Sign of the cross – what is the meaning?
The practice of tracing the sign of the cross is most prominent in the Roman Catholic Church but is also practiced in the Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Episcopalian churches. The history of the sign of the cross goes back as far as Tertullian, the early church father who lived between A.D. 160 and…
Is Catholicism a false religion?
The most crucial problem with the Roman Catholic Church is its belief that faith alone in Christ is not sufficient for salvation. The Bible clearly and consistently states that receiving Jesus Christ as Savior, by grace through faith, grants salvation (John 1:12; 3:16,18,36; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10,13; Ephesians 2:8-9). The Roman Catholic Church rejects this.…
Is the perpetual virginity of Mary biblical?
It is the official position of the Roman Catholic Church that Jesus’ mother Mary remained a virgin for her entire life. Is this concept biblical? Before we look at specific Scriptures, it is important to understand why the Roman Catholic Church believes in the perpetual virginity of Mary. The Roman Catholic Church views Mary as…
What is the church triumphant?
In Roman Catholic theology, the church, the people of God, are conceived of in three categories, and the “Church Triumphant” is best understand in the context of the three: • The Church Militant is the church on earth—they are militant in that they are in action, fighting the good fight. • The Church Suffering is…
Is the Catholic Church the mother church?
The Roman Catholic Church claims to have originated with Christ and the apostles and is therefore the oldest church and “mother” or head of all other churches, especially those in the Protestant tradition. Sometimes Roman Catholics refer to their church as the “Holy Mother Church” or, in Latin, “Sancta Mater Ecclesia.” In fact, Catholics pinpoint…
What is the cause of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church?
In recent years, hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals have come forward claiming sexual abuse from priests in the Roman Catholic Church. Numerous “pedophile priests” have been identified. Sadly, rather than defrocking the priests (removing from the priesthood), the Catholic Church has in most instances attempted to cover up the sexual abuse by transferring the…
What is the meaning of Corpus Christi?
The words Corpus Christi literally mean “body of Christ” in Latin. Corpus Christi, also called the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is a religious festival celebrated by many Roman Catholics on the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday, which is the first Sunday after Pentecost. In some countries it is celebrated…
What is sedevacantism?
Sedevacantism is the belief that the Roman Catholic Church currently lacks a valid Pope. It implies that whoever currently holds the office does so in name only. The Pope may have been elected and accepted by cardinals yet, due to heretical views, is not “truly” the head of the earthly church. The terms sedevacantist and…
Did Jesus mean that we should never refer to our earthly father as “father” (Matthew 23:9)?
Religious hypocrites will do almost anything for attention. Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, they love to be seated in high positions where they will be seen and honored above everyone else. In His final discourse, Jesus dealt with the vain hypocrisy of Israel’s religious leaders and warned His followers not to be like them:…
Are Catholic beliefs and practices biblical?
The issue concerning any church and its practices should be “Is this biblical?” If a teaching is Biblical (taken in context), it should be embraced. If it is not, it should be rejected. God is more interested in whether a church is doing His will and obeying His Word than whether it can trace a…