Roman Catholicism

By Steve Van Nattan

I. The Roman Catholic System

We are looking, in this paper, at a system known as the Roman Catholic Church, and it is the devil’s greatest work of infernal art! It is a vile counterfeit of the Christian faith and the teaching of the Word of God. It is, in the words of Luther, Knox, Ridley, Cranmer, and the Wesley brothers, “apostasy” and "antichrist."

Now let us define apostasy.

Apostasy as going out from biblical truth. If we say that the Roman Catholic Church is apostate, we must define the manner in which that is true. This apostasy is not so much a “denial” of the truth, rather; the truth is added to until the new doctrine is a complete mutilation of biblical truth. We know that water contains various minerals, and our drinking water is still "water" to us with a few minerals in it. But; when one adds enough dirt and filth to the water, it has a new name and ceases to be "water" to even a fool. It is now mud and not fit to drink.

If you look at Romanism casually, you could conclude that the Roman Catholic Church is the leading orthodox Church in Christendom. If you consider the Person of the Lord Jesus, the Roman Catholic Church appears to be very orthodox. Romanism teaches that Jesus was the eternal Son of God, which some Fundamentalists even fail to grasp. Rome believes in the Virgin Birth. Rome teaches the Incarnation. Rome believes in Christ's miracles, and they uphold His substitutionary work at Calvary and His resurrection bodily. There is no question that they are basically biblical in these teachings, and more so than many alleged Evangelicals.

Rome teaches the ascension of Christ into heaven bodily. In its teaching on the Person of our Lord Romanism looks rather orthodox. This is what makes Romanism so appealing to the gullible soft minded Protestant. Also, if you examine Romanish teaching on the work of our Lord, Vatican teaching is orthodox. If you check them on “the principle of grace” up front, it is one of their central doctrines. Ask them about divine inspiration and authority of the Word of God, and they have a biblical and sound position up to the point of introducing the Apocrypha. It is instructional to recall how many times the Roman Church has had to back away from Evangelicals in ecumenical gatherings because Rome had taken the doctrinal high ground.

If you examine the Whore of Rome in the general or primary doctrines, you might draw the conclusion that "Mother Church" is the most orthodox body in Christendom.

But at this point the serpent is more subtle, and the difficulty arises. To all the above orthodox teachings she “adds" a great horde of ecclesiastical legend-- teachings and traditions which are arrogantly sub-Christian and which deny of the Word of God.

So Romanism brings us eventually in a point where, if we accept her teaching, we believe a lie! In fact, her dogma is counterfeit; and Rome is, as the Scripture and all Bible believers of the ages have put it, “the whore.” The Bible uses the word "Whore" to describe the evil woman, or counterfeit of the Bride in the book of Revelation. A Whore is similar to a Bride in many attributes, but she is not betrothed to the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ), and she is in the churchianity business for one reason only-- lust for power over people. It is not possible to be in the Bride and in the Whore at the same time.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the “subtlety,” the “devices” of our adversary, the devil.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

In your study of subtlety of Satan, you have no better teacher than the Word of God, but the next teacher is the Roman Catholic Church. It is essential to know what the Whore teaches. It is NOT commendable to be "ignorant" of such a counterfeit.

The Roman Whore aspires to be all things to all men. Her system is vast, her choices offered to all followers, and her devices are so diverse that she has become a world conquering queen of heaven. Why? Answer: No matter which heresy in the Whore that you point at, the old Whore turns and points to an alternative which seems biblical, and she is offering this to you from INSIDE her system.

Illustration: In southern Mexico I am told that there is a priest of Rome who is preaching the Gospel. His services do not include the Mass, and I am told he refuses to even do the Mass. He calls people to faith in Jesus Christ and leaves works out of it in his preaching. The singing is enthusiastic and evangelical. Even the Charismatic aspect is restrained to keep things orderly. What a mighty deception, for the Whore allows this priest to go on unrestrained so that Protestants in Mexico will think they have and alternative in the Whore of Rome. Yet this priest is still inside the Whore, so he is pimping for her, though ever so clean in appearance.

Illustration: You know that the Roman Catholic Church will not tolerate divorce. If a Catholic is divorced Rome will excommunicate them. Then you read in the newspaper that some highly place Roman Catholic is divorcing their spouse.

Old Mother Whore can explain it. She says that the couple never really consummated their marriage! They can explain everything. There is always a device by which any sound biblical doctrine, well defined, can be altered or abrogated. The Cardinal in Los Angeles, California finally got fed up when the mayor of LA, a Catholic, was asking for his sixth divorce. The Cardinal excommunicated the mayor and made a very good public statement on the matter. Problem: If six divorces were too many, what was the doctrine which allowed the first five? Never mind, the Vatican knows how to do this.

Jesuit casuistry is such, and their apologetic is such, that they can face all directions at the same time, and smile with not a bit of embarrassment. Compare the world's Catholic communities. The UK and Ireland-- what a vast difference in practice and teaching. The Blip, say in Kentucky, and South America-- One is casual and very secular, while the other is driven by the almighty fist of the Padre. Even look at two churches in one city. Nogales Arizona has two main Catholic communities. One centers in Sacred Heart in the city center. The priests wear robes and the whole church is ancient and spooky in the most traditional sense, while San Felipe on the north side is known for forty minute sermons, dozens of Bible studies in the homes, and a very personal and morally zealous priest. Rome WANTS it that way, and these two churches are NOT fronts to fool Protestants. They are really both blessed by the bishop, and nothing will change.

In another city, the priest was holding prayer meetings every Tuesday evening. I asked a member of the prayer group what they prayer for. Grab hold please-- answer: "We pray for Catholics to be born again." I was shocked, and I asked what he meant. He then went on to tell me (for I had played dumb as if I didn't know what he meant) that many Catholics just attend Mass and join the church in ignorance, and they have never been really born again. Now, across the world, the Vatican itself is packed to the roof with men who don't have a clue what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is. Do you see the modern device of Satan here? He has nurtured extremes in the Roman Whore which are so far apart that a Roman Catholic, and a gullible Protestant, can find a niche somewhere in the Whore and get comfortable.

My friend and customer prays for Catholics to be born again, while the Pope prays at Assisi with Buddhists and American Indian Shamans. There are Catholic priests in India who have turned the Mass into a Hindu punja worship rite, complete with a phallic lingum on the altar, while other priests in India claim salvation by Jesus alone without the aid of Mary. There are Catholic groups which virtually worship the Pope, while others are convinced he is the Antichrist.

The Whore is able to change her colors and her form; Rome is all things to all men, she is all inclusive. But, the Whore is, in this all inclusiveness, providing infinite choices to all men. It is this quality which deceives gullible Protestants and Evangelicals.

Paul told us:

2 Corinthians 11:14, "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."

So is the Roman Whore. There seems to be no limit to the number is disguises Rome uses to woo the masses. In the UK she appears as highly intellectual and praises her people if they read the Bible, yet in Ireland Catholics are terrified of reading the Bible, and Irish priests deliberately encourage superstition. "Mother Church" is ever so tolerant in the Blip, ready to listen and to talk with us as equals, even to admit guilt and to be friendly. In developing nations "Mother Church" is utterly vicious and vile in her threats and demands of loyalty. But she is the same body, the same hierarchy, the same doctrine at the core. Thus, we said that the Roman Whore is the devil's greatest work of infernal art.

Does the Bible talk about such a Whore in the End Times?

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

While this text applies to other times and interpretations, it certainly speaks of the Pope of Rome. He claims to be another Christ, ALTER CRISTOS.

Zechariah 5:5 Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.
7 And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
8 And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.
10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
11 And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.

The Whore is seen here as far as I am concerned, and a day is coming soon when she will be ripe with wickedness and ready to move to a new location. The Whore of the Church Age will be united with Babylon just before God destroys Babylon. That is why the message to Catholics is, "Come out of her..."

Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Repiano coversd her even as she repiano coversded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

Look who the Holy Ghost is talking about here in the previous chapter:

Revelation 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

While the final manifestation of these Bible texts merely includes the Roman Whore, along with all world religion, I believe Romanism is a harbinger of the final Whore system. I told you that Rome offers something to everyone. Well, Malachi Martin, Vatican theologian and instructor in their seminary there, has written several books showing that Satan rules the Vatican, and he clearly portrays the Vatican as a Whore. My priest friend in India tells me he expects the Vatican to become so filthy with Satanic activity that the Roman Catholic Church will collapse morally and spiritually, and Catholics who cling to biblical belief will be forced to start new Catholic orders and church organizations around the world. There is a strange morphing of the Whore taking place as she prepares herself to reign in the final kingdom of Satan.

II. The Damning Offenses of Rome

All we can do in this one paper is to give broad categories showing what blasphemies the Whore has foisted upon the world. Here are three main headings.

1. The Whore introduces idol worship and superstition.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible frequently condemns idolatry. Moses law forbids the making of “graven images.”

However; the Roman Catholic Church is inundated with images. Rome teaches her followers to worship images; and a lot of money is brought into their treasury from the sale of images and idols. If you visit any Catholic church on Sunday, you will see the people bowing in worship of images. At St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome you will find that there is a monument to the apostle Peter. One of the toes of Peter is smooth and all worn away. This is because so many deceived followers of Roman Catholic teaching think that some merit is gained by kissing the toe of a statue! They bow with holy awe and they worship these cold stony images. Nearby are the piano tools and alleged robes of various saints and people from ancient times. These bits of rubbish from the past are put into gilded boxes and displayed and exalted so the faithful can pray to them and touch the cabinets. This is nothing but brazen idolatry.

A priest I knew felt he could speak openly to me, and he told me how very frustrated he was with this worship of fetishes. He would tell the people they could not worship God and pray before the images until he had opened the Sunday service with the reading of the Bible. He hoped they would leave the images and come to the Word of God. He had some small success, but the superstitious dependence on the images is so ingrained that it is too late to stop this process. Only salvation and regeneration by faith in Jesus Christ will open the eyes of the Catholic follower to the blasphemy of this superstition.

2. The Roman Whore's teaching stands between the sinner and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rome obstructs the open view of the Godhead from the catholic follower.

Obstruction One: The Whore of Rome claims to be the dispenser of salvation and "graces."

The Roman Catholic Church firmly stands between the Catholic follower and Jesus Christ the Savior. Rome claims that "Mother Church" is essential to salvation. Outside the Roman Church— extra ecclesiam, there is no salvation— nulla salus. "Mother Church" is absolutely essential to salvation. The Whore boldly stands between the sinner, whom Jesus died for, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. No one can find salvation without coming through the alleged Church.

The Roman Whore defines truth, she interprets it, and she applies it. Jesus is shifted into the side room, while the seeker of salvation bows before the Whore.

The Bible teaches the “universal priesthood of all believers.”

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

The sincere seeker is called to read the Scripture for himself, and the only one he finds between himself and the Lord Jesus Christ is the Holy Spirit. Unlike the Whore, the Holy Spirit leads all men straight to Jesus.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Rome denies the Holy Spirit His divine office and work in drawing the sinner and bringing him to Jesus. The Whore claims that only she can open the Word of God to the seeker, and she even claims that only she can interpret it through her priests.

In violation of Revelation 22:18-19, the Whore claims she is receiving “continuing revelation.” When the Pope speaks ex-cathedra, what he passes on to the faithful is allegedly just as authoritative as the Word of God. These statements of revelation are often called Papal Bulls. How fitting! It is very curious that one Pope demands, under color of revelation, that all Catholics must eat fish on Friday and no meat, then in 1966, another Pope, under inspiration and divine illumination, revoked the original Bull and tells the faithful they may eat beef again on Friday. One Pope exalts Christopher to sainthood, and for hundreds of years Catholics pray to him and put his image in their coaches and automobiles, only to learn from a recent Pope that Christopher never existed. All this by revelation from God. The god of Catholicism is a god who is very confused indeed.

Old Mother Whore claims a continuing revelation. She therefore does not hesitate to say that you must add to the truth in the Scriptures. While saying that the Bible is the Word of God, she claims that her tradition, which she adds to from time to time, is equally authoritative and equally binding.

Here is the way in which the Whore takes from the Bible. She says things, in what she adds to biblical teaching by way of her tradition, that abrogate the Biblical teaching and take away from it. That is where the subtlety comes in.

What is the bottom line? As with Islam and all guruistic religions, the Catholic follower is to submit to a totalitarian human monarchy. Rome claims to govern the sacred and secular life, virtually every detail, of the Catholic follower. The Whore claims she has full responsibility for the souls of every Catholic. The various rituals and rites are the open manifestation of this, and from birth to death, the Catholic follower is totally dependent on the wrong father to see them through life and into purgatory. Only then is the Godhead allowed to take charge of their souls, though the priest even clings to them in purgatory for a time in order to extort donations for Masses and Novinas from the living.

Only total submission to "Mother Church" will save the sinner in the Catholic system.

A missionary to Killarny, Ireland, tells of witnessing to Irish Catholics on a number of occasions when they were deeply moved by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Also, some Irish folks would visit the services of the Baptist church in that city. They too were moved on several occasions to see the close relationship between the believers and their Lord. They spoke in open envy of this relationship. But, when invited to receive the salvation of Jesus Christ, they would tell the believers that if they left the Roman Catholic Church, the Priests would being a curse on them, and one of their children would die. They believed this completely and were in utter terror of the priests.

Catholic followers do not fear God, they fear the men who stand between themselves and God.

Obstruction Two: The Pope, firmly stands in the place of Christ to all Catholics.

The Pope is called the Vicar of Christ-- Alter Cristos.

Peter is alleged to have been the first Pope. This is based on Jesus' words in which He spoke of building His Church "on this rock." The Bible believer sees that Jesus was talking about the faith Peter expressed, while Old Mother Whore claims Jesus was talking about Peter personally. The next thing they have to do was get Peter to Rome, which they do by simply saying it happened. Nowhere in the Word of God do we read that Peter ever made it to Rome. Indeed, we find Peter far from Rome in one of his epistles:

1 Peter 5:13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.

With this verse, Peter was closing his epistle, and he is passing on the greetings of the Christians at Babylon to the believers in Asia and JerBliplem. In fact, historians have learned that there was a large community of blips in Babylon at the time the early Church was planted, and European explorers found a group of blips still living in Babylon in about 1500 AD. It is no surprise to find that Peter would head off to Babylon to preach to blips there, for he was the apostle to the blips. Paul should have been the first Pope, but the Whore cannot bear his teaching.

The next ploy of the Whore was to use Peter's alleged office of Pope, and they claim that an succession of apostles descended from Peter onpiano coversd up to the present. This is called apostolic succession. It is not in the Word of God, and history of the church through the Dark Ages has no Pope. There were bishops and leaders of the churches, but no Popes, though Catholic historians give the title to the men they want to name as Popes in those ancient days.

The most blasphemous name given to the Pope is "The Holy Father." We are bluntly told by Jesus Christ Himself not to call any man father on earth"

Matthew 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

Through the ages, more names were given to the Pope to bring the Catholic followers into deeper and deeper awe of this man and take their eyes off of Jesus. Read the Catholic definitions for yourself.

Here are some of the 62 names of the Pope:

"Most Divine of all Heads." "Holy Father of Fathers." "Pontiff Supreme Over Prelates." "Overseer of the Christian Religion." "Pastor of Pastors." "Christ by Unction." "Abraham by Patriarchate." "Melchisedec in Order." "Moses in Authority." "Samuel in the Judicial Office." "High Priest, Supreme Bishop." "Heir to the Apostles." "Peter in Power." "Key-bearer of the Kingdom of Heaven." "Pontiff Appointed with Plenitude of Power." "Vicar of Christ." "Vicar of the Son of God." "Sovereign Priest." "Head of all the Holy Churches." "Chief of the Universal Church." "Bishop of Bishops." "Ruler of the House of the Lord." "Apostolic Lord and Father of Fathers." "Chief Pastor and Teacher." "Physician of Souls." "Rock against which the proud gates of hell prevail not." "Infallible Pope." "Head of All the Holy Priests of God." "Pontificus Maximus" "Papa" "Summus Pontifex" "Pontifex Maximus" "Servus servorum Dei"

These blasphemous names are used to lead the Catholic follower into awe of this impostor, while at the same time, Jesus Christ grows dimmer and dimmer in their mental processes.

Since 1870, when the Pope speaks ex-cathedra in his official gatherings, he is “infallible.” This means he can say nothing in error, and he is as believable as God Himself and as righteous as Jesus Christ. It is interesting that for about 1800 years no one realized the Popes could be infallible.

The Bible does indeed speak of this man:

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

"...shewing himself that he is God." Alter Cristos, Vicarius Cristos. Do you see how this doctrine of a man having such alleged power obliterates the Godhead completely?

Let us review a few of the Popes to see how much like Jesus Christ they were:

Pope Julius III was openly a piano, and his male lover was Innocenzo, who was a teenager the Pope used. Julius III made the teenager a Cardinal so that his sins would seem to be kept under cover of the Vatican.

Pope Innocent VIII was nicknamed "the Honest." This was not because he was particularly honest by our standards. The Popes of the Dark Ages were so filthy with sexual lust, that when Innocent VIII acknowledged all of his bastard children publicly, he was seen as "honest." He was not always so "honest" though. Innocent VIII became Pope by bribing the Cardinals and drove the Catholic Church nearly bankrupt by getting involved in several Italian piano coverss. He also auctioned curial posts to the highest bidder. Innocent and Honest he was not!

Pope John XII was a notorious womanizer, and he was caught in the act of adultery with another man's wife and the husband beat Pope John severely. Pope John died several days later of his wounds.

Pope Stephen VI succeeded Pope Formosus to the papal throne, but he was not in good favor with the the Roman Emperor Lambert of Spoleto due to intrigues of his predecessor. So, to curry favor with Lambert, Pope Stephen called a Synod to put Pope Formosus on trial. The former Pope's cadaver was exhumed and was dressed in Papal robes and set stinking in the Papal throne. A deacon was assigned to be the voice of Pope Formosus, and the deacon is said to have made a very powerful defense on behalf of the rotting cadaver Pope. Nonetheless, Pope Formosus was found guilty of simony and lust for power, and Pope Stephen VI had the cadaver's three fingers of the right hand cut off so he could never bless anyone again. Afterpiano coversd, Pope Stephen VI had the cadaver thrown into the Tiber River.

Pope Stephen V said: "The Popes, like Jesus, are conceived by their mothers through the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost. All Popes are a certain species of man-god. All powers in heaven, as well as earth, are given to them."

Pope Paul V said: "The doctrine of the double motion of the earth about its axis and about the sun is false, and contrary to the holy scripture."

Pope Pius XI said: "Benito Mussolini is a gift of Providence, a man free from the prejudices of the politicians of the liberal school."

Pope Saint Gregory said: "Woman is naive, unstable, and mentally weak."

Obstruction Three: The priests of the Whore

In a real sense, these men play the role of pimps for the Whore, and their work is very special and precious in the eyes of the faithful.

The Whore rejects the teaching of their alleged first Pope, Peter, who said, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood.” In place of the believer priest, Old Mother Whore places her carefully trained priest. This man brings the Catholic follower into a lifelong state of terror of the powers of the priest.

Chris J_________ told of his days in New Mexico as a small boy. He and his brothers and sisters would go to Mass every other Sunday because it was a long walk to the church. Every time they arrived, the priest would be waiting on the church steps for them, and the first thing he did was threaten them with hell if they didn't start coming every Sunday. In spite of the fact that Chris came to fear and resent the priests, he did finally make the break with the Whore until he was about 45 years old.

The Catholic priest has special powers which no one else has, such as that of working miracles. Here we come to a very central and crucial matter. The first and most exalted miracle is that the Catholic priest can turn the wine of the Mass into the Blood of Jesus, and he can turn the wafer used into the body of Jesus. This is the central and most urgent matter in the mind of any Catholic, for by eating the flesh and blood of Jesus, he believes he can ingest salvation. The priest is thus the ticket to heaven for all Catholics.

Saint Alphonsus Ligouri said that if Jesus Christ had never existed until the Church came along, the Catholic priest could, with his hands, bring into existence the Lord Jesus for the first time in the Mass. This shows how the Catholic is forced to see the Mass as an act of creation of God, and the priest works this miracle.

The priest is also empowered to turn water into grace which washes sins away and saves the Catholic from sin and hell in the baptism of babies. When the priest administers the water, the wine, or the wafer, he is charging the batteries of the Catholic in a spiritual sense so that the Catholic stays saved for another week. Do you see how Satan has robbed the Catholic follower of confidence in the saving power of the Blood of Jesus shed on Calvary? Furthermore; there is not one word about all this urban legend in the Word of God.

To make sure the Catholic does not find salvation and cleansing by faith in the work of Jesus, the priest is given one more critical power-- He can forgive sins, and he dishes out chastening, which is said to be the work of Jesus Christ, according to the Bible. The Word of God says nothing about man having power to forgive another man's sins. While we are encouraged to confess sins to one another, this is in the context of the Lord's Prayer, where we are told to get right with one another. There is no one else to confess to outside of Jesus Christ and our brother we offended.

So the priest obstructs the Catholic's view and blessing of salvation in Jesus Christ alone. The priest obstructs the Catholic follower from ever feeling the Blood applied for his sins, and the priest serves this poor deluded soul a wee lunch which is supposed to tide him over into purgatory. How utterly sad, and how awfully blasphemous.

The Fourth Obstruction: The Virgin Mary stands between the Catholic follower and Jesus Christ.

No other obstruction of the Whore of Rome sends more Catholics straight to hell. The Virgin Mary of the Roman Church is not the Mary of the Bible. This lady is sinless, while Mary of the Bible offered sacrifice for her uncleanness. The Mary of Rome came from Sumer, Babylon, and Greece as the goddess with her Hamitic child. The Mary of the Bible came from a humble family in blip, and her child was the Son of God.

Now, the Roman Whore defends and teaches that Mary was a virgin, which sounds great, for orthodox Bible truth demands this truth be believed by true Christians. Again, a necessary fiction is added, that is, Mary is the "Queen of Heaven" and the "Mother of God." In her office in heaven, she stands between Jesus and the believer, and she dispenses the graces and blessing of Jesus on the believer. She also intercedes with Jesus on behalf of believers. She is even said to have suffered for our sins as Jesus died on the cross.

In this way, Mary of the Whore obstructs the believer's opportunity to come to Jesus directly and pray and confess sins. The Bible does not teach any such doctrine, in fact, the Bible clearly blasts this nonsense:

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

blips 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

The Catholic image of the most blasphemous kind is the Pietra. In this image, marry is very much alive and holding a dead Jesus. There is no such scene in the Word of God. Also, at the front of many Catholic churches, Mary is out front looking lovely and fresh, while Jesus is dead and ghastly handing dead on a cross overhead. This imagery reinforces the notion that Mary is alert and ready to pay attention, while Jesus is distracted.

Furthermore; thoBlipnds of Catholic leaders are begging the Pope to promote Mary one more step up to be called co-redemptrix, meaning she is fully participating in the salvation of souls be her power to redeem them. Mary is already called co-mediatrix, meaning that she can mediate between the Catholic follower and God the Father, bypassing Jesus Christ completely. The legend it taught that God the Father is a mean tempered brute, and Jesus is not much more pleasant, so Mary goes to her son, like she is still raising him and helping him learn to behave himself, and she convinces Jesus to be nice to Catholics. She can also calm God the Father down and convince Him to be nice to the Catholic.

About twenty years ago, the Catholic bishops of South and Central America declared that "The Virgin Mary is a full participant in the divinity." This was their way of saying Mary is in the Godhead, and in doing so, they had the notion that they could push the present Pope to raise Mary to be a goddess.

So, I hope you can see how the Whore of Rome has cut off the view of the Catholic of the biblical Jesus Christ. Without looking to Jesus and confessing sin to Him, and Catholic cannot be born again. It is a treacherous thing to imagine that a Roman Catholic is born again by Jesus Christ whom they have never seen.

The Last Obstruction: The Exalted Saints
(not believers, as the Bible teaches, but exalted dead men and women)

The followers of the Whore of Rome are invited to pray to the alleged "saints." This comes about when the Pope and his Cardinals decide some past Catholic reached the pinnacle of perfection during their life. A complicated process is used to verify this, and miracles and stories of sanctity are fabricated in order to justify making an official "saint" of the candidate. A "devil's advocate" is appointed who is assigned the task of trying to find reasons not to "saint" the former Catholic. If the candidate passes the tests, he is made an official "saint" and is designated to be the patron of some class or group of people.

Catholic doctrine teaches that these alleged saints, during their lives, were so holy that they put away a great portion of grace and "superabundance" or power. This power, once the candidate is sainted, is then made available to the average Catholic by the saint involved from his place in heaven.

When a Roman Catholic is in trouble or danger, or if they are very sick, no matter what crisis, there is some saint in particular for every problem, and they can pray to a saint and ask for a portion of that saint's superabundance.

The doctrine that the saints can intercede for the believer is called "supererogation," which is another name for Mother Goose, for the notion that saints can do anything for a living person is pure fiction. Surplus holiness or merit, held on account, to meet the shortfall some living Catholic experiences, it a wicked invitation to the Roman Catholic to again ignore Jesus Christ and seek help from another source.

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

The two above texts show that righteousness is only found in God, and the only righteousness a believer has is received from God. God is not in the business of giving anyone surplus righteousness, for righteousness does not come in pints and quarts. It is either in you, by the Grace of God, or it is not in you. Period!

Of course, the teaching that saints in heaven dispense surplus power and grace is based on absolutely nothing but superstition and tradition, for nowhere in the Word of God do we find anyone praying to anyone in heaven but God.

Many Catholics come to have a very affectionate relationship with their patron saint, and they depend on them far more than they depend on God to preserve them and protect them. This, as we have shown, is a monstrous obstruction of Jesus Christ, so that the Catholic follower may lose complete confidence in the Godhead. The merit of Jesus Christ is not adequate to finish the work of preserving the believer, so he must have something more. You will perhaps notice that this is the teaching of Catherine Marshall and thoBlipnds of Charismatics and Pentecostals today. This is one reason why the Charismatic Movement has such close fellowship with the Roman Whore. Charismania also seeks power and experience outside of the resources given them by the Lord Jesus Christ. Birds of a feather....

Let us look at some quotes of saints who allegedly had reached perfection in their lifetime:

Saint Gregory: "Pleasure can never be without sin."

Saint John Chrysostom: "Laughter does not seem to be a sin, but it leads to sin." And he also said, "Woman is a foe to friendship, an inescapable punishment, and a necessary evil."

Saint Fulgentius: "Little children who have betatter to live in their mother's womb and have there died, or who, having just been born and die, have passed away from the world without the sacrament of holy baptism.... They must be punished by the eternal torture of undying fire."

Saint Ignatius of Loyola: "We should always be disposed to believe that which appears while is really black, if the hierarchy of the Church so decides."

Saint Augustine: "Do away with harlots, and the world will be convulsed with lust."

Saint Jerome: " Mature virgin girls should not bathe at all, because they ought to blush to see themselves naked."

Saint Francis of Assisi was a virtual walking pigpen, for he believed that the longer one went without a bath, the holier one became. I suspect he missed his calling in not being appointed the patron saint of the world's five year olds.

Several saints got appointed patrons of the wrong groups of Catholics, and they have no experience by which to understand their calling:

Saint Elmo, patron saint of sailors, was often shown standing next to a windless, a winch device used on ships to hoist sails and raise the anchor. The rope leading to Elmo was mistaken for the intestines of Elmo because some painter in the Dark Ages, who had not experience with ships, thought the rope was Elmo's intestines and the windless was a torture machine by which he had been tortured and died. The artist turned the rope into Elmo's intestines, and voile, Elmo is now the patron saint of people with cramps, labor pain, and stomachaches.

Saint Bartholomew, one of the apostles of the early church, was flayed alive by a heathen king. His symbol of sainthood is the flaying knife. Sometime during the Middle Ages, a cheese merchant thought the flaying knife was a cheese slicer. The idea caught on, and Bartholomew now finds himself the patron saint of cheese makers.

Saint Agatha spurned the advances of a suitor whom she did not want to marry. The angry suitor, in rage, cut off her breasts. The Apostle Peter showed up and reattached Agatha's breasts, which was a considerate thing to do, if you believe in Mother Goose theology. Saint Agatha is shown, as the symbol of her sainthood, carrying a silver platter with her two breasts on it. Much later, in Europe, the breasts were mistaken for bells, and thus, Saint Agatha now finds herself the patron of bell makers and bell ringers. In another place the two breasts were mistaken for loaves of bread, so poor Agatha is doing double drill and no canteen as the patron of bell makers, and she is invoked to bless the bread on her feast day.

Saint Hedwig was a Bavarian housewife and mother of seven children who entered a convent after her husband died after twenty five years of marriage. Hedwig was sainted because of her extreme modesty and humility, which included kissing the seats of chairs and washing the feet of the other nuns and drinking the dirty wash water.

Remember please that these obstructive characters are humans, often filled with vile sin, and they are set in their place by Satan as one of his devices to distract the Catholic follower from seeing the true Savior, Jesus Christ. This has been done by ecclesiastical powers in the Whore who teach the full deity of the Godhead, and who teach the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and who teach the Virgin Birth.

We are told by the Apostle that we are not to be ignorant of his (the devil's) devices. So the powerful device of Satan here is this-- The Whore of Rome takes a number of orthodox truths from the Bible, teaches them almost identically the way Bible believers teach them, and then the Whore adds these blasphemous fictions. It is amazing to hear some non-Catholic say that the Roman Church believes the same thing we do. An aging evangelist has come to the end of his life in Minnesota, and he is now saying that he believes all the same things the Catholic Church believe. For this, the Whore honored him and even promotes his organization. Rome is very kind to those who inhale the incense and bless her filthy fictions.

3. The Whore robs Christ of His position with sinner and saint, and the Whore obliterates the completeness of salvation that Christ bought on the cross with His blood. Salvation in Christ is virtually lost to the Catholic mind.

Example One: The Whore's teaching of justification:

We know what justification is if we know the Word of God as our only source. The uncertain sound only comes when we mix a mongrel justification of works with that of the Word of God. I recall hearing Roxella Van Impe read a statement by Pope John Paul II on the Van Impe's TV broablipast. Roxella was reading as the Pope stated, "We are being justified by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ." Jack Van Impe's response was, "That's Fundamental, that's Fundamental."

Is it? One little word gives away the heretic Pope. He was right about the Blood of Jesus and faith in it for redemption, but "being" is the key to seeing the heresy. The use of the present continuous tense with regard to salvation is based on the mountainous body of Catholic teaching of works for salvation. Salvation is NEVER finished in Catholic teaching and must be earned and maintained by the ongoing sacraments and rituals of the Catholic communicant.

Justification is by faith, as the Word of God tells us:

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

We also know the work of Christ is complete and our salvation secured beyond any human potentate to question:

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
18 Let no man beguile you of your repiano coversd in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

The "Head" is Jesus Christ, and the Whore of Rome is "not holding" Christ in the place of Head of His Church is they put ANYONE between you and Jesus. Verse 2 states that you are complete in Christ if you are truly born again. If you are NOT born again and justified by faith alone in Him, then it is no wonder you run here and there looking for someone to listen to you and mediate for you before God the Father.

The Roman Whore teaches that it is possible, indeed essential, for the follower to produce works in order to lay up a balance of merit in heaven against their sins. This is why all the Hail Marys and stations of the Cross are given credit values in terms of years off the anticipated time in purgatory. The Whore owns a couple of acres of hell which has been renamed "Purgatory" which she uses to terrorize the follower. No one knows how much time they are facing in Purgatory, but the follower can chalk up thoBlipnds of years in "good time" before they get there. The uncertainty is terrible, and even some Popes have died in white hot terror of how much time they are facing in Purgatory.

The Whore teaches that the sinner can do good works. The Bible teaches the precise opposite.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

The Whorish system of earning merit by works is a vicious and Satanic blasphemy and denial of the effect of Jesus Christ's Blood and its power to finish the work of saving sinners.

Listen to the Apostle Paul talk about his good works:

Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

The Whore saw the uncertainty in the works salvation method of preparing for eternity, so she came up with another device of Satan which would help the frightened follower to have some degree of confidence. But, the confidence is not administered by Jesus Christ. Rather; it is administered by the priest.

This is Roman Catholic baptism.

In baptism the Catholic follower is taught that he is forgiven of original sin, and a bonus is offered-- righteousness is infused into the follower. This is God's righteousness, NOT the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

This righteousness is given to the Catholic when they are a baby in their parents arms, so they have no recollection of what happened. The same thing happens in many Reformed Protestant churches where the alleged "Covenant" is administered to the infant. The Reformers could not stand to shuck off the power of the priest to play God at the baptismal font.

Rather than being clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the Catholic is given a certificate, and they are listed in the number of those Old Mother Whore has declared accepted with God. But why are they still dead in trespasses and sins?

Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Water does not save anyone. Only Blood saves, and it is the Blood of Jesus Christ. Only those who reject water salvation and the rituals of man, and who come to Jesus alone for His saving work, will be accepted in the Beloved. The Beloved is Jesus, not Mother Church.

Do you see the power of the Roman Catholic priest? He administers the baptism which saves souls, he elevates the wafer and turns it into Jesus, thus creating the god of the Whore, and the priest performs every other souls saving ritual in the Roman Catholic system. With such power in this man we can see, why would we want to look for Jesus whom we cannot see?

The Roman Catholic follower is helpless without the priest, they are bound to the priest for eternal salvation and hope in this life and the next.

So, no matter what may APPEAR orthodox in Catholicism, there is no salvation on God's terms for the Catholic follower. This blasphemous usurpation of the place of the Godhead blasts 100% of what appears good and biblical in the Roman Whore right into hell.

Out of the same fountain cannot come bitter water and sweet. It is all polluted.

Example Two: The Whore's teaching on the Christian life.

Now, we ask if this system of rituals and rites makes a holy person of the Catholic follower.

No, not in the least. Catholics may or may not live a holy life by worldly standards. We have seen the pictures of Mafia bosses taking the sacrament at the altar rail. We know of Catholics who are raging drunks, and we know many stories of priests who are alcoholics and pedophiles. Yet, Old Mother Whore lets them continue to administer the rituals which save souls by their definition.

Thus, it is not the faith in the follower, not is it the life of the priest that brings righteousness. It is the ritual itself. When a filthy pedophiles puts on the gloves and robes and sacred garments, and when he reads the correct hokus pokus from the approved lectionary, what follows is above and beyond the filthy hands and mind of the priest. God ignores the filthy priest and honors the correct use of the ritual and readings and chants.

No one needs to understand one thing from the Word of God. The homily can be two minutes long, and the reading of the Scripture is pure ritual with no comment. It is not a matter of understanding anything at all-- It is a matter of getting every word and step in the ritual in order and with terror and awe.

Christian victory then is defined at attending. The ritual is ready in the hands and mouth of the priest. All the Catholic follower need do to keep right with God is be there, hit the kneelers on queue, slump at the altar, open his mouth in a totally passive position, tip the head back, the mouth automatically opens at this point, and in goes the cookie. Salvation is maintained, and Christian victory is complete. The coming week will be just like last week with crimes committed, adultery and sodomy, malice in business, lies abounding, drunkenness, pot puffed, and all manner of sin ongoing. Never mind, I go to Mass every week.

There is no teaching of the follower to change by the power of Christ. There is no exhortation to let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. There is one admonition-- "Be here on time." "Eat the cookie."

You reverently watch the ritual performed, you say the prayers like a zombie which you memorized long ago: you fast and deny yourself some vice for a while, and, in some parts of the world, you may be commanded to attend confession and tell the priest all your sins. Pope John Paul II has said that he would like to bring the confessional back. He knows the power of the confessional to keep Catholics in awe of the priest who can forgive sins. Also, the confessional is a great place to raise cash for Peter's Pence.

In the US Military there was an expression for the same process-- CYA, or Cover Your A__. This meant that you would do whatever was needed to provide that YOU did not get blamed for anything that went wrong. The Roman Catholic Follower is in a perpetual shuffle, from cradle to grave, of "CYA" with Jehovah God, and the priest of Rome is the only one who can "CYA" for you.

 

Example Three: The Whore's teaching on the doctrine of “the blip of the believer.”

There is nothing more glorious than the doctrine of assurance of salvation. There is a magnificent statement of it in the eighth chapter of Romans, verse 16: “The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”

2 Corinthians 1:21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Ephesians 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

An "earnest" is still in use today. It is the down payment which shows the buyer is serious. In Greece, at this hour, it is the engagement ring. It was the word found on title deeds in Pompey. The Holy Spirit is sent to the believer when he is born again. He is not there partially and needs to do a second work, as some heretic Pentecostals claim. He is not on the outside letting the priest secure the believer, as the Roman Whore claims.

The Holy Ghost enters every believer and never leaves. He convinces the sinner of his need of salvation, then after the sinner goes to Jesus Christ for salvation and receives it eternally, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to convince the new believer that he CANNOT lose his salvation-- EVER!

The Roman Whore denies this truth completely. Nothing in the Catholic follower's spiritual experience is final or finished. There is this continual need to keep new graces and merits flowing to stay born again. There is virtually NO confidence.

Here is how it works:

1. You get baptized as an infant and your original sin condition is obliterated, and God, not Jesus, gives you a big dose of righteousness which will carry you through to confirmation and your first communion.

2. At you first communion, you just barely made it in time, and now you are priming the pump regularly to keep the supply of righteousness flowing.

3. The first communion is also accompanied by the first confession. Baptism cannot take care of the sin anymore, so a new way has to be found to delete and sin account. The priest has a list of dull rituals for the sinner to repeat until his mind is numb called penance. This done, the sinner has a new dose of righteousness to carry him through until guilt overwhelms him again.

4. The Blood of Jesus cannot wash away the sin by mere confession, and eating Jesus and drinking His Blood is the only way to keep washing the sin away. Thus begins the life long ritual of getting guilty, wondering if sin has nearly canceled salvation, and going to Mass to wash the sins away with the Blood in the priest's cup.

5. One last ritual is very important-- The Last Rites. At this time, the priest (who else) must be on hand as the sinner dies. The priest says the hokus pokus of death, and the sinner is richly blessed to go to Purgatory and suffer for his sins which Jesus could not wash away on the Cross.

Does this process ultimately ever give the Catholic follower confidence he is right with God?

No, for your relatives finally will decide your fate. After you die and go to Purgatory, your suffering for your sins will depend on how much your family pays for Masses and Novinas to be said for you. One fellow who left the Whore system told us his family had already put $10,000 in escrow in the Whore treasury to get a head start getting him out of Purgatory since he had converted to Protestant, and they figured he was in for a long stay in Purgatory.

In all of this discussion, what did you see which reminded you of the teaching in the Word of God? Nothing, right? So, what shall we say for those world famous evangelists and radio and TV preachers who are these days exalting the Whore of Rome.

Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

The work of Christ is sufficient and complete, and was so at Mount Calvary and in the Garden Tomb. Nothing needs to be added to His work. To add to His work in securing salvation of all who believe in Him, is to make sure of damnation. This is the destiny of all Roman Catholics who will not leave Old Mother Whore and come to Jesus Christ alone for their salvation by faith.

III. Conclusions

Thus, we now see that the most horrendous offense of the Roman Whore is that she raises obstructions between God and man, and she makes her followers twice the child of hell that she is. Catholics perish for lack of knowledge, that is, the knowledge of the Savior Jesus Christ.

Is there an alternative to these obstructions between God and man? The answer is in the Word of God:

Psalm 145:14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Did you see the word "all" in the text? God is quite able, through the mediation of Jesus Christ, to take care of every head ache, all sailors, travelers, and every other group in need, if they are His children. This brings up the foundational problem. It is common now days for soft headed Bible believers to imagine some Catholic they know is born again. The Roman Catholic follower is NOT born again, and they show it by their lust for someone else to mediate and represent them before God the Father.

Whether it is the Pope, Tradition and Canon Law, saints, Mary, or any other device, Roman Catholics need something more than God and Jesus Christ for the simple reason that they don't have access to the Father through faith. They never had confidence, so they don't know what it feels like, and they go after the only thing they know-- the salvation of ritual and the mediation of the priest, Mary, and saints.

What does this mean to the Bible believer? What is our responsibility to the Roman Catholic followers?

The Roman Whore has a slogan in Latin-- Semper eadem, she never changes. This is a powerful admission of guilt, for the true believer changes often as he sees error in himself and in any teaching which diverges from biblical truth. The Whore of Rome dare not change one thing. The followers would get the idea that the ritual is not final, and they might lose confidence in a ritual which can be changed by the Word of God.

The Roman Whore is the same filthy harlot she always was. The garments have been washed up in recent years, but inside she is the same filthy Whore. If anything she has added and added in recent years. The latest is the doctrine that Buddhists and pagans are merely "separated brethren." Any evil bird may now roost in the Whore.

So, while we hate the filthy garments of the Whore, we make a difference between those who are full of death and have not tolerance for the truth, and we snatch those few from the flames as God gives us opportunity. Two extremes are to be avoided:

1. Some are so eager to win souls of Roman Catholics that they accept them as "almost born again." This leads to a sloppy agape method in which we simply talk the Catholic person into a better vocabulary, but they are still damned to hell, and we have played the fool.

2. Some make the mistake of turning in hate on the sinner as they come to hate the Whore's garments. This denies the truth that "whosoever will may come." Even some Catholic priests are weary of soul with the Mother Goose fairy tales they know they are foisting on the Catholic people. Yet, if they leave and come to Christ by faith, they will be excommunicated, and very few have a profession to fall back on.

Do you know a Roman Catholic whom you could reach out to and piano coversn them and invite them to come to Christ?

You have the Bible as your source of truth. You have your own faith and testimony of how the Lord Jesus saved you and changed your life. You have the whole armor of God as your defense and offensive weaponry.

You are surrounded by Satan's program on earth and by his victims whom he is devouring. You have them right where you want them-- what are you waiting for

Will you call Catholics out of the Whore to Christ?

Revelation (Apocalypse) 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

RESPONSE FROM A READER:

Hi Steve et al.,

I've just read your outstanding essay on Catholicism, and while I knew some of what you discussed, I've learned so much more and many questions have been answered. I am amazed by the research that you and Mary put into your writings, and it is obvious that you are very intelligent and knowledgeable people. Have you considered writing books? I think what you have to say is so important that your work could easily be published and sold in good Christian bookstores. It is not only as a ministry for the internet, but maybe this talent could be turned into a lucrative career as well. That study in Catholicism, for example, could be revised and expanded into a wonderful little book that would reach many people.

I, too, have been to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and I saw the well-worn toe of Peter. My grandmother took me to Europe when I was seventeen, and it was a memorable trip that I've never forgotten even though I am now sixty. In St. Peter's we found ourselves in a long line, and we thought it was admission to see something so we slowly followed others. As we neared a large statue my grandmother and I saw at once what was going on, and we were not only shocked but repulsed.

My grandmother immediately left the line and tried to pull me after her, but I wanted to see what was so awe-inspiring about this thing. When it was my turn to kiss the foot I looked the thing up and down and marveled that people could actually worship a stone statue. I lowered my head and studied the foot and toes that had been fondled and kissed by so many superstitious and ignorant people. Later I saw the crypt where Peter's chains were kept, but I've forgotten other relics. But I haven't forgotten how disgusted I felt over that statue.

Our main intent that day was to see the Sistine Chapel, but it was being refurbished and there were large scaffolds in place and all we could do was peek inside. Outside a large group had gathered in the court yard and Pope Pious came out on his balcony to give a blessing. I could barely see him -- like a small speck -- but I noticed people around me cupping their hands to receive his blessing. That, too, disgusted me. Not to mention the gift shop nearby that sold rosaries, medals, and no telling what else.

I've been in Catholic churches for various functions over the years, and it's always left me feeling uncomfortable and delighted to leave. Last summer I visited a Catholic friend who is dying from cancer. She asked me to take her to church so I willingly obliged, drove her there and helped her inside. I noticed many people praying in front of an open box.

I tried not to look too curious, but while my friend knelt to pray I maneuvered topiano coversd the front and saw people kneeling on the floor and sitting in pews in front of this box. I was told that Jesus was in that box, and the box was open for several days for "perpetual adoration".

People had signed up to keep this vigil going without a break in time. I was astonished to see this although I said nothing. But I'm still astonished when I think about those people and their bowed heads as this is but one example of how Rome keeps people in bondage. Imagine actually believing that Jesus is in the form of a little wafer, and that he is actually in a box! This is just one small illustration of much more silliness, and the simple truth and glory of Jesus is overshadowed, like you said.

But I do have plenty to say when I'm asked, and right now a young Catholic man I know is asking me about Christianity and we're having good talks. Now that I've learned so much more from your article I can "arm" myself for our next discussion.

Pardon my dissertation, but I wanted to tell you how much I've enjoyed the article, that I wonder if you'll publish professionally, and that I've seen that statue in Rome and experienced some of the nonsense you've written about.

Blessings,

Jan L_________

JAN'S SECOND LETTER:

I wrote you a while back about my experience at the Vatican when I was seventeen. I lead a Japanese women's Bible study in my home, and one young Budhist woman asked if she could bring her Japanese Catholic boyfriend. This young man was raised in a Catholic home, and he was convinced that Mary worship and medals and other things were part of Christianity. Yet, he never could really buy it, so his interest peaked in Christianity when his Budhist girlfriend told him she was attending my Bible study.

I wondered how it would be to have this young man in the class, but I decided that it would be improper to exclude him. This guy asks so many questions, but I am able to draw on my limited experience with Catholicism, the finery I saw at St. Peter's that represented wealth and superstition, and all that I've read about Catholicism in order to counter and/or answer his questions. Also, there are good Christian men and women in our area, so I'm not just alone.

A few nights ago this man and his girlfriend declared that they wanted to become Christians, so I've referred them to a fine Christian pastor we all know in a neighboring town who is anxious to talk to them. I rather believe they'll be baptised, then married before next summer!

I've recommended that this man read your article on Catholicism, and even though he'll wrestle with the English, I'm sure he'll understand it. It makes me feel good that while I found the Vatican an unpleasant experience, I am able to draw on that experience to help someone else. I think, now, that your ministry on the web is far more wide-reaching that possibly publishing books on these subjects. I find myself drawn almost daily to your site, and I can't tell you how much I've learned and how much I appreciate this ministry.

An aside -- our little group has decided to pool our money to buy extra piano coversm underwear for homeless people who sleep under the bridge and in the outer areas of the train station. It's getting very cold in Japan, and not long ago I saw a man with no socks on, and the heels were out of his shoes. His filthy feet must have been frozen solid. I decided that my contribution to our new project was to buy several pairs of cheap but heavy, piano coversm socks. (Other undergarments ought to be new.) I've asked my neighbors if they'd please donate clean, used jackets as well as clean, heavy socks, mufflers and gloves. They are reluctant, because this is Japan and this sort of charity is frowned upon, but hopefully I'll get a few takers.

Blessings to you and your family,

Jan L________

Editor: There will be no tax receipt, but if you would like to help Jan and the local church (her Bible study group) with finances to help poor Japanese people, let me know, and I will arrange for the nearby pastor of the local church in fellowship with Jan to funnel the funds to her. This will keep the thing orderly, and you will be helping on the street where it counts and where a Bible believer will follow up with the Gospel. SEND MAIL

LINKS:

Here is how "devout" Catholics feel about the Vatican
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-413266,00.html

Webzine Which Talks about the Evils in Catholicism:
http://www.relapseblipatholic.blogspot.com/

Marini to move to JerBliplem-- Declines office of Pope:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/804497.asp?cp1=1