An exceptionally vivid and thorough article from Christian Discernment titled:
"Medieval Theology Meets the New Age
Religious Pluralism in the Contemporary
Roman Catholic Church"
http://www.christiandiscernment.com/Christian%20Discernment/CD%20PDF/Book%20pdf/24%20Medieval%20Theology%20Meets%20the%20New%20Age.pdf, discusses on pages 23 to 27 the
"The Role of Modern Psychology"-(excerpt below, with bold print ours for emphasis)
Our overview of religious pluralism must not neglect the enormous contribution of modern psychology. (i.e., in a negative way) The past hundred years reveals numerous efforts of zealous atheists to "explain" all religious faith as emerging from a common psychological source. An entire volume could be written about the influential connections between psychology and pluralism. Here we can only scratch the surface with an overview of key figures. Nevertheless, the role of modern psychology can hardly be overstated.
Vatican II does not hesitate to affirm a positive role for modern psychology, informing us that "recent psychological research explains human activity more profoundly" (than the Scripture!) Grounding its conclusion in the belief that faith and reason are two distinct orders of knowledge: "...this sacred Synod affirms the legitimate autonomy of human culture and especially of the sciences." Having basically divorced the study of man from the study of God, the Council informs readers that pastoral care must make "appropriate use" of the secular sciences, especially psychology and sociology, in addition to theological principles. The stage is officially set for the invasion of atheists who wish to suppress the truth about man's relationship and responsibility to God.
Psychologists such as Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Erich Fromm, William James, and Abraham Maslow have all attempted to lump the world religions into one convenient basket, proposing common human
origins. God is reduced to man's unconscious, projected as an external divine being. The increasingly popular 12-step movement, founded by enemies of Christianity, contributes heavily toward
the merging of all religions in its vague "God-as-you-understand Him" deity that denies exclusive truth. This is religious pluralism! Popular author Scott Peck, who has written the bestselling The Road Less Traveled and several other prominent works, professes Christian faith but is well known for his endorsement of religious pluralism. Over the past one hundred years, psychology has indeed made a major contribution to the emergence and popularity of religious pluralism.
Paul Knitter is one pluralist who openly cites modern psychology in support of his aberrant views. As he begins his chapter about the "common psychic origin" of all religions, here is what he says concerning such attitudes toward religion:
"They all have to do with the assertion that religious faith has its genesis in the human psyche: all religions arise from (or as part of) a common psychological process within the individual, which can be examined and interpreted by the scientists of the psyche--modern psychologists and psychiatrists."
Knitter proceeds to give his readers a detailed analysis of Carl Jung's role in the study of religion. He cites Jung's theory about archetypes of the human unconscious:
"Their general contents, Jung tells us, have to do with light and darkness, death and rebirth, wholeness, sacrifice, and redemption. He saw such archetypes as the common seedbed of all religions.... The archetypes are common to all religions, but symbols and myths will be different, dependent on the varying cultural, historical contexts."
Jung further asserts that:
"The collective unconscious contains the whole spiritual heritage of mankind's evolution, born anew in the brain structure of every individual."
Knitter notes that Jung proposed an "'imprint' of God within the unconscious" but as a "scientist" Jung refused to comment on whether an "Imprinter" existed in reality. We are faced here with the unbeliever's inescapable knowledge of God as outlined in Romans 1:18 (and following), thus the "imprint." Note carefully, however, that this claim to ignorance is one that presupposes atheism. When Jung insists that the existence of God cannot be known, he assumes that the God of Christian theism, who has clearly revealed Himself (Romans 1; Psalm 19) cannot exist.
According to Jungian psychology, "revelation" is radically redefined. It is no longer God speaking to man, but rather God speaking within man. Note the perversion of Romans 1. Man is created in God's image, and God does in a sense reveal Himself within man's consciousness; there is an inescapable knowledge of God that the unbeliever suppresses due to his rebellion. However, it is nevertheless God, distinct from His creation, who is speaking to man. God is not created by man's unconscious!
Jung's view of Jesus is particularly alarming. He is merely "an effective symbol of the self." Jung blatantly denies His unique claim to divinity, and Knitter approves:
"Jesus is for Jung one of the best symbols of the Christ, but he is not the only one. Jung had a psychological explanation for the traditional Christian claim for the exclusive uniqueness of Jesus: from the early history of the church, Christians have held that Jesus is 'one and only' precisely because he is such an effective symbol; having been grasped and transformed by this symbol, they naturally attribute to it 'a universally binding truth--not of course by an act of judgment, but by the irrational fact of possession, which is far more effective.'"
It was Jung, in fact, who was possessed--not by Jesus but by demonic powers that he openly credits for his ideas. The statement above dismisses the eyewitness accounts of the resurrection and the claim of Jesus Christ to be God in the flesh. Both Knitter and Jung conveniently suppress vast portions of the New Testament, hoping that "psychological explanations" will demand the merging of all religions.
Abraham Maslow is another prominent modern psychologist who espouses religious pluralism. He openly admits his agenda of replacing religion with a "religion-surrogate" grounded in values derived from within man. The worship of God the Creator is replaced by the individual "peak-experience" focused on self. Maslow identifies the divine revelations of all religions (Christianity included!) with such "peak-experiences" rather than any actual communication from the God of the Bible. He concludes that all religions are fundamentally the same:
"To the extent that all mystical or peak-experiences are the same in their essence and have always been the same, all religions are the same in their essence and have always been the same."
Maslow advocates the application of his theories to public education. Indeed, this is already occurring through the teaching of psychology as a "science" unrelated to any specific religion. Actually, psychology is vitally related to a particular religion: atheism!
There is so much more to be studied in this arena. Sigmund Freud was a militant atheist who proposed an "explanation" of Christianity in terms of his ludicrous Oedipal theory. He lumped all religions together and rejected them in toto. William James, writing Varieties of Religious Experience, assumed that all religious experience is basically mysticism and can be explained as such. He neglected any adequate consideration of Christian theism. Erich Fromm demanded man's radical freedom from God. Albert Ellis declared religious faith a symptom of irrationality, or "mental illness."
These systems have a common thread, merging all religious faiths, either to explain, embrace, or reject. But even when all religions are theoretically embraced, watch out! Christianity, with its claim to the exclusive truth of the gospel, is necessarily excluded. Religious inclusivism includes all except the one true faith."
______________________________________________________________
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
THE SATURATION OF THE CHURCH WITH PSYCHOLOGY AND COUNSELORS MASKED WITH CHRISTIANESE AND LIP SERVICE FOR THE BIBLE
Bob Kellemen is the Executive Director of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, http://biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/, the Founder and CEO of RPM Ministries, http://www.rpmministries.org/. For seventeen years he served as the founding Chairman of and Professor in the MA in Christian Counseling and Discipleship department at Capital Bible Seminary in Lanham, MD. Bob has pastored three churches and equipped biblical counselors in each church. He is a teaching/leading elder at Cornerstone Community Church in Hobart, Indiana. Bob and his wife, Shirley (who is a kindergarten teacher), have been married for thirty-two years; they have two adult children, Josh and Marie, one daughter-in-law, Andi, and one granddaughter, Naomi. Dr. Kellemen is the author of nine books including Equipping Counselors for Your Church.
Bob Kellemen of RPM Ministries http://www.rpmministries.org/, promoted his book "Equipping Counselors For The Local Church" in this video in 2011, in which he describes his aim is to saturate the church with counselors. However, this is an integrative approach nevertheless, i.e., mixing secular psychology with the Bible, which is an oxymoron and a slap in the face of God.
God hates mixtures of His Word with man's wisdom.
See: Jacob Prasch article at Moriel Ministries about mixtures that God hates:
http://www.moriel.org/articles/sermons/understanding_the_mixture.htm.
Quote from above:
"In an age where pop psychology is masquerading as biblical doctrine things can become very confusing. Today we hear so much about things being a mixture of truth and error, or carnal and spiritual, good and bad, or even godly and demonic. To make matters worse, we are too often being given mixed signals. Instead of giving a clear indication of what the signals actually mean so many of our pastors and once respected leaders are now telling us things like "the light is neither red nor green but amber" - leaving us suspended in a limbo not knowing whether to go or to stop. Arriving at a right doctrinal position and discerning things in a biblical manner in times like this has become more and more difficult for many sincere believers genuinely wanting to know the truth so as to do what is right. But in an increasingly complexed maze like this, the first and foremost question is to ask "What does God say about mixture in his word?" "
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 MKJV
(14) Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship does righteousness have with lawlessness? And what partnership does light have with darkness?
(15) And what agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever?
(16) And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God has said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
(17) Therefore come out from among them and be separated, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean thing. And I will receive you
(18) and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
Deuteronomy 22:9-11-Mixture Forbidden:
9 "You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled.
10 "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.
11 "You shall not wear a garment of different sorts, such as wool and linen mixed together.
Lev. 19:19 You are to keep My statutes. You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together.
In other words, God hates mixture, and wants us to avoid it even in insignificant ways. Why? Because little compromises always end up leading to worse compromises.
Does God really care if you plow with an ox and a donkey together? Yes, because they are quite literally unequally yoked. In the same way, God hates it when a believer yokes together with an unbeliever:
2Cor. 6:14-16 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?...
Does God really care when a garment is made of two materials? He seems to, especially considering that he wants us to be the same, cut from the same cloth. He hates it when people bless and curse with the same mouth.
James 3:9-10 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
Does God really care about breeding two kinds of cattle? It would seem so, since He definitely hates it when people combine Christianity with paganism:
1Cor. 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
Is two kinds of seed being sown really that big of a deal? I don't know, but I do know that God hates it when people attempt to pursue Him and money simultaneously:
Matt. 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
When you mix, you get corruption. Take for example when you mix hot and cold. What do you get? Lukewarm.
Rev. 3:15-16 "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."
God wants our lives to be marked by holiness and oneness, not mixture.
Biblical Counseling Coalition is advertising the Nancy DeMoss "True Woman/Revive '13" conference this coming September 20-21, 2013 in Illinois at this link: http://biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/calendar/event/52710.
See: http://www.truewoman.com/revive13/, which will appeal to and focus on women's "needs" and ministry goals. What kind of "help" will these women receive this time with the backing, influence and recommendation of Kellemen?
This is the same Nancy DeMoss who taught the women in attendance at a recent True Woman conference to draw and pray inside "chalk circles"; see our post here: http://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2013/06/nancy-leigh-demoss-hearts-revived-but.html.
______________________________________________________________
Richard Bennett of Berean Beacon www.bereanbeacon.org, describes how the churches are filled with counseling using psychological methodologies mixed with secular business models and practices, modeled after the Catholic philosophy and theology of adding to the Bible with salvation by works based on the concept that the Word of God is "incomplete and/or inadequate" to demands of the modern era and the types of problems people encounter today:
Richard Bennett of Berean Beacon www.bereanbeacon.org, describes how the churches are filled with counseling using psychological methodologies mixed with secular business models and practices, modeled after the Catholic philosophy and theology of adding to the Bible with salvation by works based on the concept that the Word of God is "incomplete and/or inadequate" to demands of the modern era and the types of problems people encounter today:
JIM SAVASTIO, REFORMED BAPTIST, ON "THE BIBLE AND PSYCHOLOGY"-12 SERMONS
Jim Savastio has twelve sermons on Sermon Audio about "The Bible and Psychology" here:
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?currSection=&sermonID=1120321823.
RICHARD GANZ 16 SERMONS SERIES ON "PSYCHOBABBLE: THE FAILURE OF MODERN PSYCHOLOGY AND THE BIBLICAL ALTERNATIVE
Richard Ganz of http://richardganz.com/, born Jewish, convert to Jesus Christ, discusses at length about "Psychobabble" his book, and the language of psychoheresy:
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=4200795512.
POPE FRANCIS EXPOSED
Richard Bennett, ex-Catholic priest, of Berean Beacon, http://bereanbeacon.org/, has published a comprehensive report of who exactly Pope Francis is, behind the carefully crafted facade of a model of Saint Francis. This is the full text unedited:
Pope
Francis Shows His True Colors
By
Richard Bennett
In
the sixteenth century, the Reformation, through its emphasis on the
ultimate authority of the Bible and the Gospel of grace, began to
dislodge the Papacy from its position as co-ruler of the Holy Roman
Empire. The truth of Scripture and the Gospel gave men and women the
knowledge and courage to stand up against the Inquisition, a system
of tortures by which the Papacy had enforced submission to papal
dogma.
This
enforced submission had given the Papacy the power to wield
tremendous influence with the emperor and among the kings of the
empire. Thus
Ignatius
of Loyola, a contemporary of Martin Luther, founded the Jesuits in
1530 for the very purpose of defending the Papacy from further loss
of its power base. The Jesuits’ objective has always been to
increase the temporal power of the Papacy to align with the Roman
Catholic dogma that the Pope has the right to judge, “the highest
civil office in a state.”1
However, since the demise of the Holy Roman Empire in the late
eighteenth century, the Papacy has had no civil authority by which to
enforce obedience to its moral rulings.
It
is a well-established fact that the Jesuits throughout their history
have caused many serious disturbances by their nefarious schemes
within the civil governments of many countries. Over the centuries,
they have justifiably earned their reputation as troublemakers to the
extent that they were denied residence in some nations for varying
periods of time.
Nevertheless,
their objective of increasing Papal religious and civil power beyond
its previous height remains unchanged. Therefore, in order to move
forward the Papacy’s drive for power in the current religious and
civil arenas, this Jesuit Pope must efface the historic image of the
Jesuit Order.
Cosmetic
Alteration of the Historic Jesuit Image
Once
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected, he chose the name Pope Francis in
honor of St Francis of Assisi. St Francis, known to be a softhearted
lover of nature, was also known for his humility and gentleness.
Thus, in building an image or persona
for himself in the public eye, Pope Francis has shrewdly implied that
he would be similarly unassuming, kind, and harmless. Since there
has never been a pope named Francis, the name carries with it no
papal baggage. Immediately
following Pope Francis’s election, the media made much of his
unassuming nature by showing him paying his own hotel bill for his
stay during the enclave. This was followed with news that he was not
going to take up residence in the Vatican’s usual papal apartments,
but instead would take a smaller, more humble suite, ostensibly to
live a “normal” life in touch with the laity by being visibly
among them.2
Further, he
graciously welcomed back into the Vatican the previous pope, Benedict
XVI, who under rumors of unpleasant circumstances, had abruptly
resigned. Was
this not the modern St Francis, kindly restoring to the aged and
ailing Benedict some remnant of the honor that had so suddenly
departed him? The steady stream of these and other similar public
appearances continues to craft the optics
into
an image for the new pope that is the anti-type of the traditional
Jesuit.
Catholic
Dogma Underlying Pope Francis’s Inaugural Address
However,
in the very first sentence of his inaugural address on March 19,
2013, Pope Francis presented a feature very different from the
persona
being carefully groomed by the optics. Indeed, even as out of the
heart the mouth speaks, so the new Jesuit Pope began to display
audibly his genuine image. While thousands of people were crammed
into Saint Peter’s Square, and millions across the world listened
by television and radio, the new pope stated, “Dear Brothers and
Sisters, I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the
inauguration of my Petrine ministry...”3
Francis knew the claimed power that is embedded in the term,
“Petrine ministry.” As the official Catechism
of the Catholic Church
states, “…the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of
Christ, namely, and as pastor of the entire Church, has full, supreme
and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can
always exercise unhindered.”4
It is highly significant that Pope Francis began his speech by
thanking the Lord that he could celebrate Mass for the inauguration
of what he said was “my
Petrine ministry.” His opening sentence shows where his heart is;
namely, in himself, in his position, and the power entailed in such a
position. It
is this particular idea, i.e., that the Pope is the Apostle Peter’s
successor, which has been the undergirding authority for the Papacy’s
identity in the world since
the time of Pope Gregory VII in the eleventh century.
The nature, indeed, the very identity of the Office of the Papacy of
the Roman Catholic Church is at stake. Thus, the Papacy will concede
nothing regarding this claim but rather use it to establish itself as
the
stable institution in the midst of current tumultuous times.
Accordingly,
using this supposition,
Pope Francis’s inaugural
homily was a masterpiece in showing his Jesuitical disposition. He
opened by saying, “I
thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the
inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint
Joseph…” He then stated that God called Joseph—
“to
be the custos,
the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this
protection is then extended to the Church… How does Joseph exercise
his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an
unfailing presence and utter fidelity…”5
These
are carefully chosen words meant to evoke a certain frame of mind in
the listener. He then makes application:
“Let
us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so
that we can protect creation! The vocation of being a “protector,”
however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also
has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone.”
At
this point, Francis has introduced major Catholic social doctrine
under the guise of “protection;” that it is everybody’s job,
not just the Christians’ job, to protect everybody; and also
(though not stated here), all goods because all possessions in the
creation belong to everyone.6
In Catholic social doctrine, everyone, even those who are not Roman
Catholic, must fulfill his duty to others as
the Roman Catholic Church defines that duty;
and this is one of the things to which Pope Francis is referring when
he states that there is a “prior dimension” to his idea of
protection.7
Thus
he says,
“Please,
I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in
economic, political and social life, and all men and women of
goodwill: let us be “protectors” of creation, protectors of God’s
plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the
environment…”
He
also states that protection is required because in every age “there
are ‘Herods’ who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance
of men and women.” He does not define the lurking “Herods”
more closely; but he does define what he thinks needs protecting. It
is this:
“To
protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect
each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a
service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out.…”
Clearly
Pope Francis does not understand that the glorified Jesus Christ, the
“only
Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords,”8
needs
no protection. Moreover, he
ignores
the biblical commandment against praying to the dead.9
When he closes his homily, he prayed instead, “I implore the
intercession of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul,
and Saint Francis, that the Holy Spirit may accompany my ministry…”
He has not prayed to Almighty God through Jesus Christ that the Holy
Spirit would accompany his ministry; rather, he has called on dead
saints, none of whom can hear nor answer his prayer, to induce the
Holy Spirit to accompany his pontificate. Clearly, Pope Francis has
neither true biblical understanding of who the Lord Jesus Christ is
nor how He fulfills His role as Head of the Church.10
Notice
the position to which the Lord Jesus Christ has been relegated in all
this. Rather, by
weaving together the choice of papal name with the theme of
protection as his opening homily, Pope Francis has made it clear that
he intends to protect the Papacy and its social objectives during his
term
of
office.11
The fact that he has said it in gentle terms, by calling on the
images of Francis of Assisi and Joseph, Mary’s husband, does not
make it any less lethal.
Thus,
it was on day of his inaugural address that Pope Francis began his
Pontificate with the mark of a true Jesuit, i.e., primarily defending
the Papacy against the Gospel and biblical truth at all costs. With
the very opening of his pontificate, the true image of Francis was
brought forth into the light of day by his own words, showing him not
as humble and harmless, but as proudly dogmatic and utterly opposed
to biblical truth.
The
Pope’s Objective Regarding Pagan Religions and Evangelicals
Further,
on March 20, 2013, Pope Francis addressed religious leaders across
the world. Among other matters, Francis stated,
“…It
is a cause for particular joy to meet today with you, delegates of
the Orthodox churches, the Oriental Orthodox churches and ecclesial
communities of the West...Together
with you I cannot forget how much that Council has meant for the road
of ecumenism...For my part, I wish to assure you…of my
determination to continue on the path of ecumenical dialogue. I ask
you, dear brothers and sisters, to bring my cordial greeting and the
assurance of my remembrance in the Lord Jesus to the churches and
Christian communities here represented... I then greet and cordially
thank you all, dear friends belonging to other religious traditions;
first of all the Muslims, who worship the one God, living and
merciful, and call upon Him in prayer, and all of you. I really
appreciate your presence: in it I see a tangible sign of the will to
grow in mutual esteem and cooperation for the common good of
humanity.”12
On
March 20 Pope Francis addressed religious
leaders
across the world
From
these remarks, Pope Francis has demonstrated effectively that he will
not protect the truth of the Scripture and the Gospel of grace. He
does not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible
alone. It is a well-known fact that Allah, who the Muslims worship,
is not the God of the Bible. Since Pope Francis must know this, his
remarks point to his ecumenical objective, a goal to be accomplished
by high-powered flattery and false ecumenical dialogue.
The
Pope’s Objective Regarding Nations and Governments
Moreover,
two days later on March 22, 2013, Pope Francis spoke to a group of
diplomats representing governments that have a relationship to the
Vatican. His speech began with these words:
“Dear
Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you again for all the work
that you do, alongside the Secretariat of State, to build peace and
construct bridges of friendship and fraternity. Through you, I would
like to renew to your Governments my thanks for their participation
in the celebrations on the occasion of my election, and my heartfelt
desire for a fruitful common endeavour. May Almighty God pour out
his gifts on each one of you, on your families and on the peoples
that you represent. Thank you!”13
In
his address, Pope Francis emphasized the fact that the Pope is known
as the “pontiff,” or “a builder of bridges,” and stated, “In
this work [with governments], the role of religion is fundamental.”
While
few people realize it, the Pope claims
the right to judge those who hold highest civil office in a state.
This blending of things civil and religious has been the papal method
of operation throughout the centuries. At the present time, the
Roman Church seeks to implement her socialist ideas by using her
power as a religious system working through her own status as a civil
state. As a religious system, she is able to command a “fifth
column” within many nations.14
By her influence as a civil power, Papal Rome is also able to
substantially influence civil rulers and civil policy in many nations
and international bodies. The Church of Rome has 179 legal
agreements with nations across the world. These “concordats,” as
they are called, guarantee that the Catholic Church has the right to
define religion and worship for Catholics within that sovereign
nation. They also secure for the Vatican the right to define
doctrine, establish Catholic education, and negotiate laws regarding
property, appointing bishops, and Catholic laws of marriage and
annulments.
The
Republic of Argentina has had a legal agreement with the Church of
Rome since 1957. Thus, as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio in Argentina, he
would have known well the benefit that the legal agreement meant to
the Roman Church.
In
addressing the diplomats from governments that have a relationship to
the Vatican, Pope Francis knew just how important it is to woo civil
governments into legal liaison with Papal Rome. Thus, the new Pope
continues the Vatican’s civil/legal relationships with nations
across the world in its endeavor to move civil governments to
implement its global socialist agenda.
Mother
Church Presumed to Bestow Faith and Morality
On
April 23, 2013, less affable facets of the namesake of St Francis
surfaced again. In Pope Francis’s sermon
for Mass that day, he stated explicitly,
“The
reading today makes me think that the missionary expansion of the
Church began precisely at a time of persecution, and these Christians
went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, and proclaimed the
Word. They had this apostolic fervor within them, and that is how the
faith spread!...But some in Jerusalem, when they heard this, became
nervous and sent Barnabas...he saw that things were going well. And
so the Church was a Mother, the Mother of more children, of many
children. It became more and more of a Mother. A Mother who gives
us the faith, a Mother who gives us an identity. But the Christian
identity is not an identity card: Christian identity is belonging to
the Church, because all of these belonged to the Church, the Mother
Church. Because it is not possible to find Jesus outside the
Church....And the Mother Church that gives us Jesus gives us our
identity that is not only a seal, it is a belonging. Identity means
belonging… Think of this Mother Church that grows, grows with new
children to whom She gives the identity of the faith, because you
cannot believe in Jesus without the Church...And let us ask the Lord
for this ‘parresia’, this apostolic fervor that impels us to move
forward, as brothers, all of us forward!”15
On
April 23 the Pope makes the outrageous claim
that
Mother Church gives a person “Jesus”.
Pope
Francis’s premise is
that one’s identity as a Christian can come only through faith in
“Mother Church,” which secondarily also gives them “Jesus.”
In
fact, he is teaching official Catholic dogma which states,
“Believing
is an ecclesial act. The Church’s faith precedes, engenders,
supports and nourishes our faith. The Church is the mother of all
believers. ‘No one can have God as Father who does not have the
Church as Mother.’”16
These
statements are a serious affront to those who recognize them for the
falsehoods that they are. Undoubtedly Pope Francis believes what he
has stated. However, his teaching reflects an old but clever
argument aimed at those who do not know their Bibles. Pope Francis
and his Church refuse to believe in the authority of the Bible alone;
therefore, they fail to believe that faith alone in the Lord Jesus
Christ alone is a gift given by the Lord God Himself through the Holy
Spirit, and not by any church. The object of faith is the Person of
Christ Jesus, as Scripture states, “Believe
on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved ...”17
This faith is God-given, as declared in Scripture by the Apostle
Peter, “Simon
Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have
obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”18
Furthermore, this God-given faith comes by hearing the Word of God
as is stated, “So
then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”19
Nevertheless,
Pope Francis stated, “The
Mother Church that gives us Jesus gives us our identity.” This is
traditional Roman Catholic Church teaching.20
Thus
it is that the
Papal Church itself is presented as the only instrumental way of
approaching God and of finding salvation. Clearly To look to a
church as the means of conveying Jesus to people rather than looking
to Jesus Himself, “the
author and finisher of our faith 21
is “another
gospel.”
The Lord explicitly declared, “no
man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him”22
and “this
is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”23
Consequently,
Pope Francis’s statement that
“Mother Church that gives us Jesus gives us our identity”
is
scripturally speaking, “accursed”
as
stated by the Apostle Paul, “If
any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received,
let him be accursed.”
Conclusion
Pope
Francis is both clever and deceitful as he protects his Church
against the Scriptures and the Gospel of grace. He is moving forward
with the centuries old papal objective of ruling the world as Vicar
of Christ. Therefore, he continues to set before the world an
optical persona
of humility and harmlessness while the words from his mouth delineate
him as dogmatic and destructive. In opposition to the Gospel of
salvation, Pope Francis talks about salvation gained by trusting in
“Mother Church.” Thus, he presents to the world a so-called
spiritual apparatus for the salvation of men that, according to
Scripture, neither saves nor sanctifies anyone. The system over
which he presides professes to have all that a church ought to have;
yet, it imposes upon people the horrendous deceits documented in this
article, which fraudulence the Apostle called,
“all-deceivableness
of unrighteousness.”24
The
Lord Jesus Christ prayed emphatically the night before He died. His
prayer is answered in the life of every believer who is justified by
God’s saving grace alone. God’s grace is received through faith
alone, and the object of that faith is Christ alone. Christ Jesus
prayed, “that
they all may be one;
as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one
in us:
that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”25
The Lord knew very well those for whom He prayed. The objects of
His prayer were clear to Him. These believers embrace eternal life
as the Holy Spirit regenerates them. Thus, the foundation for true
saving faith is utterly of God. Those for whom the Lord prayed are
“born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God.”26
It
is only by the absolute grace of
God that you receive the gift of eternal life. There is,
nevertheless, the correlation between your inheritance, the gift of
eternal life in Christ Jesus, and your duty, which is to obey God.
The greater the gift, the greater is the obligation to express our
gratitude in a suitable and becoming manner. Thus the Word of God
instructs us, “whereby
we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”27
The
same truth has a grave warning for Pope Francis and all those who
believe in the traditions and sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church
rather than directly believing on the Lord Himself by the authority
of His written Word. God is the same just and righteous God under
the Gospel as He was under the Law in the Old Testament. He deals
with us in love and grace; yet, He in Himself remains “a
consuming fire.”28
He is the God of strict justice who will avenge Himself on all who
have not received the love of the truth, but rather look to a church
or some person other than the Lord Jesus Christ alone for life. The
Lord Jesus Christ has lived the perfect life and, willingly of His
own volition, has made the faultless, propitiatory sacrifice for sin.
To refuse to believe in Him alone is a critical offense. When the
Lord Jesus dealt with the sincere and devout Pharisees, He gave them
a very strong word, “I
said therefore unto you, that you shall die in your sins:
for if ye believe not that I am he,
ye shall die in your sins.”29
You may say that you are a good Catholic and that you want to please
God in this present life and hope to live with Him forever; that is a
noble goal. You may be as sincere and devout as the Pharisees, but
like them, if you personally neglect to believe on Him alone for your
salvation, you likewise will die in your sins.
Distinct
faith and trust on the Lord Jesus Christ alone is essential and
frequently highlighted in Scripture. “He
that believeth on the son hath everlasting life.”30
“He
that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:
he that believeth not God hath made him a liar;
because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”31
Thus, it is that you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who
gives life now, and forever! This is the living way, the only way to
eternal life. It is spiritual death to attempt to come to God
through a so-called “Mother Church.” The way to the Eternal
Father is through the Lord Jesus Christ alone; His death is for us
the way to true, eternal life. Those who receive this eternal life
given by Christ are not only redeemed from the empire of death, but
they also live and reign with Him as they are sanctified daily
through His Word by the Holy Spirit, and by constant fellowship with
Him. Thus, in our beloved Savior, we joyfully praise Him, our
everlasting Father, “How
excellent is thy loving kindness,
O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow
of thy wings.
They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house;
and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
For with thee is the fountain of life:
in thy light shall we see light.”32
♦
Permission
is given to copy and distribute this article, once it done in its
entirety with and any changes. Photos
courtesy Apostasy Alert
Our
Website is: http://www.bereanbeacon.org
1
In present-day Canon law, the Catholic Church states, “It is the
right of the Roman Pontiff himself alone to judge in cases mentioned
in Can. 1401:1 those who hold the highest civil office in a
state....” Canon 1405, Sect. 1
3
www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/homilies/2013/documents/papa-francesco_20130319_omelia-inizio-pontificato_en.html
4
Catechism
of the Catholic Church,
Para
882
5www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/homilies/2013/documents/papa-francesco_20130319_omelia-inizio-pontificato_en.html
6
The
Vatican’s official statement regarding possessions;
www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20071012_settimane-sociali_en.html
7
“As
citizens of the State, it is their duty to take part in public life
in the first person and, with respect for the legitimate autonomies,
to cooperate in forming social life correctly, together with all
other citizens, in accordance with the competencies of each one and
under his or her own autonomous responsibility.”
www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/homilies/2013/documents/papa-francesco_20130319_omelia-inizio-pontificato_en.html
8
I
Timothy 6:15
9
Deuteronomy
18:10-11
10
“For
the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of
the church: and he is the saviour of the body.”
Ephesians 5:23
11
These objectives
are listed in the “Compendium of Church Social Doctrine” and in
the Vatican Council II documents on ecumenism.
12
www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-address-to-representatives-of-the-churches-ecclesial-communities-and-other-religions
13
www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/speeches/2013/march/documents/papa-francesco_20130322_corpo-diplomatico_en.html
14
Radical Islam is doing essentially the same thing today as it
demands the right to teach its people their religion, including
Sharia Law, within the Western nations – regardless of the fact
that Sharia Law contravenes the laws of the sovereign nations in
which these Muslims live, even as the Papal socialist agenda
contravenes the U. S. Constitution.
15
www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/homilies/2013/documents/papa-francesco_20130319_omelia-inizio-pontificato_en.html
(emphasis not in original)
16
Catechism
of the Catholic Church (Libreria
Editrice Vaticana 1997) Para 181
17
Acts 16:31 Conditional: if his family believed in Christ as he is
commanded to do, they too would be saved.
18
II Peter 1:1 (emphasis added)
19
Romans 10:17
20
Catechism,
Second
Ed., Para
824 “It
is in the Church
that ‘the fullness of the means of salvation’ has been
deposited. It is in her that ‘by the grace of God we acquire
holiness.’”
21
Hebrews 12:2
22
John 6:44
23
John 6:44 and John 6:29
24
II Thessalonians 2:10
25
John 17:21
26
John 1:13
27
Hebrews 12:28
28
Hebrews 12:29
29
John 8:24
30
John 3:36
31
I John 5:10
32
Psalm 36:7-9
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