Catholicism VS Protestantism DEBATE Justification

[Jonlion]

Haven't got time to look through all the posts and feelings on Rome and the papacy.

I don't know which part you are attacking because the Inqusistion is linked to a certain period but I would agree that this section has lost a little of greater discussions on the Lord and his word, testomonials etc

I might add this though:

As for mthe one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 nOne person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and olet not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 pWho are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 qOne person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. rEach one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since she gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For tnone of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, uwhether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ vdied and lived again, that he might be Lord both wof the dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For wwe will all stand before xthe judgment seat of God;



Do not hear me wrong, we are to stand up against false doctrine, no problem with that BUT what do we think this passage means

[NateR]

Originally Posted by Jonlion

Haven't got time to look through all the posts and feelings on Rome and the papacy.

I don't know which part you are attacking because the Inqusistion is linked to a certain period but I would agree that this section has lost a little of greater discussions on the Lord and his word, testomonials etc

I might add this though:

As for mthe one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 nOne person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and olet not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 pWho are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 qOne person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. rEach one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since she gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For tnone of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, uwhether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ vdied and lived again, that he might be Lord both wof the dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For wwe will all stand before xthe judgment seat of God;



Do not hear me wrong, we are to stand up against false doctrine, no problem with that BUT what do we think this passage means

While I do believe that there may be a lot of true Christians trapped in Catholicism, you have to admit that the Catholic system allows for a plethora of opportunities towards idolatry. The Bible strictly commands against making "graven images" of GOD, so why are there so many statues of Jesus Christ scattered around Catholic Churches and households? Don't Catholics realize that praying to an image of Jesus Christ still counts as praying to an idol?

That's not even counting the statues of Mary, the Saints, crucifixes, Rosary beads, the Shroud of Turin, etc that Catholics pray to. All of that falls into the category of idolatry.

Now, I know the Catholic defense is that they aren't praying to Mary, the Saints, Rosaries, etc.; they are praying "through" them. However, Jesus Christ stated that He is the only mediator between GOD and man, thus a physical "focus" for prayer is, at best, unnecessary, at worst, idolatry.

Now is it possible for Protestants to be idolatrous? Of course, many Protestants worship the symbol of the cross, their pastor, their family, their jobs, church buildings, or even the Bible itself instead of GOD. So, I'm not saying that Protestants are 100% innocent in this.

[Jonlion]

Originally Posted by NateR

While I do believe that there may be a lot of true Christians trapped in Catholicism, you have to admit that the Catholic system allows for a plethora of opportunities towards idolatry. The Bible strictly commands against making "graven images" of GOD, so why are there so many statues of Jesus Christ scattered around Catholic Churches and households? Don't Catholics realize that praying to an image of Jesus Christ still counts as praying to an idol?

That's not even counting the statues of Mary, the Saints, crucifixes, Rosary beads, the Shroud of Turin, etc that Catholics pray to. All of that falls into the category of idolatry.

Now, I know the Catholic defense is that they aren't praying to Mary, the Saints, Rosaries, etc.; they are praying "through" them. However, Jesus Christ stated that He is the only mediator between GOD and man, thus a physical "focus" for prayer is, at best, unnecessary, at worst, idolatry.

Now is it possible for Protestants to be idolatrous? Of course, many Protestants worship the symbol of the cross, their pastor, their family, their jobs, church buildings, or even the Bible itself instead of GOD. So, I'm not saying that Protestants are 100% innocent in this.

Agreed,

It is baffaling to me that when the bible is so clear and direct that God allows no idols and invites us to speak directly, even to pour out alll our worries that Catholiscism has such an emphasis on man albeit some of them great.

I guess somehting that I think about is a sermon I heard on how we approach God. He is to be treated like a father, some we can open our hearts to BUT remembering he is to be revered and his God. In some respects I get that reverance other institutions hold but this has to be tempered with a relationship, God always wants your heart.

Speaking from experience..........my wife was raised Catholic and went to Catholic schools from K-12. When her and I began dating, I took her to a protestant church and she was amazed by what she heard. She had been taught all the bible stories and all the ceremonies in her Catholic upbringing, but she never heard the GOSPEL! Thank God that she came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Over the years, I have met many people whom my wife went to school with and sadly most of them consider themselves agnostic or atheist. And the ones that do profess to be believers don't have a clear biblical view of who God is!

The theology of the Catholic Church is extremely flawed and dangerous!! It is our duty to expose it as such!

[Tyburn]

here we go again

Originally Posted by Tyburn

here we go again

I know I was kind of late to the discussion, but just my observation.......

Not sure how the Catholic Churches are in England, but here in the US, their teachings are very flawed.