Another Mary Another Jesus


By Noel Chartier

“Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2Corinthians 11:1-4).

How many Jesus' there are that are preached today that do not conform to the sacred script of our Bible. The Mormon Jesus is the brother of Satan; the Jehovah Witness' Jesus is not the Almighty God. The God of Islam has no son and Jesus is a secondary prophet behind Mohammed. The Roman Catholic Jesus on the other hand is transformed into a cracker called the “host” to be worshipped and adored and then eaten. As time goes on we can be sure to see many more of these Jesus' with whom we cannot identify.

Among the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church (who claims her teachings are infallible) we find, as well, quite a different Mary than that which we find in the Bible. The Roman Catholic Church calls Mary the “Mother of God”. While this phrase is foreign to the Bible, we can agree to this only in the sense that Elizabeth used when visited by Mary when she said “And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43)

Of course God has no mother for He is eternal without beginning or end. And Mary is a creature but no doubt the mother of the prepared body (Hebrews 10:5) our Lord would tabernacle in while in the flesh. While the Greek word kurios, translated here as “Lord”, is usually used to refer to God, it is also used to denote a title of honor expressive of respect and reverence, with which servants greet their master.

Which of these Elisabeth has meant may not very well be known here but at the same time we must be aware that the majority of times this word is used, it is representing the Messiah and God. It should be noted as well that when the Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT Hebrew Scriptures) was produced, the name for God (Jehovah) was translated as kurios over 6000 times.

But the sense used by the Roman Catholic Church in the phrase “Mother of God” is spurious for through it they have elevated Mary to the place of worship, praying to her, making idols in her image, venerating and blessing them which is an “abomination” (Isaiah 66:3). “Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman” (Deuteronomy 27:15).

Catholics are taught to believe that when Christ was on the cross, when He told his mother “behold thy son” (referring to the disciple), and He told the disciple “behold thy mother” (John 19:26-27), that this is to be interpreted that Mary is the Mother of all in the church. But Christ said, “whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12:50). In another instance, there was a woman who shouted in a crowd to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But Jesus said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it” (Luke 11:27-28).

It is quite clear that doing the will of our Father in heaven by hearing and keeping His word, is far more important than bearing the body our Lord Jesus tabernacled in. As it is written, "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).

Another Mary


The Immaculate Conception

The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary is a highly misunderstood dogma of the Roman Catholic Church. This dogma, which was proclaimed as truth by the Roman Catholic Church in 1854, is irrefutably at enmity with the teaching of the Scriptures. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is not that Mary was a virgin when she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit (as many think), but that she was born without sin and lived an absolutely sinless life. But, according to the Scriptures “there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

In fact, in the book of the Revelation, the question was asked, “Who is worthy” and the answer came back “no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth” (Revelation 5:2-3). The Bible is very clear that all have sinned, and that there is not one that is righteous, NO NOT ONE. In Titus 1:2 it states that God “cannot lie” and by stating that we have no sin “we make him a liar” (1John 1:8-10). The Roman Catholic Church through their false teaching concerning the “Immaculate Conception of Mary” are wickedly making God a liar.

Mary however, never proclaimed that she had no sin. It is sin that separates us from God, and because we are all sinners, God in his infinite love for us, made a way that we could be reconciled back to him. This reconciliation is possible ONLY through Jesus Christ our Savior. The name Jesus means Savior and this is what the angel Gabriel told Joseph, “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Because all have sinned, Mary too needed to come to the place where she could say, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour” (Luke 1:46-47).

In the “Hail Mary” (prayer of the Roman Catholic Church) they state that Mary is “full of Grace” as if this is something special to her only. In the “Pocket Catholic Dictionary” (Nihil Obstat, Imprimatur, 1980) it states, “Her sinlessness may be deduced from the Gospel title “full of grace”” (pg. 245). This they take from the passage in Luke wherein the angel Gabriel communicated to Mary that she would bear the Messiah. “Hail, thou that art highly favoured [Gr. charitoo or “full of grace”], the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28). But the fact of the matter is that all the redeemed are “full of grace” or rather, “highly favoured”. Paul praises God for all our blessings “wherein he hath made us accepted [Gr. charitoo] in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:6-7).

The Bible mentions only one person who was ever “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15) and this was Jesus Christ our Savior. God “made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). If Mary had no sin she could have been a candidate for the Messiah (perhaps this is why they call her co-redemtrix). But the Bible only mentions one “redeemer” and “one mediator between God and man” (1 Timothy 2:5), and that there is only one name under heaven “whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12), and find reconciliation with the Father (John 14:6), that is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ever-Virgin Mary?

The Roman Catholic Church also declares that Mary was Ever Virgin. However this is also unbiblical. The Bible in fact seems to indicate the opposite. For certain, the Bible nowhere states that Mary was "Ever Virgin". The Scriptures say that Jesus was her “firstborn”. According to the Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary, first means, “preceding all others” or “before all others in order”. The Bible says when “Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:18). Also Joseph “knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son” (Matthew 1:25). We also see this same figurative language in Genesis 4:1, “Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived”.

If Jesus were an only child, would not the Bible have indicated this rather than stating that Jesus was the “firstborn”? Rather than using the term firstborn, why not say she brought forth her only child? As well, Joseph “knew” Mary in a knowledgeable sense before Jesus was born, for the Bible says that Joseph was already her husband (Matthew 1:19). In addition, they traveled to Bethlehem together to be taxed before Jesus was born. But the Bible states that Joseph “knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son”. Without a doubt this is referring to matrimonial union on an intimate level.

Jesus obviously had brothers and sisters as indicated in the Bible. “Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? … are not his sisters here with us?” (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3) “But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother” (Galatians 1:19). “After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days” (John 2:12).

As well, in one of the Messianic Psalms it is written “Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face. I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children. For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me” (Psalm 69:7-9). Obviously His mother had other children.

The Assumption

 The “Assumption of Mary” is another false teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII made the dogma official in 1950, declaring, “that the immaculate mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, when the course of her earthly life was run, was assumed in body and soul to heavenly glory.” There is no Biblical basis whatsoever for this doctrine. Even the “early church fathers” such as Ephrem, Jerome, and Augustine took her death for granted. But now, because she was allegedly without sin, she now allegedly could not have died because the “wages of sin is death”.

If she was without sin she could not have died, so what then happen to her? As they had spun their web, they now faced another problem and needed to fabricate some other scheme, the “assumption”. “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight” (Proverbs 12:22). Upon being assumed into heaven Mary was supposedly crowned “queen of heaven”. Again you will search in vain to find this in the Bible. “A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies” (Proverbs 14:5). They are not willing to harken unto the Lord even in light of his stern warning. “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18).

However the Bible does refer to a “queen of heaven” in the book of Jeremiah. The pagans worshiped this queen of heaven as a deity, and Jeremiah warned the rebellious Israelites who had enjoined their worship, to turn from their wicked ways, but their reply came back:

“As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil” (Jeremiah 44:16-17).

This is happening today. People are harkening to the Roman Catholic dogmas, which are commandments of men, rather than the Word of God. Just as the Israelites, a people who proclaimed to be the people of God, but who sunk into superstition and idolatry, burning incense to idols as the pagan idolaters of old. The Israelites also made “cakes to worship her” (v. 19) in a round flat shape to resemble the disc of the moon, to which they were offered. The moon they called the “queen of heaven”. The Phoenicians called the moon Ashtoreth or Astarte: the wife of Baal.

Behind all these idols are devils. The church at Corinth consisted mainly of Gentiles who were “carried away unto these dumb idols” (2Corinthians 12:2). Although they had heard the gospel of Jesus Christ by the preaching of Paul, it seems that there was still a temptation to turn back and dabble in this wicked practice. Paul told the Corinthian Church “What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils” (1Corinthians 10:19-20). Their fellowship was with devils and not with God whether they recognized it or not. So Paul reiterated to them in a second letter to them saying:

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2Corinthians 6:14-18).

The church at Thessalonica as well consisted of Gentiles who “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” (1Thessalonians 1:9-10).

As well, that Mary did not ascend up to heaven is clear. The Bible tells us “no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven” (John 3:13). There is to the exception two individuals mentioned in the Bible who were taken up to heaven, one being Enoch, “whom God had translated” (Hebrews 11:5), the other was Elijah, whom God “took up by a whirlwind into heaven” (2Kings 2:11). The Bible tells us “it is appointed unto men once to die” (Hebrews 9:27). Enoch and Elijah may very well be those two witnesses who will die by the hand of the beast (Revelation 11:3-12) at a future date.

As well, the Bible says that “all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again” (Ecclesiastes 3:20), with the exception of those Christians who are alive in the generation when Christ returns (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52), who will be “changed” and “caught up” to be with the Lord before the Tribulation.

The Apparitions of Mary

This century, mostly in the last three decades there have been more than

“300...reported apparitions of Mary. Although there have only been a few that have been authenticated by the Catholic Church, they “all bear the same message: repent, reform and pray -- especially the rosary.” John Paul II is a Marian pope. His coat of arms is pledged to Mary; he has visited Fatima several times: he proclaimed a Marian Year, and he did consecrate Russia to Mary's Immaculate Heart.” (Columbia May 1992)
Because “The Catholic church endorses the Message of Fatima”, we will look at this apparition only. We will look at the booklet, “Our Lady's urgent appeal to us in the 1980's”, “An explanation of the Fatima Message”, published by the Fatima Rosary Crusade, which has the Imprimatur.

For those who have never heard of Fatima, this is a town in Portugal where on July 17, 1917, Mary appeared in an apparition to three children, and continued to give a series of messages until the last apparition on October 13, 1917. Let us look at some of the quotes.

“Our Lady said to the children at Fatima, if people do what I tell you many souls will be saved and there will be peace. Our Lady asked us at Fatima to pray and make sacrifices for sinners. She said that many souls go to Hell because they have no one to pray for them and make sacrifices for them.” “God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.” (pg. 10)

It is quite tragic that many have believed this lie of Satan. There is no sacrifice that man can do that would merit heaven nor make a way to escape the fires of hell. When Christ died on Calvary's cross He said, “It is finished”. There is now “no more offering for sin” (Hebrews 10:18). For those who would obtain salvation, they must now receive it for themselves as a free gift, for Christ has “by himself purged our sins” (Hebrews 1:3), and through “his own blood … obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12) when “he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever” (Hebrews 10:12).

“Each time Our Lady appeared to the three children at Fatima, She asked us to pray the Rosary. Our Lady also asked us to wear the Scapular. In the final vision; on October 13, 1917, Our Lady silently held out the Scapular. Lucy has said the Blessed Mother wants everyone to wear it. 'The Scapular and the Rosary are inseparable.' Our Lady also said, 'If people do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.'” (Pg. 13) “The Blessed Virgin Mary promised Catholics who are enrolled in the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel as follows: 'Take this Scapular, whosoever dies wearing it shall not suffer eternal fire. It shall be a sign of salvation - a protection in danger and a pledge of peace.' This promise was made to St. Simon Stock [by Mary] in 1251 in England and since that time many Popes down through the last seven centuries have encouraged Catholics to wear the Scapular. Pope Paul VI explaining on February 2nd, 1965, what the Vatican Council wrote about devotion to Our Lady had these words to say: 'Ever hold in great esteem the practices and exercises of devotion to the Most Holy Virgin which have been recommended for centuries by the Magisterium of the Church. And among them we judge well to recall especially the Marian Rosary and the religious use of the Scapular of Mount Carmel.'” “'One day through the Rosary and Scapular I will save the world.' Prophecy of Our Lady to St. Dominic” (pg. 21)

 In April of 2001, Pope John Paul II encouraged Catholics to use the scapular to nurture a relationship with Mary. He said that he received the scapular (small brown cloth) of Our Lady of Mount Carmel when he was about 10 years old and that he still wears it today. According to Catholic tradition, Mary appeared to Simon Stock (“saint” Simon) in 1251 and gave him a scapular, promising that whoever wore it would be saved from hell fire. The pope said the scapular “nourishes the devotion of believers and makes them sensitive to the Virgin Mary's loving presence in their lives.” This is gross heresy. The Bible never depicts Mary as a presence in the lives of believers, and nowhere are we told that God wishes to “establish in the world devotion to Mary's Immaculate Heart”. The Catholic Mary is a demonic delusion, but Pope John Paul II, who is promoted as a man of God by Jack Van Impe, Chuck Colson, Billy Graham, and other evangelical leaders, has greatly increased Marian devotion throughout the world by his teaching and example.

It should be remembered at this time that the apostle Peter warned “there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them” (2Peter 2:1). Likewise Paul said “some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1Timothy 4:1).

There are many other heresies mentioned in “Our Lady's urgent appeal to us in the 1980's”. It states that

“The Rosary is like a sword or weapon the Mother of God can use to cut down heresy and the forces of evil. It is most powerful...” (pg. 14)
But the Bible says “the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

“St. Alphonsus, (Doctor of the Church) teaches Devotion to Mary is necessary for Catholics in order to save their souls. He also teaches that Mary has snatched many souls from the clutches of Hell and saved them for Heaven because these persons have repeated during their lifetime some little act of devotion to Our Lady - for example, praying three Hail Mary's to our Lady every day, or fasting on Saturdays in Her honor. Thus we can see why God wants to even better establish devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary throughout the world because thereby many more souls would be saved. God furthermore wants mankind to realize that God grants graces to us through Mary. As Pope Leo XIII taught, all graces come to us from God, through the humanity of Jesus Christ, through the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary to us.” (pg. 10)

How can the Catholic Church endorse such heresy? It should be no wonder to the Bible believing Christian for we are told that Satan comes “with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2Thessalonians 2:10-12).

Salvation only comes one way, By Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone! Not by “devotion to Mary” or by “praying three Hail Mary's to our Lady every day”. God does not grant “graces to us through Mary”, but rather “Grace, mercy, and peace, [come] from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Titus 1:4). However we are warned that “certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4).

Salvation is the gift of God. There is only one Mediator between Man and God, the man Christ Jesus. And when we put our trust in Christ and his finished work on the cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins, WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. The Bible says we are blessed “with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ … wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:3, 6-7). There is no other way, not through the Sacraments, not through the Mass, not through devotion to Mary through the Rosary or Scapular, not through any type of indulgence or doing penance, and not by any of our own good works, simply by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.

“The Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church has encouraged us to believe in, and practice the message of Fatima” “The Bishop of Fatima authorized public promotion of devotion to Our Lady of Fatima after a most thorough, scientific and theological examination of the events of Fatima. Pope Pius XII actively promoted the message of Fatima and was pleased to be called the Pope of Fatima. Pope John XXIII said that Fatima is the center of all Christian hopes. Pope John XXIII also said: 'We exhort you to listen with simplicity of heart and honesty of mind to the salutary warnings of the Mother of God'. Pope Paul VI at the Vatican Council announced that He was sending the Golden Rose to Fatima. On May 13th, 1965, Pope Paul VI through a papal emissary, presented a Golden Rose at Fatima and, at the same time, he confided 'the entire Church' to Our Lady of Fatima's protection. He Himself went there as a Pilgrim for Peace in 1967 on the 50th anniversary of Our Lady's first appearance there. He wrote an Encyclical on the occasion of His pilgrimage to Fatima. He blessed seventy National Pilgrim Statues [Editors note: see Isaiah 66:3] to travel continually throughout seventy nations, so that these nations would remember and practice the message of Fatima. Canada and the United States were blessed to be given this special grace of having a National Pilgrim Statue blessed by the Pope. Pope John Paul II is a great devotee of Our Lady. He makes continuous public profession of His personal consecration to our Lady by His Papal Coat of Arms on which is inscribed the words 'Totus Tuus', that is, 'I am all Yours, Oh Mary'. He as Cardinal, twice signed petitions to the Holy Father [Editors note: what blasphemous title is this? Applying to man the title Jesus used when praying to His Father; John 17:11] asking the Pope to do what Our Lady of Fatima asked for - namely, that the Pope, together with all the Catholic Bishops of the world on one special day, consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He wrote: 'We believe that through this act of trustful confidence in the Mother of the Church, mankind will be saved from atheism, war and complete ruin. The Mother of God will be with you, Holy Father, and with the world for its rescue. There will arise an era of peace and victory in the cause of Christ.' Pope John Paul II wants to do as Our Lady of Fatima asked. He leads the Rosary on Vatican Radio on the First Saturday of every month. 'The Rosary is my favorite prayer' Pope John Paul said. He, Himself encourages the continuous spread of the Message of Our Lady of Fatima.” (pg. 16)

We should ask ourselves, what in the world is going on? Has Fatima now become "the center of all Christian hopes"? What about what the Bible says? "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). The Mary of the Bible did not say the things that this “Mary” has said. “Many souls go to Hell because they have no one to...make sacrifices for them.” What did Christ go to the cross for? People go to Hell because they are sinners but Jesus, “after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12). Just what then is this apparition? We must discern through the Word of God who is the real messenger behind these unbiblical apparitions and teachings. We must understand that a message of peace, love, unity, prayer, and salvation, without Christ as being the SOLE focal point of our salvation, IS NOT OF GOD.

When the Apostles came to Christ on the Mount of Olives and asked, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” The very first thing Jesus said to them was: “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4). Let us take heed to that warning. All of these teachings are extra-biblical. Therefore we ought to take earnest heed to what our Lord says concerning these matters. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).

Prayers to Mary

There are some other important points about the Roman Catholic Mary that are well worth noting. We are told not to pray with “vain repetitions” (Matthew 6:7). In the Rosary, the "Hail Mary" is prayed repetitiously fifty-three times. “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words” (Ecclesiastes 5:2-3).

We should also take note that there is no example in the Bible where the living have prayed to the dead or to angels, nor have they asked the dead to pray for them. Trying to contact the dead is known as a séance and is of the occult. This sort of divination is an abomination to the Lord (Deuteronomy 18:11-13). King Saul sought a familiar spirit and died for his transgression against the Lord (1 Chronicles 10:13). "And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?" (Isaiah 8:19)

If communicating with the dead was normal for the Christian, do you not think that we would see at least one example of this, possibly John on the Isle of Patmos praying to some of the other martyred Apostles? No we do not see this. What we do see is only direct prayer to God, who alone knows all our thoughts. As well we only see examples of people asking the living to pray for them.

When the disciples asked Christ to teach them to pray it was to His Father in heaven (Luke 11:1-4). “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6). When Peter was taken prisoner “prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:50). Why not a little prayer to Mary? We are told, “The LORD … heareth the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29), but never is there a hint that the saints who have passed on to heaven can hear the prayers of those yet on the earth. And by chance, even if they could, what could they do? They are not God. So why not give the glory to God and ask Him who is able to answer your prayers even before you ask?

There are dozens of Catholic prayers to Mary but we will just mention a couple of them. Catholics believe that she is Our Mother, an advocate, and intercessor. This however, is unbiblical. “The Memorare” as cited out of “Outlines of the Catholic Faith” (pg. 58) is as follows:

“Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly to you, O Virgin of Virgins, my mother. To you I come; before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.”

There are three examples of intercession given in the Bible, by Christ (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25), by the Spirit (Romans 8:26-27), and by the saints who are alive on this earth (1 Timothy 2:1). Not one of them notes Mary, nor any other who have passed on from this world, as an intercessor to God on our behalf.

From the booklet “The Blessed Virgin Mary” by Saint Alphonsus Liguori that has the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur, come many prayers to Mary. One of the prayers is as follows (pg. 4):

“Most holy Virgin Immaculate, My Mother Mary, to thee who art the Mother of the Lord, the Queen of the Universe, the advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I who am most miserable of all sinners, have recourse this day. I venerate thee, great Queen, and I thank thee for the many graces thou hast bestowed upon me even unto this day; in particular for having delivered me from hell which I have so often deserved by my sins. I love thee, most dear Lady; and for the love I bear thee, I promise to serve thee willingly forever and to do what I can to make thee loved by others also. I place in thee all my hopes for salvation; accept me as thy servant and shelter me under thy mantle, thou who art the Mother of Mercy. And since thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the strength to overcome them until death. From thee I implore a true love for Jesus Christ. Through thee I hope to die a holy death. My dear Mother, by the love thou bearest to Almighty God, I pray thee to assist me always, but most of all at the last moment of my life. Forsake me not then, until thou shalt see me safe in heaven, there to bless thee and sing of thy mercies through all eternity. Such is my hope. Amen (St. Alphonsus M. de' Liguori). The faithful who recite this prayer with devotion before an image of the B. V. Mary, may gain: An indulgence of 3 years.”

What blatant heresy. The Bible tells us that Christ is “Our Advocate” (1 John 2:1-2), “Our Hope” (1 Timothy 1:1), and “Refuge of sinners” (Hebrews 6:18-20), who has “delivered us from so great a death” (2 Corinthians 1:9), “from this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4), and “every evil work” (2 Timothy 4:18). There is not “Salvation in any other” (Acts 4:12), which is obtained “through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). And God alone is able to deliver us from temptation (Matthew 6:13, 1 Corinthians 10:13).

This prayer replaces Jesus Christ with Mary, God with man. It is the lie of the devil who said to Eve “ye shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5). It is no wonder then that the approved Roman Catholic Bible says that “she shall crush thy head” (Douay version), rather than the “seed” (Genesis 3:15) of the woman (Jesus Christ), which is said to crush the head of the serpent. This has further encouraged the fashioning of many idolatrous images such as the one inset (right: notice the serpent under her feet).


As well this Roman Catholic prayer to Mary promotes idolatry to pray before idols. It states “The faithful who recite this prayer with devotion before an image of the B. V. Mary, may gain: An indulgence of 3 years”. In our home town, back in May (the "Month of Mary") many of the devout Catholics were seen gathered around this idol (right) with their rosarys praying to it. What sadness this brings when many you know personally are yet caught in the snare of the devil. “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:6-11).

The Bible admonishes us to “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8). We are told to “believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

The second of the Ten Commandments reads: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me” (Exodus 20:4-5).

The Real Mary
The Mary of the Bible, that is, the Mother of Jesus, is portrayed, as a humble servant of the Lord, seeking to do his will. There is in fact very little said of her, nine instances to be exact which are as follows:

1. The Annunciation. (Luke 1:26-38)
2. The visit with Elizabeth. (Luke 1:39-56)
3. The birth and presentation in the temple. (Luke 2:1-39)
4. The coming of the Magi and the flight to Egypt. (Mt. 2:1-15)
5. The Passover visit in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:41-52)
6. The Marriage in Cana in Galilee. (John 2:1-5)
7. Attempt to see Jesus while he was teaching. (Mt. 12:46-50)
8. The station at the cross, entrusted to John. (John 19:25-27)
9. In the company of the Apostles. (Acts 1:14)

Conclusion

If you are a Catholic, no doubt you are taking this article as an attack on your faith. When I (who was a Catholic for thirty years) first heard such words from others calling me to turn from the errors of my way, I counted them as heresy. But after being compelled to search the Scriptures whether these things were so, I found out that I was wrong, and the Catholic Church was wrong in creating these “traditions” (Matthew 15:2-6), which speak contrary to “sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).

I found out that the Bible foretold that “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2Timothy 4:3-4). And again, “in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1). Likewise, there would be “false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15), and would “deceive many” (Matthew 24:11). There would also be “false teachers” (2Peter 2:1-2) and “false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ” (2Corinthians 11:14), along with many apostates, and reprobates concerning the faith.

Paul would warn the church saying “Take heed … For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears” (Acts 20:28-31). Paul was quite saddened by what he knew would be the inevitable end of the church, and took it upon himself to warn the Church at Ephesus night and day with tears concerning the coming apostasy.

By the time that Jude, the brother of our Lord, wrote his little epistle, he warned that “there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained (prophecied) to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4). Paul's prophecy came true very early after his martyrdom and the apostasy was well underway before the turn of the first century.

John wrote, “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (1 John 2:18). John said, “many deceivers are entered into the world” (2 John 1:7) and Paul emphasized that this would only “wax worse and worse” (2 Timothy 3:13).

When the disciples asked Jesus what would be the sign of His coming. The first thing He said was “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4). My question then came to be, how can we know that we are not deceived? And how can we avoid this great spiritual deception that is to plague these last days? Is it by harkening to the magisterium and the popes of the Roman Catholic Church? Are we to trust in man? Certainly not for we are told, “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD” (Jeremiah 17:5). If the last days were to be characterized by deception, with a church in gross apostasy, who are we to follow? How then are we to discern between good and evil, between “the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (1John 4:6). The answer lies in the Word of God, whereby our senses might be “exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).

How can we understand the difference between that which is true and that which is false? “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:104-105). “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Trust in the Word of the Lord for He “cannot lie” (Titus 1:2) and Biblical discernment will be soon to follow. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Believe Him and follow Him. Obey His voice and you shall find peace of mind, and rejoicing of soul, knowing that you are conducting your life in a manner that is pleasing to our heavenly Father.


Last Update: 7/28/2002
Great Article!mariecanada February 5, 2005 5:09 PM
Thank you for your writings.

Amazing references to the Bible. Key points everyone can look and see for themselves. People need to see this. They need to see the Bible (KJV) states that our Lord, Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Salvation. No other way. No other redeemer or mediator. Only Jesus.

THank you

Thank you for your articlePam Phelan March 6, 2006 5:43 PM
I am a Sunday school teacher and involved in prison ministry. Your scripture references will aid me in this "touchy" subject. God bless you and may He continue to use you to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Poor portrayaljohnColorado Springs, CO October 29, 2006 8:01 AM
Son of a Protestant Minister and saved as a youth, I became Catholic last year.

I feel this page is a poor representation of the Catholic faith and beliefs of Mary. If you want to reject Catholicism, that is your right. However, I ask that you reject what Catholicism actually teaches and not a poor caricature.

Here is a link with articles to give a defense. A number of the articles were written by Ex protestant ministers. Please check it out:

http://www.phatmass.com/directory/index.php/cat/5

Great Article!RussLouisiana March 10, 2007 7:56 PM
In summery of the words of Fulton Sheen.
If you had a chance to pre-exist your mother as God did, would you not make her perfect?
Another point, God made Our Mother Mary sinless because he needed a hallowed and pure tabernacle for himself.
We Catholics do not worship Mary, we venerate her and hold her in high honor, "As a mother ready at every moment."
"Regecting the Mother is one step from rejecting the Son."

Mary was a sinner!NoelCanada March 11, 2007 1:12 PM
God has no mother, He is eternal and existed before the world was even created. God promises to make all His children perfect. However, "the spirits of just men made perfect" (Hebrews 12:23) will take place in heaven, not on earth, and "we shall be like him" (1 John 3:2).

Jesus indeed needed a pure tabernacle for Himself, unblemished by the sin of Adams race, but this was not the sinful body of Mary, who herself confessed she was a sinner in need of a Saviour (Luke 1:47). God had miraculously prepared a body for His Son to dwell or tabernacle in while on this earth. "A body hast thou prepared me" (Hebrews 10:5), said the Lord Jesus Christ. He therefore was not formed by the normal process of genetic inheritance.

Often we see Catholics bowing down on their knees praying before idols of Mary. Nowhere in the Bible do we see believers praying to anyone except God. Jesus taught us how to pray in the Sermon on the Mount. He instructed us to pray to the Father and not to use meaningless repetition (Mat. 6:13). Yet Catholics are taught to pray the rosary which is made up of over 50 repetitious prayers to Mary.

Rejecting God's Word is rejecting God's Son who is the Word of God.

Purest Mother MaryRussLouisiana March 13, 2007 9:54 PM
Again in the summerized words of Fulton Sheen.
Mary need to be saved as much a we, but because she was God's mother he gave her the grace of receiving her merits of the passion before she was born so that she could harbor Jesus.

When we catholics pray to Mary we do not worship her as a goddess. We instead petition her to pray for us. And, yes, SURPRISE SURPRISE, the Hail Mary comes from scripture (Luke). Yes we must not pray meaningless prayers, but just because a prayer is repeated does not mean it has any less meaning.

Why do those of you persecute one who intercedes for you to Jesus? Jesus would not want you to do this to his mother. Our Lord Jesus honored his mother and we should do the same. I know with the greatest conviction that Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ who is God, was born pure and remained pure for her entire life, and she loves all very much.

Jesus, Lamb without spot or blemishNoelCanada March 14, 2007 10:16 PM
The Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception (which is nowhere to be found in the Bible) states that Mary was born without original sin. If one was without sin, they would not need a saviour. Furthermore, the Scriptures clearly state, "ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and, "There is NONE righteous, no, NOT ONE" (Romans 3:10). "All" and "none" are diffinitive terms that a child can understand.

When the angel Gabriel addressed Mary in Luke 1:28, saying, "Hail, thou that art highly favoured", or in the Catholic version, "Hail, full of grace", this was not something that is exclusive to Mary only, for the Greek word "charitoo", from which this phrase is translated, is mentioned one other place in the Scriptures, and it is in reference to all believers, where it states, "he hath made us ACCEPTED (Gr. charitoo) in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Ephesians 1:6-7).

God's grace is for all believers, even you, if you will but trust in Christ alone for your salvation, and not another. If you believe that you need Mary to be saved, you are lost. However, if you will believe God's word concerning His Son, in that He died for your sins and rose again for the dead, and recieve Him as your saviour, no strings attached, you "receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness" (Romans 5:17). Righteousness is a gift that cannot be merited, it is the gift of God to all those who believe.

I am trying to bring forth the light of God's Word to those who are ensnared in unbiblical doctrines and you call it persecution. You are bringing forth the doctrines of one Fulton Sheen and it is clear that he is teaching things not found in the Bible.

Holy Mary. Mother of the LivingRussLouisiana March 14, 2007 10:58 PM
I love Jesus with my whole heart, and I accept Him as my Lord and Savior. Our Mother Mary is a gateway toward Jesus. Think of her as the moon. She, like the moon, reflects light from a great source. Jesus is this source. She is a mirror reflecting light that Jesus gives off. But the sun itself doesn't need the moon to show light. Just as Jesus doen't need Mary to show off His light, she is a source it direct us to the greater light.
She prays for you, just as you can pray for others, adn she loves you. I ask again, if you could pre-exist and create your mother would you not make her perfect?
The Catholic Church wrote the Bible inspired by the Holy Spirit, and using Sacred Tradition that was passed down by the apostles it can interpret the Bible.
Be careful when you interpret the Bible individually, because many things can be intepreted without using Tradition.
GOD BLESS.

All who believe are holy, but Mary is not your motherNoelCanada March 15, 2007 11:37 PM
Mary has died almost 2000 years ago. She is not your mother and she is not my mother. Why are you talking so silly? Where in the Bible does it say that "Mary is a gateway toward Jesus"? Jesus is the only door. He said, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (John 10:9).

You talk of Mary as some kind of reflector, but God's Word tells us that all believers in whom Christ dwells, that they "are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14).

You have been believing lies for far too long. However I do understand, for I believed anything that the popes taught for 30 years, even when it clearly contradicted Scripture, but then I was saved and started reading the Bible for myself. As the Psalmist said, "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple" (Ps 119:130).

The "Catholic Church" did not write the Bible. They certainly did not have anthing to do with the Old Testament, that was written by the Jews, and the New Testament was written also by Jewish apostles and prophets. The Lord said, "unto them were committed the oracles of God" (Romans 3:2).

If you really want to get close to the Lord, start reading His Word yourself, and forget about Catholic tradition which He condemns (Matthew 15:1-9). You do not need some popes interpretation of God's Word. The best interpretation is no interpretation at all. God speaks very plainly so that all can understand. And if you do not understand, the apostle Paul says, "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" (2Tim 2:7). He can give you the understanding and open your eyes to His marvellous truth if you are truely seeking Him. However, until you are "born again", you "cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). He knows the very thoughts of your heart, and what He says to you, He says to all, "ye MUST be born again" (John 3:7). Think about it.

Mary, Queen of Angels, pray for usRussLouisiana March 16, 2007 5:20 PM
Mary was the Mother of Jesus. She is also the spiritual mother of all who believe in.
How dare you call my religion lies. We are the only denomination of Christianity that remain true to the teachings of Christ and the apostles. What turned you from our path? What lured you away?
Every tradition that has ever come into being has come from our inference of Scripture, the apostles, and those inspired by the Holy Spirit.
As Jesus said judge something by its fruits. The Catholic Church continues to be the light in a world in turmoil. We do not only have faith, we practice it, and we do good for others.
The Catholic Church put the Bible together. As Our Lord said to Berthe Petit, a humble Franciscan Tertiary, in Belgium:
"Teach souls to love the heart of My Mother, pierced by the very sorrows that pierced Mine."
A do not accept Mary and spurn Jesus, but instead I accept Jesus and because of the accept Mary as my Mother.
As you see above even our Lord himself wants us to love his mother. She is also ever active in this world giving advise in Medjugorje and inspiring others to follow her son. So do not so quick to put my faith in the dust for you in your faith have changed but ours has stayed the same.

Catholic Tradition UnbiblicalNoelCanada March 18, 2007 8:46 AM
You say "Every tradition that has ever come into being has come from our inference of Scripture". Can you refer to the Scripture on these Catholic teachings?

Where in the Bible do we find Peter assuming and exercising the role of a Catholic pope?

Where does the Bible say the early churches treated Peter in a papal fashion?

Where does the Bible say that one man is the head of all churches?

Where does Bible say God established a special priesthood for the churches that is separate from the priesthood of the believers?

Where does the Bible describe the office of such priests in the early churches?

Where does the Bible say that New Testament priests are ordained after the order of Melchizedek?

Where in the Bible do we find a requirement that pastors be celibate?

Where does the Bible say the apostles passed on their authority through a succession?

Where does the Bible give standards for apostolic succession? There are standards for pastors and deacons, but where are the standards for an ongoing apostleship?

Where does the Bible describe nuns in the early churches?

Where in the Bible do we find anyone praying to Mary or to any other person other than God?

Where does the Bible call Mary the Mother of God?

Where does the Bible say that Mary is the Queen of Heaven?

Where in the Bible do we find the teaching that Mary is sinless?

Where in the Bible do we find the baptism of an infant who is too young to believe in Christ?

Where does the Bible teach us that the church can identify dead people as saints and can then pray to them?

Where does the Bible teach that a dead person can intercede for the living?

Where does the Bible teach about purgatory?

Where does the Bible teach that churches should use the bones of dead men in any type of religious manner?

Where does the Bible teach that the churches used indulgences?

Where in the Bible do we find even one example of a Catholic mass being conducted or even described?

If Christ established the mass and if it is central to the Christian faith as Rome claims, why is there not one example of it in the book of Acts and the New Testament epistles?

Where in the Bible do we find Christians taking the Lord's supper by partaking of the bread alone without the wine or grape juice?

Where in the Bible does Paul or any of the early church leaders teach that there are seven sacraments?

Where in the Bible do we find the churches practicing the sacrament of confirmation?

Where in the Bible do we find the churches practicing any sort of extreme unction or last rites as a sacrament?

Where in the Bible do we find the prayer of the rosary?

Where in the Bible do we find that New Testament churches are to conduct elaborate rituals and ceremonies after the fashion of Rome?

Where in the Bible do we find that the headquarters for the church is to be in Rome?

We could go on....

Catholic FruitsNoelCanada March 18, 2007 9:08 AM
In our community we have only seen one Catholic Fruit who sodomized several children in the community. This priest was then moved on to another community where he was allowed to sodomize other children. When he was moved on to a third parish, the people outraged, asked why has this been allowed and it was exposed to the media and the Catholic church embarasingly removed him from his position. Two of the other "catholic priests" that have passed through our community were drunkards, However, I do not know about the latest one. I live in a small community, and just maybe this is where they send all the rejects, however, one only has to read the newspapers to see that this is a problem everywhere within Catholicism. Many diocese have had to declare bankrupsy due to lawsuits against them because of the pedophiles. These are the facts whether you care to believe them or not.

During the last 1,700 years, the Roman Catholic Church has put to death hundreds of thousands she believed to be heretics -- Jews, dissident Catholics, Protestants, anabaptists, Hussites, Lollards, Waldenses, Albigenses and many others in distant lands who refused to convert to the 'one true church.' Today, the Roman Catholic Church calls people who hold these very same opinions 'separated brethren' and teaches it is wrong to persecute on the basis of religious belief. Which church is right? The church which killed those who dispute her teachings, or the church which treats other Christians -- and even other religions -- as alternative pathways to heaven?

Please understand that we do not hate Catholics. I have many Catholic friends who by the worlds standards are called "good people", just like other "good" Muslims, Hindus, Buddists, Jehovah Witness', Mormons, etc. To the contrary, we love you so much that we preach the truth about Rome so you can see its errors and turn to the biblical faith in Christ. Our desire and prayer to God is that you might be saved. Forgiveness of sins and eternal life is a gift that was purchased by Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, and He offers you that gift today. It is not something you have to try to earn. As a sinner, you cannot ever do enough to earn God's favor. It is not something that any church can earn for you. It is not something that can be obtained through a church ritual, such as baptism or confirmation. Salvation is the free eternal mercy of God through Jesus Christ, and He stands ready and able to receive every sinner that will come to Him by repentance and faith. The Bible says you can KNOW you have eternal life right now, today.

"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:12-13).


WearyRussLouisiana March 18, 2007 1:54 PM
I assumed too much. I assumed that the person that I was debating with had the ability to think and reason.
I grow weary trying to show you what is true.
If ever you were a Catholic you were a poor one. Not knowing near enough to practice your faith. Instead of trying to learn more about your faith you try to bring others to seperate from it.
I am finished with this debated with further conviction that I am right and you have rejected some of the truth that we teach. I believe in God, who is three perons Father, Son, and Spirit. I believe the Son, Jesus, came down from heaven to save us. I believe in Mary as my mother who Jesus in a vision to Berthe Petit told us to love his mother. I believe in the communion of saints and life everlasting.
This is Truth as well as many other things.
I am done and walking away from this know that I am right and you are wrong.

Dear WearyNoelCanada March 22, 2007 1:36 AM
When the Bible speaks about "the faith" it is speaking of the testimony of God as recorded in the Bible. There were many decievers and false prophets who crept into the church long ago, so Jude exhorted the believers that they "should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 1:3). This faith was once and for all delivered to the saints as it is written in the book of Hebrews, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2). God's revelation to mankind is now complete in Christ Jesus, and any who add or subtract thereto will be dealt with severly (Revelation 22:18-19).

If you want to follow Fulton Sheen or Berthe Petit, whoever these are, and their revelations and visions and teachings, you are welcome to it. We all have a free will to follow whom we will, but let me attest to you that you will be far better off casting off this chaff and looking to the pure, unadulterated Word of God which is able to lead you into all truth.

You may try to sound spiritual and religious, but this is just a front to your ignorance of the Scriptures. The Catholic church may have ceremonies and rituals with much pomp and incense and candles, and costly vestments and idols to venerate, and cathedrals to amaze, but this sort of religion is just a trick of the devil to cloud the minds of the ignorant with a sence of spirituality. Who is able to wake you out of your slumber?

You say that this "Berthe Petit" had a vision from "Jesus" (likely a demon masquerading as Jesus) who told him to tell us to love his mother. What does this mean? The true Jesus said, "love one another; as I have loved you" (John 13:34). His love was manifested to those individuals whose lives crossed His path.

He never specifically pointed out to love this person or that person, but "one another". Paul said that we should, "abound in love one toward another, and toward all men" (1 Thessalonians 3:12). The greatest expression of love, as Christ said, is laying down our life for friends (John 15:13). This is unselfish agape love, a love that does not have our own interests in mind, "serving one another" (Galatians 5:13), "forebearing one another" (Ephesians 5:2), being compassionate, sympathetic, tenderhearted, courteous, etc, to one another (1 Peter 3:8).

Loving our neighbor as ourself, Christ said, is the fullfilment of the Law (Matthew 22:36-40). If you really loved your neighbor, you would not steal from him, kill him, covet his possesions, commit adultery with his spouse, bear false witness against him, dishonour him, etc. The question is, how could any of these Biblical expressions of love pertain to someone who has died and no longer resides on this earth? The fact of the matter is, that the "communion of saints", as defined by the catholic church, is more akin to necromancy or a seance, or the pagan worship of dead ancestors. You may walk away thinking your are right, but the Scriptures prove you dead wrong.

RussLouisiana March 22, 2007 4:25 PM
As I listen to your words I recall a story from three of the the four Gospels. Satan used Scripture to try to tempt Jesus away from his mission (Mt. 4:1-11, Mk. 1:12-13, Lk. 4:1-13). You need to distinguish between worship and veneration. You have no degree in theology so why should one listen to you as an indiviual. Educate yourself on the people of whom I speak of. Fulton Sheen was a prominent archbishop of the Church. Berthe Petit was a Franciscan tertiary who Jesus appeared to. If a demon masqueraded as Jesus them why would he say to love? Do not demons want to breed hatred? A house divided against itself cannot stand. In Ch. 12 of Rev. has the reference of Mary and her importance. All our sacraments have scripture references.

Tradition of MenNoelCanada March 22, 2007 10:58 PM
Indeed one of Satan's devices is to pervert or get man to doubt God's Word. In the garden he decieved Eve saying, "Yea, hath God said...?" (Genesis 3:1) Hence the many warnings in Scripture against adding to or subtracting from the Scriptures. "Every word of God is pure...Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar" (Proverbs 30:5-6). "diminish not a word" (Jeremiah 26:2). And so, "if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20).

So Paul would say, "I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me" (Romans 15:18), and "thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine" (1 Timothy 1:3), and "saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come" (Acts 26:22), "For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge" (2 Corinthians 1:3). Those who followed Christ "continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine" (Acts 2:42). However, from that time forward, "certain which went out from us [the apostles] have troubled you with words, subverting your souls...to whom we gave no such commandment" (Acts 15:24). God's revelation was completed with the apostles, but Catholicism has fabricated an "apostolic succession" whereby they break the very Words of God they claim to uphold.

The Catechism "Outlines of the Catholic Faith", which has the Imprimatur and the Nihil Obstat, (pg. 4,5) states: "The truths that God has revealed are found in SACRED SCRIPTURE and in SACRED TRADITION....Tradition is the unwritten word of God given by Christ through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and handed down to their successors....Sacred tradition is revealed in the creeds, liturgy and the prayers of the Church and in the authentic teaching of the Popes and Bishops....And Tradition transmits in its entirety this Word of God which has been entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit....Hence, both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal feelings of devotion and reverence."

To this I say BALONEY! As Christ said, "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition" (Matthew 15:6). And Paul would give these most solemn words to those who would seek to pervert the gospel by adding thereto or taking away, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8).

"Cursed be the man that trusteth in man... Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD" (Jeremiah 17:5, 7). I am not asking you to listen to me as an individual but to listen to the Scriptures. You should know that most of the apostles and prophets of God did not have a "degree in theology". Consider Peter, whom catholics "venerate" as the first pope (another unbiblical teaching of Rome), he was just a simple fisherman as were Andrew James and John. But when they were called they followed Christ, the Word of God.

As for Satan and his demons, do not be so naive. Satan was the most "subtle" (Genesis 3:1) of all God's creatures. Describing him, the prophet Eziekiel said, "Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty" (Ezekiel 28:12).

Listen to what Paul has to say. Those who call themselves apostles today are "false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness" (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

The devil will use the Scriptures, the cults will use the Scriptures, your sacraments may vaguely refer to some Scriptures, but if you will put them up to the Light of God's Word, you will find that the Catholic Church has perverted almost every doctrine of the faith in one way or another.

"...repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15).

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and ofthe Holy Spirit. AmenRussLouisiana March 23, 2007 4:13 PM
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN.

Adding to the gospel = Anathema!NoelCanada April 19, 2007 11:28 AM
In the book of Acts, chapter 15, there was a council to resolve a serious matter that was revealing itself in the New Testament Church. There were certain men who could say, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. ...And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead" but to this they added their own preconceived notion and conditions as to how one must be saved.

We are told that this was a "certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed" (Acts 15:5). They "came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1). Because of this there was "no small dissension and disputation" (Acts 15:2) between the apostle Paul and them.

For this matter, they went "up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question" (Acts 15:2). "And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith...But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they" (Acts 15:7-9, 11).

Herein Peter declared how that, by the grace of God, the Gentiles were saved by hearing the gosple and by faith, believing it, no strings attached. Paul and Barnabas then spoke about their work among the Gentiles (Acts 15:12), then James, who was leading the council (NOT Peter) spoke and said, "Wherefore my sentence is...." (v. 19) and they wrote letters to be distributed among the assemblies saying, "Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment" (Acts 15:24).

This same situation has been magnified a hundred times by the popes of the Catholic chuch, who like like the Pharisees "believed" but added to the gospel many things in order for a person to be saved. To this Paul solomnly declares, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would PERVERT the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8).

It is sad but true, that the perversion of the Catholic gospel damns anyone who believes it. The apostle Paul describes those who pervert the gospel as "false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, NO, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you" (Galatians 1:4-5). Paul would not tolerate this perversion of the gospel, and neither should any true blood bought believer.

Paul clearly describes the heart of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the GOSPEL which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also YE ARE SAVED, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS according to the scriptures; And that HE WAS BURIED, and that HE ROSE AGAIN the third day according to the scripture". The Judeaizers believed this but to this they added, in order to be saved you must also be circumcised and keep the law of Moses, turning the grace of God into a perverted gospel.

As for Paul, He would declare among all those whom he was called to preach, even in the church at Rome, who as today, two thousand years ago were trying to justify themselves by their own deeds, rather than resting solely on the merits of Christ. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16). He would declare to the Corinthians that "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe ... the gospel... For the preaching of the cross is to them that persih foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:21, 1:17-18).

Today you can believe the gospel, that Christ died for your sins and rose again, no strings attached, trusting only on His death on your behalf, and you can be saved by the power of God, just like the theif on the cross who was powerless to do anything (baptism, sacraments, the Mass, keeping the ten commandments etc) but believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. To all those who have such saving faith the Lords welcome reply is "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).

Russ April 26, 2007 8:00 PM
I believe in Christ's Church, the Catholic Church, and I love it in all its goodness.

Russ July 3, 2007 11:47 PM
It is sad. You have taken on the persona of a deist. Your words show you believe that God is no longer active in the world. The Holy Spirit still teaches! Our Lord said that He was sending an Advocate to teach us and remind us of what He taught. The teachings did not end with Jesus. The Holy Spirit acts through the clergy, just as he worked through the apostles, so in fact Tradition is the teachings of the Holy Spirit over time. You see, to deny God is no longer active in the world is to deny the Spirit, and that is true damnation. Don't pass judgement on your Christian brothers for that is not what you were put on this earth to do. You will answer to God one day, and by then it will be too late. +JMJ+

Noel July 5, 2007 12:40 AM
The Scriptures are totally sufficient to lead anyone into the truth. That is, if they are truely seeking God. In this case, the Holy Spirit will take the Word of God and illuminate it to the mind of the one that thirsts after righteousness.

There may be those who have the gift of teaching (Ephesians 4:11) by the Spirit of God, but these are individuals, not an "office" as the papacy teaches. We do not need the Roman Catholic clergy, they may want to prostelyze you but they will only make you twice the son of hell. God wants you to trust Him, and His Word, not a bunch of men who walk around wearing costumes, and flaunt themselves as some type of spiritual authority.

The revelation of God is complete. Paul said, "prophecies ... shall fail" (1 Corinthians 13:8), that is, they would come to an end. This would take place "when that which is perfect is come" (v. 10). In the context, that which is perfect, or literally, that which is complete, is clearly the revelation of God.

The last living apostle, John, closed the canon of Scripture like this, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" (Revelation 22:18-19).

I stand in fear of my Maker, and know, as Jesus said, "That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment" (Matthew 12:36). However my conscience is clear and I have peace with God through my Lord Jesus Christ, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. It is Him whom I will follow.

You can try, Russ, to sound as religious as you want, but your venere of spirituality is all dross to me, when measured with the Scriptures.

Russ July 5, 2007 8:44 PM
"Holy Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ Save Us"
"Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Protect Us"

Floyd October 23, 2007 10:06 PM
Thank you, Russ! The world needs people like you. Noel needs to take a long look at her faith, and quit being so judgemental. She needs to quit being so pompous and learn that she's wrong on many things, but her basic faith in Christ is right. She just needs alittle work and some faith.

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