- Catholics don’t understand freedom in Christ.
I don't think that is true for all, though it does appear to be the case for the significant number or percentage of FRomans who are encountered on the religion forum pages of FR.
Perhaps some do understand. I am persuaded that some do, as occasionally I encounter evidence a few have tasted of it, at least.
Yet those whom are the most adamant that none but themselves (those of their own church, anyway) can know it [true freedom] and enjoy that, living in it as gift & inheritance from God, do appear to be among the ones whom are themselves the most severely in bondage to "religious spirits", a.k.a., demonic forces which specialize in religious matters.
Still, religious & mental bondage is not restricted only to those who subject themselves to RCC theology and religious system, for there is bondage elsewhere, too.
- They can’t because they are in bondage to religion and works.
Pick your "works" based religious system, and I'll show you those who have been yoked up facing backwards in their traces? Poor souls. I feel sorry for them. They gaze upon all the wealth in the wagon in front of their nose, but it's so full of "stuff" it is nigh unto impossible to push anywhere but downhill...
Instead of that sort of awkward, burdensome backwardness, Christ said;
- "take my yoke upon you...my yoke is easy and burden is light"
And
- "take up your cross and follow after me"
No mention of wagons, or carts hooked up in front of horses, instead of a more sensible arrangement where the horse is free to move in a forwards direction, with the load or wagon trailing behind....
It's no wonder those who do it "backwards" can often be such horse's patoots? The wrong end is sticking out there. Obnoxious, isn't it?
It's sort-of like
- "Red Alert, red alert! There are prisoners escaping, sectors 5, 7, 11, 12, 19, 45, 141, and 219! Shoot on sight. I repeat, shoot on sight!."
The demonic usually let the mask slip right about the time they are fixing to lose their grip.
Ha. And some people think the Nazi's invented it. It's been around for a long time. It varies only in extent and/or degree.
- Nothing pushes them over the edge like someone who is free in Christ, knows it, and refuses to submit to their control.
That "control" -- it also all too often the demonic bondage aspect. Those forces feed on pride, fear, accusations, and sin. Add it all up, the collective sum effect = bondage. Continuing and yet further... those whom they can convert to their own stinking ways of thinking end up made into being twice over the children of hell they themselves are, much as it is written.
From prison guard unions (rather than adopted sons and daughters of the Lord as many claim themselves to be) deliver us forever, dear God.
I do not recall which wag it was who said;
- Wherever Christ would have an altar, Satan would seek to have built for himself one there too...
or something much like that, but it does appear accurate enough.
He was not the first or only, and certainly not the last to have noticed that.
It's no wonder really, that in today's world there are so many so thoroughly convinced that religion itself is the biggest problem of all.
Not that I agree with that view, but if it were not for God Himself having drawn me towards the Christ (and proven Himself to be who the Scriptures say that ~God~ is) I would likely share that view or opinion myself.
As it is, what I have leaned of God through church, is as much in spite of efforts of Romanists than because of them.