Posted on 09/27/2013 1:26:05 AM PDT by jodyel
There are about seven principle signs that identify a cult. Now when one hears the word "cult," the first connotation is that of some strange obscure religious group. But for our discussion the word cult is simply a word that describes organized heresy. In other words, any religious group that systematically teaches false doctrine. Knowing some of these signs is key to preventing people from following these cults.
The sign we will focus on here is the teaching of exclusivity. Cults will declare that they are the only way to heaven. Apart from them there is no salvation. They alone are the repositories of truth and all must join them to be saved. Here one might say, "yea, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses or the Mormons." But to infer, let alone say, that Catholicism is in this class, is to be condemned as a hate monger or Catholic basher.
To demonstrate that Roman Catholicism bears the mark of a cult is quite easy indeed. If we were left to our opinions and personal interpretations, it might be difficult, but Rome has supplied a mass (no pun intended) of evidence to use. For example:
1) "WE BELIEVE THE CHURCH IS NECESSARY FOR SALVATION BECAUSE CHRIST, WHO IS THE SOLE MEDIATOR AND EXCLUSIVE WAY OF SALVATION, RENDERS HIMSELF PRESENT FOR US IN HIS BODY WHICH IS THE CHURCH. WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THE UNITY OF THE MYSTICAL BODY, WITHOUT WHICH THERE CAN BE NO SALVATION, IS OPEN TO NO ONE OUTSIDE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH." Pope Paul VI
2) "THE HOLY UNIVERSAL CHURCH PROCLAIMS THAT GOD CANNOT TRULY BE WORSHIPPED SAVE WITHIN HERSELF, AND ASSERTS THAT ALL THEY WHO ARE WITHOUT HER PALE SHALL NEVER BE SAVED." Pope Gregory the Great (Now how is that for ecumenism!)
3) "THE CHURCH IS LIKE THE ARK OF NOAH, OUTSIDE OF WHICH NOBODY CAN BE SAVED." Thomas Aquinas.
4) "THAT THERE IS ONE HOLY CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH WE ARE COMPELLED TO BELIEVE AND TO HOLD, PROMPTED BY DIVINE FAITH, AND WE DO BELIEVE THIS FIRMLY AND CONFESS IT SIMPLY, OUTSIDE OF WHICH THERE CAN BE NO SALVATION, OR REMISSION OF SINS…." Pope Boniface VIII
5) "IT IS A SIN TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS SALVATION OUTSIDE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH." Pope Pius IX
6) "FOR IT IS THROUGH CHRIST’S CATHOLIC CHURCH ALONE, WHICH IS THE UNIVERSAL HELP TOWARDS SALVATION, THAT THE FULNESS OF THE MEANS OF SALVATION CAN BE OBTAINED." Vatican II
Now we have just cited six infallible sources of the Catholic Church to prove without reservations that they believe that they are the only way to heaven. Understand that they are saying that only Roman Catholics have a chance at going to heaven. This is classic cult mentality. The organization becomes the focus and the savior. Allow us to clearly illustrate this fact. In a recent debate with a Jesuit theologian, we were able to ask a very simple yet extremely important question. The question was "what do we have to do to go to heaven?" The answer that followed was very revealing. It clearly proved that Roman Catholicism teaches that every Baptist is going to hell, in addition to every Presbyterian, Methodist, etc. The Jesuit theologian said to go to heaven we must "do" several things. Firstly, believe the entire Bible. (Sounds like a fundamentalist.) Secondly, we must be baptized in water. Thirdly, we must keep the commandments. Fourthly, we must eat His flesh and drink His blood literally (in the sacrament of the mass). He mentioned a couple of others, but these four should suffice.
The Scripture clearly reveals to one and all that salvation comes from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. (Cf. Acts 16:30-31; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5) The entire book of Galatians was written to demonstrate the futility of believing that the Law justifies or saves anyone. But the "eating" and "drinking" the literal flesh and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ says it all. For according to Roman Catholic theology, this can only be done after a "priest"—and only a priest—says the words of consecration over the bread and wine. Hence, no Catholic Church, no priest. No priest, no Mass or transubstantiation. No transubstantiation, no eating His flesh or drinking His blood. No eating and drinking of Jesus literally, NO SALVATION!
We commend to your reading Hebrews 7, 8, 9 and 10. The mysticism is clearly not biblical and certainly not necessary for anyone to be saved. Their insistence on such heresies places them at the top of the list of religious cults. That statement may seem a bit harsh, but it is nonetheless true. Catholicism does not differ from any of the cults where our first sign is concerned. A closer look at the other signs of a cult further confirm the fact that Catholicism, while large in number, humanitarian in practice, is still unbiblical and perhaps the mother of all "Christian" cults.
friend, I cannot help you. Maybe the Holy Spirit can reach through the muck and mire of Roman Catholicism. You come back at me asking where it says what you wanted to say, but you don’t give me anything by way of direction.
They are dead. They are waiting for the resurrection! What do you not understand about that? I don’t care what the Roman Catholic Church teaches, but I knows what Scripture tells us.
“They are dead, Jim!” They are asleep until the last trump blows… and they are not going to be doing anything to help you here on earth. Claims of miracles and astounding feats are easily spread like all rumors. But just like the rumor mills, what begins with the first telling is completely twisted by the time it gets to the last ear. That confusion does not come from God. God shines his light and dispels the darkness. The light is Jesus Christ. The hope is for us. He’s shining on you now!
There’s absolutely nothing illogical about the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, or any other miraculous occurrence. They are facts. Facts aren’t logical or illogical. They just exist. Some of them cannot be explained by natural processes, but they are facts, nevertheless, and they are neither logical or illogical.
It is THOUGHT that is either logical or illogical. There is nothing in Scripture that provides an excuse to engage in irrational or illogical thinking or speaking.
In the simplest (but perfectly valid) terms, the rules of logic are simply rules for how to avoid self-contradiction. And nothing in Scripture excuses self-contradiction.
If they are facts, prove them. The rest of your verbiage is just more of the same leaping to conclusions. Give me chapter and verse IN CONTEXT from Scripture to make your points, not the catechism of the Roman organization...
Hebrews 11: 11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. ...
Well, anybody knows that the body goes into the grave.
What is the state of the soul between now and the General Resurrection?
What is a “dead” soul? Does it cease to exist, and then come back into existence later?
It seems to me that the deadness of the dead is central to your understanding of Christianity. You certainly pound on the point enough, and call people names who question this doctrine. It is obviously very, very important.
So: Where, or in what state, are the souls of people who have physically died? If they are dead, what does that mean? Non-existent. Or, existent and “frozen” somehow?
Well, anybody knows that the body goes into the grave.
What is the state of the soul between now and the General Resurrection?
What is a “dead” soul? Does it cease to exist, and then come back into existence later?
It seems to me that the deadness of the dead is central to your understanding of Christianity. You certainly pound on the point enough, and call people names who question this doctrine. It is obviously very, very important.
So: Where, or in what state, are the souls of people who have physically died? If they are dead, what does that mean? Non-existent. Or, existent and “frozen” somehow?
Same thing the man in the original article said...but Catholics won’t see that. They’ll parse it down to the nth degree to make their case and they won’t even do it with Scripture.
I can honestly see now why the Roman Catholic Church is called the Whore of Babylon!
Some Catholics are so far gone I don’t think there is any hope...never in my life have I seen such naivete, such gullibility, such utter folly and stupidity. And Catholics think we need to learn about Christianity???
I sure hope I am standing within hearing range when some of this lovely bunch come before the judgment. Un-frickin-believable!
Guys, if you want to continue in this futile quest then more power to you, but this one has had enough. Any lurker within 100 light years can see the idiocy and futility of Catholic theology. And anyone stupid enough to get sucked into the Catholic vortex gets exactly what he deserves.
You don’t believe that the Resurrection is a fact?
I thought you said you are Christian. You can’t be a Christian if you don’t believe the Resurrection happened.
Arthur, thanks for playing but you are not a winner this time. Don't bother trying again. Your questions have already been answered, if you take the time to check out God's word. If you insist on following Catholic doctrine, it's not my soul that is in danger.
Hebrews 11: ...32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
You haven’t answered my simple question:
If the person who wrote the original article is a man devoted to the truth, why did he manufacture a fake “quote” from Pope Paul VI? And a “quote” that said the opposite of what Pope Paul really said!
Can you answer that simple question?
Democrat? That lies?
This is interesting. I thought the point of this thread is that those who believe that those who don't believe as they do are damned are cultists. Now it turns out that YOU believe that those who think differently from you are damned--or at least VERY likely to be damned.
That certainly is interesting. Now that we know you are part of a cult, what is the name of your cult?
And a sin of the Holy Spirit like that WILL keep one out of heaven.
Catholics do believe in the Bible. Your information is false.
I thought you said you are Christian. You can’t be a Christian if you don’t believe the Resurrection happened.
Well, I thought I had some ignorance on display before now, but this is too much. Your question asked me if I don't believe that the resurrection is a fact. Never said that I didn't, but it cannot be proven as a fact. Because I have faith that it occurred makes the question seem misguided.
Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
The Resurrection happened. Therefore it is a fact.
I know that the Resurrection happened by faith.
Therefore, I know by faith that it is a fact.
Protestants, or non-Catholics, as I prefer to call them must not realize that everyone has a soul.
The body dies and is buried, but at the moment of death, the soul is judged by Christ. Thus, the souls of the saints in heaven and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, fully human and fully God, can hear our prayers of asking and pass them on to God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
What’s so difficult to understand here?
You don’t have to be a member of a church to be saved for heaven sakes. In today’s apostate church it usually is a hindrance to salvation!
**Truly, truly I say to you...Catholics have to be the most gullible, ignorant, unsaved group in the world.**
You cannot speak in generalities including all Catholics like this.
Should I say that all white people are fat and all black people are skinny, my post would be wiped off the forum.
Generalities only prove that specific information is unavailable to you.
I prayed on how I should reply to this rant (and others that follow) and I feel led to write this:
May Almighty God have mercy on you and I hope to see you in Heaven as much as you’ve indicated you hope to see me in hell.
Pot meet kettle.....do your posting spew attacks? I think so?
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