Ask the Pastor

  • Thread starter Thread starter JED8643
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

JED8643

Guest
.

I stumbled across a website run by a “Church of Christ” denomination set up as a kind of “ask the pastor” format. They say they provide biblical answers to any questions anyone might have.

No problem with that. Until…the dreaded Catholic section. :eek:

Anyway, need some insight to some statements they make about the history of the Catholic Church.

Here we go…

Both the Roman Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox church trace their history back to the days of Caesar Constantine. As we mentioned in the last post, Constantine made Christianity the national religion and forced all people to join it. By forcing people to join Christianity, Constantine removed all traces of the volunteer Bible-based faith that Christ died for. With national sanctions, political power, and a religious hierarchy that included cardinals, bishops, archbishops, etc., Constantine’s endorsement of Christianity suppressed Christ’s religion. This time period gave birth to a national religion that was more about politics and power than faith, hope, and love. Paul warned christians that an apostasy like this was coming and to beware of anyone that would set themselves up as head of the church (2 Thess 2:3-4).

In the end, Catholicism is a false religion because it isn’t built upon the Bible. Any religion that doesn’t use the Bible as its standard of measure is false (Gal 1:8). The Catholic church calls its priests “father” which is wrong (Matt 23:9). It tells people that they can’t eat certain foods, and it tells their priests that they can’t marry – which is wrong (1 Tim 4:3). The Catholic church teaches that the Pope is directly in contact with God and that people should follow him… once again, wrong. Christ is our direct connection to God (Heb 1:1-4), and the Bible is what we should follow (2 Tim 3:16-17). Everything about the Catholic church’s organization is in direct opposition to the Scriptures. The question isn’t how old a church is; the question is whether or not Christ is its head (Eph 5:23). There is only one pattern for the church (Eph 4:4-6), and the Catholic church is not it.

One of my favorites…

Yes. Worship and veneration of “saints” and other Catholic relics is wrong. God very specifically says that we should not serve anyone other than Him (Lk 4:8). Paul even told the Athenians that their statues of worship were a sign of their ignorance of the one true God (Acts 17:23). Catholicism doesn’t get its teachings from the Bible; they get them from a manmade organization in Vatican City, specifically the Pope. Catholicism is wrong, and many of their practices are in direct violation of Scripture (such as forbidding marriage and abstaining from certain foods – 1 Tim 4:3). Feel free to peruse other questions on the Catholic church in our archives under the Catholic category… you’ll find that time and time again Catholic practices disregard Bible truths. Religion without adherence to the Bible isn’t faithful (Rom 10:17), and it isn’t pleasing to God (2 Tim 3:16-17). It is our job to look intently into the Scriptures and test all religions against them (Acts 17:11, 1 Jn 4:1). Catholicism fails the test. If you would like help finding a congregation that passes the test, or you would like to study further, please e-mail us at

Constantine “forced” everyone to join? Really?

Might be good practice for when you run acrosss this stuff in person.

Jed
 
Hmm . . . I have found a website online that provides ample scriptural evidence for each major point of the Catholic faith. It has provided far more evidence than most protestant denominations can muster. The pastor obviously doesn’t know his history. Constantine didn’t force anyone to become Christian, he simply made it legal. If he would have forced Christianity his empire probably would have caved in from rebellion.
Thank you for pointing this one out. It is important to know what the enemies of the Church are saying and how to defend her and bring the truths she guards and teaches to all.

Pax Vobiscum
 
This is all unfactual, and unbiblical garbage, which gets passed round and round within parts of the protestant world, because no-one ever bothers to check the facts.

The only grain of truth is that Constantine was significant in the growth of Christianity from a marginal, often persecuted, religion, to being mainstream in Europe. However it was the same Christianity before and after Constantine - he didn’t create a new “fake” Christianity.
JED8643 said:
.
Both the Roman Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox church trace their history back to the days of Caesar Constantine.
Click to expand...
Off to a terrible start. We trace our history back to 33 AD, and the structures of our Church, it’s doctrines and practices can be traced throughout the first centuries. There was only the one Catholic church then - the schism between Rome and Constantinople happened in 1054.

See Did Constantine Invent Christianity and Constantine I and Christianity
As we mentioned in the last post, Constantine made Christianity the national religion and forced all people to join it.
Click to expand...
Constantine gave freedom of worship in the empire in 313 AD. He didn’t force people to join Christianity - in fact pagan worship continue within his reign, and after it.
By forcing people to join Christianity, Constantine removed all traces of the volunteer Bible-based faith that Christ died for. With national sanctions, political power, and a religious hierarchy that included cardinals, bishops, archbishops, etc., Constantine’s endorsement of Christianity suppressed Christ’s religion.
Click to expand...
  1. There are no traces of a “volunteer, Bible based faith Christ died for”, other than the bible based, Catholic church He died for. If Constantine removed all traces of any other faith, then it is just pure speculation it ever existed.
  2. The first bishops were the apostles, and they had successors throughout the early centuries.
  3. There is no record of the Catholic church in Constantine’s time suppressing “Christ’s religion”. As they now had some political power they were able to suppress some heresies - Donatism and Arianism come to mind. Does the author want to claim that these were “Christ’s religion” ?
This time period gave birth to a national religion that was more about politics and power than faith, hope, and love.
Click to expand...
A grain of truth. After Constantine, the powers in the Church had increasing secular influence and power, and church’s became more conscious of national loyalties. However, it was still the same church, teaching the same Christianity - it’s main business was still spiritual. Amongst other things, it selected the books of the bible, and preserved them.

Don’t forget that the western Roman empire collapsed in the fifth century. After that the support of the Roman emperor was worth nothing, yet the Catholic Church continued. (The eastern Roman empire, with it’s capital in Constantinople, lasted much longer).
Paul warned christians that an apostasy like this was coming and to** beware of anyone **that would set themselves up as head of the church (2 Thess 2:3-4).
Click to expand...
His first scriptural whopper! 2 Thess 2:3-4 says nothing like that! The words I’ve highlighted are central to his argument and not supported by the passage.
In the end, Catholicism is a false religion because it isn’t built upon the Bible. Any religion that doesn’t use the Bible as its standard of measure is false (Gal 1:8).
Click to expand...
Another scriptural whopper. Gal 1:8 doesn’t mention the Bible. Again, the emphasis in his words (ie. “Bible”) is not in the passage. It could just as easily refer to Catholic teaching, based on tradition and scripture.
The Catholic church calls its priests “father” which is wrong (Matt 23:9). It tells people that they can’t eat certain foods, and it tells their priests that they can’t marry – which is wrong (1 Tim 4:3). The Catholic church teaches that the Pope is directly in contact with God and that people should follow him… once again, wrong. Christ is our direct connection to God (Heb 1:1-4), and the Bible is what we should follow (2 Tim 3:16-17). Everything about the Catholic church’s organization is in direct opposition to the Scriptures. The question isn’t how old a church is; the question is whether or not Christ is its head (Eph 5:23). There is only one pattern for the church (Eph 4:4-6), and the Catholic church is not it.
Click to expand...
etc…
Click to expand...
This all just old, old stuff, which has been answered many times by Catholic apologists, and mostly from scripture itself.

For instance 10 Questions That Catholics Are Asked
Religion without adherence to the Bible isn’t faithful (Rom 10:17), and it isn’t pleasing to God (2 Tim 3:16-17). It is our job to look intently into the Scriptures and test all religions against them (Acts 17:11, 1 Jn 4:1). Catholicism fails the test.
Click to expand...
He’s on a roll! Rom 10:17 “Thus faith comes from what is heard…”. 2 Tim 3:16-17 does (at last) refer to the Bible, but does not support his interpretation. Ditto for Act 17:11 and (partially) 1 Jn 4:1.
 
Constantine himself wasn’t even baptised until he was on his deathbed. No way did he force anyone to convert!

Why do false histories stick around? There are SO many history books on both the early church and ancient Rome that clearly go against this webpage (and much of protestant teaching). It’s very discouraging to see things like this so widespread. 😦
 
Oh look at me guys I found a guy who doesn’t know what he is talking about let’s all agree that he is our enemy and generalize protestants! 👍
 
Matorin said:
Oh look at me guys I found a guy who doesn’t know what he is talking about let’s all agree that he is our enemy and generalize protestants! 👍
Click to expand...
The myth that “Emperor Constantine founded the Roman catholic false-church, which then persecuted bible believers, who were the true Christians” is standard teaching in, I think, Church of Christ, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and probably many others. I have encountered it many time with protestant friends, and on the web. It comes from centuries ago, when it was invented by anti-Catholic sect leaders, and when ordinary people did not have the resources to disprove it. Sadly, it continues today, despite the availability of the truth.

Please note that I said “some protestant circles”.
 
Matorin said:
Oh look at me guys I found a guy who doesn’t know what he is talking about let’s all agree that he is our enemy and generalize protestants! 👍
Click to expand...
Well, I think this kind of misinformation is serious, and harmful. 😦
 
Matorin said:
Oh look at me guys I found a guy who doesn’t know what he is talking about let’s all agree that he is our enemy and generalize protestants! 👍
Click to expand...
It’s not about generalizing Protestants. This is stuff Catholics run into from time to time and it is good to understand the issues before hand in order to be able to defend your faith.

This mis- information is passed off as historical fact and is veiwed by hundereds, if not thousands, of folks on the internet.

Last I checked this is a discussion forum. No offense was intended. Peace.

Jed
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top