I was raised and educated as a Catholic. I grew up with a mindset that should I doubt or disbelieve my church, it was a sin and I was in danger of hell. The church was the means to salvation. Through strict weekly attendance at mass every Sunday, through strict regular attendance at confession, through regular attendance at other gatherings such as "stations of the cross" etc, then while never guaranteed, I would go to heaven. The Bible was never taught. In all my 24 years as Catholic, (including several years serving as an altar boy during which time I could recite the entire mass in Latin as well as the priests) the only Bible I ever saw was the one sitting on the bookshelf of my Anglican (Episcopalian) grandmother's home.
Now and again the sermon at mass would touch on some Bible story, such as the 'good Samaritan'. The prayers however, were taken from prepackaged prayer books, recited aloud with appropriate responses (also prepackaged) from the congregation. Nothing, either in prayer, lesson, or counsel, in all my years as Catholic, came from the heart. All was as the church required. The church was my savior. The church was
everyones savior. We were told, repeatedly, until it was indelibly printed on them, that
without the Roman Catholic Church we could not go to heaven. This was a mindset, a very powerful dogmatic teaching based on fear, that pervades Catholicism to this day. That is why it is very difficult to discuss with Catholics good sound Biblical doctrine. They come from a different perspective altogether. To them, the Bible is not so important. What is important, imperative, indispensable to the Catholic mind, out of fear of losing ones salvation, is their church's "authority to infallibly interpret scripture". Nothing else matters.
Thus in their mind it is not scripture that is the basis for Christian faith and practice. It is what the church teaches that scripture
means that is the basis for Catholic faith and practice. Thus they have replaced Christ, the Logos, Savior, sole Mediator between God and man, with a very fallible council of men called the "magisterium".
Under the guise of "authority", Rome has usurped the role of Christ as Priest, Prophet, and King in the eyes of their members. Thus Rome fulfills all the criteria required of her to be rightly called Antichrist. This the reformers fully understood and recognized. Sadly, Protestants today do not. So to you Catholics, Christ would say "come out of her My people". And don't lump all in this forum as Protestant. They are not, in fact very few would claim to be, and even less still protesting. Many would be inclined to agree with one well known non-Catholic mega church pastor who recently declared presumptuously that "the protest is over".
I would like to suggest that all Catholics read some history of Christianity from a source outside of their own church. I know from deep personal experience however that such an undertaking is extremely difficult. Conscience and fear in placing ones trust in anything or anyone other than what you have been consiioned to place ones life in takes courage. I am not asking you to believe everything you read. Nor am I asking you to go to Jack Chick or others such as he whose views are somewhat narrow. But Christian history, outside of Rome's narrow one sided restrictive paradigm, is rich in wonder at the ways God moved in changing mens' hearts from paganism and unbelief to following Jesus. From Britain to China, from Africa to Scandinavia, and all parts in between, Christianity was fully established and functioning as an organizational structure under the headship of Christ before Rome ever sent her first missionaries abroad. You may read the full story here....
http://docsfiles.com/pdf_truth_triumphant.html
I understand this is a difficult concept to believe. You were taught that Rome's popes are descended directly from the apostles. That the church therefore they founded is the precise same church that Jesus founded. That Rome today is the only fully authorized legitimate depository of spiritual truth and therefore is the only true avenue to attain salvation. That is what I was taught. That is what I was brought up to implicitly trust and to never dare entertain any other possibility under fear of losing my soul. And I, like you, was lied to. Jesus is more that a babe in a manger, or a body on a cross. He is alive, serving as our
sole Mediator in the heavenly sanctuary, waiting and willing to send His Spirit to any who would ask, in order that they may be led to Truth. "Come to Me and I will give you rest" He says. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any one opens I will come in" He says. Never mind church authority. Come to Jesus. He is the head of the church. All others are just stones making up the body, priest, pastor, bishop, vicar, whatever. NO man has spiritual authority over another. Come to the only One who truly loves you and desires to set you free from all sin, and to set His seal of salvation upon you.
" I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord. Thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jer. 29"11
