Religion has actually convinced people that there is a invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time! But he loves you. He loves you, and he needs money. He always needs money. He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money.
~George Carlin~
This week Catholics around the world were saddened to hear of the death of the ceremonial head of the church, Pope Francis. I wasn't among them. For more than a few years, people I've known have asked me just what it is that I have against the Roman Catholic church. Or, in proper term, the Holy Roman Catholic church. My answer has always been the same, this is NOT a church ordained by the Father, as the catholic church itself claims. The catholic church is a system. It is a religious hierarchy. In fact, I am hard pressed to see the difference between the Roman Catholic church and the churches which many Christians attend today. Both are based off of a theology devised by man and both rely heavily upon the use of images of our Lord and others. Walk into any Catholic church and you will more than likely encounter a statue figure of Mary, the mother of Jesus. See, Mary has been given celebrity status among those within the church. Despite the fact that her only claim to fame was adhering to the Lord's instructions concerning the birth of the Lord Jesus, she has been deified by those within the Catholic church. I see this as wrong. Now, there may be a few people who will argue with me on this point, but the scriptures are clear, there is only ONE God, and He is the one Who declares "I AM" {Exodus 3:14}. Then they will say, "When did we make Mary equal with God?" When you deified her in a way that is equal or surpasses God Himself! I agree that Mary retains a special place in our faith as the mother of our Lord and Savior, but our admiration of her SHOULD NOT include statues in her honor and deity status. Of course, these are just a few of the grievances which I have against the Catholic Church.
For there is one God, and one mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus
Paul to Timothy (1) 2: 5, Concordant New Testament
Many believers are familiar with the day which Jesus called out the Pharisees and religious leaders of His day. In His "Woes to the Pharisees," Jesus make His case against the policies and actions of these men of the church {Matthews Account 23:1-33}. Jesus calls out the scribes and Pharisees for their treatment of the people of Israel. How they placed themselves above the children of God. How they adored their positions of wealth and power. How they enjoyed the greetings which they received from others. Jesus could have very well been speaking to ANY member of the clergy of the Catholic Church! Growing up, one of my best friends came from a devout Catholic family, so I was introduced to the inner workings of the church from a young age. The mandatory mass. The mandatory prayers. The adoration of the virgin Mary. I believe that if Jesus were to walk into a Catholic Church today that He would immediately began His "Woes to you, Catholic priests" speech. And He would be justified in doing so. As I was reading of the recent passing of Pope Francis, I was once again reminded of the hierarchy and traditions held by this church. There are priests who verify the old guy has died. Priests whose duty it is to notify the world of his death, and priests who call the other priests into conference to elect a new Pope. Is this the church which the Father intended for us? I'll go out on a limb and proclaim that the Catholic church in NON WAY exemplifies the Ecclesia church of which Christ Jesus is the head {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 12:27}. As the apostle proclaims, we are ALL the body of Christ Jesus and members of it. In His church, He is the only hierarchy.
"Take heed to yourselves and to the entire flocklet, among which the holy spirit appointed you supervisors, to be shepherding the ecclesia of God, which He procures through the blood of His own"
Acts of The Apostles 20: 28, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
No comments:
Post a Comment