets to heaven?In the Catholic schools I attended we were always led to believe that the Catholic Church was the one true church and only Catholics would get to heaven. Pope Benedict XVI issued a document in 2007 stating that Christ ‘established here on earth only one Church …this Church, constituted and organised in this world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church…’
How do you become a Christian?
By being baptized (usually as a baby). Then you have to keep doing what the Roman Catholic Church tells you – going to mass, receiving the ‘sacraments’, etc. If you don’t keep doing all this, you lose your salvation.
CommunionJesus is “mystically” present in the wafer and the wine. When the priest says the words, the bread and wine change into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ, while keeping the appearance of bread and wine.
PriestsCatholic priests are special people who stand between God and ordinary believers. Only a Catholic priest can say the special formula which changes the bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord Jesus.
Prayer:It is good to pray the rosary (53 Hail Marys and six Our Fathers).
Our Mediator (the one who goes between us and God):
Mary is co-mediator between us and God.
Mary:Mary was conceived without sin.
Mary is the ‘Queen of Heaven’.
Mary will intercede for you.
‘Blessed is the womb that bore You (Jesus).’
Mary is the mother of God.
Scripture (the Bible):
The canons and decrees of the Roman church are more important than the scriptures in the Bible.
“Father”The Pope is the ‘Holy Father’ and every priest must be called ‘Father’.
The Pope
The Pope is leader of the church on earth.
Peter was the first pope.
The popes are all in a direct line of descent from Peter.
Purgatory
When you die, you go to purgatory to burn for your sins. Jesus’ sacrifice was not enough. You have to pay for your own sins.
Idols (statues):
Statues help us to honor the dead person.
Saints
“Saints” are very holy, dead people.
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