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.
Then when, in your opinion, does a child go from being ;innocent' to being a 'sinner'?
Just WHY did Martin Luther tack those 95 things to the doors anyway??
What? Nope...
When a person knows right from wrong and chooses wrong it is sin. Adam and Eve had to know what was forbidden before they could become sinners. So must we. An infant cannot determine good/evil therefore is sinless.
Jesus said the kingdom of heaven belongs to ones such as these(children). Matt 19:14
Well that certainly took alot of work and thank you. Matchett you can't ask me to deny what I know, because to me you sound no different than soooo many in my lifetime, who tried to fight me on what I have known.
I had rhumatic fever when I was 3yrs. old...my first open-heart when I was 11 yrs. old (one of the first ones done in the country), the little girl, same age as me in the bed next to me, had the same procedure, she died. (My Father told me I would be fine.)
At 16 I was told I would have no children, my heart couldn't take it......I had 3 children and every cardiogist
I came in contact with for each of the 3 told me I would die. (My Father told me I would be fine.) No complications with any of them.
At 28, I had my tubes tied after 3 children, the Lord had told me I would have 4 preg. 2 yrs. after having my tubes cut, burned and sewn, I had my 4th pregnacy and lost that one.
At 30 yrs. old I had my second open heart, was given a choice between 2 valves, a mechanical and a pig valve. Mechanical would last 400 yrs. and the pig 2-10 yrs. Each surgery my odds of getting thru it were less. My Father told me to take the pig....much to the dismay and anger of some of the top cardiogists in the country.
2 yrs. later the mechanical one was failing and people were dropping dead and there was a recall on the valve. My pig valve went for 15 yrs. My Father also told me He would give me a human valve. My pig valve lasted long enough for the advancement of the technology to place a cadavier valve in its place, and I was the 33rd one in the country to have it done. That was nearly 5 yrs. ago.
I take no meds. I am healthy and active and I have a human valve now.
WHY would I not listen to His warnings now? WHY after a lifetime of guidance would I all of a sudden shut my ears to the very voice that lead me thru so much?
Sorry Matchett....I'm not that vain nor stupid, call me what you must.
I have no familiarity with pagan practices, but I can spot an urban myth spun from exagerated tails based on a kernal of truth --- such as how they used to check if someone was dead in Italy.
You believe this trype because you are a bigot.
You make me ashamed to be a Protestant.
Only God knows for sure. All we mortals can do is speculate. These so-called "Christians" should mind their own business and shut up. All they are doing is making fools of themselves.
Your arguement about Mary needing to be sinless sounds like the human mind struggling to understand God; placing limits on God. This same type of reasoning resulting in Arian Heresy. "Sounds like" and "same type" are arguments from analogy, one of the weakest sort of arguments there are. Falsehood of the most convincing sort often "sounds like" certain truths; that's the only way the falsehood can be convincing. The only way to refute a claim is to show that it is false. Any true claim or sound argument can be said to "sound like" some false claim or unsound argument. So, "sounds like" proves nothing.
Go read Newman's An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine. Every Protestant should read that book.
-A8
"Seems like there's a lot of ASSUMIN' goin' on here!!!!"
No assuming. Just reasoning. If it is false, refute it. If it is true, believe it.
-A8
Although I have had some past run ins with Briar Bey, I dont believe that she is a bigot. Those are harsh words
That's sweet coming from someone throwing around "Troll" yesterday.
... taken in moderation.
The Pope was in charge during all the priest molestations & he helped cover it up. I do hold him responsible along with the perps.
Well, he has yet to answer some questions not only I, put one or two others asked him. He's getting just what he wanted, Christians fighting. Let's see if he posts an anti Catholic thread just to balance out the equation
So why tell me about it. Tell everyone.
LOL... calling people foolish are you...
Yes. See John 3:3 and 3:5. (also:Rom. 6:3–4; Col. 2:12–13; Titus 3:5)
This thread is Exibit 1 of why religious topics are moved to the Backroom.
A lot of my favorite Freepers are arguing against each other, and perhaps hurting each other. I'd rather see them join ranks to defeat our common enemies.
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