By the way, who is St. Justin Martyr?
St. Justin Martyr lived in the second century. He was a pagan who converted to Christianity and wrote books about the Christian faith to the Romans, to counter rumors about Christians being cannibals, infant sacrificers, etc. (because those rumors could bring persecutions.) As his name suggests, Justin Martyr was martyred under the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Your story is very powerful. I teach 9th grade Catholic kids at CCD. I teach them apologetics. Many of them are very laid back and don’t appreciate their faith. May I use your story as an inspiration to get them to be thankful for the gift they have and maybe even a little more proactive on their part.
Yeah, all of the “Catholics” I know at school are actually atheists (they will deny God’s existence.) You can use my story anytime you want. You can ask me questions if you want.
Jesus tells him “Get thee behind me Satan…” Perhaps you guys don’t believe that particular verse…it would really put a big question mark on how much authority the catholic church has after all in matters relating to Jesus Christ???
In the Catholic calendar, every verse in the Bible is read over a course of 3 years (excepting stuff like geneaologies.) So, we don’t avoid Scriptural verses. Jesus was talking to Satan who was trying to influence Peter. And, in John 20, Jesus gives Peter a final commission (“feed my sheep”.)
Besides insisting on the observance of the Jewish Sabbath, they also keep Kosher differentiatiating between “clean and unclean” meats (when they eat meat at all, a lot of them are vegan).
Yeah, we have lunch after the worship service and there’s never any meat! It drives me nuts!
They insist on keeping the Jewish law, and do not differentiate between the Old and New Testaments.
Yeah, even though I’m pretty sure no SDAs have separate food cabinets or don’t wear clothes made of two fabrics.
They beleive in “soul sleep” that when we die we are completely dead, without a soul until the ressurection.
I’ve come to believe that this doctrine was invented for the sole purpose of denying the communion of saints.
They believe that Jesus and the Archangel Micheal are the same person.
I’ve heard that before (they interpret the scene of Michael casting the dragon out in Revelation to actually be Jesus.) My mom’s congregation is, thankfully, orthodox as far as the Trinity goes. Can’t say about the early Adventists, though.
The most important difference is that they beleive that their foundress Ellen G White was an inspired “prophetess”, the “voice of prophecy” and they put her writtings on the same level as the Bible, even though the majority of her writtings were plagarised, and filled with outright lies about the CC and huge historical innaccuracies.
Yeah, I’ve found quite a bit of historical inaccuracies. Ellen White bothers the heck out of me.
They forbid their women to wear makeup of any kind, and no jewelry, including wedding rings.
I think my congregation is liberal on this one. I see some people wearing jewelry.
Very easy to show otherwise using the St. Justin Martyr quote you provided.
to think of how difficult this is for you. I will do what I can to find information to help you, but it may be out of your control, if these people you love are immersed in this sensationalism. The best thing you can do is continue to pray for them to see the Truth in the Catholic Church and be ready with apologetics when needed. I know this must be very painful for you. I would never go back to that chuch and put yourself through that again.
