Catholic Faith Contradicts The Bible (Part 1)
1. Calling Priests “Father”
FACT: Catholics are taught to call their priest, “Father”, as a religious title of respect. Christians in the first century never called their leaders, “father”. This first happened hundreds of years later.
Question #1: Does Jesus approve of calling the leaders of the church, “Father”?
Answer: “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Matthew 23:9
2. Praying repetitive words using Rosary
FACT: Catholics pray repetitive words with Rosary Beads that were first invented in 1090 AD, by “Peter the Hermit” and made popular by St. Dominic in 1208 AD. Catholics believe that Mary appeared to St. Dominic in 1208 AD, at the church of Prouille and revealed the Rosary Beads to him. From this time, Catholics prayed 15 sets of 10 consecutive “hail Marys” in a row (150 times), in the Rosary. However, in 2003 AD, Pope John Paul added a new set of Mysteries, so now it is 20 sets of 10 “Hail Marys”, (200 times in the Rosary, in total.) Catholics will vainly appeal to Psalm 136 that alternates the same phrase 26 times with 26 different blessings God gives us. It is not 26 in a row as with the rosary! This is also a song, not a prayer. Revelation 4:8 has “angels singing” not “men praying”.
Historical note: Roman Catholics borrowed the idea of praying with beads from the pagan religions who were already using them hundreds of years before: In 456 AD, Hindus are thought to have introduced the concept of praying with beads to the world. The earliest reference to a rosary (boberkhas) is in their “Jain Canon” (456 AD) These boberkhas had various numbers of beads 6,9,12,18,36 (any sub-multiple of 108) Islam (610 AD) uses a rosary of 99 beads, one for each of the names of God. Buddhists have 108 prayer beads on the string. The Rosary is of pagan origin and no Christian prior to 1000 AD used beads to pray.
Question #1: Did Jesus forbid repetitive prayer using Rosary Beads?
Answer: “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. Matthew 6:7
3. Virgin Mary
FACT: Roman Catholics are taught the virgin Mary never had sex after Jesus was born and that Jesus had no brothers and sisters. The Pope teaches that Mary is the mediator between God and man. Catholics also engage in more praising of Mary than Jesus Christ himself and actually pray to her to have their prayers answered. Rosary Beads graphically represent how Roman Catholics heap 10 times more praise upon Mary than God himself. Of the 59 total beads of the Rosary, 53 beads are “Hail Marys”, but only 6 beads are “Our Father”. The Rosary most often ends with a “Hail, Holy Queen” prayer to Mary, not God.
Question #1: Did Jesus have brothers and sisters from the womb of Mary?
Answer: “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? “And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” Matthew 13:55-56
Question #2: Did Joseph begin normal sexual relations with his wife after Jesus was born?
Answer: “And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.” Matthew 1:24-25
Question #3: The Bible says there is only one mediator between God and man. Is Mary that one mediator?
Answer: “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5
Question #4: Catholics engage in endless praise of Mary. When a woman praised Jesus’ mother to his face, did Jesus commend or encourage this woman to continue praising Mary?
Answer: “While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.” But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”” Luke 11:27-28
4. Every Christian Drinks From The Communion Cup
FACT: Although Roman Catholics are permitted to eat the bread (body) of the Lord’s Supper, they are generally not allowed to drink the wine (blood) of the Lord’s Supper, as any Catholic knows from his own experience from attending Mass. (Except on rare special occasions.) The laity (the people in the pews) are withheld the cup of the Lord and it is usually reserved for church leaders only. Yes there are denominations within the Roman Catholic “communion” where some RC sects actually offer the juice, but most Mass attending Catholics know they rarely drink the cup of wine.
Historical note: Two early popes condemned withholding the cup, (Pope Leo I [died 461 AD] and Pope Gelasius [died 496 Ad]; but in the 12th century the practice was begun, and formally approved by the Catholic Council of Constance in 1415 AD. So for the first 1000 years, the Catholics in the Pews drank the cup, then the Pope changed this apostolic tradition.
Question #1: Did Christ and the apostle Paul command that every Christian should drink of the communion cup?
Answer: To the disciples: “Drink from it, all of you” Matthew 26:27
To the whole church in Corinth: “in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” 1 Corinthians 11:28
“While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:26-28
“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-28
5. All Christians Are Saints
FACT: The Pope says only very special dead Catholic people qualify to be called “saints”. For example, Pope John Paul II could not make Mother Teresa a saint (official canonization) until after she was dead. The average Catholic in the pew is never called a “saint” dead or alive! In fact if a pew dwelling Catholic started calling himself a “saint”, he would be rebuked by the parish priest!
Question #1: Was every living Christian in the church in Corinth called a saint?
Answer: “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours” 1 Corinthians 1:2
Question #2: Did Paul write the book of Ephesians to dead saints?
Answer: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 1:1
Question #3: Was the average Christian in the church at Philippi called a saint, in distinction to bishops and deacons?
Answer: “Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons” Philippians 1:1
Question #4: Was every Christian living in Rome called to be a saint?
Answer: “to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 1:7
6. All Christians are Priests
FACT: The Pope decided to reserve the title of “priest” to be worn by church leaders only. The average pew dwelling Catholic never refer to themselves as “priests”. In fact if a lay Catholic started calling himself a “priest”, he would be rebuked by “the parish Priest”!
Question #1: Did Jesus make all Christians to be priests, including the average member in the pew?
Answer: “you (all Christians) also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ” 1 Peter 2:5
“But you (all Christians) are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ” 1 Peter 2:9
“Jesus has made us (all Christians) to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:6
“You have made them (all Christians) to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Revelation 5:10
7. Bishops Must be Married
FACT: In 1079 AD celibacy was first enforced for priests and bishops by Pope Gregory VII. Before this time, they were permitted to marry.
Question #1: Does the Bible teach that a bishop (overseer) must be married AND ALSO have children as one of the conditions of being qualified to be a bishop?
Answer: “A bishop, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)” 1 Timothy 3:2-5
Question #2: In the very next chapter of the Bible after bishops are told they must be married with children, does the Holy Spirit warn that “forbidding to marry” is a “doctrine of demons”?
Answer: “But the Holy Spirit explicitly says that in latter times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.” 1 Timothy 4:1-3
8.Peter was Married
FACT: Most Catholics believe that Apostle Peter was the first Pope and was not married. As one Roman Catholic leader said, “if Peter had a wife when he first met Jesus, he got rid of her quick!”
Question #1: Did Peter have a wife?
Answer: “Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her.” Mark 1:30
Question #2: Did Paul say all the apostles including Peter had a right to be married?
Answer: “Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?” 1 Corinthians 9:5
Courtesy of www.amredeemed.com
To be continued with: Catholic Faith Contradicts The Bible (Part 2)
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