Will the Real Christianity Please Stand Up by Donald James Parker

Author:Donald James Parker [Parker, Donald James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sword of the Spirit Publishing
Published: 2012-10-23T07:00:00+00:00

Catholic Church

Let me start here, but I’m not giving Catholicism top billing by any stretch of the imagination. I was raised as a Catholic, and as a history buff I realize the Roman Catholic Church basically had a monopoly on Christianity for centuries. That fact didn’t trouble me much as a youth. I suppose I thought that was simply evidence that the Catholic Church really was God’s vehicle on Earth. It was only later when I got serious about the pursuit of God that it dawned on me that the Romans, in essence, hijacked Christianity and molded it into their image. The focus in the past has been on ritual and tradition, not unlike the Jewish faith. Confession of sin is made in relative secrecy to a priest, even though the Bible seems to indicate that there is only One who can forgive sins, Jesus Christ himself. Here is the text from 1 Timothy 3: 6-7,

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

However there is Biblical precedent for representatives of Christ to forgive in John 20:23, providing a situation where scriptures conflict. I’ve mentioned contradictions which seem to be irreconcilable in the chapter on the Bible. Is this one? Is the Catholic priest a representative of Christ just as the disciples were?

Protestantism arose with no small amount of resistance from the Catholic Church. I find it extremely unfortunate that the gospel of peace resorted to violence to attempt to keep the truth pure and prevent heretics from winning converts. Atheists no doubt have a field day with this situation along with their joy at bringing up the topic of the Inquisition where Catholics used swords to persuade the infidels to turn or burn. Force has no place in the conversion of people’s hearts. When they come to Jesus Christ, it must be of their own volition and with a glad heart. Non-Christians are not our enemies. Satan and his minions constitute our enemy, and those who do not know Christ are the harvest field. We can’t bring in the harvest using brute force and intimidation.

The religious war in England endured far too long. Protestant excesses of force, when they controlled the throne, helped fan the flames of conflict. We still see a remnant of this battle in Northern Ireland. Both sides fail to comprehend that theirs is not a holy war. It is a fight for political power, pride, and fleshly gain. True Christianity fights with love and truth as its primary weapons.

There are several potentially questionable practices in Catholicism. The praying to Mary and designated saints is disconcerting to Bible purists. The use of statues could constitute the building of idols. The celibacy requirement of priests seems to be unbiblical. Their claim to be the true church of Christ ruffles the feathers of many. And the practice of infant baptism by sprinkling has no Biblical support. The claim that the communion wafer is actually the body of Jesus Christ makes Protestants shudder.

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