Baptist church 'fake pope' sign attracting attention, criticism (Pope Bound for Hell).

Knoxville News-Sentinel Co. ^ | April 13, 2005 | JEANNINE F. HUNTER

[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.

[jackibutterfly]

"I'm Baptist and I believe what Christ said about whenever any two are together, there He is also......."

whenever any two are together IN HIS NAME, . . .

[DBeers]

Anyway...Now that I think back. I just find it odd that we didn't really "Study" the bible. It seems, now, that the school was more interested in teaching Catholic Doctrin. I guess??

It is odd considering the Catholic Church teaches and has always taught that Sacred Scripture is the inerrant word of God and the catechism specifically references and quotes Sacred Scripture.

At best I would suggest you require more study before you can speak intelligiently about the Catholic faith versus just speaking about your unique experience.

[newgeezer]

Very good (the blog, too)!!!

[Darkwolf]

I agree. It serves no purpose. I am not one of these religion-bashers, but this is precisely the kind of thing that makes me laugh at the supposed "superiority" of "believers" who claim to be so much better than everyone else. There is a particularly ugly streak among religious folks who claim the authority to decide who's going to hell and who isn't.

[Junior]

"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."

Well then, pastor, I guess your services aren't required.

[Elsie]

NIV Matthew 5:20
   For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

 

NIV Matthew 18:3
   And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

 

NIV Matthew 18:32-35
 32.  "Then the master called the servant in. `You wicked servant,' he said, `I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
 33.  Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'
 34.  In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
 35.  "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

 

NIV Luke 13:2-5
2.  Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?
 3.  I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
 4.  Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?
 5.  I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

 

NIV John 3:3
  In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. "

 

NIV John 3:5
   Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

 

NIV John 6:53
5  Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

 

NIV John 15:4
   Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

 

Acts 15

 

 1.  Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."
 2.  This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
 3.  The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad.
 4.  When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
 5.  Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."
 6.  The apostles and elders met to consider this question.
 7.  After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.
 8.  God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
 9.  He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
 10.  Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?
 11.  No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

 

NIV 2 Corinthians 13:5
  Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless , of course, you fail the test?

 

NIV 2 Timothy 2:5
   Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.

[concerned about politics]

You know why that is? Most people think you worship a mortal - Mary.

*shrug*

If "most people" are too ignorant to educate themselves on the Catholic faith, then I suppose they can think whatever they like.

Well, that's what they think. They see statues and prayers to Mary. What else would they think?
People who aren't Catholic find no need to understand. Why would they? They're not Catholic! They could care less about Mary. She was born into sin like everyone else. The Bible says very little about her after Christs arrival.

[rmichaelj]

OK, since you wouldn't give me a source on the "Babylonian Brotherhood" I looked it up myself on the internet. The very questionable "sources" I found seem to describe a secret race of men/extraterestrials who interbred with reptiles sometime after the great flood and who now have a secret organization controlling the world.

Sigh.

I'm moving on now.

[JohnnyZ]

Hopefully the flames will remain low...

ROFL........ good luck

[Bella_Bru]

You know why that is? Most people think you worship a mortal - Mary.

That's because those people are too ignorant and lazy to find out about others' beliefs. They are arrogantly blissful in their ignorance.

[Elsie]

I hope this isn't widespread, unfortunetly many protestants are ignorant about Catholicism.

Actually...

... many protestants are ignorant about Protetantism as well!!!

[TChris]

You mean, like this?

[Designed]

I am not interested in defending Luther, or Calvin, or Augustine, or Wesley, or the Pope. They were not inspired men. They were not apostles. In many points they all agree with the scritures. In many points they all (IMHO) erred grievously from the scriptures. My job, as a disciple of Jesus, is to teach and defend the doctrine as taught by Jesus and the men to whom the Spirit was promised.

[Rutles4Ever]

Ever hear of the Eucharist?

Some people think Protestants worship the Bible, too. Everything is "Bible this" and "Bible that", but nothing about how Christianity was practiced prior to the existence of the Bible...

That's why Catholics follow scripture AND tradition. If the Holy Spirit was truly present at Pentecost, then the oral tradition that fueled the early Church must have been of Divine origin as well...

[BibChr]

Thanks very much; I appreciate the encouragement.

Dan

[rmichaelj]

"You know why that is? Most people think you worship a mortal - Mary.

That's because those people are too ignorant and lazy to find out about others' beliefs. They are arrogantly blissful in their ignorance."


Maybe it is because we have been to lazy and/or ignorant to teach them as we are called to do?

[Dean Baker]

Interesting stuff Danny. Thanks!

And I don't mean to make a comparison with my following question, but...


Didn't the Nazis and the KKK hate Catholics too? I remember a teacher once telling me (IF I remember right), that the reason for the KKK being against the Catholics is because they are ruled by someone (Something) from outside of our country. He was a cool teacher. I think, now, that he was trying to find a way to get me to sympathise with Blacks, since I was Catholic.

But, I still don't know why the Nazis hated Catholics (Hell...to tell the truth, I don't know why they hated the Jews so much!!)? Maybe just because like you said...Some groups just distort the word of God for their own selfish reasons.

?

[MeanWestTexan]

I bet he doesn't like masons, either.

[Dean Baker]

So far, so good!

Hey...Even the guy calling me a troll has stopped. ANYTHING is possible!! LOL!

[Red Badger]

I was paraphrasing.........