September 25, 2015

The 50 Main Differences Between Catholicism and Protestantism

My job as a teacher of the Bible is to teach the truth and principles of properly exegeted and interpreted Scripture. As such, because the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) is all over the media it seemed like a good time to bring up a few points. This will be another post sure to win me no friends and elicit a flurry of accusations of "harsh" and "unloving" because most prefer to live in an ecumenical world that is mostly a patchwork quilt of disparate and errant feel good theology that is a mile distant of God's word. 

Well, here it goes.

The Pope will be in town tomorrow and millions will fawn over his presence in adulation as if he is deity in a form of Cult of Personality. So now seemed like a good time to post this because this type of adulation towards a man with dubious theological leanings is very dangerous to people's salvation. 

To all my friends in the Roman Catholic Church, know I love you and that is exactly why I post this. If anyone would like to discuss these facts, I will be willing to do so if I'm not personally attacked. Please understand I am not attacking you or the RCC, I am merely pointing out how Protestantism (therefore I) differs from Catholic doctrine/dogma. I will back up every single one of these Scriptural non-conformities with Scriptural proof if I need to. I merely excluded them here to avoid a post of encyclopedic length.

The following are 50 points where Protestantism (therefore I) depart from Catholicism’s dogma and doctrine. There many others but I needed to cut the list off somewhere and these are the primary ones that come to mind when I explain to my Catholic friends why I am not Catholic. These are points of contention where I completely disagree with Roman Catholicism. From my theological perspective, these must be considered false teaching and contrary to Scripture. Some are outright heresy (there, I said it).

The one true measure of all things…including the Roman Catholic Church is Scripture (Sola Scriptura). These dogma/doctrine are where the RCC departs from a Scriptural divine benchmark given by God and they veer off into the side roads of unbiblical man-made traditions. Adherence to a majority of these can endanger or could compromise people’s salvation which is why I list them. 

Please note that this is not a small list or deviation from Scripture but a large pronounced one. The size of just this abbreviated list shows a consistent pattern of deviation from Scripture over a long period of time (centuries). As time has elapsed the deviations increase in number and intensity. I believe that is because once one departs from the infallibility of Scripture they must continually add more and more to cover their mistakes and still be logically and rationally consistent. The Catholic Church has now reached a point of no return in that some of their dogma and Papal bulls are near the point of incredulousness or impossible to believe. If an institution and its leader are infallible, why all the addendum, revisionism and supplemental decrees? It defies logic.

To those that will malign me for posting this, I would be remiss if I loved someone and did not try to protect them from what I view as a danger to them. I mention these things knowing they are error and jeopardize people’s eternal salvation. Of course, as we have learned from this most recent Pope who is an adherent of Liberation Theology from South and Central America, the emphasis of some doctrines over others is a regional thing. Some of the dogma/doctrine/traditions practiced by some Catholics will not be practiced by others. Regardless, I denounce all 50 of the following on Scriptural grounds.

God as my witness, I am using my gift as a teacher/pastor and exegete here as God intended. I too will be held accountable on judgment day. As Martin Luther said, "I can do no less."

1.      The Catholic Church is the one true church (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2105 or hencefore CCC)
2.     Infallibility of the Catholic Church, (CCC 2035)
3.     Papal Infallibility (1870 AD)
4.     Only the Roman Catholic Church has authority to interpret Scripture (CCC 100)
5.     The Pope is the head of the church and has the authority of Christ (CCC 2034)
6.     The Roman Catholic Church is necessary for salvation (CCC 846)
7.     Tradition equal to Scripture (CCC 82)
8.     Forgiveness of sins, salvation, is by faith and works (CCC 2036 CCC 2080 2068) known as Supererogation
9.     True salvation only thru Catholic Church (Vatican 2, Decree on Ecumenism, 3)
10.  Grace can be merited (CCC 2010, CCC 2027)
11.   The merit of Mary and the saints can be applied to Catholics and others (1477)
12.  Penance is necessary for salvation (CCC 980)
13.  Purgatory (CCC 1031 CCC 1475)
14.  Indulgences (CCC 1471 CCC 1478 CCC 1498 CCC 1472)
15.  Mary is Mediatrix (CCC 969) or mediator between God and man like Christ.
16.  Mary brings us the gifts of eternal salvation (CCC 969)
17.  Ever Virgin or the tradition that Mary was celibate her entire life.
18.  Mary delivers souls from death (CCC 966)
19.  Mary veneration (worship by any other name)
20. The Assumption of Mary
21.  Mary as the Queen of Heaven
22. Fatima or appearance of Virgin Mary to people
23. Pronouncement of anathema
24. Baptismal regeneration
25. Transubstantiation, communion becomes actual body and blood of Christ or Consecration of the Host
26. Confession of sins to priest for absolution of sins. A man can forgive your sin.
27. Celibacy of priests and nuns (1079 AD)
28. Confirmation
29. Extreme unction (526 AD)
30. Infant baptism is salvational (370 AD)
31.  Limbo or the place where unbaptized infants may go upon death. 
32. Adoration of the Host (Wafer Bread) (1220 AD)
33. The Mass (394 AD)
34. Sacrifice of the Mass
35. Prayers to Saints (Veneration/Worship) (375 AD)
36. Prayers for the Dead
37.  Idolatry-Making Images (786 AD)
38. Catholic Attitudes to the Bible (1229 AD)
39. Peter as the Rock or Foundaiton of the Churh
40. Apostolic Succession or Apostolic Primacy
41.  Apocryphal Books as Canonize Scripture in support of purgatory, indulgences
42. Names of Blasphemy (350 AD)
43. Rosary Prayer Beads or The Crucifix with the dead Body of Christ on it(1090 AD)
44. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary
45. Crossing Oneself (300 AD)
46. Beatification
47.  Asceticism, Monasticism, work to Gain Favor with God.
48. Who Gave Us the Bible? God or the Roman Catholic Church?
49. Seven Sacraments. There are two in Scripture. The Lords Supper and Baptism.
50. Belief in Stigmata

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

very interesting and well said Andy

Andy Pierson said...

Thanks Anonymous. I've learned if I overtly go after the "shepherds" in the church, all I cause the sheep to do is scatter. It is the sheep I am trying to reach. I now just try to present the facts as best I can an let intelligent people judge for themselves instead of being divisive and aggressive.

Fred said...

Ever since the written word was presented to the world thousands of years ago, people have been trying to define "this" or "that" as conclusive facts. I have never seen one succeed.
After just a few simple questions they have all turned into theories.
Try "I exist" and have no questions about that left open.
Fred

Anonymous said...

Good Read!👍🏼

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