What is wrong with the Roman Catholic Church?

In the Nicean Creed it states “one holy catholic church”. By this the council meant the Church of Jesus Christ universal.As for the Roman Catholic Church, the Solas’ were a direct refutation by Luther on Oct. 31, 1517. His 95 theses discussed and refuted ALL the heretical teachings of the Romanists. Any time in Scripture when the word “church” is used it never refers to a building, but a body of believers;Greek ecclesia. Romanists attempt to claim in Vain that Peter founded the Roman Catholic church based on Christs’ statement, “Upon this rock, I will build my church.” If you fully investigate this passage, the rock Jesus was referring to essentially meant Upon Christ, Upon your profession of me, I will build my church, not Peter. Peter is referred to in the Greek as petros (little rock) while Christ is petra (The Rock) of our salvation. In reference to the keys…and “whatever you bind….and loose…”have nothing to do with anything other than “forbidding” (binding greek word [transliterated "daysay"] and “loosing” (deny, greek word [transliterated "louso"]. In summary, Jesus statement to Peter had to do with church discipline. These terms were absolutely Rabbinic Terms always referring to Whatever you deny, has already been denied in heaven and whatever you loose (permit) has already been permitted in heaven. I would highly encourage you to reason with me George and think this through wholeheartedly.Unfortunately the Romanists and myriads of Charismatic/Pentecostals also misinterpret Christ’s statement and twist it to a type of “Star Wars Christianity” involving so called “Spiritual Warfare.” Binding demons and loosing Christ. To which my Hebrew Scholar, my professor, a rabbinic scholar would always reply “Why do you have to loose Christ on someone or some situation? Who had him bound?”

Briefly stating on the Roman Catholic Church (as a former member and a student in their schools) they teach that the Pope speaks “ex cathedra” or infallibly….perfect when it comes to doctrine. Evangelicals rightly bring up the fact that “What about all the popes that have contradicted each other.

Not to mention “the Roman Catholic clergy fell upon the unarmed people, and blood flowed like a river throughout the entire country. Men, women, and children fell in heaps before the mobs and the bloodthirsty troops. In one week, almost 100,100 Protestants perished. The rivers of France were so filled with corpses that for many months no fish were eaten. In the valley of the Loire, wolves came down from the hills to feel upon the decaying bodies of Frenchmen. The list of massacres was as endless as the list of the dead!” Please read the history behind this horrific event at the following website, http://www.reformation.org/bart.html

The Eucharist is taught by the Romanists that once consumed it literally becomes the actual body of Christ that is eaten. If you reason this through it amounts to cannabalism. Secondly why do the priests forbid the congregation to partake of the cup? It is a denial of Christ Command to do “this in remberance of me.” What makes “The Mass” so horrific is the Catholic Church teaches and has always affirmed that Christ is being re-sacrificed again and again and again. When Christ died he stated “It is finished” No more sacrifice was needed.

When Christ died and the veil in the temple was torn, it was to show That God was no longer behind a veil for one priest to access but rather on the cross! In this sense the Roman Catholic church continues to make a mockery of the Old Testament priesthood;furthermore, they neglect the Scriptures that state, “Christ is our high priest,” and “There is ONE mediator between God and Man” Why the need for a confessional and why the need for praying to Mary and saints. If Mary was so important as the Catholic Church affirms, why then did Jesus place Mary under John’s care during his death? It would have been the other way around, John would have been placed UNDER Mary’s care. This was not the case.

To make matters worse The Catholic church affirms “the immaculate conception.” Some Catholic Churches are even named that. By this they continually maintain that Mary was sinless. They even go as far as to state that since she was “The virgin Mary, she bore no other children, when The Bible is absolutely clear that Christ had two brothers.

Another fallacy is the use of the Apocrypha which Evangelicals are absolutely clear that it is NOT part of the cannon! It is not the INSPIRED word of God. The only use of it is for historical research during the intertestamental period.

As a side note, priests that are Catholic take a vow to celibacy, when Paul warned Timothy that ,”in the last days their will be teachers who will teach doctrines of demons, forbidding to eat meat and forbidding to marry…”

In conclusion let me be clear, this is NOT HATE SPEECH AGAINST CATHOLICS, I am a former one. In three of past congregations I attended, literally 75-85% were former Catholics. Why did they leave? My statements above were the reasons. Secondly, do I believe that there are any “born again Catholics?” Absolutely. There will be Catholics’ in heaven. Why? They were saved and most likely were not aware of what The Catholic Church really teaches. Every charge I have made against the Catholic Church is in their own teachings, namely, The Council of Trent, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, and most importantly Vatican II.

Luther never intended to start the reformation when he nailed his 95 Thesis to the Catholic Church Door at Wittenburg, Germany on 31 October 1517, it was not a rebellious act at all. That door was the community bulletin board. Fortunately it was God’s providence and His decree that it would be done. Augustine was a Catholic who became born again like Luther and both of these men wrote so many extensive volumes to refute the Roman Catholic Church it is staggering. John Knox of Scotland did as well. Bloody Mary (Queen Mary) is recorded as saying that she “feared John Knox’s prayers more than all the armies of that time.”

The battlecry of the reformation was simplistic and Biblical.
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
Solus Christus (Christ Alone)
and lastly,
Soli Deo Gloria (To God be the Glory Alone)

It is my full intent in this discourse to see Roman Catholics saved from sin, hell, and an entire system based on salvation by works which denies Epesians 2:8,9. It is also my prayer that they would not only be Born Again as Jesus Discussed in John chapter 3, but also once they see the truth, to leave that system, The Roman Catholic Church and find a Biblicaly Based church that preaches the full Gospel utilizing expository preaching.

The second clause of my last sentence in that paragraph is why I left the Assemblies of God, one of the largest Pentecostal churches in existence today. I thank God I had 4 professors in Bible School who poured into me The Bible and invested time in me off the clock so I could glean the truth of God’s Word. Intrestingly enough even though they taught at an A/G Bible College, 4 of my professors earned their PhD’s from Reformed Schools, and 1 other who is one of my best friends 18 years later had Reformed leanings.

Epilogue:

It is absolutely amazing the amount of Pentecostals and Charistmatics that have left THEIR CHURCHES to become Reformed. R.C. Sproul told me himself that he had a multitude of Assembly of God students.  So why do Catholics and Pentecostals leave to become Refomed in their thinking, theology, and lifestyle and to hold to the Doctrines of Grace? Because it IS BIBLICAL.

Respectfully in Christ,
Tom Michnay

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