Catholic Contradictions

[6days]

1). Did Christ Finish the Work of Redemption?

Statement - In the Eucharist “the work ofredemption is carried on” (1405).

Contradiction - "The redemption won by Christ consists in this, that He came “to give His life as a ransom for many” (622).

God’s Word - “He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12).

2). Who Can Forgive Sins?

Statement - “God alone forgive sins” (430).

Contradiction - “Only Priests can forgive sins in the name of Christ” (1495).

“The power to ‘bind and loose’ connotes the authority to absolve sins” (553).

God’s Word - “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7).

3). How Are Sins Purified?

Statement - “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified…undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (1030).

“The Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire” (1031).

Contradiction - “When He (Jesus Christ) made purification for our sins, He brought us into the Father’s presence” (2777).

God’s Word - “The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

4). Who Can Make Satisfaction For Sin?

Statement - “The sinner must recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for his sin; he must “make satisfaction for” or “expiate” his sins” (1459).

Contradiction - “Jesus atoned for our faults and made satisfaction for our sins to the Father” (615).

God’s Word - “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross…for by His wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

5). Can Sinners Merit Salvation?

Statement - “We can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life” (2027).

Contradiction - Christ’s “most holy Passion on the wood of the cross merited justification for us” (617).

“Our justification comes from the grace of God” (1996).

God’s Word - “all those who believe [are] justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom.3: 22-24).

God’s Word - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Eph 2:8-9).

6). Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

Statement - “The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude. Baptism is necessary for salvation” (1257).

Contradiction - For those “who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament” (1259).

God’s Word - “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

7).Is Mary Another “Sinless” Mediator?

Statement - “Without a single sin to restrain her…she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race” (494).

As “Mediatrix” she “did not lay aside [her] saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation” (969).

Her “prayers will deliver our souls from death” (966).

Contradiction

• “The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the one mediator between God and men. Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven” (618).

“Any person would be guilty not only of foolish behavior but also of offending Him [God] by not fixing his eyes entirely upon Christ” (65).

God’s Word

• “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).

“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

8). Should We Pray to Mary and Dead Saints?

Statement

• “We can pray with and to her. The prayer of the church is sustained by the prayer of Mary” (2679).

Contradiction

• “There is no other way of Christian prayer than Christ…it has access to the Father only if we pray ‘in the name’ of Jesus” (2664).

“Prayer is raising of one’s mind and heart to God” (2590).

God’s Word

• “There shall not be found among you anyone who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you” (Deut. 18:11-12).

9).Is Veneration of Mary & Statues Idolatry?

Statement

• “The Church is awaited by the one she venerates as Mother of her Lord and as her own mother” (972).

“The Son introduced a new 'economy” of images’ …including ‘the veneration of icons’ (2131).

Contradiction

• “The first commandment condemns polytheism. It requires man neither to believe in, nor to venerate, other divinities than the one true God” (2112).

God’s Word

• “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Exod. 20:4-5).

In conclusion, we can see how the Roman Catholic religion has confused many by combining the truth of God’s word with the deceptive teachings and traditions of men.

 

[Tonks40]

Did you want to discuss these or are you just making misleading and untrue statements?

 

[6days]

Hi That’s very Funny, I was unaware that I had logged on to a comedy forum.

 

[LilyM]

Hi That’s very Funny, I was unaware that I had logged on to a comedy forum.

Well you clearly weren’t aiming to do anything other than rant and and sow confusion by spouting off reams of vitrol as you did in your original post.

If you want genuine discussion then make a separate thread relating to each ‘contradiction’ so and they will each be properly addressed

 

[Leopard]

Hi That’s very Funny, I was unaware that I had logged on to a comedy forum.

I’ll give you the benefit of doubt that you are interested in serious discussion, But if you would take my advice, limit your discussion to one question or issue per thread. Writing one huge post addressing several separate issues is called shotgunning, and is usually an indication of a troll who just wants to upset as many people as possible. If you present yourself in this manner, you can’t blame people for thinking that’s what you are doing. The wisecrack about this being a comedy forum doesn’t help either.

Why don’t you start over. Pick one of your original points that you would like to discuss and let’s go from there.

 

[The_Fool]

Forgive me if I do not quote you, it is too long. I apologize to the Moderators.

1. I am assuming you are referring to the implied continuation versus a definite end of redemptive work. However, simply because something is done once does not imply that it has an ending. Furthermore, I would have to see the text of St. Ignatius of Antioch that your quote refers to be more specific.
2. I don’t really see what you’re arguing about unless it’s a question of representation. Who runs this country. The voters… through their representatives.
3. The full quote of the verse is 'But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin." Thus the verse places a condition on our state of cleanliness, which your quote seems to disregard.
4. Your quote from 1 Peter actually says nothing about satisfaction, but does mention healing. The contradiction was a better idea, but I believe the satisfaction mentioned in the two places are to different beings. The first is satisfaction to the father, which we ourselves could never succeed in. The other satisfaction is satisfaction to others and to ourselves. If I sinned against my father, my penance is to make amends to him. The same with my brother or sister. Furthermore, the satisfaction in this case is part of Reconciliation with God, and in this sense means to make right what is wrong.
5. The only thing I can see you disagreeing with is 2027 which says, “No one can merit the initial grace which is at the origin of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and for others…” This does not disagree with your standpoint, so please use the entire quote next time.
6. 1259 actually says, “For catechumens who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament.” Please do not misquote the Church.
7. Aside from the fact that you do not believe that Mary goes through her son to God, the quotes you use are once again imcomplete and 65 talks about other idols beside God. However, the purpose of the saints is to refine our focus on God, like a lense. If the devotion to a saint causes you to turn away from God than you have also offended the saint in question, and the fault seems more with yourself. For instance, I can look at an image of Mary and recall her devotion to her Lord and wish to imitate such great devotion for she is the closest woman to our Lord, however if I start to do things to please Mary rather than her son, than it’s a problem with me, not her. There is nothing wrong with a devotion to saints so long as the focus is where it should be.
8. The Church never says pray only to saints, and adds that saints work with Christ, not apart from him. Oh, by the way, they’re alive as they are dead to sin. The Deut. quote also refers to necromancers, or those who consult the dead for fortune telling purposes, which is not prayer. To pray is to ask, so technically I can pray to anyone, but that does not make it a proper prayer. It’s confusing, I know. Pray thee understand?
9. 972 says Mary awaits us with the Father, she is not waiting alone, but in his presence, like a handmaid should. 2131 claims “By becoming incarnate, the Son of God introduced a new 'economy” of images." Exod. 20: 4-5 says not to “carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them…” It does not say don’t make anything that looks like something else.

In conclusion, you either were given bad information or failed to read carefully. Thank you for the conversation. Let’s do this again.

 

[6days]

Yes, thank you for your work and may our Lord bless you for it as you serve.

Day6

 

[6days]

1. 972 says Mary awaits us with the Father, she is not waiting alone, but in his presence, like a handmaid should. 2131 claims “By becoming incarnate, the Son of God introduced a new 'economy” of images." Exod. 20: 4-5 says not to “carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them…” It does not say don’t make anything that looks like something else.

Thank you for the information, you are obviously working hard to answer these.
So when Deuterotomy 4:16 says,
"lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female,

Well you are obviously not involved because the RCC does not pray before statues of females.

May our Lord bless you as you serve.
6days

 

[Leopard]

Thank you for the information, you are obviously working hard to answer these.
So when Deuterotomy 4:16 says,
"lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female,

Well you are obviously not involved because the RCC does not pray before statues of females.

May our Lord bless you as you serve.
6days

I’m not sure what you mean by this. We do not pray to statues of females. Or males, or genderless representations for that matter. But we may use an image of either a man (such as a crucifix) or a woman (such as a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary) as a visual aid to help us focus our attention in our prayers. This is not unlike using the Bible as an aid to prayer.

If we happen to be in close proximity, facing such an image while praying, I suppose one might say we are praying before the image. Just as a protestant praying while holding his Bible in front of him and reading it might be said to be praying before his Bible.

May God bless you too.

 

[VociMike]

Don’t ask a bunch of different questions in one thread. One thread, one issue.

 

[promethius]

original post.

Dear God, I hope you didn’t waste a lot of time creating and typing that up. It’s completely intellectually dishonest, theologically immature, disjointed, and morally confused. I hope that was a cut and paste from someone else so that I don’t have to point out the dishonesty inherent in that hack job.

If that was your work, you have some major issues of lacking both christian charity and proper morality.

 

[Axion]

So when Deuterotomy 4:16 says,
"lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female,

Well you are obviously not involved because the RCC does not pray before statues of females.
.
6days

So, if the commandments are against using ANY GRAVEN IMAGE in worship, why did God apparently COMMAND Idolatry immediately After He’d given the Commandments?

In Exodus 25, God orders Moses to build an Ark to hold the commandments. He tells Moses how to build the Ark and cover it with pure gold, adding:
Exodus 25:18-19: “And make two cherubim (angels) out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other…The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them.”

So here we have God himself ordering Moses to produce religious statues of angels, immediately after the commandments had been given! The Hebrews bowed and prayed before these images. Therefore these commandments do Not mean what you have convinced yourself they mean. They are against worshipping idols of strange Gods, not religious images.

 

[zach_dunn]

1). Did Christ Finish the Work of Redemption?

Statement - In the Eucharist “the work ofredemption is carried on” (1405).

Contradiction - "The redemption won by Christ consists in this, that He came “to give His life as a ransom for many” (622).

God’s Word - “He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12).

I’ll start with this one.

I don’t see the so-called contradiction here. Christ gave His life to redeem mankind, but how do we get that redemption? For the people of His time it was nothing hard to understand, because they were there. But how do we get it?

We get it from the Eucharist, the Eucharist is the very same redeeming sacrifice made on Calvary made present for all of us today. Christ’s redeeming sacrifice was “once for all,” that’s why every Mass re-represents the sacrifice of Calvary “in remembrance of Him”

Sorry, but there is no contradiction here and it is not against God’s Word.

Pax,
Zach

 

[Randy_Carson]

This is a waste of time.

The OP is not interested in responses; his blast was an attempt to “prove” that Catholicism is not biblical. Stated more properly, it was an attempt to make himself feel better about his ecclesial community which does not derive any legitimate authority from the Bible or from God.

If he really wanted discussion and answers, he would have asked these questions one at a time so that he might actually consider our responses.

 

[Th0t]

1).
2). Who Can Forgive Sins?

Statement - “God alone forgive sins” (430).

Contradiction - “Only Priests can forgive sins in the name of Christ” (1495).

“The power to ‘bind and loose’ connotes the authority to absolve sins” (553).

God’s Word - “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7).

***John 20:22 After saying this he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit; 23 for those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.” ***

CCC:
**1461 Since Christ entrusted to his apostles the ministry of reconciliation,65 bishops who are their successors, and priests, the bishops’ collaborators, continue to exercise this ministry. Indeed bishops and priests, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, have the power to forgive all sins “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

1465 When he celebrates the sacrament of Penance, the priest is fulfilling the ministry of the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep, of the Good Samaritan who binds up wounds, of the Father who awaits the prodigal son and welcomes him on his return, and of the just and impartial judge whose judgment is both just and merciful. The priest is the sign and the instrument of God’s merciful love for the sinner.

1466 The confessor is not the master of God’s forgiveness, but its servant. The minister of this sacrament should unite himself to the intention and charity of Christ.71 He should have a proven knowledge of Christian behavior, experience of human affairs, respect and sensitivity toward the one who has fallen; he must love the truth, be faithful to the Magisterium of the Church, and lead the penitent with patience toward healing and full maturity. He must pray and do penance for his penitent, entrusting him to the Lord’s mercy.

1467 Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him. He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents’ lives.72 This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the “sacramental seal,” because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains “sealed” by the sacrament.**

Jesus Christ Himself gave all the authority the Father gave Him to the apostles. Who in turn passed it down, which we call, apostolic authority. God alone forgives sins, yes, but He exercises that power with the priests. The priests are in Persona Christi they are the vessels of Christ, the representatives of Christ, Christ is inside the priests. The priest does not forgive the sins themselves, but through God.

The prayer the priests say after you’ve confessed:
God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and resurrection of his Son
has reconciled the world to himself
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church
may God give you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins
in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
The penitent answers: Amen.

 

[MDK]

Hi That’s very Funny, I was unaware that I had logged on to a comedy forum.

It’s for serious commentary, and people serious about Christ. What makes your post non-serious is first of all the title doesn’t match your words. To match your post, the title should be “Things a Protestant Doesn’t Understand About Catholicism” or “Things a Protestant Doesn’t Understand Due to Being Outside of God’s Church” or “Things a Protestant Would Understand If They Understood The Truth.” I’ve corrected it for you.

 

[steve_b]

1). Did Christ Finish the Work of Redemption?

When Jesus said it is finished, what did He NOT mean?

For example, what did Paul mean when he wrote the following?

Col 1:

24Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
6:

God’s Word - “He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12).

How do you reconcile your interpretation of Heb 9:12 and what follows in the next chapter of Hebrews

Heb 10

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. 19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way which he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 26 For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27* but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.

Re: what is underlined in red, what is that referring back to?
6:

2). Who Can Forgive Sins?

Statement - “God alone forgive sins” (430).

Contradiction - “Only Priests can forgive sins in the name of Christ” (1495).

“The power to ‘bind and loose’ connotes the authority to absolve sins” (553).

God’s Word - "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (Mark 2:7).

You quote the scribes and pharisees., Jesus calls them Blind guides, hypocrits, whitewashed tombs, [Mt 23:27]

This is the usual passage protestants use and they use it just like the scribes and pharisees used it in Jesus day… In doing so, they deny the Divinity of Jesus.

Jesus is God. He has the power to forgive sins. AND He has the power to give others the power to forgive sins.[Jn 20:22…]

To argue against this is to deny the Divinity of Jesus

You list too many issues in one post for me to get to all of them so I’ll have to pass the ball to others… :tiphat:

 

[CentralFLJames]

1). Did Christ Finish the Work of Redemption?

Statement - In the Eucharist “the work ofredemption is carried on” (1405).

…

In conclusion, we can see how the Roman Catholic religion has confused many by combining the truth of God’s word with the deceptive teachings and traditions of men.

The posting limits of this forum do not permit us to engage a long laundry list of misperceptions about Catholics. I can’t accept that you are sincere and are here to spread calumny and confusion. Pick your top question since it will take many posts to get you up to speed on what Catholics really believe.

Here is a quick shotgun answer right back at you if you can handle the truth?
1)
False Contradiction - "The redemption won by Christ consists in this, that He came “to give His life as a ransom for many” (622).

Explanation - You don’t understand the difference between redemption and salvation. Christ’s single act on the cross was redemptive but not universally salvific to all men. You must follow all the apostolic teachings to participate in salvation and that includes eating of the Eucharist worthily (which necessitates repentance, confession and a state of grace).
False Contradiction - “Only Priests can forgive sins in the name of Christ” (1495).

Explanation - God gave the authority to forgive sins to His Son who gave them to the apostolic successors. The apostolic successors bind or release sins on earth through persona Christi and God in turn binds or releases in Heaven.
False Contradiction - “When He (Jesus Christ) made purification for our sins, He brought us into the Father’s presence” (2777)

Explanation - You are mixing temporal contexts - Christ is eternal as is the Father. Bringing us into the Father’s presence means we are presentable to God through Christ in the eternal “now”. This requires a fairly involved contextual framework of the catechism to harmonize your misperceptions.
False Contradiction - “Jesus atoned for our faults and made satisfaction for our sins to the Father” (615).
Explanation - You are mixing concepts of justification with sanctification. They are related as two sides of the same coin but different contexts.
False Contradiction - Christ’s “most holy Passion on the wood of the cross merited justification for us” (617).
Explanation - by following Christ’s commandments and accepting the free gift of grace that Christ won we may gain a real authentic justification that becomes “ours” through Christ. Grace is ours for as long as we do not loose it (becoming disgraced). God is well pleased in affording us “the spiritual coin” to merit ourselves and others to return dividends to God and to please Him.
False Contradiction - For those “who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament” (1259).
Explanation - Baptism is possible supernaturally but the normative means is through The Church. God is not limited to the sacramental channels and may grant mercy to whom He wills. But there is no certainty outside of the sacraments.
False Contraction - As “Mediatrix” she “did not lay aside [her] saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation” (969).

Explanation - just as the Magi entrust their gifts to Jesus through “Mary with Child” Jesus entrusts his gifts to Mary as He sees fit. Subordinate mediation is not a contradiction to Christ as sole mediator. Christ may do as he pleases and it pleases Him to Honor His Queen Mother.
False Contraction - “There is no other way of Christian prayer than Christ…it has access to the Father only if we pray ‘in the name’ of Jesus” (2664).
Explanation - the normal way all prayer is started is the sign of the cross and the words “in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”. Thus any prayer spoken to saint is subordinate through Christ’s name and His approval.
False Contradiction - “The first commandment condemns polytheism. It requires man neither to believe in, nor to venerate, other divinities than the one true God” (2112).
Explanation - Mary and all the heavenly host are “one” with Christ through the eternal beatitude. One can not honor Christ without also honoring the saints and vice versa. Catholics do not worship the saints nor honor them as a seperate deity. They are only honored and venerated in their subordinate but perfect relationship with Christ. Further, Catholics singularly (except for the Orthodox) offer true forms of worship to God through the mass and attain true Latria. No veneration on earth can reach the level of latria without the sacrifice of the mass. The Catholic Liturgy of the mass is protected and can not be used to worship anyone other than The Triune God. Therefor it is impossible for any Catholic who is going to mass to over venerate a saint to exceed dulia or hyperdulia forms of honor.

CONCLUSION:
It is shown that you lack fundamental understanding of Catholic practise or belief and are presenting false conclusions based on neo-Christian understanding of God’s Word which is not even close to what the apostle’s taught. I recommend you hang out here and engage Catholics constructively so you may know the truth and have an opportunity to work out your salvation.

James

 

[Tomster]

1). Did Christ Finish the Work of Redemption?

Statement - In the Eucharist “the work ofredemption is carried on” (1405).

Contradiction - "The redemption won by Christ consists in this, that He came “to give His life as a ransom for many” (622).

God’s Word - “He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12).

2). Who Can Forgive Sins?

Statement - “God alone forgive sins” (430).

Contradiction - “Only Priests can forgive sins in the name of Christ” (1495).

“The power to ‘bind and loose’ connotes the authority to absolve sins” (553).

God’s Word - “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7).

3). How Are Sins Purified?

Statement - “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified…undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (1030).

“The Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire” (1031).

Contradiction - “When He (Jesus Christ) made purification for our sins, He brought us into the Father’s presence” (2777).

God’s Word - “The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

4). Who Can Make Satisfaction For Sin?

Statement - “The sinner must recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for his sin; he must “make satisfaction for” or “expiate” his sins” (1459).

Contradiction - “Jesus atoned for our faults and made satisfaction for our sins to the Father” (615).

God’s Word - “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross…for by His wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

5). Can Sinners Merit Salvation?

Statement - “We can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life” (2027).

Contradiction - Christ’s “most holy Passion on the wood of the cross merited justification for us” (617).

“Our justification comes from the grace of God” (1996).

God’s Word - “all those who believe [are] justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom.3: 22-24).

God’s Word - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Eph 2:8-9).

6). Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

Statement - “The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude. Baptism is necessary for salvation” (1257).

Contradiction - For those “who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament” (1259).

God’s Word - “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

7).Is Mary Another “Sinless” Mediator?

Statement - “Without a single sin to restrain her…she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race” (494).

As “Mediatrix” she “did not lay aside [her] saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation” (969).

Her “prayers will deliver our souls from death” (966).

Contradiction

• “The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the one mediator between God and men. Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven” (618).

“Any person would be guilty not only of foolish behavior but also of offending Him [God] by not fixing his eyes entirely upon Christ” (65).

God’s Word

• “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).

“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

8). Should We Pray to Mary and Dead Saints?

Statement

• “We can pray with and to her. The prayer of the church is sustained by the prayer of Mary” (2679).

Contradiction

• “There is no other way of Christian prayer than Christ…it has access to the Father only if we pray ‘in the name’ of Jesus” (2664).

“Prayer is raising of one’s mind and heart to God” (2590).

God’s Word

• “There shall not be found among you anyone who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you” (Deut. 18:11-12).

9).Is Veneration of Mary & Statues Idolatry?

Statement

• “The Church is awaited by the one she venerates as Mother of her Lord and as her own mother” (972).

“The Son introduced a new 'economy” of images’ …including ‘the veneration of icons’ (2131).

Contradiction

• “The first commandment condemns polytheism. It requires man neither to believe in, nor to venerate, other divinities than the one true God” (2112).

God’s Word

• “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Exod. 20:4-5).

In conclusion, we can see how the Roman Catholic religion has confused many by combining the truth of God’s word with the deceptive teachings and traditions of men.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=320468&page=8

post #119