- Mary.
Just to be thinking and studying about Mary is taking your focus off of Jesus, Himself. Without Mary, there was other virgins. Without Jesus, there is no hope.
There’s the rosary. There are other prayers mentioned in the Bible other than the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary”. People HAVE used other words and Scriptures.
Then there’s the scapular. “Wear this when you die and you’ll escape Hell fire” is the promise to believers in Mary. It is not just non-Biblical but anti-Christ.
The Bible says that there is One Mediator and that’s Jesus. Yet, on pope JPII’s desk (and on the “to do” list of the current pope) is the “infallible” order to declare Mary as co-mediator with Jesus. As soon as any pope “signs it into law” or whatever he does, that’s it?
- Shhhhh!
In the catholic religion, we’d sing “Shout From The Highest Mountain”. A good song and one of my favorites from my old memories. While the Bible says that in His presence is FULLNESS OF JOY, we had to be quiet.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to whisper in Heaven.
- Salvation
The current pope says that the catholic religion has the “exclusive to salvation”.
Let me show you the difference between the catholic religion and the Bible on the subject of Salvation:
Salvation through Faith by Grace Alone
Rediscovery of the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone, more than any other truth, ignited the Protestant Reformation. On what grounds is a sinner accepted in the presence of a holy God? Acceptance is based on the “righteousness of God in Jesus Christ” (see Romans 3:19-24 below). It is a righteousness wholly outside the sinner, accomplished by Christ, and imputed to him through the one God-given means – faith in the Savior, acceptance of His gift of eternal life.
The Bible says:
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore
no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This** righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe**. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
-Romans 3:19-24 (NIV, emphasis added)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this
not from yourselves, it is the gift of God –
not by works, so that no one can boast.
-Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV, emphasis added)
(also see Romans 5:1, 11:6; Galatians 3:6; Ephesians 2:5, 3:7; Philippians 3:9; Titus 2:11, 3:7; I Timothy 1:14)
Catholicism says:
Man is justified by baptism plus faith, plus additional works (see Catholic Catechism Ref. Nos. 1265-1271, 1987-1995). The Holy Spirit’s transforming work in the sinner becomes the grounds, along with faith, for justification. Most good Catholics are therefore very concerned with “being good enough,” “meriting,” and “earning” their salvation.
The Catholic Catechism says of baptism, for example: “
Baptism not only
purifies from all sins, but also
makes the neophyte ‘a new creature,’ an adopted son of God, who has become a ‘partaker of the divine nature,’ member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit” (Catechism 1265, emphasis added). “… Justified by faith in Baptism, [they] are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians” (Catechism 1271).
There are more, but you only asked for three.
I was a partaker of the catholic religion for half of my life. I believe if the Holy Spirit was to be given control of the Sunday morning services, each service would be different than the previous Sunday and not a service where everything said is almost 100% the same as the previous Sunday.
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