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Is the Great Whore of Babylon the Catholic religion

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Posted by: StarChilde

This has been deleted by myself... I did not post any to cause dissension among those who believe in Christ Jesus as their Savior....

Any wanting to know some more about the Catholic church, please go here... ==>>> http://www.chick.com/information/religions/catholicism/

... not my words... there is information there from a former priest in the church...Alberto Rivera, and see what he exposes about the church, also prayerfully read the tracts on that page as well


Posted by: pinkfrosting

excuse me?


Posted by: pickone

A Baptist minister taught me that the word "catholic" means worldwide. In that respect, there is only one church and it is worldwide, although, at this moment, the church buildings have many names, and are physically sectioned off. Just like the real church is spiritual, not made with men's hands but with God's hands, and each cell of the body has a different name. We all have doctrines and traditions that are wrong, for example, see:

"HOWBEIT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.....Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."

We are a nation of idolaters. I taught my children that if they were good, Santa would bring them good things. If they were bad, Santa would bring them bad things. This is a wrong. What about, "Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?" How about the tooth fairy? These are traditions of men.

"Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."

They shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Seeing, they will not see. Hearing, they will not hear. I don't know if this is the time of strong delusion, but we certainly have tasted of it. But let's not judge each other. The Spirit of Truth has poured over all flesh and will teach us all things.

The word "Babylon" means "Confusion". This country has certainly been confused. We've been killing babies! Letting our children be taught lies at school and doing nothing about it. Getting upset about monuments while our children and spouses die in carnal wars in other countries. Looking the other way when deceived individuals fight for laws to accommodate perverted ideas and rights!

"Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his Anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: : the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."

"Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him."

I still believe the battle is spiritual. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty for the pulling down of strongholds.

All of our different religions have a little right in each one, too, maybe. How would you know for sure unless you studied each, and compared to the words in His Book. Should we celebrate Easter, or like Jesus, should we celebrate Passover? Is it about rabbits and eggs, or the blood and salvation?

Merchants sell their wares at especially high prices at Christmas. I don't know when the Word of God was born, it was before any of our ancestors were here on this earth. Jesus Christ celebrated Hanukkah.

Why do we have to have our stores open on the sabbath day, since it was ordered even before the ten commandments that we should rest and remember how we were brought out of captivity? We will go and prosper our own selves on the sabbath day, and take away a blessing that we are commanded by God to take. I can almost hear the whip, as He walks through the temple. Is our Father's temple turned into a den of thieves? Are we trading our blessings for the love of money? Is this prostitution?


Posted by: JG

To My Dear Friends:

This thread has the potential of hurting the thouseands of Catholic friends we have on this board. So from the very beginning lets not get angry.

I chose to split this out of a thread that it did not really belong to.

StarChilde is expressing her views
so instead of getting upset with her
try seeing what she is saying and ask the Lord if you want to respond.

Now I must say this "I do not agree with the statement" The Catholic Church is ... but I am not the one who wrote it.

Remember what it says in Romans... endeavor to keep a Spirit of Peace


Posted by: StarChilde

This has been deleted by myself... I did not post any to cause dissension among those who believe in Christ Jesus as their Savior....

Any wanting to know some more about the Catholic church, please go here... ==>>> http://www.chick.com/information/religions/catholicism/

... not my words... there is information there from a former priest in the church...Alberto Rivera, and see what he exposes about the church, also prayerfully read the tracts on that page as well.


Posted by: JG

Dear Star:

I could say almost exactly the same things about the following denomination.

Episcopalian
Lutheran
Methodist
Baptist
Assembly of God

they and many more follow the same holidays.
They and many more have some of the same symbols in their churches.
If you go to europe you will find the same candles and statues and paintings in all of these churches including the baptist and A/G.

If they do not call their leaders Popes they call them Apostles or Bishops etc. I sat at a district council meeting of the Assemblies of God and watched with my own eyes them anoint and install a Bishop emeritas.

Under the banner of accountability I have watched men say you must submit to me because... "I am".... the apostel, prophet, bishop etc of this area. They will tell you that they are infallable Hmmm...

If you talk to the Catholic theologians and read the catholic doctrine it says they do not worship Mary but respect her.

Do I pray to her no. Because I have only one mediator with the father and that is Jesus.

Without going down your whole list
have you ever given this some thought to the following.
Instead of us the church copying the devil
Have you ever wondered if he copied us.

When I deal with those in satan worship they all have a form of Christianity, but not the Holy Spirit and not the real power.

They almost always have to fake it or use tricks to make it look real.

So I do not see the church copying satan.
I see satan copying us.

Merry Christmas
Jerry


Posted by: MaryTemp

I found this on the web. I really do not believe that Catholism is a cult. I was born and raised Catholic, and although I now belong to another denomination, however I left for very specific reasons, not because I thought it evil. I have studied Comparitive religions at my University and I have learned that most major religions still follow the same 10 commandments. Personally I was always taught to obey all 10 commandments and to love one another as Christ has loved us. I was brought up to have selfless love for my neighbors, and to good deeds while remaining annonymous as is pleasing to the lord. We did not worship the Pope, and we did not worship the priests, we went to church to be with other believers and praise the Lord. I was brought up learning that all life is very precious and therefore abortion was murder and a carnal sin against God. We never bad mouthed other religions, nor did I ever once hear any priest bad mouth them. As for all of these Gay/child molesting priests that have recently come to light, I believe that the problem there stems from the Catholic Religions strict rule that priests cannot get married, thus the religion is attracting alot of undesirable men that are uncertain about their sexuality. Of course all priests are not bad men, I have heard of bad leaders in virtually every religion. We are all sinners, there is not a person, priests and pope included that is above God. There is not a preacher in any religion that is above God. This we must remember always. I am very appreciate of good pastors such as Jerry here at annointed and Rev. Charles Stanley from In Touch. I have been so touched by their sermons and really feel that God has truly called them to lead, and they are very obidient to him. Jesus is so good, I praise his holy name that he is our redeemer. All sins are forgiven through his blood. Anyway, these are just my thoughts as one who truly has experienced the Catholic religion.

Your friend in Christ,
Mary
Here is text from the web I found

Is the Catholic Church a Cult?
Many people say that the Catholic Church is a cult. Their argument goes something like this:

A Religious Cult demands absolute obedience from its leader
The Catholic Church demands absolute obedience from its leader (the Pope)
Therefore the Catholic Church is a cult.
By the same kind of argument, many people also say that the US Marines, and even authoritarian families are also cults.

Yet more than one cult expert has shown that the US Marine Corps is not a cult. On the contrary, the US Marine Corps is one of many "Authoritarian Groups." Authoritarian groups and cults have some similarities, but many differences. Because of this we hope to show that the Catholic Church is not a cult.

Authoritarian Groups include:

the military (army, navy, air force, marines - but not including certain secret para-military groups, which probably are cults)
police, fire, search & rescue forces
some social co-operatives and communes
families (to a certain degree)
some isolated tribes and cultures
the Catholic Church (especially communities of monks who live in monasteries - but not including certain religious communities that are not recognized and approved by the Church, and which probably are cults)

SIMILARITIES between Authoritarian Groups and Cults Authoritarian Groups Cults
Will appeal to an absolute authority to encourage compliance. Will appeal to an absolute authority to encourage compliance.
Also use peer pressure to encourage the adoption of new patterns of thought and behavior. Also use peer pressure to encourage the adoption of new patterns of thought and behavior.
Isolate their members from the rest of the world for periods of time. Isolate their members from the rest of the world for periods of time.
Are rigid and inflexible in terms of what behavior their members are allowed. Are rigid and inflexible in terms of what behavior their members are allowed.

We agree that there are some similarities between Authoritarian Groups, like the Catholic Church and the US Marines, and cults. And because there are some similarities between the Catholic Church and cults, some people say that the Catholic Church is a cult. However, we will now show, as various cult experts have done for the US Marines, that there are more differences between the Catholic Church and cults than there are similarities.



DIFFERENCES between the Catholic Church and Cults Catholic Church Cults
The Catholic Church has sources of authority other than the leader (the Pope), such as the Bible, Church Law, and writings by other Catholic authorities. The leader is the sole source of authority for the group
A new member
clearly knows what the organization is that he (she) is joining.
is warned in advance about what is expected, and what he (she) can and cannot do.
often has to wait for several months to a year before joining the Church to make sure that the obligations of being a Catholic are understood.

A new member
is deliberately deceived about the obligations of belonging to the group. Cult recruits often attend a cult activity, are lured into "staying for a while," and soon find that they have joined the cult for life, or as one group requires, members sign up for a "billion year contract...."
is not warned in advance about what is expected, and what he (she) can and cannot do.
is often duped into joining a cult during the course of a weekend, which was supposed to be a fun weekend with some new friends, or it could even have been advertised as a weekend seminar to quit smoking or lose weight.


A member of the Catholic Church retains freedom of politics, friends, family association, selection of spouse, and information access to television, radio, reading material, telephone, and mail. Cults restrict the access that members have to outside sources of information, and tell cult members that their families and former friends are "evil" or "sinners" because they don't belong to the cult.
A member of the Catholic Church is told to remain in the Church, but is never physically forced to remain. Members of a religious cult are physically forced, if necessary, to remain in the group. Sometimes group members who try to leave are kidnapped and brought back to the group. Members the cult group in Jonestown Guyana who tried to resist the order from Jim Jones to commit suicide were gunned down by other cult members.
Medical and dental care are available, encouraged, and permitted for members of the Catholic Church. History shows that the Catholic Church was the first one to build hospitals, and provided free medical care to those who could not afford it. Many cults discourage and sometimes forbid medical care.
Training and education received in Catholic schools are usable later in life. History shows that the Catholic Church was the one building schools and universities when no-one else was during the so-called "Dark Ages." Cults do not necessarily train a person in anything that has any value in the greater society.
In the Catholic Church, public records are kept. Members have access to their own records. Cult records, if they exist, are confidential, hidden from members, and not shared.
A system of Church Law is provided within the Catholic Church. A Church member can also utilize legal and law enforcement agencies and other representatives of the civil law if needed. In cults, there is only the closed, internal system of justice, with no appeal or recourse to outside support.
Families of Church members talk and deal directly with Catholic schools. Children may attend Catholic or non-Catholic schools. In cults, children, child rearing, and education are often under the absolute control of the cult leader.
The Catholic Church respects the laws of the land. The Catholic Church negotiates a concordat with the government of every nation, in which the Church and the state agree upon any exemptions from the civil law that are available to Church members. Cults consider themselves above the law, and are a law unto themselves, and cult leaders are accountable to no one, not even their members.
A Church member gets to keep his (her) money, property, gifts and inheritances. Pope Leo XIII wrote defending private property in his encyclical "Rerum Novarum," May 15, 1891. In many cults, members are expected to turn over to the cult all money and worldly possessions.
Rational behavior is valued in the Catholic Church. Elsewhere we have proven that the Catholic Church has condemned those who discourage the use of reason and rational thinking. Cults discourage members from thinking independently, and their normal thought processes are stifled and broken.
The right for members of the Catholic Church to make suggestions and offer criticism to Church leaders is protected by Church Law. The cult leader is always right, and the members who disagree, as well as all outsiders, are always wrong. Members who criticize the leader are ridiculed and often treated violently, or may simply be expelled from the group.
Church members cannot be used for medical and psychological experiments without their informed consent. Cults essentially perform psychological experiments on their members through implementing so-called thought-reform processes without members' knowledge or consent.
Reading, education, and knowledge are encouraged by the Catholic Church. It was the Catholic Church that preserved books and learning, and which founded the first universities, and which brings education wherever Catholic missionary effort goes. If cults do any education, it is only in their own teachings. Members come to know less and less about the outside world; contact with or information about life outside the cult is sometimes openly frowned upon, if not forbidden.
The Catholic Church looks for new members among all races and classes of people. The Church does not concentrate their search for new members:
among the lonely and the vulnerable.
among the wealthy.

Cults do not look for new members with equal effort among all races and classes of people. Cult concentrate their recruiting efforts among certain groups:
Cults target the lonely and the vulnerable.
Cults target rich individuals.


In the Catholic Church, physical fitness is never discouraged. In some monastic orders, like the Dominicans, physical fitness exercises are mandatory. Cults rarely encourage fitness or good health, except perhaps for members who serve as security guards or thugs.
Adequate and properly balanced nourishment is never discouraged by the Catholic Church. Catholic religious orders make balanced meals at regularly scheduled times mandatory for all members. Many cults encourage or require unhealthy and bizarre diets. Typically, because of intense work schedules, lack of funds, and other cult demands, cult members are not able to maintain healthy eating habits.
In the Catholic Church, many methods of instruction and education are used, but brainwashing, or thought-reform, is not used. Cults influence members by means of a coordinated program of psychological and social influence techniques, or brainwashing.

--adapted from: "Cults in Our Midst: The Hidden Menace in Our Everyday Lives," by Margaret Singer and Janja Lalich, Jossey-Bass publishers, 1995.


Because there are many differences between the Catholic Church and cults, therefore the Catholic Church is not a cult.


Posted by: StarChilde

Quote:
Originally Posted by JG
Dear Star:

I could say almost exactly the same things about the following denomination.

Episcopalian
Lutheran
Methodist
Baptist
Assembly of God

they and many more follow the same holidays.
They and many more have some of the same symbols in their churches.
If you go to europe you will find the same candles and statues and paintings in all of these churches including the baptist and A/G.

If they do not call their leaders Popes they call them Apostles or Bishops etc. I sat at a district council meeting of the Assemblies of God and watched with my own eyes them anoint and install a Bishop emeritas.

Under the banner of accountability I have watched men say you must submit to me because... "I am".... the apostel, prophet, bishop etc of this area. They will tell you that they are infallable Hmmm...

If you talk to the Catholic theologians and read the catholic doctrine it says they do not worship Mary but respect her.

Do I pray to her no. Because I have only one mediator with the father and that is Jesus.

Without going down your whole list
have you ever given this some thought to the following.
Instead of us the church copying the devil
Have you ever wondered if he copied us.

When I deal with those in satan worship they all have a form of Christianity, but not the Holy Spirit and not the real power.

They almost always have to fake it or use tricks to make it look real.

So I do not see the church copying satan.
I see satan copying us.

Merry Christmas
Jerry


The above is reason why I am not of any DENOMINATION, I am a CHRISTIAN and my authority is the Bible... I was raised a Lutheran, and there were things that I had to come to the realizations of the truth about also, that I believed God showed me. I know I have a lot yet to learn, & am working on it~
Prayerfully, I did NOT mean to hurt anyone with any of the posts I put up... that is why I deleted them... I do not want anyone to think I am not a Christian, or that I hate Catholics... it is the doctrines I do not agree with... as I was told a long time ago... RELIGION is man's answer to God... CHRIST IS GOD'S ANSWER TO US!


Posted by: JG

Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryTemp
[B]I found this on the web. I really do not believe that Catholism is a cult. .


I agree with you.

Now to Star:

The body of Christ is not exclusive but inclusive.
I think the reason we have so many different denomination is because the Lord is giving us a place to go.

There are so many different kinds of churches that it would be hard to say we could not find a place to worship.

Each place is suited to different kinds of people with different needs.

I happen to be very pentecostal.
Many people are not as excited about God the way I am but I know,
We are both children of God.
We are both going to heaven.

I like loud
some like quite
I like action
some like sitting still

I like miracles of healing
some like doctors
I like intense praise
some like quite praise
I like intense prayer
some like quite prayer
I like speaking in tongurs
some do not
I like praying in the spirit
some do not
I like talking about Jesus
some do not

But I have found that we are all the same in the eyes of Jesus.
I just like to think that I am haveing some more fun than others.

Does that make me better... I think not
I sin daily
so do they
I need to pray daily
so do they
I need to be in the Holy Spirit daily
so do they
I need a saviour everyday
so do they.

We all need the Lord on a daily basis
We all need the Word of God on a daily basis
We all need the Holy Spirit to speak to us on a daily basis

That my friend is what this site is all about.
Sharing our needs in prayer
Sharing our faith with others
Sharing the word to train and equipt.

So do I believe all Catholics are a cult
NO a thousand times no.

I have yet to find a church or denomination or group that was perfect yet.

Merry Christmas
Jerry


Posted by: StarChilde

....YEAH I AGREE JG, THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN A CHRISTIAN WHO GOES ABOUT LOOKING LIKE THEY BEEN SUCKING ON SOUR LEMONS!

I never said I was better than anyone else, in fact I was worse...for I KNEW I WAS A CHRISTIAN, and I walked in the world, doing things of the world to escape all the abuse I had ever been through to escape it...and many years I walked a path that I wanted..oh I never stopped believing in God or praying to Him, and I got blessings during those times...but how much more they would have been if I would have
been walking in HIS will for my life, and being in obedience to Him! Not to mention all the pain and hurt I would have saved myself, and some of those who loved me.I want to be in a place in my life where I think MORE of GOD than I do of myself!
I didn't say all catholics were cultists..I am sure that there are some true devout Christians in the catholic church... there are also some very misled ppl there... like in everywhere else.THAT IS WHY I DELETED THE POSTS...because what I was saying was being misinterpreted, & I didn't want to cause ppl to think I didn't love them just because they were Catholics.. I love everyone.
I do not want to be judgmental... although I have been led to see that if we see one of our brethren in sin, we are to point that sin out AS LONG AS WE ARE NOT WALKING IN THE SAME SIN! That is what makes us hypocrites.
I John 5:16-18 16. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 17. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
18. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not .

and from THE MESSAGE: 1Jo 5:16 For instance, if we see a Christian believer sinning (clearly I'm not talking about those who make a practice of sin in a way that is "fatal," leading to eternal death), we ask for God's help and he gladly gives it, gives life to the sinner whose sin is not fatal. There is such a thing as a fatal sin, and I'm not urging you to pray about that.
1Jo 5:17 Everything we do wrong is sin, but not all sin is fatal.
1Jo 5:18 We know that none of the God-begotten makes a practice of sin--fatal sin. The God-begotten are also the God-protected. The Evil One can't lay a hand on them.
Yes, this site is about prayer...it is also fellowshipping, and I thank God above for this site! I feel I was led here, to help fulfil the calling that God put in my life a long time ago.It is for sharing what God has helped us to learn and see... we just have to move our own selves out of the way~ and it is about sharing the victories God gives us...
ANYHOW~ If anyone was hurt by what I said before... I apologize, and ask your forgiveness as it was never my intention to hurt. God knows my heart~ I ask that He share that with you...
In His Service~& With His Love~
Suzanne~


Posted by: MaryTemp

[QUOTE=StarChilde]....YEAH I AGREE JG, THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN A CHRISTIAN WHO GOES ABOUT LOOKING LIKE THEY BEEN SUCKING ON SOUR LEMONS!

I never said I was better than anyone else, in fact I was worse...for I KNEW I WAS A CHRISTIAN, and I walked in the world, doing things of the world to escape all the abuse I had ever been through to escape it...and many years I walked a path that I wanted..oh I never stopped believing in God or praying to Him, and I got blessings during those times...but how much more they would have been if I would have
been walking in HIS will for my life, and being in obedience to Him! Not to mention all the pain and hurt I would have saved myself, and some of those who loved me.I want to be in a place in my life where I think MORE of GOD than I do of myself!
I didn't say all catholics were cultists..I am sure that there are some true devout Christians in the catholic church... there are also some very misled ppl there... like in everywhere else.THAT IS WHY I DELETED THE POSTS...because what I was saying was being misinterpreted, & I didn't want to cause ppl to think I didn't love them just because they were Catholics.. I love everyone.


Suzanne,
(((((((Hugs))))))))))))) You are truly a beautiful person, and I know that you were not bashing anyone, and you only speak from your heart on here. I do not think that anyone, myself included would think that you were bashing anyone. I happen to believe that you are a wonderful christian and you have offered me so much encouragement in our newly found friendship. I am so glad that you are here, you always do your homework and post great scriptures for those of us in doubt on anything in particular. I just want you to know how I feel and how truly appreciative I really am to have met you here. I consider you a truly GREAT sister and Friend. You have been blessed with a gift, and I truly believe that God called you here too.

Your friend in Christ,
Mary