THE POPE - Provocative Responses

#1 · April 14, 2005, 3:04 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on April 14, 2005, 3:04 pm
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>

NOTE: Below are some of the more interesting and insightful
responses we got on the subject of the POPE and CATHOLICISM:
----------------------------------------------------

DR writes:
Ive been stunned over the past few days following the death of
Pope John Paul II by the overwhelming outpouring of praise for his
life and legacy. Both Evangelicals as well as one prominent
Charismatic leader have expressed their remorse at his passing.

What has shocked me the most is the way they have spoken
about him. One Charismatic leader refers to him as, and I quote,
A true Saint, The most remarkable leader of our time, a
man of God, a leader who blessed and advanced the whole
Church and indeed, the cause of Christianity itself and one of
the greatest men of God of our time.
--------------------------------------------------
Len Carter writes:
I was raised a Roman Catholic and when I was saved (a powerful
'on the road to Damascus' type of salvation) I realized that the
teaching that I had grown-up under all of my life was not merely
flawed... it was false!..... I was not merely exposed to Roman
Catholicism, I was deeply entrenched in the culture and life of
Roman Catholicism and I can assure you that it is nothing more
and nothing less than a teaching of "salvation by works and ritual
observances".
--------------------------------
Claire Gidman writes:
In reading the pope's last will and testiment, I was so disappointed
to see that he placed his life, death, country, Church and world in
the hands of Mary, Mother of God! This man had the ear of the
world and it just saddened me that he could not leave to the world
the message of knowing Christ as Lord and Savior.
-------------------------------------------------
Don Hawley writes:

You have lived to see a marvel in your own lifetime. Via television
you witnessed millions of people traveling to a single city, Rome,
to pay obeisance to a single man, Pope John II.

This vast crowd included presidents, kings, religious leaders,
Muslims, Jews, and Orthodox priests. For each person present in
Rome, there were multitudes back home equally in awe. Never
before has the world seen such an outpouring of respect and admiration.

As I say, this is a marvel. But perhaps an even greater marvel, is
that the person receiving all this adulation heads up an organization
responsible for the torture and murder of millions of people.... Many
are simply unaware of this dark chapter of history, while others
consider it impolite to dig up the past. However, to ignore history
may be to invite its repetition.... The noted historian Will Durant
observed: "Compared with the persecution of heresy in Europe from
1227 to 1492, the persecution of Christians by Romans in the first
three centuries after Christ was a mild inhumane procedure."

The Demise of Protestantism:
The name Protestantism derives from the word "protest." The great
reformers and martyrs of the past were "protesters" against the
abuses of the Roman Catholic Church. Many of them, along with
millions of ordinary laypeople, died for taking such a stand.

The United States of America has long been known as a Protestant
nation, but that title can no longer be claimed in honesty. On
March 29, 1994, leading American Evangelicals and Catholics
signed a joint declaration titled "Evangelicals and Catholics Together."
For all practical purposes, Protestantism died that day.

The New York Times announced, "In what's being called a historic
declaration, Evangelicals including Pat Robertson and Charles
Colson [one of the chief originators], joined with conservative Roman
Catholic leaders today in upholding the ties of faith that bind the
nation's largest and most politically active religious groups." Other
evangelical endorsers included leaders from the Southern Baptist
Convention, Bill Bright, Mark Noll, Jesse Miranda, J.I. Packer, Os
Guinness and Herbert Schlossberg.

Other non-Catholic religious leaders have expressed similar leanings:
"I don't know anyone more dedicated to the great fundamental
doctrines of Christianity than the Catholics." -- W.A. Criswell,
former President - Southern Baptist Convention.

"I've found that my beliefs are essentially the same as those of
orthodox Roman Catholics." -- Billy Graham.

Robert Schuller stated that he didn't want to dedicate his Glass
Cathedral until he traveled to Rome and received the special
blessing of the Pope.

The Heart of the Matter:
Verbose as the 1994 declaration may have been, it conveniently
ignored the very heart of the matter - what it means to be a Christian.
This compromise of the gospel lies at the heart of the agreement.

America is now post-Protestant, and a frightening new conglomerate
is forming. Yes, you have seen a marvel in Rome during these past
few days, but the near future holds even more startling developments.
Ernest Christians need to understand the times.

Soon it will be dangerous to one's physical well-being to write
articles like this.
-------------------------------
Chris and Erika Hamby write:
In 1870 the church pronounced the doctrine of papal infallibility
AND she has pronounced the doctrine of the 'immaculate
conception' and also the doctrine of the 'assumption of Mary' so
that the Catholic church today is actually doctrinally WORSE
than in Luthers day.
----------------------------------
Donna Martonfi writes:
I am an ex-Catholic (now an evangelist) and I am astounded at how
many in the evangelical community are singing the praises of this
pope. Many 'immature Christians' are weeping and grieving the
passing of this pope! There is MUCH deception in the Body of
Christ and somebody somewhere has got to tell them....
-------------------------------------------

M.R writes:
.... I have since become a Catholic, a born again Charismatic
Catholic and am happy to be one.
But my concern with the pope is not the part of the Catholic church
that is fading away - all that you mentioned in your letter, but what
you didn't mention. Like the pope ordaining as a priest a Voodoo
witch doctor still praciticing his craft. His explanation? As I under-
stand it he said that since this witch doctor was coming under his
authority as the head of the Catholic church, the witch doctor was a
Christian in full communion with Rome and therefore with God. (My
loose paraphrasing, I know, but that is my understanding of what was
said.)

Or what about the meeting he headed a few Decembers ago when
all of the religions of the world signed a covenant together officially
forming a united organization of religions? Or what about the World
Day of Peace he had in Assissi, where he had all of the leaders of
the world's religions meet to pray and make proclamations of peace
as a response to what happened on 9-11. He sat himself in the
middle of a platform a little to the right. The leaders of the Christian
denominations were all seated to the left... When each came to the
podium from further to the left than the pope was sitting, they each
bowed to the pope before speaking, except the leader of the "African
Native Religion".

I'm sorry, but this is what REALLY scares me about him and his
leadership!.... moving to the one world church.......
----------------------------------

Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>

NOTE: Below are some of the more interesting and insightful
responses we got on the subject of the POPE and CATHOLICISM:
----------------------------------------------------

DR writes:
Ive been stunned over the past few days following the death of
Pope John Paul II by the overwhelming outpouring of praise for his
life and legacy. Both Evangelicals as well as one prominent
Charismatic leader have expressed their remorse at his passing.

What has shocked me the most is the way they have spoken
about him. One Charismatic leader refers to him as, and I quote,
A true Saint, The most remarkable leader of our time, a
man of God, a leader who blessed and advanced the whole
Church and indeed, the cause of Christianity itself and one of
the greatest men of God of our time.
--------------------------------------------------
Len Carter writes:
I was raised a Roman Catholic and when I was saved (a powerful
'on the road to Damascus' type of salvation) I realized that the
teaching that I had grown-up under all of my life was not merely
flawed... it was false!..... I was not merely exposed to Roman
Catholicism, I was deeply entrenched in the culture and life of
Roman Catholicism and I can assure you that it is nothing more
and nothing less than a teaching of "salvation by works and ritual
observances".
--------------------------------
Claire Gidman writes:
In reading the pope's last will and testiment, I was so disappointed
to see that he placed his life, death, country, Church and world in
the hands of Mary, Mother of God! This man had the ear of the
world and it just saddened me that he could not leave to the world
the message of knowing Christ as Lord and Savior.
-------------------------------------------------
Don Hawley writes:

You have lived to see a marvel in your own lifetime. Via television
you witnessed millions of people traveling to a single city, Rome,
to pay obeisance to a single man, Pope John II.

This vast crowd included presidents, kings, religious leaders,
Muslims, Jews, and Orthodox priests. For each person present in
Rome, there were multitudes back home equally in awe. Never
before has the world seen such an outpouring of respect and admiration.

As I say, this is a marvel. But perhaps an even greater marvel, is
that the person receiving all this adulation heads up an organization
responsible for the torture and murder of millions of people.... Many
are simply unaware of this dark chapter of history, while others
consider it impolite to dig up the past. However, to ignore history
may be to invite its repetition.... The noted historian Will Durant
observed: "Compared with the persecution of heresy in Europe from
1227 to 1492, the persecution of Christians by Romans in the first
three centuries after Christ was a mild inhumane procedure."

The Demise of Protestantism:
The name Protestantism derives from the word "protest." The great
reformers and martyrs of the past were "protesters" against the
abuses of the Roman Catholic Church. Many of them, along with
millions of ordinary laypeople, died for taking such a stand.

The United States of America has long been known as a Protestant
nation, but that title can no longer be claimed in honesty. On
March 29, 1994, leading American Evangelicals and Catholics
signed a joint declaration titled "Evangelicals and Catholics Together."
For all practical purposes, Protestantism died that day.

The New York Times announced, "In what's being called a historic
declaration, Evangelicals including Pat Robertson and Charles
Colson [one of the chief originators], joined with conservative Roman
Catholic leaders today in upholding the ties of faith that bind the
nation's largest and most politically active religious groups." Other
evangelical endorsers included leaders from the Southern Baptist
Convention, Bill Bright, Mark Noll, Jesse Miranda, J.I. Packer, Os
Guinness and Herbert Schlossberg.

Other non-Catholic religious leaders have expressed similar leanings:
"I don't know anyone more dedicated to the great fundamental
doctrines of Christianity than the Catholics." -- W.A. Criswell,
former President - Southern Baptist Convention.

"I've found that my beliefs are essentially the same as those of
orthodox Roman Catholics." -- Billy Graham.

Robert Schuller stated that he didn't want to dedicate his Glass
Cathedral until he traveled to Rome and received the special
blessing of the Pope.

The Heart of the Matter:
Verbose as the 1994 declaration may have been, it conveniently
ignored the very heart of the matter - what it means to be a Christian.
This compromise of the gospel lies at the heart of the agreement.

America is now post-Protestant, and a frightening new conglomerate
is forming. Yes, you have seen a marvel in Rome during these past
few days, but the near future holds even more startling developments.
Ernest Christians need to understand the times.

Soon it will be dangerous to one's physical well-being to write
articles like this.
-------------------------------
Chris and Erika Hamby write:
In 1870 the church pronounced the doctrine of papal infallibility
AND she has pronounced the doctrine of the 'immaculate
conception' and also the doctrine of the 'assumption of Mary' so
that the Catholic church today is actually doctrinally WORSE
than in Luthers day.
----------------------------------
Donna Martonfi writes:
I am an ex-Catholic (now an evangelist) and I am astounded at how
many in the evangelical community are singing the praises of this
pope. Many 'immature Christians' are weeping and grieving the
passing of this pope! There is MUCH deception in the Body of
Christ and somebody somewhere has got to tell them....
-------------------------------------------

M.R writes:
.... I have since become a Catholic, a born again Charismatic
Catholic and am happy to be one.
But my concern with the pope is not the part of the Catholic church
that is fading away - all that you mentioned in your letter, but what
you didn't mention. Like the pope ordaining as a priest a Voodoo
witch doctor still praciticing his craft. His explanation? As I under-
stand it he said that since this witch doctor was coming under his
authority as the head of the Catholic church, the witch doctor was a
Christian in full communion with Rome and therefore with God. (My
loose paraphrasing, I know, but that is my understanding of what was
said.)

Or what about the meeting he headed a few Decembers ago when
all of the religions of the world signed a covenant together officially
forming a united organization of religions? Or what about the World
Day of Peace he had in Assissi, where he had all of the leaders of
the world's religions meet to pray and make proclamations of peace
as a response to what happened on 9-11. He sat himself in the
middle of a platform a little to the right. The leaders of the Christian
denominations were all seated to the left... When each came to the
podium from further to the left than the pope was sitting, they each
bowed to the pope before speaking, except the leader of the "African
Native Religion".

I'm sorry, but this is what REALLY scares me about him and his
leadership!.... moving to the one world church.......
----------------------------------