Posted on 04/12/2011 7:55:27 AM PDT by bkaycee
Can a born again Christian be a member of a cult and be involved in idol worship? I once thought this was an impossibility until it happened to me. Now I understand why Jesus warned us that, in the end times, there would be an appearance of great signs and miracles that would deceive even the elect, if possible. I confess I have been seduced by signs and miracles associated with apparitions of Mary, and I offer my testimony so others may be warned and delivered.
Until recently I was serving as Director of Public Relations for the Queen of Peace Center in Dallas, Texas. This non-profit organization disseminates information and messages from Marian apparitions in Medjugorje and around the world. I co-authored a full page ad that was published in the June 25, 1993, Dallas Morning News at a cost of $10,000. This add announced "Mary's" prescription for peace and listed locations of her recent appearances. It also listed phone numbers to call for up-to-day recorded messages of Mary's latest apparitions, such as the one in Dallas (214) 233-MARY. I once thought it was special to be the only non-Catholic on the Queen of Peace board . . . that is, until I met Mike Gendron and his wife, Jane.
A Divine Appointment
Neighbors and close friends of mine knew I was seriously contemplating becoming Roman Catholic. They told me that Mike had been a Roman Catholic for 37 years and was now a pastor at a non-denominational church in the Dallas area. They said he understood many of the issues involved in being Roman Catholic and could help me with my decision. I looked forward to meeting both Mike and his wife, not for my sake, but for theirs. I felt certain the information I had collected about "Our Lady's apparitions" in Medjugorje would surely lead them back home to the "true" (Roman Catholic) church. Providentially it appeared, I attended a Queen of Peace board meeting the night before we met and asked the board to pray for this lost pastor and his wife, who had fallen away. When I arrived at their door the next morning, I first introduced myself, before returning to my car for the large stack of books and newspapers I had brought to persuade them. The materials would help explain what was happening in Medjugorje and how the Virgin Mary would help change their lives.
Confronted by Contradictions
After we met, they showed me a film titled Catholicism: Crisis of Faith. This film lovingly and objectively contrasted how the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church contradicts the teachings of the Sacred Scriptures. Mike would stop the film after each segment for my questions and comments. Initially, I was argumentative and felt uneasy and rather adamant about what I was witnessing. Mike realized he had forgotten to pray before starting the film and asked if we could ask God to make His truth clear, and that all deception would be exposed. After the prayer my whole countenance changed.
Each question I asked, Mike validated his answers using Vatican II documents and an official Roman Catholic catechism. It was amazing to me how Roman Catholic teaching contradicts the very Word of God. Question after question, he would bring the Bible over to me and knell to show me verses in context. His servant's demeanor and patient, understanding heart helped in unraveling falsehood after falsehood. There wasn't a question I could have asked him that would have provoked anger. As a reflection of our Lord, this man allowed Jesus to pull the scales away from my eyes.
There were three things in the film and our discussion that were most alarming to me. First, a church in South America has Mary placed on a crucifix rather than Christ. It reminded me of my visit to Our Lady of Guadeloupe Cathedral in downtown Dallas where Mary is positioned as the focal point at the alter and the crucifix is placed in another part of the church. These two scenes made me realize idolatry is practiced within the church.
Second, the Roman Catholic Catechism by Rev. William Cogan, now in its 44th year of print, has altered the 10 commandments of God. The 2nd commandment given to Moses reads, "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:4). The Roman Catholics have deleted this commandment but still came up with ten by splitting the 10th one into two separate commands. "You shall not covet your neighbor's good; and you shall not covet your neighbor's wife" (Exodus 20:17). I was reminded of the scriptural warnings for those who add to or subtract from the Bible.
Third, Mike told me the only place in the Bible in which the queen of heaven was referred to was in the Book of Jeremiah. He encouraged me to study the passage and it would expose another false doctrine concerning Mary. Anyone who is familiar with the prayers and meditations of the rosary can tell you that in one of the mysteries Christ supposedly crowned Mary the queen of heaven after she was assumed into heaven. Neither of these events have scriptural validity, but I had decided to blindly accept these doctrines because all of the other meditations on the life of Christ were verified by Scripture.
The Queen of Heaven
After returning home, I looked in the Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible for the passage in Jeremiah 44. Here, the Lord was angered by the wickedness of the people choosing to serve other gods. The people refused to listen to the Lord. Instead, they would "burn sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pour out libations to her." The woman "made for her sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out libations to her?" (Jeremiah 44:17, 19).
In Hebrew the word for queen has reference to "the heavenly handiwork" or "the stars of heaven." The reference might be to Ishtar, the goddess of love and fertility, who is identified with the Venus Star and is actually entitled "Mistress of Heaven." (The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, p. 975)
My head was spinning and filled with questions after reading this. Doesn't Mary usually appear with stars for her crown? Who then is the woman in Revelation 12:3-6? And most importantly, why would the Roman Catholic Church give the mother of Jesus the title of a pagan goddess? Had I been promoting the ministry of a pagan goddess whose messages were inconsistent with the Bible? Indeed her messages do contradict the Bible. In fact, she speaks of another gospel, another plan of salvation that nullifies and opposes the all sufficient sacrifice of Jesus. The apparition of Fatima said, "You have seen Hell where the souls of poor sinners go, so save them, God wishes to establish in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart." The apostle Paul condemned anyone, even an angel from heaven, who would dare preach a different way to be saved other than through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ (Galatians 1:6-10).
As for the woman described in Revelation, she is not Mary, the mother of Jesus, but God's chosen people, the Jews. When the passage in chapter 12 is read in context with the rest of the book, and Genesis 37:9-10, this clearly refers to the nation Israel. God fulfills His promise to the Jews, by protecting them in the desert during 3 1/2 years of tribulation.
I later realized my prayers to Mary and the saints, the reciting of rosaries and chaplets of divine mercy, and the wearing of Marian medals and scapulars had taken my focus off of Jesus. I had allowed doctrines of the Roman Catholic church to do the very thing Saint Paul warned against, "But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." (2 Cor. 11:3).
An Angel of Light
Recently, a person whom I love dearly, and who has a "Marian devotion" asked me, "Why are you bothering the people who are already good people instead of worrying about those who are lost?" The answer came to me the other evening as the Lord continues to guide me through His sacred Word. Saint Paul wrote that "Satan masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). We know the mother of Jesus would never oppose her Son, and since the apparitions do just that, they could very well be Satan masquerading as Mary. Saint Paul also wrote, "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them . . . everything exposed by the light becomes visible" (Ephesians 5:11-14). Therefore, I feel called to expose these attempts by the evil one to divert people's devotion away from Jesus. The most authoritative way to do this is with the light of God's Holy Word. My new test for truthfulness is -- if it does not agree with the Scriptures then it must be rejected.
Freedom in the Truth
Now that I have torn down the altar in my bedroom, where I knelt and prayed to St. Anthony of Padua each night, and now that I have placed my rosaries, scapular and medals away, I have found a new freedom. The truth really does set people free! I have found special peace in knowing Jesus alone is my Savior, and not co-redemptrix with His mother. The Holy Spirit continues to lead me into all truth and is now the only teacher I need (1 John 2:27).
To all my precious friends who I have encouraged to seek Mary and to obey the misleading messages of her apparitions, I pray these Scriptures would minister to you -- "And it came about while He said these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, 'Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts at which you nursed.' But He said, 'On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and observe it." (Luke 11:27-28)
This article was submitted by a former Director for a "Mary, Queen of Peace Center."
Where I went to school we engaged in a lot of seminars. We were encouraged NOT to say, "That's absurd," but rather, "I don't understand." It was not only a council of courtesy but of prudence,because often it was true that one didn't understand.
Also, as I have said before, my non-Christian hero is Socrates who would readily take the accusation of being poorly catechized to himself, had it been given.
It is true that I did not think metmom would be able to ,ahem, substantiate her claim,but I am often wrong. Besides, we ADHD dyslexics are always trying to get other people to do the reading. It would be easier for her to come up with a "physical" if one were there than for me to KNOW than none was there. Besides, she'd be reading the catechism, which cannot help but be good.
Thank you for the excellent copy-book discourse on substance. I found it helpful and it reminded me of much. The problem with NOT reading text books is one doesn't get the simple, almost tabular explanations which are so clear and so memorable.
We had already adduced the consubstantiálem Patri phrase from the Nicene Creed as an example of substance used about the Divine.
I don't recall that these examples were acknowledged.
Unless you are a heretic.
“If forgers and malefactors are put to death by the secular power, there is much more reason for excommunicating and even putting to death one convicted of heresy”
Below is lists of Spiritual Fruits and Gifts. Which of them does the above remark exhibit?
Fruits of the Spirit:
love,
joy,
peace,
forbearance,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness
self-control
Gifts of the Spirit:
wisdom,
understanding,
counsel,
fortitude (or courage),
knowledge,
piety,
fear of the Lord.
I grow weary of the gratuitous stirring up of irrelevant conflict.
Fortunately it’s time to go to Mass.
Y’all play nice now.
I didn’t ask whether mentioning someone was banned. I asked if there was a story about how it came to be banned. Nothing wrong or inconceivable about that.
Thank you for replying.
I understand that mentioning of that guy is not allowed, but I was just wondering how that came about.
For example: Was his stuff banned because anti-Catholics kept posting his cartoons? Was his name banned because Catholics kept accusing others of behaving like him?
Generally I would say no to all of them with the exception that what the pastor/minister/priest says should be generally orthodox. But the sign and the thing signified are two different things. Most Christian denominations have not required that people who convert to their denomination from another Christian denomination be rebaptized as long as the person was baptized under the sign of the Trinity. So that's seems to be the minimal requirement that most denominations require for the sign.
Baptism has several layers of meaning. Peter speaks about it as the washing away of sin. Paul speaks about as being baptized into the life of Jesus. I believe it also has a relation to the Jewish sign of circumcision. Circumcision served as a sign to the Jewish people that God would be faithful to his promises to his people. So Baptism is a gift from God to meet us in our condition. It's a blessing to believers who can look back at their baptism as a sign to them that God is faithful to his promises.
"...just as it was of the Holy Virgin and by the Holy Spirit that the Lord, through and in himself, took flesh."
This same Lord. This same flesh.
I can't help but wonder why you are making such an issue of the word "physical".
Forget for the moment that the Catechism teaches the bread exclusively becomes the body and the wine exclusively becomes the blood while you have invented a "better way" (both elements in the host) and explain how the Catechism does not teach Jesus, in His entirety, real body - real blood, is not present in the Eaucharist.
You need to start out first with TRUTH which is God’s Holy Spirit Inspired Word before jumping to the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Your speak of gifts/fruits but you don’t want HIM? He doesn’t compete with man made teachings. NOTHING IS ABOVE HIM - never was nor never will there ever be; although, satan tries with his man made teachings vs. God’s Word.
And Maryology teachings are an offense to God. She was not conceived without sin - that teaching is from the pit - as it opposes God’s Word. She can do NOTHING for anyone - she is NO intercessor - JESUS ALONE is. She fulfilled her destiny and she didn’t spread false teachings. Your pope confessed he’s ALL Mary’s and inscribed it on his garments, praying to her, telling others to do the same - IDOLATRY! IDOLATRY! IDOLATRY! DECEPTION! DECEPTION! DECEPTION!
God’s children belong to HIM alone and pray to HIM alone and believe on HIS WORD alone! Get the picture?
Words games are SOP for the Catholic church.
The CCC says it changes substance, it is “transformed” into the very body and the very blood of Christ and that is how He becomes present in the mass.
It’s been printed there in black and white with links provided to boot.
Anyone who wants can deny that, but then they are forced into the position of denying what the Catholic church on the vatican.va website itself has posted.
Ask any lay Catholic you know if the eucharist becomes the actual body and blood of Christ and you’ll see what Catholics believe.
So, again: Are you not a man? Are you not subject to your own statement that Scripture can have quite different interpretations when man gets it’s hands on it?
Or do you speak for the Holy Spirit?
The “works of straw” reference:
“LXXIX. The witness went on to recall that while brother Thomas was saying his Mass one morning, in the chapel of St. Nicholas at Naples, something happened which profoundly affected and altered him. After Mass he refused to write or dictate; indeed he put away his writing materials. He was in the third part of the Summa, at the questions on Penance. And brother Reginald, seeing that he was not writing, said to him: ‘Father, are you going to give up this great work, undertaken for the glory of God and to enlighten the world?’ But Thomas replied: ‘Reginald, I cannot go on.’ Then Reginald, who began to fear that much study might have affected his master’s brain, urged and insisted that he should continue his writing; but Thomas only answered in the same way: ‘Reginald, I cannot - because all that I have written seems to me so much straw.’ Then Reginald, astonished that ... brother Thomas should go to see his sister, the countess of San Severino, whom he loved in all charity; and hastening there with great difficulty, when he arrived and the countess came out to meet him, he could scarcely speak. The countess, very much alarmed, said to Reginald: ‘What has happened to brother Thomas? He seems quite dazed and hardly spoke to me!’ And Reginald answered: ‘He has been like this since about the feast of St. Nicholas - since when he has written nothing at all.’ Then again brother Reginald began to beseech Thomas to tell him why he refused to write and why he was so stupefied; and after much of this urgent questioning and insisting, Thomas at last said to Reginald: ‘Promise me, by the living God almighty and by your loyalty to our Order and by the love you bear to me, that you will never reveal, as long as I live, what I shall tell you.’ Then he added: ‘All that I have written seems to me like straw compared with what has now been revealed to me.’ “
Here:Aquinas - "...seems to me like straw".
as long as the person was baptized under the sign of the Trinity. So that's seems to be the minimal requirement that most denominations require for the sign.
So, we would agree that if the pastor baptized in the name of Beezelbub instead of The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it would matter. Still, in the last instance, we would not say the pastor is conjuring up.
So Baptism is a gift from God to meet us in our condition. It's a blessing to believers who can look back at their baptism as a sign to them that God is faithful to his promises.
And, still, "God, at his discretion, may attach a transformation at the moment of Baptism."
I don't think we agree on the Sacraments here, but I hope the idea of conjuring up, the magical thinking, is clear. In both our faiths, it is God acting on His discretion and being faithful to His promises. And that, while the form matters, this again does not necessarily denote conjuring.
Sure, if it is the Lord.
Elaborate please. What has changed in your cells, organs, blood, flesh, etc?
THANKS MUCH.
Interesting.
If you were transformed, yet it was not a “physical” transformation, then you can understand the difference applied to your prior posts. It’s a quite similar concept.
thanks for your reply.
We had already adduced the consubstantiálem Patri phrase from the Nicene Creed as an example of substance used about the Divine.
I don't recall that these examples were acknowledged.
Doesn't look like it, from all the responses. In fact, forget about acknowledged, even simply considering the position would have been, well, considerate.
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