Explaining the Heresy of Catholicism (John MacArthur)

Grace To You ^ | Pastor John MacArthur

[Dr. Thorne]

Praying to Mary, celebrating the Mass, venerating the Pope—you won’t find those doctrines in the Bible. And yet more than one billion Roman Catholics throughout the world follow such practices in line with the official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.

With that many Catholics around the globe, it’s likely you know some of them as relatives, friends, neighbors, or co-workers. Find out what they don’t know—the origin and error of Catholic doctrine—so you can help the Catholics you know out of the darkness and into the light.

[bkaycee]

It the Pope errors, he is only does so as a private theologian, conveniently.

[BlackVeil]

Very sound advice. Christianity is based on the message of Christ. That is where the faith is.

People who argue a lot, and seem to hate others, are not strong in faith, no matter how loudly they proclaim themselves.

[boatbums]

☺

[boatbums]

I'll check to see if you post the same advice to those who opened the following threads recently:

Protestants Need to Convert (and Bad Catholics need to Revert)

How a Protestant spin machine hid the truth about the English Reformation

How Can Protestants Be Saved?

[Daffy]

"The Second Vatican Council taught ..." No, it didn't. But the anti-Catholic site proclaims this and other falsehoods. "Apocatastasis - (Greek, apokatastasis; Latin, restitutio in pristinum statum, restoration to the original condition). A name given in the history of theology to the doctrine which teaches that a time will come when all free creatures will share in the grace of salvation; in a special way, the devils and lost souls. ... "From the moment, however, that anti-Origenism prevailed, the doctrine of the apokatastasis was definitely abandoned. St. Augustine protests more strongly than any other writer against an error so contrary to the doctrine of the necessity of grace. ... In any case, the doctrine was formally condemned in the first of the famous anathemas pronounced at the Council of Constantinople in 543: Ei tis ten teratode apokatastasis presbeuei anathema esto [See, also, Justinian, Liber adversus Originem, anathemas 7 and 9.] The doctrine was thenceforth looked on as heterodox by the Church. ... "The doctrine of apokatastasis viewed as a belief in a universal salvation is found among the Anabaptists, the Moravian Brethren, the Christadelphians, among rationalistic Protestants, and finally among the professed Universalists." Catholic Encyclopedia newadvent.org/cathen/01599a.htm

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of the Russian Orthodox Church wrote a book when he was still a bishop that approaches the position of Apocatastasis but doesn’t quite embrace it. He is the solitary apostolic Christian leader I’ve seen defend the concept in modern times. No Catholic has ever done so.

[boatbums]

This whole thread is simply a flamethrowing exercise for the anti-Catholic bigots, plain as day.

Funny...I never see you say the same thing about all the bigoted, anti-Protestant threads posted here on a regular basis. What is "plain as day" is the blatant hypocrisy and double standards some FRoman Catholics demonstrate whenever someone DARES to challenge Roman Catholic dogmas.

You guys do so all the time with your "know-it-all", we are the ONE, TRUE church, Protestants are heretics rhetoric not only on threads started by Catholics but on threads that anyone else does as well, whether it mentions Catholicism or not. There is a hair-trigger, knee-jerk reaction whenever someone talks about the Christian faith and very seldom is there ANY effort to join forces against some who advocate for REAL heresy (i.e., against the deity of Jesus Christ, the Trinity). There is a visceral hatred that comes across FOR a fellow Freeper, rather than respectfully disagreeing. As a nun I had in grade school used to say, "Clean off your own doorstep before you try to clean off someone else's.".

[BlueDragon]

But then, bastardization of truth is Protestantism's speciality.

In your head
in your head
(they're still fighting)

Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence, caused such silence
Who are we mistaken?

But you see, it's not me,
it's not my family
In your head, in your head,
they are fighting

With their tanks, and their bombs
And their bombs, and their guns
In your head, in your head they are crying

In your head, in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
What's in your head,
in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie

[X4]
Du, du, du, du

Another mother's breaking
Heart is taking over
When the violence, causes silence
We must be mistaken

It's the same old team,
since nineteen-sixteen
In your head, in your head, they're still fighting
With their tanks, and their bombs
And their bombs, and their guns
In your head, in your head, they are dying

[yldstrk]

dearest “Dr.” Thorne

time will tell won’t it?

[yldstrk]

“Dr.” Thorne

please read son Scott Hahn and report back to me

[OneVike]

Catholics WROTE the bible that you describe

Wrong!
The two versions I use are the NASB & the NKJV. Neither of wich was translated from the latin Vulgate. You can check out these two sites to read about the translators and what manuscripts they used (NKJV) (NASB).

As for the author, it was the Holy Spirit who is credited for inspiring those who penned it though a span of 1600 years. The 66 manuscripts made up what was originally called the “Library of Divine Revelation”.

It was written in three different languages; Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic by 40 different men. Very few knew each other personally, except those of the NT. These authors came from all walks of life and almost every social rank.

There were; Jews, gentiles, the educated, and the uneducated, kings, statesmen, priests, peasants, fishermen, herdsmen, tent makers, a doctor, and even a tax-collector. Non of which belonged to the Catholic Church, regardless of what you may claim.

You really are historically ignorant of what you are claiming to know. Go find a site to copy from that won't make you look ignorant.

[OneVike]

Sorry, last night was the first time I ever stepped in. Then when I saw this I was curious, but originally was not going to jump in because I am not a fan of John MacArthur.

However, I only did so because I cannot stand back and allow a lie to be propagated.

As a rule I dislike the tit for tat of a them vs us thread on Christianity, but some of the lies being spread about Protestants and Evangelicals is getting old.

I just could not stand being silent any longer.

[Josh Painter]

At a time when Christians are under attack from the radical left and radical Islam around the globe, it should amaze me that some Protestants continue to hate on Catholics. But sadly it comes as no surprise. Because the small minds and hateful hearts of some who profess to be Christian continue to do the devil’s work.

If Christians don’t join together against our real enemies, we shall all be beheaded separately.

Their is nothing “graceful” about this church and its idiot pastor.

[OneVike]

Lies. Is that all you have? Accusations of slander?

[Faith Presses On]

What Luther wrote here is vague enough that you can’t tell if he supported treating Mary just like God or not. And I’ve found what I believe are things that Luther said that I don’t agree with anyway. I believe he didn’t want Esther in his version of the Bible, IIRC.

I also know that you don’t believe in the literal understanding of “Mother of God” because God has no mother (or father). And there is absolutely no reason for any Catholic to explain the meaning of this title in Catholicism to any Christian because how Jesus came into this world is well-known. But it should be noted that the title is a stretch and its literal meaning is misleading, and that may be in part why the Catholic Church has bestowed on Mary qualities only God has, and Catholics gush about her with awe exactly as Bible-believing Christians gush about the Lord with awe.

[boatbums]

Did you know that the Catholic Church reads the entire Bible to her congregation over the span of three years? Of course we do; Catholics invented the Bible!

Except that she doesn't and she didn't.

Lectionary Statistics

[OneVike]

And that “door-to-door” salesman you refer to and seem to be disparaging, happens to be the Holy Spirit. It was Him whom knocked on my door.

No sh!t?!?! Now that I'd like to see. And you complain about Catholics praying to dead people?

That is Blasphemy!

You accuse the Holy Spirit of being DEAD!

Be careful and repent my friend.

I will pray for you.

I will also end my participation in this or any other thread involving you until you publicly repent.

This is why I have stayed away from these threads.

They lead to many to sin, but sinning against the Holy Spirit is Blasphemous and I will not partake of it.

I think it is time we all step back and consider where this debate has taken us.

[boatbums]

Accusing others of lying and using profanity in a Religion Forum - BOTH a no-no. Hope you don't let your kids read what you write here!

[Faith Presses On]

I should clarify one thing. Given what the title “Mother of God” literally means in the plainest sense, its use to describe Mary is misleading. It’s not wholly true, and it may be in part why Mary is treated like Creator in Catholicism instead of creature. I know the specialness and uniqueness of Mary’s role in the body of Christ is acknowledged and celebrated in Bible-believing churches, but so is every other part of the body of Christ, which really only holds any wonder because of the work the Lord does in it. Paul wrote that no part of the body is greater or lesser in importance, and the story of any Christian is part of God’s amazing work and brings glory to Him.

[boatbums]

This concept has been so discredited so many times.

As we see demonstrated frequently here, it doesn't matter what the truth is as long as the narrative advances their Roman Catholic worldview. There is no other way to explain why the SAME people keep repeating the SAME falsehoods even in the face of overwhelming evidence that proves their error. It reminds me of this: