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http://www.reformed.org/webfiles/antithesis/index.html?mainframe=/webfiles/antithesis/v1n5/ant_v1n5_why.html Why I Left Protestantism for Catholicism Jeffrey A. Tucker I am no fan of "conversion" essays, which are sometimes pompous and self-serving. My purpose is to achieve a greater spirit of mutual respect. How rare are Protestant conversions to Catholicism? More rare than reverse, but I know enough cases, including my own, to make the subject worth exploring. J.I. Packer recently wrote in Christianity Today (May 1989) that the contrast between the "zany wildness" of Protestantism and the "at-homeness" of Catholicism alone is sufficient to explain conversions to Catholicism. It is the only Church that can, and does, claim...

February 2, 2015 Let me start by saying that it’s not wrong for a new believer to be immature any more than it’s wrong for a child to be childish.Puerility is only annoying in an adult. When a four year old dons a cape and wears his underwear over his pants, claiming x-ray vision it’s cute. When his dad does that it’s concerning (or certifiable).When you’ve been a believer for many years though, lack of these indicators should be concerning.Mature believers possess these 5 indicators…1. An Appetite for MeatIt’s good to enjoy the milk of the gospel with every meal....

Caesarea Philippi... Gates of Hades?Carol Brooks  “He asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven....

Most Catholics know we are supposed to attend Sunday Mass every week and observe various holy days of obligation throughout the year. It’s an obligation, however, that many do not observe. As my parish priest joked years ago when the pews of our sleepy rural parish were unexpectedly full, “There must be nothing going on in Tweed [Onterio] today.”I suspect part of the reason so many Catholics ignore the Sunday obligation is, counter intuitively, the very word “obligation.” Our culture is not one that deals well with concepts like duty and obedience. The words “I was just following orders”...

<p>Matthew Aune and Derek Jones were...strolling through Main Street Plaza just east of the Salt Lake Temple, the holiest site in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.</p> <p>Aune bussed his partner on the cheek. Church security guards appeared. The twentysomething men said they were cuffed and forced to the ground. The church's official statement said the couple had been "engaged in passionate kissing, groping, profane and lewd language" on private church property, an account the two men vigorously contested.</p>

The LDS Church is asking for Mormons to weigh in about Temple garments. LDS officials are requesting public comments about the fit, fabric, size and style in an effort to propose changes and improvements. The move comes after last year when the Utah-based faith posted photos and videos of the misunderstood clothing to explain them to so-called gawkers.

Roman CatholicismLoraine Boettner ©1962Part 7 MARY. 1. Mary’s Place in Scripture. 2. ‘Mother of God.’ 3. Historical Development. 4. Contrast between Roman and Protestant Teaching. 5. Mary as an Object of Worship. 6. Mary Usurps the Place of Christ. 7. Mary Represented as more Sympathetic than Jesus. 8. One Mediator. 9. Adoration or Idolatry? 10. Latria—Dulia—Hyperdulia. 11. Jesus’ Attitude towards Mary. 12. The Protestant Attitude towards Mary. 13. Were There Other Children in the Family of Joseph and Mary? 14. The Immaculate Conception. 15. The Assumption of Mary. 16. Rome’s Real Purpose in the Exaltation of Mary.1. MARY’S PLACE...

2,579 Catholic priests, seminarians, and religious were deported from across Europe to the Dachau concentration camp, according to a newly published French book. 1,034 of them, 868 of whom were Polish, died there. According to Guillaume Zeller’s La Baraque des prêtres, Dachau, 1938-1945, the priests included German priests who spoke out against euthanasia, Polish priests who were considered part of Poland’s elite, French priests who resisted the Nazis, and a French bishop who aided the Jews. “The Dachau camp remains the largest cemetery of Catholic priests in the world,” said Zeller in an interview with Le Figaro. They “maintained their...

This is a continuation of my review of The Protestant’s Dilemma: How the Reformation’s Shocking Consequences Point to the Truth of Catholicism (San Diego: Catholic Answers Press, 2014, Kindle edition) by Rome's defender, Devin Rose. The book throughout presents caricatures of Protestant positions, illogical conclusions, shoddy documentation, assumes the truth of the Roman Catholic worldview without proving it, and demonstrates that the author did not apply his own criteria to his own position. Section 2 of TPD  is entitled, "The Papacy." It's a short chapter, under 1000 words. The temptation in reviewing it is is to respond at a much...

In my new book, Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines, , I spend most of its pages in classic apologetic defense of Mary as Mother of God, defending her immaculate conception, perpetual virginity, assumption into heaven, her Queenship, and her role in GodÂ’s plan of salvation as Co-redemptrix and Mediatrix. But perhaps my most important contributions in the book may well be how I demonstrate each of these doctrines to be crucial for our spiritual lives and even our salvation.And I should note that this applies to all of the Marian doctrines. Not...

WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will support civil rights for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people if religious freedom protections also are ensured, its leaders announced Tuesday (Jan. 27). Southern Baptist leaders, however, said the Mormons' approach to the conflict between sexual rights and religious liberty is naive and unhelpful, as well as unacceptable to proponents of LGBT rights. In a Salt Lake City news conference, Mormon leaders described their stance as "fairness for all" -- or a "balanced approach between religious and gay rights" that endorses protections in housing, employment and public transportation...

Over the past few weeks, I have received no less than three inquiries regarding the early church’s celebration of the Lord’s Table and its implications for the evangelical church today. Two of these inquiries have come from Roman Catholics, each of whom has suggested that the Roman Catholic practice of transubstantiation best represents the way the Lord’s Table was observed in the first few centuries of church history. Over the past few weeks, I have received no less than three inquiries regarding the early church’s celebration of the Lord’s Table and its implications for the evangelical church today. Two of...

Mormon church leaders are making a national appeal for a 'balanced approach' in the clash between gay rights and religious freedom. The church is promising to support some housing and job protections for gays and lesbians in exchange for legal protections for believers who object to the behavior of others. It's not clear how much common ground the Mormons will find with this new campaign. The church insists it is making no changes in doctrine, and still believes it's against the law of God to have sex outside marriage between a man and a woman. Scroll down for video

prominent Republican delivered a direct request to Mitt Romney not long ago: He should make a third run for the presidency, not for vanity or redemption, but to answer a higher calling from his faith. Believing that Mr. Romney, a former Mormon pastor, would be most receptive on these grounds, the Republican made the case that Mr. Romney had a duty to serve, and said Mr. Romney seemed to take his appeal under consideration. Three years ago, Mr. Romney’s tortured approach to his religion — a strategy of awkward reluctance and studied avoidance that all but walled off a free-flowing...

I’ve read the replies on other threads about the subject of who or what a “real” Christian is, and there are some issues I believe have presented themselves as a result of these discussions that have a great deal to do with what is happening in America today. The main thing I’ve noticed is that there doesn’t seem to be a generic Christian. Not only do people who call themselves Christians not believe those who think differently than them on the subject are actually Christians, they also think those people are going to go to hell, forever, because of the...

Much of America is excited about the MLK movie titled “Selma”; however, there is discussion, debate, and some say distortion, if not dishonesty, about the role Lyndon Johnson played in some of King’s activities, especially the 54-mile march from Selma to the Alabama capital of Montgomery that led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Let me state clearly that I have little to no respect for Johnson or King and I’ve made that judgment based on their lives, not because Johnson was a Democrat and King was a Black. One’s political party or one’s race is...

Joel Osteen, filthy lucre and the cult of personality, three points of reference and intersection that seemed so distant, so separate, so distinct . . . until today. The atmosphere is electric, buzzing with anticipation. Osteen is about appear. If you were not mistaken you might think you were at a rock concert, the only thing missing might be the smell of pot and the tatted up, scantily clad teenagers. Osteen is televangelism’s new rock star. He is what is referred to as a prosperity preacher, suggestive of the belief that God is keen to see his children prosper in...

June 10, 2014Upon This Rock by Nathan Busenitz In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said to Simon, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”Roman Catholics interpret Matt. 16:18 to mean that Peter is the rock upon which the church is built. That interpretation then becomes the basis for the doctrine of papal succession. If Peter is the rock on which the church is built, and if the bishops of Rome are Peter’s successors, then it follows, they say, that the papacy remains the foundation of the church.But...

An excerpt from the article: Can the claim of the Catholic magisterium to formulate and impose obligatory laws on God's people be supported by the Scriptures? For the sake of argument, let's concede that church leaders have the authority to impose new obligatory rules. In that case, though we would not expect these rules to be written in the Bible, we would expect that they do not contradict the teaching of the inspired Scriptures. We open the Bible to investigate. First we find this passage... So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival...

In his canonization Wednesday morning of Sri Lanka's first saint, Pope Francis cited three reasons why Joseph Vaz sets an example, even today: — Exemplary priest: "He teaches us how to go out to the peripheries, to make Jesus Christ everywhere known and loved." — Transcending religious divisions: "His example continues to inspire the Church in Sri Lanka today. (The Church) gladly and generously serves all members of society. She makes no distinction of race, creed, tribe, status or religion." — Missionary zeal: "I pray that, following the example of Saint Joseph Vaz, the Christians of this country may be...