Posts Tagged ‘Roman Catholic Church’
Why 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
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ApostolicSuccession.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton 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 where was…
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…
Read MoreApostolic Supremacy
by Clinton D. Hamilton via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 7, May 1952. The real issue with reference to religious division is which church is the true one. In an almost unanimous voice, religious people affirm that for a church to be the true one it must teach the identical doctrines revealed by the apostles. The…
Read MoreMust I confess my sins to a priest to be forgiven?
Question: I was born into a Catholic faith but a non-church going family. I have now and “always” had a problem with the Catholic faith saying that we cannot get absolution unless we have confessed our sins to a priest. I have not been to confession in over 40 years. I do pray almost daily,…
Read MoreWho are you to judge Catholics?
Question: I read your page about Catholics; who are you to judge? I think if your heart is into preaching this much maybe you should reach for the lost or non-believers or even possibly people that attend church regularly but believe they are saved for that mere fact. Answer: A classic response: In telling me not…
Read MoreWhy is it that there is no contribution of Mary’s in the books of the Bible?
Question: What happened to Mary after the death of Jesus? Why is it that there is no contribution of Mary’s in the books of the Bible? She should be closer to God than all other disciples after the death of Jesus. Why do we have many versions of the Bible? When God does not change,…
Read MoreYou should delete your information on Roman Catholicism
Question: Hi, I just wanted to inform you that the segment on your website when the question “What is the difference between Catholicism and Christianity?” has a very misleading answer. Much of the information is incorrect. I have studied a lot about Catholicism, and it was offensive in the ways you portrayed them. If you…
Read MoreWhy are you bashing the Roman Catholic Church?
Question: I just had a question for you. I was browsing your web site (which is very nicely made, I might add) and I saw a question and it was answered about what is wrong with the Catholic Church. It seemed to me that what was answered was mostly bashing the Catholic Church, more than just…
Read MoreDo you realize how uneducated your explanation of Roman Catholicism sounds?
Question: The Bible says that the church is the pillar of truth. Since your church has a lot of different ideas than the Catholic Church that Jesus made Peter the head of. Is the Bible referring to the La Vista church? If so when did the La Vista church start? Oh and by the way…
Read MoreThe Catholic Church and The Bible
by Dennis Tucker Recent articles in the local newspaper have dealt with the Catholic Church and whether or not it is of Christ. Some view such discussions as being non-Christ like. They think everybody has a right to their own faith and all faiths are alike. Therefore, one can be a Catholic, Protestant, Jew, or…
Read MoreDo I need to keep foolish promises I made in the past?
Question: I have been worrying about things in the past. Before I became a Christian I was scared and considered being a nun. In prayer, I think I spoke concerning being a nun because I was scared of going to hell. I am not 100% sure I stated as a fact I would become one…
Read MoreWere the Apocrypha books accepted as canon before the Council of Trent?
Question: Again I question your dates. You say that the Catholic Church added the “Apocryphal” books to the Bible in 1546 AD. I’m assuming you are talking about the Council of Trent, the Church’s response to the Reformation. You are correct in saying that the Church affirmed that the “Apocryphal” books are Scripture. However, you…
Read MoreDoes your timeline for Roman Catholic beliefs have some errors?
Question: Hi, I read your web page on why some Catholic teachings are wrong. I would like to point out some of what I think are fallacies of your argument and I’d appreciate a response. Starting with your timeline: Priests Early 2nd Century – Separation of clergy and laity, this also goes with your argument that…
Read MoreIs it wrong to get married in a different church?
Question: I have a question. I took your advice and want to get married. My mum, my wife-to-be, and I are cool with getting married in a Lutheran church. Our bone of contention comes from our best man and woman who are born again, like ourselves. They will not do a wedding at a Lutheran…
Read MoreI made a mess of my marriage, having a child out of wedlock. How do I go about repairing the damage?
Question: I am in some distress. I desire to go back to the Holy Eucharist, but I have messed up my marriage with an out of wedlock son. I have made my wife cry a lot, but she doesn’t know about the child. She does know about the child’s mother. I am hating myself and…
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