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Chapter 29
The Spirit of Catholicism
There was a time when James and John wanted to call down fire upon some
people. Jesus rebuked them, saying:
"…Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." (Luke
9:55)
The same can be said of the Roman Catholic Church.
There is an old saying that when the Catholic Church is in the minority,
then it is as meek as a lamb. When it has equality, then it is as sly
as a fox. When it is in the majority (and therefore in a position of power),
then it is as fierce as a tiger.
If you want to know what something really is, then look at how it behaves
when it is in a position of power, and it is therefore able to do what
it really wants to do.
When the Catholic Church was at the height of its power, popes behaved
like Roman Emperors, living in luxury, and exercising great political
power. (Pope Innocent III was called the ruler of the world.) Can you
imagine Jesus or the Apostles allowing themselves to be dressed in ornate
clothing, and carried on a portable throne, on the shoulders of uniformed
men? Would they wear jeweled crowns and dress like Roman nobility? Jesus
washed the feet of His disciples. Popes required kings and emperors to
kiss their feet.
For centuries, the Catholic Church kept the Bible in Latin, even though
some scholars wanted to translate it into the language of the common people.
As a result, most people were not able to understand the Bible. Men who
translated the Bible into English were burned as "heretics."
People who read, or owned, even a small portion of an English Bible were
burned at the stake. As a result, most people were not able to compare
Catholic doctrines with Scripture. This helped maintain the power of the
Catholic Church.
According to the Bible, Christians are supposed to use Scripture to test
the teachings of authority figures. The Catholic Church reversed this.
It requires Catholics to interpret Scripture according to the direction
of Catholic authority figures.
Christians who disagreed with Catholic doctrine were often imprisoned,
tortured, or killed. There were massacres and persecutions. The Inquisition
was established. It killed "heretics" for over 600 years. This
was "fierce tiger" Catholicism at its height.
The Inquisition's last execution was in 1826. The Office of the Inquisition
still exists, but it changed its name in 1965. According to modern Canon
Law (1983), the Catholic Church still claims the right to "coerce"
people who fail to comply with it.1
The Catholic Church claims the primary allegiance of its members. In
1867, Pope Pius IX declared that Austria's new Constitution was null and
void. He ordered Austrian Catholics to try to undermine their constitution.
(It allowed freedom of religion and weakened the power of the Catholic
Church.) He ordered Catholic clergy in Austria to be willing to go to
prison in order to increase the power of the Catholic Church.2
The same attitude can be seen in American bishops and cardinals. They
violated American law in order to protect the public image of the Catholic
Church. They knew that some priests were sexually molesting boys. Instead
of reporting the priests to civil authorities, they covered up the crimes
and moved the priests to new locations. Cardinals are citizens of the
Vatican in addition to being citizens of their homeland. Their primary
allegiance is to the Vatican.3
The Catholic Church presently engages in ecumenical dialog with Protestants,
calling them "separated brethren." But at the same time, it
confirms the decrees of the Council of Trent, which condemned all Protestants.
Ecumenism was officially promoted by the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).
According to official documents from that Council, the purpose of ecumenism
is to get Protestants to become Catholics. This is "sly fox"
Catholicism.
It's working. Since 1993, over 480 Protestant pastors have converted
to Catholicism. Hundreds more are seriously considering it. The rate of
conversions per year is increasing.4
An entire Protestant church converted to Catholicism.5
In addition, an Evangelical church seems to be heading in that direction.
Their last retreat was led by a Catholic priest, and their pastor is going
to that priest for "spiritual direction."6
What's the bottom line for the Catholic Church?
Rome wants to reverse the Protestant Reformation.
Catholic Myths
Following are some Catholic Myths that draw people into the Catholic
Church and make it difficult for them to leave.
MYTH: The Catholic Church is the One True
Church, going back through time to Jesus Christ Himself. It alone has
strength, stability, and consistency. It alone was personally founded
by Jesus Christ.
MYTH: There is an unbroken chain of apostolic
succession. It goes back to the Apostle Peter, upon whom Jesus Christ
built the Church.
MYTH: Popes are infallible. It is impossible
for them to teach false doctrines.
MYTH: The Pope is called "Holy Father,"
so he must be a holy man.
MYTH: Protestants broke away from the Catholic
Church, and they have been arguing and breaking off into unstable splinter
groups ever since. There are 25,000 Protestant denominations, and the
number keeps growing all the time. But there is only one Catholic Church.
It is solid and reliable. It has unity and stability. It goes back to
the birth of Christianity. It was founded by Jesus Christ.
MYTH: I can't get to Heaven without the
priests and the sacraments. I have to depend on the Catholic Church
for my salvation.
MYTH: God is so distant and unreachable
that I need a bridge to get to Him. Mary and the saints give me that
bridge. They understand me. They pray for me.
MYTH: God is distant and demanding. I can't
live up to His expectations. I can't meet His requirements and fulfill
His demands. But Mary is my loving mother. She will take care of me.
She will go to God on my behalf. She knows how to talk to Him. God has
a soft spot for Mary. If I am devoted to Mary, then she will get me
past the obstacles and into Heaven.
MYTH: Matters of religion are too deep and
too difficult for me to understand. Only Holy Mother Church is capable
of dealing with them. If I will just put my mind and my conscience in
her faithful and capable hands, then she will get me to Heaven.
MYTH: I cannot understand the Bible. It
is too confusing. Only Catholic clergy are qualified to understand it.
MYTH: My prayers aren't good enough. I need
to have Mary and the saints pray for me. God will listen to them.
MYTH: I don't have to test things and discern
things for myself, because God protects the Catholic Church from error.
All I have to do is learn and obey. I am safe in the hands of Holy Mother
Church. What a relief!
As I have shown in this book, when you study Scripture and Church history,
you discover that these myths have no basis in reality. But it is amazing
how much power they have over people.
Doctrine is not the primary thing that draws former Catholics back into
the Catholic Church. It is not the main reason why Protestants convert
to Catholicism.
The power is in the myths. They give credibility to false doctrines.
They make unbiblical practices seem reasonable. They give power to mind
control, and make it seem reasonable, or even desirable.
These myths cause fear, confusion, and false guilt in people who have
left the Catholic Church. They create a "Catholic undertow,"
which makes it difficult for people to leave the Catholic Church, and
often pulls them back again after they have left.
If you used to be a Catholic, please read Appendix B, "For Former
Catholics." It will help break the power of the "Catholic undertow."
It will enable you to enter more fully into the abundant life that Jesus
came to give you.
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