Non-Catholic Christians: What do you think about the Pope calling your faith wrong?

Question

I do not agree with it and I am not religious. Basically, it seems like he wants to send you all to Hell for not being Catholic.

DRAGON 2008
"I BELIEVE IN U.S."

Answer 1

Ech... if I thought HE was right... I'd be Catholic...

Answer 2

Pastor Billy says: I can see from the many replies to this question there is still much ignorance amongst non-Catholics about what the Catholic Church is saying.

point #1 the pope has not called faith wrong as the asker has implied. In fact this recent document was not written by the pope at all merely ratified it's release.

point #2 the church is not stating anything new or anything different from the position Protestants (non-catholics) take for themselves that being that there is but one Christian Church in which the fullness of God's revelation and faith is deposited for our instruction.

point#3 the Catholic Church is not sending anyone to Hell as the asker also implies for it teaches God's mercy goes where he wills it. Ask yourself this question, if Catholicism doesn't teach the once saved always saved "OSAS" reformed Calvinist doctrine than why would one assume it is passing judgement upon those not Catholic with regards to final salvation?

I suggest all those running on misinformation, gossip and propaganda read the actual document from the Vatican which is nothing new and only clarifying what the Church has already stated in previous statements.

The Catholic Church has only ever claimed to be the Church established by Jesus Christ and lead by the Apostles it is once again reiterating it is not a denomination as denonminationalism is rooted in Protestantism and the English Reformation communities which didn't show up in history until 1600 years after Jesus Christ.

Answer 3

I think your question is being framed. Clearly the Pope is a man of God and does not want to send anyone to hell. Furthermore, the Pope himself does not send people to hell, thats a choice people make for themselves in life. To entertain the idea that the Pope wishes for people to be condemned and go to hell is simply proving a lack of understanding on your part.

The Pope has never called anyones faith "wrong" merely the organizations under which people choose to follow. That is an entirely different concept all together.

I am sure that many denominations are insulted by the idea that their is only one true Church. However, unless these denominations can make the claim that they have the correct interpretation of scripture, why would one wish to follow such a "church"?

Answer 4

Every religious leader in the world has always claimed that everyone else is WRONG !

So what else is new?

God gave everyone free agency to choose their path. What ever works for you, makes you happy, (truly) ... then go for that. Your not going to hell. We all die, and someday I guess we'll automatically find out what was true.

By then it won't really matter... 'cause if we do go on living after this probation period of time... on a road to some type of eternity... much what happend in this split second of eternity is yet to be known.

I think, if there is a GOD, and this is a probationary period of time like the Bible says it is... then probably we mostly came here just to get a body.. and then prove him how well we can be a good person. Something in you tells you that, you don't have to be told by anyone. To steel, that doesn't sound like a friendly thing, to hurt someone else by downing them, thats not nice... etc.. etc.. Not the Popes commandments.. not the Presidents commandments.. just your own, comman sense. The quest is to find out what those commandments really are.

Just be the best you can be by putting aside everyone and anything elses opinions.

That should keep you out of hell if that is what your really worried about.

Answer 5

The Bible says that I am saved by grace, and not by works (or the Catholic Church, for that matter), so that no man can boast. I know I am not going to Hell because I have been forgiven of my sins. This did not require me to join any church, but I needed to acknowledge I am a sinner and in need of having my debt paid to enter the presence of God. If you're spiritually broke, how do you pay such a debt? Jesus already did, which is what I needed to accept.

I think the Pope is a good man, but he is flat wrong. There are several parts of the Catholic faith that have strayed from scripture in that they have interpreted things that are not there. One of the biggest is the belief that Mary was born without sin. There is no indication in the entire Bible, in prophecy or in the New Testament, that Mary was born sinless. She didn't have to be, because God says throughout the Old Testament that sin is passed down through the father, not the mother. This is why Mary had to be made pregnant by the Holy Spirit, instead of an earthly man like Joseph.

The understanding of the sin-debt that all humanity carries because of the original sin of Adam and Eve is why Jesus' death (because he was born perfect, without the sin-debt that condemned us all) out-witted Satan's plan to destroy us through sin.

Catholics are good, moral people, but being catholic has nothing to do with being redeemed by the blood of Christ. The Bible is what God preserved for us as his living Words. They were written down just as He wanted them to be, thus we trust God's word, not the words of a man.

I would encourage anyone who has not understood this for themselves to read the Bible and not take any human's opinion of it carte blanche without verifying its validity according to what the Bible says.

Answer 6

The Papacy has long been one of the major errors concerning practices in the Roman Catholic Church. The ascribing of God like power to a man not authorized by God and the worship of him is paramount in this error. Also worship of Mary (queen of heaven) is not Biblical and the list goes on and on. My feeling is that there are many saved persons in the Catholic church despite these theological errors in their teachings and practices. I have read books by Catholic authors and there is no doubt in my mind that they were saved. In fact I believe that there are both saved and unsaved in every non-cultish church that names the name of Jesus as Lord. Salvation is based on your relationship with God. Do you know Jesus and does Jesus know you? This is the question. No Christian including the Pope has the authority to condemn another to hell on the basis of his denomination. We can and should however recognize and condemn apostacy and sin when we see it. The last Pope apologized for the Crusades and the Inquisition. During these atrocities many innocent Jews in the former and both innocent Jews and Protestants in the latter were slaughtered by Papal auhority. Remember that John Wycliff, Father of the KJV Bible only wanted to translate the Bible so that "every plowboy" could read and understand the Gospel, was burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Inquisition. The Catholic Church demanded that only the priests shold be able to read the Bible. These were sad blots in Christian history. The Papal apology for the Inquisition, is admission that such un-Biblical practices are wrong and therefore the similar Inqusition like condemnation of other denominations should be avoided also. There was no Biblical authority for either Crusades or Inquisition and neither is there any authority for Papal condemnation for other believers in Christ. Cap'n Arlo

Answer 7

I think to some degree he must be misguided in his thinking or wording.

I'm certain what he must have meant to say has to be something along the lines of:

Jesus is the only Way to the Father. And that God sent His Son to save the world, not condemn it.

Unless I am a bigger moron than I already think (which "is" possible) - I can find no scriptural message that says I should pray the rosary, that I should pray to anyone other than God the Father(ie. saints & mary) or that any man has the power to absolve me of my sins -save the Son.

The Pharisees were the religious leaders of the day when Jesus walked. They gave all sorts of guidelines and still fell short of the glory of God.

IMO - the one TRUE church is that one which believes on the word of God, the salvation offered by Christ and that encourages others to live lives worthy of sharing the name "Christian" -whether it be done by a group(church) or individually.

Answer 8

The pope has nerves dragging other religions down. In reality the catholic church is not at all pure, innocent and righteous. He and a number or other religions has its deepest darkest and most foul secrets of making others worship thier religion (forcefully). Back in the days either you supported the religion in power you'll live if you did not support the religion in power you die, you were called a trader. you had to run away and find shelter in hopes they don't find and kill you.Sometime leave the country to believe in what they believe is the right thing to worship, wether its this, that, or the other.
almost all religion is trying to say the same thing, love don't hate. accept don't deny. truth not lies. hope and faith. positivity over negativity. good will concors all.

Yea, it sucks hearing the pope say this. And he is suppose to speak of gods love and kindness to others, not evil hatred twards others. that is not god words.

Answer 9

I am a Christian- and I know that believing in Christ for my salvation is truth- so even if the Pope said that my faith is wrong, it would not bother me, because I know that I am strong in my faith. No one goes to hell for not being Catholic- we will wind up there, by our choice- which means we have a choice not too- and the way you do not go there is to admit that you are a sinner, accept Christ as payment in full for your sin- and proclaim Him as Lord of your Life. It is not Jesus plus a religion or Jesus plus works- It is Jesus alone that saves.

Answer 10

The word Christian means Follower of Christ. In order to be a Follower of Christ, you need to acknowledge him as the Head of the Church because that is what is taught in the Bible.
The Catholic Church claims that the Pope is the head of the Church. Therefore by definition, Catholics cannot be considered Christians. The correct designations for Catholics is Paptist which means Follower of the Pope.
Also, the Catholic Church claims that their religion goes all the way beck to the original group of believers and that Peter was the first Pope. However, the idea of one person being Head of the entire Church didn't come into existence until four hundred years after Peter died. Therefore, he could not have been the first Pope.
In summary, Catholics are not Christians. They are using the name of Jesus as a marketing tool to promote their own religion.

Answer 11

You are completely misreading the Pope(if you have read the recent text at all). Stating that Non Catholics can go to Hell simply by not being Catholic has been repeatedly condemned by the Church since the 1950s. Catholics and Non Catholics who die in mortal sin go to Hell and it is only God who can judge that.