| Author | Message | ||
| Reb Registered user Username: Reb Post Number: 261 Registered: 5-2007 |
My son has an entrance exam on 7/14/07 to get into Catholic school for High School. He and I both really want this(and my wife is even in favour of it, it was her idea). He is happy(as am I) about being free of EGW indoctrination. He is even considering becoming a Catholic(ok with me as he will still believe in Christ as his saviour). I'm just glad he's not forsaking Christ like so many other youth who become disillusioned by Adventism! | ||
| Marysroses Registered user Username: Marysroses Post Number: 61 Registered: 4-2007 |
Praying. I don't believe you have to be Catholic to be saved. I will say the parish where I attended Catholic school has been my anchor and lifesaver throughout my entire spiritual journey. After big defections and little upsets, thats where I've gotten the non-judgmental love and practical advice and encouragement to get going again. It was home long before I made any formal profession of faith. MarysRoses | ||
| Reb Registered user Username: Reb Post Number: 263 Registered: 5-2007 |
Thanks, MarysRoses. | ||
| Jonah Registered user Username: Jonah Post Number: 11 Registered: 3-2006 |
Hi Reb, I am praying for you and your family right now that God will guide your steps. I don't want to offend so please understand my heart. Converting to the Roman Catholic church is like leaving one sinking religious ship to get on board of another sinking ship. sure your son may still believe in Jesus but religious systems that have a lot of man made philosophy at their foundation (SDA, Mormonism, Islam, JW's etc) tend to create a different Jesus. Not the Jesus of the Bible but a man made Jesus. I love you Reb and pray that the Lord continues to minister to your heart. j | ||
| Reb Registered user Username: Reb Post Number: 266 Registered: 5-2007 |
Thanks, Jonah. I agree. But I don't think the Roman Catholic Church has nearly as many errors as the SDAs do. I would prefer that my son become a Baptist like I am doing, but I am so happy he is also free from the SDA cult. | ||
| Treasurehntr Registered user Username: Treasurehntr Post Number: 7 Registered: 7-2007 |
Praying for you and your son Reb. As another thread pointed out the RCC isnt built upon a lie like the SDA demonination is. Another plus side he will have a wealth of early church history right from the source to draw from. Ken | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 3929 Registered: 3-2004  |
Praying for your son Reb. God has each of us where he wants us at this time. That is only from my experience. Did you put that on CARM?? Diana | ||
| Reb Registered user Username: Reb Post Number: 271 Registered: 5-2007 |
I haven't put this on CARM. Hadn't actually thought about putting it on CARM. The Adventists on there would be swooping down on it like turkey vultures on a deer carcass if I do. | ||
| Jwd Registered user Username: Jwd Post Number: 285 Registered: 4-2005  |
Reb, the object is not to search for the least amount of eror, but to seek the Truth. Catholicism believes in salvation by grace and our works by using "that grace" to achieve righteousness. A false religion here. Catholicism teaches that the Pope, the Priest, the Church is the final authority in matters of faith and practice. Reformed Prostetantism believes that the Bible only is our only source of truth for faith and practice. The Bible, not any Church is our final and ultimate authority. Catholicism teaches the veneration of Mary, praying to the dead, and in the mass they portray the crucifixion and death of our Lord over and over again. A false gospel according to Gal 1:8,9. Christ died "once" for all (Rom 6:10). The Lord's Supper has been expanded into the doctrine of transubstantiation and the sacrifice of the mass; anointing the sick, into the sacrement of extreme unction; rules of discipline into the sacrament of penance, of satisfactions, of indulgences, of purgatory, and masses and prayers for the dead, the prominence of Peter into the supremacy of the Pope. In other words, whether there are doctrines, institutitions, and ordinances, having no warrant in the Scriptures, which we as Christians are bound to receive and obey on the authority of what is called common consent. This Romanists affirm and Protestants deny. Catholic tradition, which is an authority set in concrete, cannot be a reliable source of knowledge of religious truth. It must be the Bible only, NEVER the voice and/or authority of the church. Tradition cannot be a trustworthy informant of what Christ taught. The Catholic Church receives certain doctrines on the authority of tradition alone! To quote Charles Hodge: "The Romanist then believes because the Church believes. This is the ultimate reason. The Church believes, not because she can historically prove that her doctrines have been received from the Apostles, but because she is supernaturally guided to know the truth. ...tradition resolves itself into the present faith of the Church." The personal testimony of a true Catholic is "I believe it because the Church believes it and says it is so." There is NO "thus saith the Word of God" behind it or under it. This "revelation" the Church of Rome insists upon cannot be traced. It is an unwritten revelation, "absolutely impossible for the people to learn what it teaches." The Catholic believer must take the doctrine of transubstantiation, the sacrifice of the Mass, or any other popish doctrine by faith alone in what the Church says! "They are required to believe, on the peril of their souls, doctrines, the pretended evidence of which it is impossible for them to ascertain or appreciate." Ibid. Systematic Thology Vol 1, Part 1, p.127. "Making tradition a part of the rule of faith subverts the authority of Scripture." Ibid 128. A great mass of doctrines, rites, ordinances, and institutions, of which the Scriptures know nothing, has been imposed on the reason, conscience, and life of the Catholic believer. Tradition teaches error, and therefore cannot be divinely controlled so as to be a rule of faith. Do you want your son to be guided by the authority of men or the divinely inspired Word of God and His authority alone? The issue is between Scripture and tradition. Both CANNOT be true. The one contradicts the other. One or the other MUST BE GIVEN UP. Becoming a Catholic denies the authority of Scripture, and in so doing, denies the authority of Jesus Christ and God the FATHER and the Holy Spirit, to be replaced by the authority of the Pope of Rome. All the doctrines peculiar to Romanism, Reb, ALL THE DOCTRINES peculiar to Catholicism and for which Romanists plead the authority of Scripture, PROTESTANTS BELIEVE TO BE ANTI-SCRIPTURAL; and therefore they need no other evidence to prove that tradition is not to be trusted either in matters of faith or practice. Catholicism relieves men and women of personal responsibility. Everything is decided FOR THEM. Their salvation is secured by merely submitting to be saved by an infallible, sin-pardoning, and grace-imparting Church ~ the Catholic Church alone! There is not the slightest evidence in the New Testament or in the apostolic age, that Peter had any such primacy among the Apostles as Romanists claim. There is not only the absence of all evidence that he exercised any jurisdiction over them, but there is abundant evidence to the contrary. Peter, James and John, being mentioned TOGETHER as those who appeared to be the pillars (Gal 2:9) It is very doubtful whether Peter ever was in Rome. It is certain he never was Bishop of the Church in Rome! All true believers, in whom the Spirit of God dwells, are members of that Church which is the body of Christ, no matter with what ecclesiastical organization they may be connected, and even although they have no such connection with any denomination. The condition of THIS membership in the True Church is not union with any organized society, but faith in Jesus Christ, founded upon the authority of the BIBLE only! Hodge says "Almost all the points of difference between Protestants and Romanists depend on the decision of the question, 'What is the Church?'" Ibid. 185 The Catholic Church may appear to be more Christian in certain aspects, but it can never be said with Scriptural authority, that the Catholic Church is a true church! To be taught it's beliefs, simply because it does not have some of the problems noted to exist within Adventism, is very dangerous, to the point of jeopardizing one's soul. I cannot state it any more forcefully. I appeal to you to re-consider your decision, and to decide in favor of an authority of Truth, totally and eternally trustworthy - - the Word of God Himself; not a tradition with blatant false, unbiblical beliefs and rites and practices which are NOT Christian at all, no matter how many candles one lights! Jesus is the Way, THE Truth and the Life. He is the only Living True Word, Jn 1:1-3. To leave EGW's teachings for the teachings of the Pope is like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. Salvation is found ONLY within the Catholic Church according to their tradition it is NOT Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, based upon Scripture alone! Reconsider, I beg of you! Do not turn your back on the Bible in favor of a religion of false tradition, and an authority apart from Christ Himself. Prayerfully submitted, Jess | ||
| Reb Registered user Username: Reb Post Number: 275 Registered: 5-2007 |
Thanks Jess, I have no intention of becoming a Catholic, as I am happy as a Baptist now. My son is just toying with the idea but I really doubt that he will do that. His main reason for considering Catholicism is because his "hero" Arnold Scwarzenegger is Roman Catholic. He will be going to Catholic School because it is his only alternative to Adventist school. The public schools in the area we live in are gang-infested and of very poor quality academically. We cannot afford to live in a better neighbourhood given how housing prices in SoCal are. I am talking to him about the things that are wrong with the RCC, but I have to admit that the RCC does have a lot less error than the SDA church does. I am encouraging him to do what I am doing and become a Baptist. | ||
| Jonah Registered user Username: Jonah Post Number: 12 Registered: 3-2006 |
Hey Reb, As an Adventist it was really important to have an identity with an organization or a denomination. I don't know if any of you guys can relate to that. After discovering the Gospel and the New Covenant, I've realized that there really isn't a need to identify with a denomination or an organization. It's more important to just be in Christ. Paul wasn't a Pentecostal, Peter wasn't a Methodist, James wasn't a Puritan and John wasn't a Baptist. I encourage you, your son and everyone else who has come out Babylon (SDA church) to just be in Christ. In Christ alone, Jonathan | ||
| Luzisbornagain Registered user Username: Luzisbornagain Post Number: 20 Registered: 7-2007 |
I'll pray for him, too. Even though catholocism isn't any better than adventism. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 6215 Registered: 12-2003  |
Praying, Reb, that your family and your son will all become rooted in Christ Jesus alone. As Jess said, the goal is to look for truth, not to look for "less error". Jesus alone is all we need for salvation. It is important that we understand the gospel well: absolutely nothing we bring or do or are or think contributes to our salvation. The doctrine of Jesus as our Savior does not constitute the gospel. Many false gospels also can say this. Pray that God will clarify truth to you, your wife, and your son. As I've often said, my ongoing prayer for myself is that God will teach me the truth and keep me rooted in reality and integrity, doctrinally, theologically, and personally. It can become a very great bondage to believe that additions other than Jesus are part of the salvation picture. I would be cautious about my son's exposure to ideas he may not understand if he isn't first grounded in Biblical truth and born again into Jesus alone. Colleen | ||
| Laurie Registered user Username: Laurie Post Number: 28 Registered: 6-2007 |
Jess - You are right, everything you said. People seem to have forgotten what the term Protestant even means.... Protesting to everything you stated above in regards to the catholic church. Laurie | ||
| Reb Registered user Username: Reb Post Number: 277 Registered: 5-2007 |
Adventists aren't Protestant, either. They claim to have completed the Protestant Reformation but they actually reversed it. | ||
| Laurie Registered user Username: Laurie Post Number: 30 Registered: 6-2007 |
Reb Obviously all of us here see the errors in adventism, or we would not be formers. You opened this thread stating it was OK with you if your son became a catholic, at least he would be believing in Christ as his savior. I have to agree with Jess, that should not be OK with you. The catholic practice of confessing your sins to a man and receiving absolution from a man through your acts, does not allow Christ to be your savior. This practice is as completely offensive to me as the IJ that adventism teaches. There is one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ. Not a priest, not Mary, not the pope. I could rant and rave about catholicism, but I won't. Sometimes I feel like former adventists are afraid to speak about things like catholicism because in leaving the SDA church they feel they must abandon everything that is taught in the SDA church. Of course, the SDA church teaches the pope is the antichrist and catholics changed the sabbath, etc etc etc. I wont sit here and say that the pope is the antichrist... BUT I will say that the true teachings of the catholic church are anti-christ. Laurie | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 18 Registered: 7-2007 |
The person who brought me out of Adventism (with God's help, of course) was raised Catholic and went to Catholic schools. That was maybe thirty years or so ago. Back then, in mass at the church, the priest would put the bread in the mouths of the congregation one by one. The people themselves couldn't touch it except in their mouths. If the bread got stuck on the roof of their mouths, they couldn't scrape "Jesus" off with their tongues. No! No! If the bread fell out of their mouths they had to crouch down over it until the priest came by and picked it up and put it back into their mouths. A Catholic wouldn't read the Bible back then. They'd just light candles next to it. They didn't study the Bible in school back then either, just the catacism. My friend was a sincere Catholic and planned to become a nun. She joined the Air Force though and for a time was stationed in Italy. Catholicism was different there somewhat, not cleaned up like in the states. People there actually bowed down and worshipped the images that were set up to represent the saints. Next she was stationed in Japan. There were Christians in her unit who wouldn't let her alone until she got "saved" though she got pretty angry with them. Finally one of them said that he would become Catholic if she could prove to him that the Catholic church was right, from the Bible. So she decided to take him up on his challenge. She looked in the Bible to find the book of Mary, but to her consternation it wasn't anywhere in the Bible. Then she read the Bible itself and found to her amazement that the Christian man who had challenged her to read it was right! She was saved and now, thirty years later, I am too!!! Dianne | ||
| Insearchof Registered user Username: Insearchof Post Number: 130 Registered: 8-2005 |
Reb, We will keep your son in our prayers. All my children are going or have gone to Catholic schools after leaving SDA schools. My son to an all boys school (he LOVES it there!), my oldest daughter to an all girls school (she LOVED it), my youngest starts this year and is looking forward to it. Just curious...have you run out of grades at the SDA school (is it a Junior academy) or have you found the education there not adequate? We found it not adequate which was a big reason for us. Glad to hear that your wife is on board, too. It is the small things that will continue to chip away at the already shaky foundation of Adventism, slowly but surely. ISO | ||
| Wolfgang Registered user Username: Wolfgang Post Number: 146 Registered: 10-2005 |
Reb,I was actully driving this afternoon thinking about your son and wanted to post as soon as I got home but I couldnt offer up anymore than what Jess already said.and I dont want to offend you with the following.. Im sure there are many sincere christians within the catholic church just as there are in the SDa church and other churches of error. You also said:He is happy(as am I) about being free of EGW indoctrination. He is even considering becoming a Catholic(ok with me as he will still believe in Christ as his saviour). As an adventist I beleived that Christ was my saviour but couldnt reamin where EGW was held so highly if it wasnt for her and the insanity of the IJ I'd probably still be there. Dawn | ||
| Reb Registered user Username: Reb Post Number: 296 Registered: 5-2007 |
ISO, it was both the inadequacy of the Adventist School and my son's unhappiness there, no football and the EGW indoctrination that passes for Bible class. Yes I am encouraged that things like these will chip away at Adventisms shaky foundation. Wolfgang, no offence taken. I actually hope my son will not decide to be Catholic I would prefer he choose to be a Baptist like I am doing but it's up to him. I'd rather see him be Catholic and still a Christian though than forsake God altogether like many disillusioned SDA youth do. I agree the Catholic church has errors, but not as egregious as the SDA church. It was not founded on a lie the way the SDA church was. And does not have the SUnday Law and IJ insanity. |
