Posted on 04/14/2005 12:00:51 PM PDT by Dean Baker
Baptist church 'fake pope' sign attracting attention, criticism By JEANNINE F. HUNTER, hunter@knews.com April 13, 2005
NEWPORT, Tenn. - Two days after being posted, a church marquee message that questions the purpose of the papacy is still attracting attention in this small community.
"What I am trying to do is to let people know there's only one way to heaven through Jesus Christ," said the Rev. Cline Franklin, pastor of Hilltop Baptist Church. "There's no need for help. God sent his son, Jesus Christ. We're all priests if we're saved. I don't need to go to anybody else to pray."
The sign's side facing Broadway, the main thoroughfare in Newport, reads, "No truth, No hope Following a hell-bound pope!" On the other side, facing the church parking lot, it reads: "False hope in a fake pope."
The message appeared days after Pope John Paul II's funeral last week.
"It is unfortunate when it comes from within the Christian church. It's really sad," said the Rev. Dan Whitman, 54, pastor of Newport's Good Shepherd Catholic parish and Holy Trinity parish in Jefferson City. "You learn how to deal with it and pray not to be that way yourself."
It does not reflect mainstream Baptist thought, said Dr. Merrill "Mel" Hawkins, associate professor of religion and director of the Center for Baptist Studies at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City.
"When you see signs like that, they are almost like relics or artifacts of a bygone era," Hawkins said.
He spoke about animus between Protestants and Catholics persisting after the Protestant Reformation and for centuries, during which "harsh things were said, couched within misperceptions, misunderstandings."
Among the major misperceptions is that Catholics "venerate the pope on the same level as Jesus," Hawkins said, and that "the pope is connected to their salvation in place of Jesus Christ."
Catholics make up about 12 percent of the population in the South.
"Catholics are a minority faith in the South, and there's often bias toward minority religious communities because people don't understand," he said.
James Gaddis, a lay speaker who also chairs the board at First United Methodist Church, said he had not seen the sign but had heard about it.
"I understand that it's very degrading," he said. "I think it's tragic that any church group would stoop to this posture."
Following Tuesday night's council meeting, Newport Mayor Roland Dykes Jr. said he was a little saddened by the message.
"It doesn't behoove any of us to determine who is going to heaven or hell. I think the pope is a highly, highly respected person," he said.
Franklin's church is a five-year-old independent Baptist church. When asked what the message meant, he said: "What does 'pope' mean? It means father. We have a heavenly father, and the Bible says we shall call no man a father. "
He said people have been driving by or taking pictures or calling to share their views. He said the intent was not to offend Catholics and people are misunderstanding the sign.
Copyright 2005, Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.""But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
It wasn't hidden, it was lost.
Didache
(DOCTRINE OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES)
A short treatise which was accounted by some of the Fathers as next to Holy Scripture. It was rediscovered in 1883 by Bryennios, Greek Orthodox metropolitan of Nicomedia, in the codex from which, in 1875, he had published the full text of the Epistles of St. Clement.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04779a.htm
If you call the Catholic Church a "harlot" and a "false religion," you should not be surprised when Catholics take offense.
The Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ organizaton says that only THEIR way is the right to 'interpret' Scripture.
The Watchtower organization says that only THEIR way is the 'truth' of the Scriptures revealed.
The Unification Church (Moonies) say that THEIR way http://www.unification.org/overview_DP.html
shows that a 'New Expression of Love' is needed.
It was NOT 'traditions of the Fathers' but 'the Book of the LAW' that men were instructed to follow!
Joshua 1:8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Exodus 12:11
This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover.Exodus 12:21
Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb.Exodus 12:26-27
26. And when your children ask you, `What does this ceremony mean to you?'
27. then tell them, `It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.'" Then the people bowed down and worshiped.(Many other Scriptures in the OT mention the PASSOVER)
Matthew 26:1-21. When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples,
2. "As you know, the Passover is two days away--and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."Matthew 26:17-1917. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"
18. He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, `The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'"
19. So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!John 1:36
When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"John 19:14-15
14. It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.
15. But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.1 Corinthians 5:7
Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.Acts 8:32-35
32. The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
33. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."
34. The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?"
35. Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
1 Corinthians 11:27-2927. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
28. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
29. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
Corinthians 121. Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.
2. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.
3. Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
4. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
6. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
7. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
8. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,
9. to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,
10. to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
11. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
12. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
13. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
16. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
17. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
18. But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
19. If they were all one part, where would the body be?
20. As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"
22. On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
23. and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,
24. while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,
25. so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
26. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
28. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.
29. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
30. Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues ? Do all interpret?
31. But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
I don't doubt that other groups claim to be the true Church. Nor am I terribly interested in engaging in theological debates. What I am saying is that those who want to bait Catholics and attack their faith should not be surprised when Catholics fight back. Particularly when these attacks occur during the period of mourning for a beloved Pope, when those attacks became tasteless as well as pointless.
Thanks for proving my point. You're a hypocrite and a fraud.
***
LOL....you just keep telling yourself that, I don't play games. Short...conserv....very short.
Please explain how this book, obviously *WIDELY* available on Amazon and in bookstores worldwide, hasn't brought the Church down yet.
*****
No Book is going to bring this HUGE Harlot system down, God will destroy her and anyone sitting in her, but she is not complete yet....her daughters have to return to her, and most have if you note the way the world and world leaders flocked to a corpse paraded around dressed up like some sort of trophy for 3 days. Sick.
If you call the Catholic Church a "harlot" and a "false religion," you should not be surprised when Catholics take offense.
*******
Its childish and silly for anyone to take offense to much of anything. I didn't call her a harlot...God did. They can take their pointless offense up with Him, like it will matter.
You never answered my question:
"Now, what makes you smarter, or more in touch with the Lord than me?"
How do you know you are saved and I'm not?
The Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ organizaton says that only THEIR way is the right to 'interpret' Scripture.
The Watchtower organization says that only THEIR way is the 'truth' of the Scriptures revealed.
The Unification Church (Moonies) say that THEIR way http://www.unification.org/overview_DP.html
shows that a 'New Expression of Love' is needed.
How do you know you are saved and I'm not?
****
I never questioned your salvation. "YOU work out your salvation with fear and trembling." That is NOT my job. I'm warning you about a system you are setting in that God is going to destroy....and he warns HIS people to come OUT of her. That is scripture...if Says.."Come OUT of her MY people, or you will get the same judgment I'm about to put on her." and I know who she is....why would I not think you are his? You need to set straight in your own mind WHO SHE is, then you will have no doubts when you make your move away from her. YOU have to do that, I can give you some of the clues but I can't put that resolve and knowing in your heart...otherwise I am no better than some priest or preacher you may listen to. YOU be Berean...YOU search...YOU prove me wrong. LOL I have had more people find truth just in their stubborn search to prove me wrong....that's fine. I don't care what reason...just Search for yourself. Follow no man.
God said, If you ask for bread, I'll not give you a stone.
Ask Him to show you....did He not send the Holy Spirit as our comforter and our teacher? Did Christ's blood not make you as worthy as ANYONE else to go before the Father and ask
Him the things you want to know. It's not about RELIGION TomB..its about RELATIONSHIP. He is YOUR Father, talk to him.
No, God did not call the Catholic Church a "harlot," YOU did. And I've seen nothing in your barely literate screeds to convince me that you have much insight into God or anything else.
No, God did not call the Catholic Church a "harlot," YOU did. And I've seen nothing in your barely literate screeds to convince me that you have much insight into God or anything else.
*****
That's fine...just watch as we move into future events, I've given you alot that would be hard to understand based on your foundation of belief and in what you lay your trust in. And I understand that. For your sake, hopefully you will remember, even if its just a little bit of it.
I will be celebrating Passover next week, and remembering Him on the very date of His sacrifice.
*****
safisoft, Questions.....Does Passover always fall on a Sunday? Its' the 24th I think, a week from today. How long is this conclave suppose to last and at what point do they set a new pope in? Can it line up with the day of Passover? Just curious...thanks.
Yuck! You named Martin Luther and Calvin along with the likes of Ellen White and Mary Baker Eddy and Joseph Smith. Have you no shame? lol
Are you claiming to be a prophet?
Yeah but them dang cats had it coming!
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