Grace and peace, Saints.
Yesterday, a Roman Catholic posted an interesting response to our article entitled “An Unexpected Meeting With Ganesh.” I believe his comment echoes the sentiments of many Catholics, including many you may know–so I decided to share our dialogue with you for the edification of Christians and the benefit of Catholics. Below is his comment followed by my response.
[Begin Comment]
“I think you are mistaken about Catholics. First – a word about crucifixes. A crucifix is NOT cursed NOR is it a sign of a curse. During Jesus’ incarnation, the punishment of death by crucifixion was CONSIDERED to be accursed. Notice the use of the past tense. Jesus has redeemed us ALL from any and all curse of the Law. Nothing which was formerly held to be a curse can stand. Furthermore, the very fact that Jesus expiated all human sins and curses – has even further removed any possible curse from ancient use of the torture of crucifixion. You must also consider the fact that a crucifix is considered holy by us Catholics – it is a sign of Jesus suffering for all humanity. It’s powerful a way of honoring Jesus’ sacrifice which saved us all and a way to compassionate with him. The Crucifixion was the means by which he saved the world and a crucifix is a powerful tool against he enemy since it is a clear sign of Jesus’ victory. We all talk about the victory of the cross, where Jesus conquered the world and defeated the Enemy. Well crucifixes represent that victory and well as the process of redemption.”
I don’t know where you get the idea that Catholics worship Mary. It is clear that they do not. I find it unhealthy that Protestants are constantly labeling and judging other Christians and their beliefs and activities. The Catholics formed the first church and from our first pope to the present, Catholicism has had uninterrupted leadership and maintained apostolic tradition for 2,000 years. We do not worship the Virgin Mary – we VENERATE her and recognize her great spiritual importance. She plays a role in our lives and in our faiths. It should not be too hard to understand this, but I have never met a Protestant who COULD understand the veneration that Catholic express towards Mary. No matter how often you explain to Protestants that Latria=Worship and Hyperdulia & Dulla, are differing forms of VENERATION which we offer to the saints and to Mary the mother of Jesus. – Protestants always choose to collapse everything into one concept – worship.
You sound like you can’t handle being married to a non-white woman, that you are undermining your wife as a mother in front of her daughters. You are robbing your daughters of a very precious treasure- that of respect and intimacy with their own mother. You are destroying their sense of wellness about being mixed children.
This is why Catholics should never marry Protestants – they steal great treasure from us and cover our lives with disapprobation, censure, self-denial and rejection. No Protestant can ever be a good husband or wife to a true Catholic.
[End Comment]
[Begin Response]
Thanks for your comment, VaniNY. Indeed, Jesus has redeemed all those who are trusting in His blood from the “curse of the Law”; but Roman Catholics are still living under the Law, because you are not trusting in the blood of Jesus for redemption from sin. That means that the blood of Jesus is not applied to your sins. According to the Bible, a Christian is someone who is trusting in the blood of Jesus Christ alone for redemption from sin (Romans 3:25, Ephesians 2:8-9); the Roman Catholic Council of Trent, however, places anyone who believes that faith in the blood of Jesus alone is sufficient for salvation under a perpetual anathema; that is, a curse:
“If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone, meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtain the grace of justification, and that it is not in any way necessary that he be prepared and disposed by the action of his own will [good works], let him be anathema.” Council of Trent, Sixth Session, Canon 9. (The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, p. 43.)
This is contrary to the Bible, which says: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
Moreover, the Bible says that our works will not get us into heaven:
“For by grace are ye saved; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of god: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The Council of Trent also decreed that anyone who believes he is justified by faith in the blood of Jesus alone is a heretic (which means he is worthy of death):
“It must not be said that sins are forgiven to anyone who boasts of his confidence and certainty of the remission of his sins, resting on that alone, though among heretics [Protestants] and schismatics this vain and ungodly confidence may be…
“Moreover, it must not be maintained, that they who are truly justified must needs, without any doubt whatever, convince themselves that they are justified…and that absolution and justification are effected by this faith alone.” Council of Trent, Sixth Session, Chapter 9 “Against The Vain Confidence of Heretics”, (The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, p. 35.)
The Bible, however says that we ought to have confidence in our justification:
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in Him…” (1 John 5:13-14).
This is the difference between a Protestant (Bible-Believing Christian) and a Catholic. Protestants follow the Bible as the sole rule and guide of our faith. Catholics, however, have several sources, including tradition. The Council of Trent decreed: “If anyone…knowingly and deliberately rejects the aforesaid traditions, let him be anathema.” (Fourth Session)
Jesus, however, said that through tradition men make the Word of God “of none effect.”
This is why Catholics don’t see the crucifix as a cursed thing, when the Bible says that Jesus hanging on the cross is a cursed thing. This is how Catholics can justify idolatry, by calling the worship of a statue “veneration.” This is how Catholics can call the Virgin Mary Co-Redeemer with Jesus Christ, when she didn’t shed a drop of blood for mankind. Dulia, hyerdulia and Latria are merely ways for Catholicism to justify Mary worship and Eucharist “adoration.”
This brings up an interesting point–more interesting than Mary “veneration.” By your own words, latria is worship. Why then do Catholics argue that they do not worship the Eucharist (the consecrated wafer used during the Mass) but adore it, when the Council of Trent says the Eucharist should be given the worship of latria?:
“There is, therefore, no room for doubt that all the faithful of Christ may, in accordance with a custom always received in the Catholic Church, give to this most holy sacrament [the Euchrist] in veneration the worship of latria, which is due to the true God. For we believe that in it the same God is present of whom the eternal Father, when introducing Him into the world says: And let all the angels of God adore Him…” (Council of Trent, Thirteenth Session Chapter Five, p. 76.)
With this statement, the Catholic Church is actually calling both veneration and adoration forms of worship; and they should, for that is exactly what they are. Note also that Eucharist worship is not done in obedience to the Bible, but “in accordance with a custom always received in the Catholic Church.” A custom, as you know, is a tradition. So, while Catholics may argue that they don’t worship the Virgin Mary, but “venerate” it, and don’t worship the Eucharist, but “adore” it, your own church says otherwise.
To the contrary, I can very well handle being married to a non-white woman, given that I am a non-white man. For the record, I am a Black American, while my wife is a Black African. Our children are, therefore, of mixed nationality, but not of mixed race.
Lastly, you spoke a great truth when you said that “Catholics should never marry Protestants,” but you are incorrect when you say that Protestants “steal great treasure from you and cover your lives with disapprobation, censure, self-denial and rejection.” It is your own Catholic church that steals many great treasures from you, chief of which is the Truth of Jesus Christ and the Free Gift of Eternal Salvation that could be yours. It also steals the holy treasure of marriage from your priests and nuns (1 Timothy 3:1-3) resulting in their great frustration and the hurt of many innocent girls and boys. Your comment that “No Protestant can ever be a good husband or wife to a true Catholic” should also be re-worded to say that no good Catholic can ever be a good husband or wife to a true Protestant, because your own Council of Constance (1414-1418) decreed:
“A Catholic wife is not obliged to any duty to her heretical (Protestant) husband, because by the husband’s heresy she is freed from her duty. In like manner, a Catholic husband is freed from all duty to his wife, is she be a heretic.”
You see, it is your own Catholic Church that is the enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ and all godly institutions, including marriage. Open your Bible and read it, if you dare, “and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
[End Response]
Saints, please pray for the dear Roman Catholics. Dear Roman Catholics, please “Come out of her and be ye separate.”
Be encouraged and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.
The Still Man
