Ping
After reading this post, I read your About page, was very pleased, and am hoping more RCC members are called out and chosen just as you are and have been.
Welcome to the frozen chosen, as we were called once upon a time. (Make sure it’s PCA, not the other.)
I do not think Calvin was a big fan of the Catholic Church.
“We will hear thee again of this matter.”
"prayers to the saints, prayers for the dead, the veneration of relics, the lighting of candles (in homage to the saints), and the veneration of icons are all rooted in Roman paganism. Such practices infiltrated the Christian church after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in the fourth century."
Syncretic Paganism, codified into RC belief, read back into the Scriptures (eisogesis), then defended here on Free Republic.
Oh, for God’s sake. Ever since the early 1500’s Calvin has opposed the Catholic Church. But, he had no problem with a church being named after himself. Talk about inconsistencies.
Catholics don’t even pray straight to the Blessed Mother. They merely address a request to her to pray FOR them to God.
Frank Viola addressed this in his book, Pagan Christianity a number of years ago.
In my almost 50 year search for “what were the bare, minimal essentials of first century Christians and the first century church”, I long ago discovered that by far a majority of the practices of today’s church (including Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, fundamentalists, Baptists, etc.) have their origins in pagan religions, and what we know and accept as normal today (it’s all we’ve known) would shock Christians of the first century.
Two major examples are a man called a pastor (or priest) who heads a church (just as a CEO heads a company), and a sermon (or homily).
I do know Frank and respect him and agree with most of what he wrote in this book, but contains a superior and critical attitude in addressing these matters that I think takes away from the facts that he is presenting.
I do recommend reading it with that thought in mind, and decide for yourself as to his perspective. His research and documentation is very thorough.
http://www.paganchristianity.org/
This remains so today from personal trinket idols to body parts, to Popes embrassing dolls and Statues.. etc. 'Anything' now can be made into an idol in catholicism and their alters are generally "Loaded" with them and also "shared"....Spiritual Perversion says it well.
Pope kissing the Islamic Koran
Worship of a corpse bone
Pope Kissing a vile of blood
Amen. If people do not pray to Jesus, they are in trouble.
In response to the posting of John Calvin’s statements about the papal sect, I submit the following:
“When I was in sixth grade, going to the elementary school on the airbase, it was demandeed by the school officials that I ‘stay after school’ (You all know how that went over.), to attend religious catechism classes, since my mother had listed herself as a Catholic. During one of these, I thought, punitive measures, I asked the guy in black, “Why do I have to learn anything is THIS book, when you don’t tell me anything about the bible? Don’t YOU believe in it?” I was ‘removed and excused from any further religious education, due to my actions’, the letter my Dad read. He asked me what I did. I told him, and he guffawed, while my mother grabbed another Scotch.”