Posts Tagged ‘Roman Catholic Church’
Monk at the Monastery
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/MonkAtTheMonastery.mp3 by Alan Feaster
Read MoreI know fornication is wrong, but I don’t want to see my boyfriend in hell
Question: Hello, I have a question that has really been weighing on my conscience and my heart. This may be very long and I apologize, but here it goes. I have been dating my boyfriend for four years now. We are both currently in college. We most definitely have the intention of getting married. Unfortunately,…
Read MoreWhat is the penance for adultery?
Question: Hello, I would like to know what is the penance for adultery. If forgiveness is possible, does the “forgive and you shall be forgiven” apply? Answer: The idea that there are acts of penance done for sins is not taught in the Bible. It is merely a Roman Catholic tradition. See: Do we have to…
Read MoreThe Split of the Catholic Churches
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/SplitOfTheCatholicChurches.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Matthew 23:1-12 I. Very shortly after the first century, one elder in the church became the chief elder and took on the title of bishop to distinguish himself from the other elders. A. Even though elder and bishop refers to the same duty – Titus 1:5,7 B. By the third…
Read MoreThe Apostles’ Creed
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ApostlesCreed.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: John 17:11-23 I. Every once in a while someone will ask what is our statement of faith. A. Back when we were home schooling, we were wanting to get involved with a local group, but they wanted us to sign a statement of faith B. Another name for a…
Read MoreCorruption in Church Organization
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/0020/01/CorruptionInChurchOrganization.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Acts 20:17-35 I. Equality of members (first century) A. The early church was marked by the equality of its members – Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11 B. As Jesus prayed, the desire was for all Christians to be one – John 17:20-21 C. There were different duties, but the people were…
Read MoreI want to jump and lavish in God’s glory
Question: I’m a Roman Catholic and I finally fully accepted Jesus into my life after 15 years of me just saying I believe in him and still turning my back and obeying the world. I am continuously growing and deepening my relationship with him. I go to a Christian school and my best friend is…
Read MoreWhy can’t I marry my Catholic boyfriend?
Question: God bless you, Well, I have an issue in my life. My parents and I were introduced to Christianity a few years ago. My dad already had a background in it since his childhood, so he connected and loved it right away. My mom and I didn’t feel it right away. It was a…
Read MoreShould I give up my phone for Lent?
Question: Hi, I’m Catholic, and we have a thing called Lent, which is the forty days before Easter, where we give something up. I’m wondering if I should give up my phone because it’s the reason I look at porn and that. But I was thinking that I should give something else up, then give…
Read MoreInfant Baptism (Hamilton)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/InfantBaptism.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Romans 7:7-25 I. Historians will admit that infant baptism did not appear in the church until the second or third century A. Roman Catholics 1. “There is no express mention of the baptism of infants in the New Testament” [Question Box, page 23]. 2. “It is difficult to give strict proof…
Read MoreShould I wait until after I get married to be baptized?
Question: Hi, I am in the process of getting baptized and being confirmed as a Catholic. At the same time, I am engaged and my fiance and I live together. We will be getting married next year. Should I wait to be baptized after we are married? Answer: To be clear upfront, I’m not a…
Read MoreIs the Bible for or against the use of holy water or salt?
Question: Hi, Holy water and salt have become a common religious tool, believed to be very powerful and frequently used in my country. Is the Bible for or against this practice? Answer: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not…
Read MoreWill God forgive me for worshiping idols to please my mother?
Question: I am 21 years old. My mum is a Buddhist, which forces me to worship Buddhist idols. But I am a Catholic and she opposes me and scolds me. She even denies Jesus publicly. I am not yet baptized because of her. What should I do? Will God forgive me because of my worship…
Read MoreWhy do people choose the priesthood when they want to follow Jesus?
Question: I was wondering if many people who accepted Jesus and decided to follow him joined the priesthood. My question is: Is becoming a priest the only way to follow Jesus and go to Heaven? Why do people choose the priesthood when they want to follow Jesus? And what is the difference between becoming a…
Read MoreThe Unchanging Word
by Jefferson David Tant In one of the conversations our Lord was having with his disciples, he stated: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). And the apostle Peter wrote: “For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The…
Read MoreAre willful sins irremissible?
Question: Hello, I repented wholeheartedly and believed that I would never (willfully) sin again. I was determined to not sin. I was overjoyed to be baptized for the forgiveness of my sins because I knew what Jesus went through to make it possible, and I thought that surely I would never turn my back and…
Read MoreMy mother threatens not to attend my wedding if I marry my Catholic boyfriend
Question: Hi, I am a 20-year-old daughter and student, currently living with my mother. I have a brother whose age isn’t far different than mine. My parents divorced when we were little, and my mother gained custody of both of us. We’ve been living together since. She is a proud mother with a good constant…
Read MoreYou don’t interpret I Timothy 4:1-4 correctly
Question: I happened upon your site and didn’t have time for the whole thing but I thought I may help you with a correct interpretation of a passage you quote from St. Paul at the top: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving…
Read MoreThe Man of Sin
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ManOfSin.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Thessalonians 2:1-12 I. Have you noticed that when little is said on a particular topic that it generates more discussion than when much is said? A. Of course, when little is said the range of possibilities is wide open. B. It generates strong opinions (not truths, just opinions) which cannot…
Read MoreDoes the Church Produce the Bible or Does the Bible Produce the Church?
by Ryan Thomas Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions regarding the Bible is that it is a product of the church. Many reject the Bible as our sole source of religious authority and instruction and belittle us for believing in the “Bible alone theory.” Thus, there is a great need to discuss the relationship between…
Read MoreAll Christians Are Priests
by David J. Riggs from Catholic Teaching Examined A study of the New Testament reveals that all Christians are priests. Peter said, “You too are living stones, built as an edifice of spirit, into a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (I Peter 2:5; The New Catholic Translation). Thus, all Christians…
Read MoreYour ignorance of Scripture is shown in your misquote of the Rosary
Question: I am truly amazed at your ignorance of Scripture, as an example, you erroneously present the alleged Lord’s Prayer as part of the Rosary. Show me where in the Scripture (which you got from the Catholic Church) the heretic words…”For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” I cannot…
Read MoreWhy is it so important to you that Mary had other children? What difference does it make?
Question: I have always been puzzled why the members of the church of Christ are so adamant that Mary, the mother of Jesus, had additional children with her husband, Joseph. I know the Catholic teaching is that Mary was a perpetual virgin; why does it matter to the church of Christ if she had other…
Read MoreDid Jesus have brothers?
Question: Hi Jeff! Did Jesus have brothers? How can we explain that a word such as “wine” has so many meanings depending on the context and root of the word in Greek, but that the word “brother” means just that? I ask because some denominational churches teach that when the Bible said “brother” it really…
Read MoreSince the Scriptures can be unclear, doesn’t it require an organization to state what is true?
Question: Scripture is unclear at times and at other times seems to be contradictory. With that in mind, there are many different interpretations from many different sources. So, my question is this; If what the Bible says is true, not according to personal interpretation, who or what organization is the true scriptural authority? It seems…
Read MoreWas Peter in Rome?
Question: Was Peter in Rome? Answer: The supposition that Peter was in Rome is based on “She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son” (I Peter 5:13). Babylon is used as a representation of a city given over to sensuality and worldly pleasures (Isaiah 47:5-15). In…
Read MoreHow does Jeremiah 1:10 relate to priests not being able to forgive sins?
Question: It is my understanding that according to Catholic teaching, it is not the priest who forgives sins in the sacrament of reconciliation. It is Jesus. Also, there are two aspects to confession, or reconciliation as it is called, and that is 1. When we sin, we offend God. 2. When we sin we also…
Read MoreMartignoni – Thrasher Debate on the Pope
John Martignoni, Catholic, and Thomas N. Thrasher, Christian via Meditate on These Things, April 2012 Proposition “The apostle Peter was the first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.” Affirm: John Martignoni Deny: Thomas N. Thrasher Martignoni’s First Affirmative My task is to argue the affirmative of the proposition: “The apostle Peter was the first Pope of…
Read MoreThank you for your material on Catholicism
Question: Mr. Hamilton, You do not know me, nor do I know you. I have never visited your church, nor will I ever. I live several states away; thus, our physical meeting will most likely never take place. Despite all of this, I would like to offer a personal “thank you”. “Why” do you ask?…
Read MoreHow can the church exist without a succession of apostles?
Question: I happened upon your website today and you mention a few things I’ve been wondering about. I’ve studied Catholicism quite a bit, and am continually searching for Truth, and you seem to be headed there as well. Of course, Jesus is Truth, but how well has that Truth been handed down in 2000 years?…
Read MoreBelieving the Bible’s Creation Account is Called “Pagan Superstition”
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day” (Exodus 20:11). WorldNetDaily released an article on May 6, 2006, titled “Bible literalism ‘pagan superstition’?” In it are quotes from a Vatican astronomer, Guy Consolmagno. For…
Read MoreI sinned, but I’m afraid to tell my priests
Question: I am twenty-two years old, almost twenty-three. I did something a few days ago that has damaged my heart deeply and left a big emptiness. I have been dating a guy who is not a Christian. He started going to church when we started dating. I was baptized two years ago and had been…
Read MoreWithout the church fathers, how do you explain the shift away from the Lord’s Supper and the denial that John 6 is literal?
Question: I have read all the pre-300 AD church fathers. How do you explain the “Lord’s Supper,” not a man preaching, has always been the center of a church service and in evangelical services today it’s a man? How do you explain all the early church fathers who were not later Gnostics or other heretics…
Read MoreApostolic Succession (Hamilton)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ApostolicSuccession.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Acts 20:17-36 I. How do you prove that your brand of Christianity is real? A. For some, the argument is based on who was around the longest. 1. A religion that just recently started is declared to be suspect. If the church has been around for 2,000 years, then…
Read MoreWhere did you get your facts? What you say about Roman Catholic beliefs doesn’t match what I was taught.
Question: Hello, As a fresh convert to Catholicism, I have some questions regarding the information on your site. What I learned directly from my parish priest contradicts several things you state in “What is wrong with Catholicism?”, particularly at the end of your article. I want to say right now that I am not the…
Read MoreIt is hard to study for a profession whose code of ethics encourages the support of immoral behavior
Question: Today, I ran across your web page concerning the errors of Catholicism. I believe in what you say because you provided scripture to support your claims. I greatly appreciate your site because it speaks the truth to people who need to know. I am a young, educated, single, Christian woman, currently attending graduate school in…
Read MoreStop criticizing what you don’t understand
Question: There is so much negative sentiment and false understanding of the Catholic church found on your website. I pray that someday you may have the opportunity to get the actual answers you seek and begin to understand the fullness of the Christian faith in his church. Until then please stop criticizing what you do not…
Read MoreIs having a vasectomy a sin?
Question: Is having a vasectomy a sin? My husband had a vasectomy several years ago. I am just finding out now that we may have committed a rather large sin or is that just a Catholic view? Is this a sin we both committed? Answer: Having a vasectomy is not a sin. The Roman Catholic…
Read MoreIs Matthew 5:25-26 a reference to the Catholic Purgatory?
Question: Is Matthew 5:25-26 a reference to the Catholic Purgatory? Answer: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger…
Read MoreThe Development of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy
by Frank Van Dyke via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 8, June 1952 The Catholic doctrine of the primacy of Peter and the Roman See was set forth in the following decree of the Council of Florence in 1439: “Also we decree that the holy apostolic See and the Roman pontiff has a primacy over…
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