Pope John Paul II, the man
Pope John Paul II, the man
Like so many around the world, I was saddened to learn of the passing of Pope John Paul II. I did watch some of the news coverage of his final days, but to tell the truth, I grew weary of it after about the third or fourth day.
The Pope will be remembered by many as a stalwart for the cause of life, morality and decency in many ways in society and culture. It was the Pope who coined the phrase “culture of death”, and his stands against abortion and euthanasia will be honored for years to come.
As much as his commitment toward the sanctity of life, he will be remembered as one of the driving forces behind the abolishment of communism. The Pope, President Ronald Reagan and Great Britain Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher combined forces to rid the world of the evil empire that maintained it’s satanic grip on so many for too long.
For his many accomplishments and efforts, Pope John Paul II will be honored for a long, long time.
However, as an evangelical Christian, I must approach my views on the Pope and his papacy with both compassion and conviction. The position and concept of a Pope is totally abhorrent and contrary to Scripture. There is no biblical basis for the fact that the papacies have been a direct line from the Apostle Peter.
It was a major move of Pope John Paul to revitalize and exalt the practice of Mariolatry, the worship and deification of Mary the mother of the Lord Jesus. The Pope went so far in his commitment to the practice as to extend one arm of the cross of our Lord and add a capital “M”, for Mary, reaffirming the Catholic churches belief that Mary is Co-Redemptrix with Christ. This is not only unscriptural, but absolutely heretical as well.
The erroneous doctrines of transubstantiation, priestly absolution, purgatory are only a few of the unbiblical teachings of the Roman catholic church that continue to enslave the “religious” and insult the Gospel.
Many of the compromising and socially and eternally damaging concepts of today’s culture, Halloween, Mardi Gras, Easter, the social acceptance of gambling and alcohol etc. can be attributed to the fact that it has either been promoted or accepted by the Roman church. And let us not forget the churches lackadaisical response to the pedophile scandals.
I know I will take a lot of hits for these comments, but say them I must. I agree with Dr. Albert Mohler when he wrote in a commentary regarding the Pope, “Even so, we must also recognize that John Paul II also represented the most troubling aspects of Roman Catholicism. He defended and continued the theological directions set loose at the Second Vatican Council. Even as he consolidated authority in the Vatican and disciplined wayward priests and theologians, he never confronted the most pressing issues of evangelical concern.
Even in his most recent book, released in the United States just days before his death, John Paul II continued to define the work of Christ as that which is added to human effort. Like the church he served, John Paul II rejected justification by faith. Beyond this, he rejected the biblical doctrine of hell, embraced inclusivism, and promoted an extreme form of Marian devotion, referring to Mary as "Co-Redemptrix," "Mediatrix," and "Mother of all Graces."
I also agree with Dr. Mohler when he suggests that we must be,”thankful for the personal virtues Pope John Paul II demonstrated, and for his advocacy on behalf of life, liberty, and human dignity. Yet we cannot ignore the institution of the papacy itself, nor the complex of doctrines, truth claims, and false doctrines that John Paul II taught, defended, and promulgated. As Roman Catholics mourn the passing of the pope, we should take care to respond with both compassion and conviction, fulfilling our own responsibility to take the measure of this man and his legacy.
Mike Corley is the host of a daily radio program heard on WQBC 1420 AM in Vicksburg, Mississippi and online at www.wqbc.net. He has been featured in interviews with Family News in Focus and American Family Radio and has been the subject of numerous articles and commentaries in publications nation wide.
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posted by Michael Corley @ 14:33
8 Comments
8 Comments:
As a Catholic, I was deeply saddened to read of your contemptous views of the Papacy.
You believe that the concept of the Papacy is "abhorrent" and scripturally baseless. Yet, the office of Peter, the visible head of the Church on earth, was created by Jesus (Matt 16:13-19) and given the promise that the gates of Hades would not prevail against it. This means that the office will remain, even after the occupant has gone to his eternal reward. The Lord Jesus is the one who gave Peter the "Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven" The Lord Jesus is the one who gave His Apostles the responsibility to bind and loose. In this action He endowed His community with a structure that is to remain until the Kingdom is fully achieved. The Apostles recognized this because they elected the successor for Judas (Acts 1:15-26).
If there were no visible head (successor of Peter) and bishops (successors of the Apostles) to support him, anarchy and chaos would result. Without the visible and physical presence of the successors of Peter and the Apostles to continually interpret and apply what Jesus left us, we would not be of one faith (Ephesians 4:5). If there were no visible leadership, it would be like giving the people of the United States the Constitution and Bill of Rights and after President Washington dies saying "you're on your own now: no president, no congress, and no supreme court; may the spirit of Jefferson be with you." As evidence of this, just look at the more than 26,000 Protestant denominations which currently exist without a commonality of faith.
Peace of Christ be with you.
In response to this poster: first of all Jesus is the head of the church-not the pope. WE look to Him(Jesus) for our answers- not fallible man. We are all called to search the scriptures-not to rely on man to do the work for us-then we just a bunch of zombied out followers of someone who may or may not have our best interests at heart. The many protestant denominations you site do, for the most part have commonality of faith(one faith,one salvation, one baptism)-there are those which have lost sight of this,but for the most part there is unity in beliefs-the branch of "Christianity" which is not in unity is the Catholic church, because they teach as the basis for salvation-grace plus works-and mostly works.the Catholic Jesus is puny-and dead on the cross from all accounts.
I am not insulting you as a Catholic, just the believe system you are under.
Mary has absolutely nothing to do with our redemption-I dare any Catholic to find that in the bible.It is pure blasphemy! The bible is very clear that Jesus is the only way to God. Not Jesus plus Mary, or Jesus plus anything.Just Jesus.
Please read a non-catholic version of the bible and the truth will become very plain.
Jodi H.
Steve
You wrote: 'Like so many around the world, I was saddened to learn of the passing of Pope John Paul II.'
Actually, many who are followers of the Truth were not saddened to see the the death of Pope John Paul II. Why not? Ask those poor wretches from Australia to America who wanted justice, but were denied. This man presided over one of the most corrupt pseudo-religious organisations the world has ever seen and experienced.
As Pontifex Maximus, he is the man our Lord God will hold personally responsible for corruption in
1.Gagging the world news media, especially Australia, who heard very little, if anything of the shocking revelations of the extent of pedophillia in the USA RC Church in the past two - three years.
2.Cover-ups and lies, as to the extent of sexual assaults on the children of the Roman Catholic Church. These dear ones will be his accusers on the Day of Judgement. Remember Hebrews 9:27?, it's still in the Bible. First death and after that, the judgement!
The many thousands of Roman Catholic children (nay probably millions) will stand up on that Day and say "You are responsible for this 'mass' cover-up, when you are the man who could have protected us and 'cleaned-it' up. But you did nothing to stop it! You even promoted to HQ, or transferred those child stealing, abusers of themselves with mankind perverted pastors"
Yes you even prayed with evil Karli High Priestess, praised her dieties, promoting wicked Mary MacKillop to Sainthood in Australia to deceive the gullible, walked around with bent crosses and a petrified grotesque Jesus, sat under an upside down satanic cross at national youth convention. Yes you will remembered, fondly by some perhaps,as a stalwart for the cause of life, morality and decency in many ways in society and culture, but not by those victim's of the Vaticans'inaction.
Jesus heard the cries of the abused, by the most evil religio-political systems ever devised by a devil, and now a stone is prepared for all those who would dare touch one of these little ones. Nay worse pain and torment than that!
No sir, though this man might have looked like a sheep, talked like a sheep, acted like a sheep, the final fruit of his doiungs will be seen by all true followers of Christ. Though he be but a puppet of the Hans Kloven-foot, the Black Pope, he is still responsible for false idolatrous worship, the doctrine of the Nicolaitans that Jesus hates, and the murder and mayhem of millions down through the history of the world.
He was not saved.
He was not a true born-again Christian. He was not Spirit-filled. The so called fond memories will not add-up too much on the debit side of the ledger of this life before God Almighty. Who knows and sees all. Judgement is in God's hands, but I wouldn't want to die 'in the seven hills of Babylon' knowing that my Lord and Master called all to get out of it before its too late.
You maybe an influentual evangelist as Benny Hinn and even have an audience with the Antichrist himself, just to enhance your marketing image and deceive more millions, but at the end of the day you have a price to pay.
How Old Is Your Church?
If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex- monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.
If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to remarry.
If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.
If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion was an offshoot of the Church of England founded by Samuel Seabury in the American colonies in the 17th century.
If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.
If you are a Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744.
If you are a Unitarian, Theophilus Lindley founded your church in London in 1774.
If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, N.Y., in 1829.
If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605.
If you are of the Dutch Reformed church, you recognize Michaelis Jones as founder, because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.
If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.
If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.
If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as 'Church of the Nazarene," "Pentecostal Gospel." "Holiness Church," "Pilgrim Holiness Church," "Jehovah's Witnesses," your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past century.
If you are Catholic, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ the Son of God, and it is still the same Church.
In response to Jodi;
You are right. Jesus is the living head of the Church. But knowing that His Passion, Death and Ressurection was emminent, Christ made Peter the VISIBLE head to lead the Church on earth (Matthew 16:18). The Pope, as successor to Saint Peter, is the VISIBLE head of the Church on earth. But just like you Protestants, we Catholics are followers of Christ.
As to the Bible, the only difference between the Catholic bible and the Protestant bible is that the Protestant Bible is incomplete. It has left out seven books of the Old Testament, along with parts of two others. The missing books are Judith, Tobit, 1 & 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. Parts of Daniel and Esther have also been omitted. The reasons for the differences in the number of books in the Old Testament go back to around the year A.D. 90, even though there were no Protestants until 1517. Around the year A.D. 90 (some 60 years after Jesus' death and resurrection and 20 years after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem), a group of Pharisees decided that the Hebrew canon of Scripture would not contain the above-mentioned works because they did not meet certain criteria. These criteria seem to have been: (a) Must have originally been written in Hebrew, (b) Must have their original composition dated prior to about 400 B.C., (c) Must be of good moral character. The Scriptures in common use in Palestine from about 200 years before the time of Jesus up until that time were a Greek version (called Septuagint) containing all the books, including those which did not meet this criteria. The Septuagint was used by the Apostles and continued to be used by the Christian Church after the declaration of the Hebrew canon. At the time of the Protestant Reformation, the reformers decided to use the Hebrew canon for a variety of reasons, and the other books were omitted.
I never cease to be amazed at the hostility of Protestants toward Catholics. We are all Christians after all. I believe that most Protestants are sincere in their beliefs. I also believe that the hostility toward the Catholic Church is due to misinformation, misunderstanding, or just plain ignorance about the Catholic faith. While we are all called to read and search the scriptures, personal interpretation can be as diverse as the people doing the reading. Saint Peter warned of personal interpretation of scripture in his second letter (2 Peter 1:20).
With all due respect to Jodi, his argument that there is no unity in the Catholic Church makes no sense. Yes, we believe in justification by faith, but faith without works is not enough. I invite you to read James 2:14-26. The message contained in this scripture is clear and it is the same message in both the Catholic and Protestant bibles.
You say the Catholic Jesus is “puny and dead on the cross”. Talk about blasphemy! There is only one Jesus. The Catholic Jesus is the same Jesus as the Protestant Jesus. In the Catholic Church, Jesus is not only alive, He is truly present – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity – in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. For a Catholic who is a true believer, there is nothing to compare with the feeling of peace and being near to God as the experience of the Eucharist.
As for Mary, there were many Catholics, myself included, who weren’t sure what to think when Pope John Paul II referred to her as a co-redemptrix. But to say that she has absolutely nothing to do with our redemption is not quite true. She was after all chosen by God to be the Mother of Jesus, who would be conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. This was no ordinary woman. She was the means by which Jesus came into the world. She was responsible for raising Him from infancy. She was likely the most important and influential person of the early life of Jesus. The first miracle of Jesus’ public ministry, at the Wedding Feast of Cana, was performed at the request of Mary. Just because the bible doesn’t say it, are we to believe that Jesus didn’t hug his Mother, love his Mother, and give her the honor, respect and obedience that any child would give his mother? Even the Angel Gabriel honored her with his greeting – “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” (Luke 1:28 King James Version)
Catholics do not worship Mary, as many outside the Church believe. However, Mary holds a very special place of honor in the Catholic Church. I believe she holds a very special place in the Heart of Jesus as well.
To those of you who have written rebuking my comments on the Roman church; with all due respect, traditions and culture do not establish doctrine, only the Word of God can do that. Whatever the teaching, tradition or ritual is, if it is not supported by scripture, it is in error, and the Roman teachings of transubstantiation, purgatory, Mariolatry, the Papacy and others are not and cannot be supported by scripture. Yes, works are required once you are born again, but not to be born again. We must stand on the Word of God, and the entirety of the Word of God.
Thanks for your emails.
Mike,
You have the right to be wrong.
God Bless.
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