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Why I Have Decided to Leave the Catholic Church
timstaples.com ^ | April 1, 2016 | Tim Staples

Posted on 04/01/2016 12:41:08 PM PDT by Berlin_Freeper

I am letting you be among the first to know. It is true. I am leaving the Catholic Church. I want you to know that this has not been a decision made in haste or without serious and intense research and consideration. But I can no longer remain in a church that I no longer believe in.

Let me explain.

I will be writing more about this soon, but for now let me just say there are five main reasons why I am leaving the Catholic Church:

1. I believe the sole rule of faith for Christians has to be Scripture. The Holy Bible is the only unchanging and definitive word of God that a Christian can build his or her life upon. Everything else, including the Catholic claims to authority, in the end, amount to ever-changing and ultimately sinking sand.

2. I believe works or any sense of salvific cooperation with God’s grace as constitutive to a Christian’s eternal life is unbiblical. “… not of works” (cf. Eph. 2:8-9) means not of works.

3. The idea of Mary and the saints being involved in the salvation of a Christian is tantamount to a denial of the sufficiency of Christ’s redeeming work on Calvary’s cross.

4. #3 can also be said of Purgatory, the “sacrifice” of the Mass, the Catholic view of salvation/justification, and more. These and more of the elements of Catholic teaching result in a denial of the sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ. More to follow in a more detailed post.

5. What Catholics call the “veneration” of Mary and the saints is actually idolatry.

These are just for starters here. Many of you know that for the last 28 years I have defended the above teachings and more from the Catholic Church. I can no longer do so in clear conscience.

And by the way, just so you know…

April fools!


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Charismatic Christian; Current Events; Evangelical Christian; Mainline Protestant; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: aprilfool; baptism; boffo; buffoonery; cruz; epa; funnyhaha; funnyqueer; globalwarminghoax; hoax; induhvidual; joke; jokeyjoke; mary; mockery; parody; popefrancis; romancatholicism; sadoevangelism; satire; satiricalsatire; stupidlystupid; tedcruz; timstaples; travesy
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To: Arthur McGowan
Here is the absolutely central, fundamental belief of Protestantism: that Christ’s promise “I will be with you always, even unto the end of the world” meant “I will leave you adrift for 1,500 years, and then ...

This is why Protestanism cannot be true. It has no divine authority. It has no apostolic origination or succession. It was founded illegitimately. That leaves one holy catholic apostolic church that is historical and found in abundance in every century since founded by the Jewish apostles with the Jewish Messiah as the chief cornerstone.

201 posted on 04/02/2016 7:51:36 PM PDT by af_vet_1981 (The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began.)
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To: kinsman redeemer

Amazing Grace

21 personal pronouns referring to self

Versus

10 dubious references to God

A very bad Man:God ratio

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
T’was Grace that taught,
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear,
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come.
Tis Grace has brought me safe thus far,
and Grace will lead us home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
as long as life endures.

We’ve been there ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise,
than when we’ve first begun.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

Read more: Gospel - Amazing Grace Lyrics | MetroLyrics


202 posted on 04/02/2016 7:51:53 PM PDT by LurkingSince'98 (Ad Majoram Dei Gloriam = FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD)
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To: Elsie

I never said there is no such thing as Scripture. I said that Sola Scripture is not taught in Scriptu re. Whisk makes Sola Scripture self-contradictory.


203 posted on 04/02/2016 7:56:01 PM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: Elsie

Not one of the wicked men you describe ever taught a new doctrine.


204 posted on 04/02/2016 7:57:46 PM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: LurkingSince'98

BTTT! One of the reasons I won’t sing it.


205 posted on 04/02/2016 8:00:20 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: metmom

We’re the family of Jesus Christ, by and in the Spirit of Jesus Christ within each one of us....The Body of Christ joined and fitted together with Jesus as the head......

This unity is ‘wherever’ the Gospel message is given as one accepts the finished work of Christ and the offer of Salvation, a New life in Christ Jesus is born......


206 posted on 04/02/2016 8:09:00 PM PDT by caww
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To: Arthur McGowan
Art ol' boy, I'll say this. You're consistent in your roman catholic indoctrination.

I provided multiple examples of "it is written" and yet you double down on denying the reliance on the written Word.

207 posted on 04/02/2016 8:11:00 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: LurkingSince'98; kinsman redeemer
A google search of Mary Roman Catholicism yielded 41,700,000 results.

A google search of Jesus Roman Catholicism yielded 17,700,000 results.

A very bad ratio indeed.

208 posted on 04/02/2016 8:14:21 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: af_vet_1981
...and found in abundance in every century since founded by the Jewish apostles with the Jewish Messiah as the chief cornerstone.

uh...no.

Roman catholicism came into being around the 300s.

Prior to that there is no worship of Mary, no statues of Mary nor people kneeling and praying to those statues, no indulgences, no purgatory, etc,

209 posted on 04/02/2016 8:18:41 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: Legatus; MHGinTN

WRT the Athansian Creed we should remember that Athanasius lived around 500 A.D. and what was meant by the term “catholic faith” (lower case c) was the universal Christian faith not the Roman Catholic church and certainly not a religion that co-ops the term and claims everything they “develop” over the proceeding centuries becomes part of that universal faith.


210 posted on 04/02/2016 8:21:27 PM PDT by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: Jan_Sobieski
Mary is VERY special. Prophesied of in the Old Testament, fulfilled in the New Testament. She is the Christotokos, Mother of Christ!

In Genesis and Revelation the same symbols are used; the sun, the moon, and the stars. In Genesis the interpretation is given; the sun is Jacob, the moon is Rachel, and each star is one are Joseph's brethren, the head of a tribe of Israel. In Revelation the interpretation of the woman is that she gave birth to the Messiah. There is only one woman who meets that criteria. One can say that blessed Miriam/Mary represents Israel, but Israel only gives birth to the Messiah through her. She cannot be removed from this great wonder in heaven where she is surrounded by the sun (patriarchs), moon (matriarchs), stars (twelve tribes of Israel) and encompasses all the people of God, ie., the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.

And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Genesis, Catholic chapter thirty, Protestant verses twenty two to twenty four,
Genesis, Catholic chapter thirty seven, Protestant verses nine to eleven,
Luke, Catholic chapter one, Protestant verses thirty to thirty three,
Revelation, Catholic chapter twelve, in its entirety,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

211 posted on 04/02/2016 8:21:52 PM PDT by af_vet_1981 (The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began.)
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To: ealgeone

The one holy catholic apostolic church has been present with us since the first century when it was founded.


212 posted on 04/02/2016 8:23:24 PM PDT by af_vet_1981 (The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began.)
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To: af_vet_1981

You keep thinking that. History shows otherwise.


213 posted on 04/02/2016 8:24:58 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: ealgeone

As opposed to Calvinism, which has been around since the 16th Century and has an illegitimate foundation.


214 posted on 04/02/2016 8:25:48 PM PDT by af_vet_1981 (The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began.)
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To: af_vet_1981; Religion Moderator
If you're going to post verses you need to use accepted means of notation. Yours is not.

No one has any idea what book, chapter or verse these are from.

215 posted on 04/02/2016 8:27:10 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: ealgeone

That’s not what I said at all. I said that a multiplicity of Scripture verses STILL provide no support to the notion that the Scriptures contain an absolutely complete, exhaustive compendium of the Christian Faith.


216 posted on 04/02/2016 8:27:22 PM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: af_vet_1981

I’m not a calvanist.


217 posted on 04/02/2016 8:27:33 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: Salvation; LurkingSince'98
I can see why a catholic would not like Amazing Grace.

The emphasis is on GRACE! and not works or Mary!

If one pays attention the focus is on the grace that saved the individual.

You probably don't like this one either.

1The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

3He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.

6Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 23, NASB

And for that matter you probably won't like a lot of the Psalms as there is a lot of "I" usage.

218 posted on 04/02/2016 8:28:01 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: ealgeone
If you're going to post verses you need to use accepted means of notation. Yours is not. No one has any idea what book, chapter or verse these are from.

It is written below in English and has previously been approved by the RM. If you don't like the scriptures, ignore them.

219 posted on 04/02/2016 8:28:40 PM PDT by af_vet_1981 (The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began.)
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To: LurkingSince'98; Salvation; kinsman redeemer

And yet Catholics have no problem bragging on how they are saying the rosary with it’s 50 hail Mary’s compared to it’s 10 Our Fathers.

The hypocrisy and irony is staggering.

Your holier-than-thou-ness is showing mightily.


220 posted on 04/02/2016 8:30:15 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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