Posted on 02/22/2024 4:01:28 PM PST by Roman_War_Criminal
Christendom is a word I view as designed by secularists of the world to encompass their misunderstood view of what comprises True Christianity. Under this misunderstanding, all who claim to be Christians are, according to this worldly definition, Christians. All fall under the term Christendom.
There are many sects, faiths, and religious systems that the secularists include within their favored term to encapsulate, to one degree or the other, religious belief in and spiritual embrace of the figure called Jesus Christ. These are each and every one false.
In my own view of what it means to be a Christian, there is but one system of faith. There is no other person, method, or anything else that can make a person a Christian. That Faith system, the Bible –God’s Word—tells us that Jesus Christ alone is the Savior of mankind. The person is a Christian who accepts without question what Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6).
There is nothing that stands between God and the human being other than Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten (born in the flesh) Son.
It is with this Truth from God’s Word –the Bible—that I must somewhat qualify, or perhaps explain, the title of this article.
Pope’s defection – a key end times signal
The Catholic system of belief –of which there are several versions—often is separated by those commentating on the Catholic faith as differing from mere Christianity. This is, presumably, because those devotees to that system consider their Catholic Church as the only True Church to the exclusion of others that left as part of the Reformation and since have divided into multiple factions of Protestantism.
Catholicism says there are layers of mediators between God and mankind, i.e., one must confess to a priest, who might take the confession to the Mother of God (Mary), who, again, presumably might take the confession to the Son (Jesus) Who then, presumably takes the confession and obtains the forgiveness necessary from God the Father. At least, this is my –a neophyte in comprehension of the Catholic system— cursory understanding of how the Catholic system of mediation works.
I cannot even begin to accept this for many reasons, but to name just one reason, I offer this Truth from God’s Holy Word.
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5).
Now, I write all of the above in order to try to explain how the Catholic pope –Pope Francis—has “defected” and why this “defection” is a key end times signal.
My belief in Christ alone for salvation precludes my counting the pope as within Christianity, but rather under the Christendom umbrella posited by the secularists, as I’ve tried to show above. So, when I say that Pope Francis has “defected,” I don’t mean that he has, in my view, defected from the True Christian Faith.
In my view, because of the Catholic Church’s declaration that there are a number of mediators between God and Man (as just one reason in this regard), this pope –or any other pope—can’t defect from a faith system under which they’ve never been.
This said, this pope, Pope Francis, has defected from that faith system –Catholicism—which has in common with True Christianity the belief that God finds homosexuality to be an egregious sin of an abominable sort. This agreement between the True Christian Faith and the Catholic faith does point starkly to the defection that this pope champions.
The following helps make understandable the end times apostasy at this late hour of the Church Age (Age of Grace).
Pope Francis is now accusing opponents of priestly gay-couple blessings of being hypocrites when, in fact, his blessing of homosexual relations and calling it good is hypocrisy. According to Francis, all the holy popes, bishops, and saints of Church history were hypocrites because they denied blessings to gay couples and barred them from the Church.
In a recent interview, Francis expressed his strongest words thus far concerning his decision to bless homosexual couples. He told NBC: “Nobody gets scandalized if I give my blessings to a businessman who perhaps *exploits people, and this is a very grave sin. But they get scandalized if I give them to a homosexual, Pope Francis, via ‘Credere.’ This is Hypocrisy.”
This is a highly inappropriate comparison and reflects an obstinate attempt to continue his blessing of homosexual unions. His argument holds no water. Comparing a businessman to a homosexual makes as much sense as comparing a carpenter to a rapist. A carpenter, by definition, is a responsible working man, whereas a homosexual, by definition, is a sex offender on the path to perdition. Businessmen generally are responsible people working to support their families, unlike homosexuals whose criminal lives “cry to heaven for vengeance.”
If a businessman comes to a priest for a blessing, it means he truly wants this blessing for his soul and for success in his work, so the priest should bless him. And while he might commit some sins or faults in his work, that’s not a reason to deny him a blessing. “A just man shall fall seven times” (Proverbs 24:16) and then rises.
Whereas, if a homosexual couple comes to a priest for a blessing, it’s because they want their shameful relationship blessed. Were it otherwise, they wouldn’t dare to approach the priest ‘holding hands’ together. They want their gay union blessed, so Francis blesses it because he is a gay sympathizer. He is blessing their homosexual aspirations, not their souls, thereby working their eternal ruin, and then he calls it “good.” That is hypocrisy! [Source: Francis: Opponents of Clerical Gay Couple Blessings are ‘Hypocrites,’ by David Martin, Canada Free Press, February 8, 2024]
My writing of late has been on the likeness of our present time to being like that of Lot’s day in Sodom. This pope and his declarations –the latest being on the matter of sodomy and his opposition to his Catholic faith system, highlight, I think, just how near is that moment when Jesus foretold He will next be “revealed” and God’s judgment would fall on a Sodom and Gomorrah-like people.
There are today pronounced instances of falling away within major denominations from the True Faith found in God’s Holy Word. Homosexuality is at the heart of much of this defection. This “defection” by this pope from his own false system also smacks of Paul’s forewarning found in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 about the falling away (the apostasy) that will occur just before Antichrist comes onto the scene following the Rapture of the True Church –all born-again believers.
“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” (2 Thes 2:3).
Despite God’s dire forewarning about those who fall under what He calls the abomination of homosexuality, He desires to forgive and bring into His family all who repent and believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, for salvation. And I must say here that those who are Catholics who believe in Jesus Christ alone for the salvation of their souls are “in Christ” forever. But they are saved in spite of, not because of, their Catholicism. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Here is how to receive God’s Forgiveness and be part of God’s Heavenly Family forever.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
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Maranatha!
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Admits that the Reformation comes out of Catholicism.
Denies that Catholicism is Christianity.
Rightly calls out the apostate in the chair of Peter.
This essay is...interesting, to say the least.
Reformation did not come out of Catholicism. Yes, some priests and congregants "reformed," but the true Church of Christ was in existence all along. The RCC tried to destroy it to no avail.
Denies that Catholicism is Christianity
That statement is true.
Rightly calls out the apostate in the chair of Peter
Everyone that sat in that chair was apostate, so, yeah.
The author’s understanding of Catholicism, as evidenced by his description of the Sacrament of Confession, is fatally flawed.
Our discussion is done. The hate expressed by some over the Catholic Church is not worth getting into another debate. I’ll worship the Lord God the way I have for decades.
Good evening.
“This essay is...interesting, to say the least.”
I too, was suitably impressed enough to respond .. .
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.
2 Cor 13:2”
This simple verse is GOOD advice ! Believe in God ? Check. Believe in His Son, Jesus Christ ? Check. Believe that you are SAVED by Grace through FAITH, NOT works of any kind. That Jesus died for YOUR sins and rose for YOUR JUSTIFICATION ? Check. Sounds like I AM in the FAITH.
I very much doubt that the current Pope would answer “Yes” to any of those questions .. .
As a former Roman Catholic, I have zero issues with the way this was written/presented.
Finding truth is hard.
When folks fight it, they call it ‘hate’ I’ve noticed. Doesn’t matter what side of the political spectrum one belongs to.
Accusing others of *hate* because they disagree with you is a liberal/leftist talking point.
If you are accusing others of *hate* because they see things different from you, then it’s a good guess there is some massive projecting going on.
And I don’t know if you (Don) are even going to read this comment, but if you do, do not feel obligated in the least to respond to it.
What I said was in no way based in “hate.” It was based in fact, facts that not very well known by many people. Getting into a huge debate, though, will solve nothing because (especially in this day and age) people’s mind as pretty well made up and they aren’t likely to change. All we can do is pray that people’s minds will be opened.
Agreed. Those who opine about about Catholicism should at least be able to present what it actually teaches, not an uninformed caricature of it. If one wants to learn what the Church teaches, he should go to the source and not take the word of someone who has a demonstrated animus toward it.
Martin Luther mentioned a few things he took exception with.
I’m not sure I understand your point.
I posted an observation from my decades of membership on this site about Protestants vs Catholics on this site in a Catholic-bashing thread. Your response is rather telling.
The absolute rage and hate expressed by members of one group or the other, whilst some members of one or the other try to extend olive branches is most disconcerting.
Look at “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland for a perfect example. One group keeps goading the other, then back again, until they both end up in deep blood feuds.
Denying that there have been comments of the type I mentioned is part of the problem, and I don’t know how to ease, mitigate or assuage the virulent, spiteful, rage-filled comments of some. After a few rounds of “getting into it” with some folks, I took a more distant approach.
The vitriol put forth towards my simple humble statement confirms my reluctance to engage in discussion. Some folks are just not rational. Indeed, some long for conflict and distress.
I am not one of those, I only wished to share an observation.
Good night.
From a different perspective guess who looks like the *haters*? It’s those who call Protestant *heretics* and condemn them to hell for not submitting to Catholicism.
And there are certainly enough threads posted on almost a daily basis that could be considered *Protestant bashing*. All you have to do it is go look at the daily RF postings and see how the slightest infraction or imperfection in moral integrity by a non-Catholic is brought to everyone’s attention, but the Catholic ones are never posted about by the same poster.
Catholics cannot claim to be the martyrs here and claim victim status as they can dish it out with the best of them.
If you are perceiving the disagreement with Catholic theology and doctrine as *rage and hate* then you are projecting because no one can tell from the printed word the thoughts and emotions behind what is said. And pointing out doctrinal error by showing what Scripture said is neither *rage* nor *hate*. Presuming you know the motive and thoughts of the person making the comments is an assumption, plain and simple.
No *vitriol* has been expressed to your statements and for you to label them as *humble*, well ..... no comment. I guess I can say they don’t come across as humble as you seem to think.
Many of us use that and are still told we are wrong about Catholic belief.
What I find interesting is that we try to debate doctrine and theology and use Scripture to support our position and keep from making personal attacks, and then we are attacked, called *heretics*, *haters*, *anti*, etc, while being personally attacked, and yet, we are the ones called *haters*.
Discussing theology and doctrine is not *hate*. Name calling and personal attacks is what can easily fall into that category.
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