Can the Roman Catholic Church be considered an apostasy?

Question

They don't follow the teachings of the Bible or even recognize all of it's Scripture. They have doctrines that are not Words of God or the Bible such as purgatory and claiming that they are the Universal Church of Christ. They say they are for God but with popes and recent popes claiming they are the only way to God or self exalting themselves with power over the Church of Christ is an apostasy: an abandonment of what one has professed and departure from faith in God who alone can rectify a sin, not the pope. What do you think??

The Bible does not mention the word "trinity" but the Bible states the obvious and mentions God as three persons throughout the Bible.
If God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were the same, they would not have different names.
If they were the same, they would not appear separately as they do in Matthew 3:16,17.
In spite of being different, they are “one.” (John 10:30)

Swiss Guard: Jesus did not appoint any man to be the head of His church. Papal supremacy is opposed to the teachings of the Scrptures. And the pope can have no power over Christs Church except by usurpation.

And know your history The Roman Catholic Church were the ones who suppressed the Bible and its teachings during the 16th century. Hundreds of years circulation of the Bible was prohibited by the Catholic Church. So people could be in ignorance of the Scriptures and its sacred truths oppsed to the papacy.

Indeed they are deceived Pastor Art, and they don't see that this church is a representation of satan. Anyone or anybody who opposes what God's Word says and develops their own doctrines opposed to what the Bible says is anti christ. Faith is transferred from Christ , the true foundation to the pope of Rome. Instead of trusting in the son of God for forgiveness of sins and for eternal salvation, the people look to the pope. When the Scriptures are suppressed and man comes to regard himself as supreme we need only look for fraud, deception, and iniquity.

Steve Arnato: its all lies and deceit conjured up by satan. Don't fall under his spell.

Mike T: catholicism has a larger following and they are all blinded.

Answer 1

Yes. The Roman Catholic Church contends that its origin is the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ in approximately 30 A.D. The Catholic Church proclaims itself to be the Church that Jesus Christ died for, the Church that was established and built by the Apostles. Is that the true origin of the Catholic Church? On the contrary. Even a cursory reading of the New Testament will reveal that the Catholic Church does not have its origin in the teachings of Jesus, or His apostles. In the New Testament, there is no mention of the papacy, worship / adoration of Mary (or the immaculate conception of Mary, the perpetual virginity of Mary, the assumption of Mary, or Mary as co-redemptrix and mediatrix), petitioning saints in Heaven for their prayers, apostolic succession, the ordinances of the church functioning as sacraments, infant baptism, confession of sin to a priest, purgatory, indulgences, or the equal authority of church tradition and Scripture. So, the origin of the Catholic Church is not in the teachings of Jesus and His apostles, as recorded in the New Testament.

Answer 2

Obviously you are not really looking for answers but for supporters.

At first glance I can see that your statement is based on your misunderstanding of Catholicism and your misinterpretation of the Bible.

The Catholic Church is not a Bible-only based belief. So when you try to use your fundamentalist reasoning of proving what is wrong with Catholicism by quoting the Bible, you only show how much you do not understand.

We do not hold the Bible to be the only and final authority. So right there we part ways. Sacred scripture, sacred tradition and the magesterium are equal in their authority. All three must agree...on everything. So everything we do and believe is in harmony with all three. This is important. It actually means the Catholic Church has more checks and balances than any protestant denomination.

Your authority to interpret the Bible and pronounce an entire faith an apostasy...comes from your own authority?? Right? And the Holy Spirit gives you this authority I assume. So...he only gives it to you and those who think like you, but people over 2000 years who have dedicated their lives to God and his service, men and women who have studied in many languages the ancient texts and traditions of the early Christians...they could not be guided by the Holy Spirit...only you and your like-minded bunch. Do I have that right?

Our Pope(s) have NEVER claimed they are the only way to God. That is an absolutely false statement. You have interpreted what you wanted from things said..not what they truly mean. Is this also how you interpret the Bible? With skewed vision and purpose?

The Church did not keep the scriptures from the people. About the time of the Reformation and the invention of the printing press, most people could not read. They were illiterate. They only way they could know the scripture was to go to Church and hear it read. Then when Martinn Luther began his heretical reformation, he began printing his version of the Bible, sans 7 books. The Catholic Church knew that the REMOVAL of any books as scripture was an abomination. Martin Luther had no right to remove books from the Bible and pronounce that they were not sacred scripture. He was then printing and passing out HIS Bible to people. This was something the Church tried to stop...and should have tried to stop.

God alone can rectify sin...all Catholics agree on that. Why do YOU think we don't? Again...it is your erroneous interpretations and misunderstanding of Catholicism that shape your views and ultimate beliefs. You cannot have an objective perspective, therefore you must take into account your own infallibility.

I am a convert to Catholicism. I was raised in the Methodist Church and remained there for over 30 years. I became Catholic about 10 years ago...and all I can say is that you need to read what the Church says about your accusations..with an open mind if you can. What you have said is nothing new...the Church has successfully defended her right and her beliefs for centuries. She has never changed in that.

Answer 3

The Church Is One (Rom. 12:5, 1 Cor. 10:17, 12:13, CCC 813–822)
Jesus established only one Church, not a collection of differing churches (Lutheran, Baptist, Anglican, and so on). The Bible says the Church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23–32). Jesus can have but one spouse, and his spouse is the Catholic Church.

His Church also teaches just one set of doctrines, which must be the same as those taught by the apostles (Jude 3). This is the unity of belief to which Scripture calls us (Phil. 1:27, 2:2).

Although some Catholics dissent from officially-taught doctrines, the Church’s official teachers—the pope and the bishops united with him—have never changed any doctrine. Over the centuries, as doctrines are examined more fully, the Church comes to understand them more deeply (John 16:12–13), but it never understands them to mean the opposite of what they once meant.

The Church Is Holy (Eph. 5:25–27, Rev. 19:7–8, CCC 823–829)
By his grace Jesus makes the Church holy, just as he is holy. This doesn’t mean that each member is always holy. Jesus said there would be both good and bad members in the Church (John 6:70), and not all the members would go to heaven (Matt. 7:21–23).

But the Church itself is holy because it is the source of holiness and is the guardian of the special means of grace Jesus established, the sacraments (cf. Eph. 5:26).

The Church Is Catholic (Matt. 28:19–20, Rev. 5:9–10, CCC 830–856)
Jesus’ Church is called catholic ("universal" in Greek) because it is his gift to all people. He told his apostles to go throughout the world and make disciples of "all nations" (Matt. 28:19–20).

For 2,000 years the Catholic Church has carried out this mission, preaching the good news that Christ died for all men and that he wants all of us to be members of his universal family (Gal. 3:28).

Nowadays the Catholic Church is found in every country of the world and is still sending out missionaries to "make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19).

The Church Jesus established was known by its most common title, "the Catholic Church," at least as early as the year 107, when Ignatius of Antioch used that title to describe the one Church Jesus founded. The title apparently was old in Ignatius’s time, which means it probably went all the way back to the time of the apostles.

The Church Is Apostolic (Eph. 2:19–20, CCC 857–865)
The Church Jesus founded is apostolic because he appointed the apostles to be the first leaders of the Church, and their successors were to be its future leaders. The apostles were the first bishops, and, since the first century, there has been an unbroken line of Catholic bishops faithfully handing on what the apostles taught the first Christians in Scripture and oral Tradition (2 Tim. 2:2).

These beliefs include the bodily Resurrection of Jesus, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, the sacrificial nature of the Mass, the forgiveness of sins through a priest, baptismal regeneration, the existence of purgatory, Mary’s special role, and much more —even the doctrine of apostolic succession itself.

Early Christian writings prove the first Christians were thoroughly Catholic in belief and practice and looked to the successors of the apostles as their leaders. What these first Christians believed is still believed by the Catholic Church. No other Church can make that claim.

Answer 4

My spiritual eyes were opened when I received the Holy Ghost. And I no longer became a part of the organized religion called the RCC, because I have access to God's Throne Room directly through the Holy Ghost. Thank you Jesus!

Answer 5

Well, quite a few people actually believe that the Catholic Church IS in a state of apostasy. It's the whole concept and motivation behind the Protestant movement.

Do I consider it to be in such a state? Yes and no.

I *DO* believe in the covenant of the New Testament for the forgiveness of sin and salvation of the eternal soul thru Jesus, Son of the one true God. Which is what it's ALL about.

And, it really IS that simple.

Yaks(pbuh)

Answer 6

No disrespect to Catholics, but I do agree that there are several teachings that are not bible based.

Such as the worship of Mary, praying through Mary. The bible says the only way to pray to God is through his son Jesus. John 14: 6, 14; John 16: 23, 24

Even having priesthoods, calling them father saying that can't marry is wrong in the bible. Matt 23:9 "Do not be calling anyone your father on earth, for one is your Father, the heavenly One." 1 Tim. 4: 1-3 "However, the inspired utterance says definitely that in later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention t misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons, by the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, marked in their conscience as a branding iron; FORBIDDING TO MARRY, commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who have faith and accurately know the truth."

Answer 7

brother, i can understand you are not a Catholic, if you are, you maybe are not serious CAtholic, i am sorry, but prove to me that the CAtholic CHurch does not follow the teachings of the Bible. Second, you cannot just believe on what is written in the Bible, otherwise, you must have lost your eyes or tongue alreay, because it is written in the Bible, that if your eyes cause you to sin, pluck it, i say this because as human as you are, you cannot tell me your eyes did not ever cause you to sin....there are some truths in the Bible brother, behind the words written, the Word of God is more than the Bible, it is far greater than the Bible....you cannot limit God's word in the Bible you know. Prove to me as well who that popes are, who claim that they are the ONLY way to God as you say....Brother in order for you to be a good critic, you must be immersed at least, yes you can critic on the external portion of the house, but there are so much as well inside, i recommend you go in and find out the things inside...just like a critic of a certain thesis, in order for him to give a critique he must read it first, so that is like it...brother, the BIBLE says, WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE YOUR BROTHERS? anyway, you might not consider us CATHOLICS your brothers, but for you to know WE consider you our brother...so hAve a good day brother...

Answer 8

The term ‘Roman Catholic' refers to the heresy formed around the person of the Pope of Rome (who broke away from the Orthodox Church in 1054 A.D.), which strives to subject the world to the incontrovertible doctrinal and decretal authority of this man, declared to be the “substitute [vicari] of the Son of God”, “Christ on earth”, etc. This is the fundamental and only truly unchanging doctrinal aspect of this sect and its essence; all other characteristics may be changed or ‘developed’ in new directions, of which history already records many examples.
In addition to the dogma of the Pope, the Roman Catholic heresy currently holds the heresies of the Dual Causation of the Holy Spirit, God as a Tripartite Energy (with Created Grace being a further heretical consequence), Purgatory and the Papal Treasury of Merits, Development of Dogma, the Divine Inspiration and Salvific Nature of all Religions (a heresy stemming from the 20th-century Freemasonic takeover of the Vatican), the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, the Sacramentalogy of Opere Operato, etc., as well as the canonical violations of claiming jurisdiction for the Pope in all dioceses, adding to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, Rejection of Married Priests, Mutation or Mutilation of the Mysteries of Holy Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, and Lord’s Divine Liturgy and Eucharist (unleavened wafers, removal of the invocation of the Holy Spirit, etc.), and the papal decrees ordering or sanctioning the robbery, torture, murder, enslavement, and other forms of inhuman maltreatment of insubordinate or non-Roman Catholic persons.

Answer 9

"Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."



Would you say this is what your doing?
I do not agree with the doctrines and customs of this church and I have asked the same in the past, but these questions are not from the Spirit of God.Please ask yourself if you feel at peace with these questions.Pray about this and see if the Lord does not give you opportunity to speak the truth in Love, and with the power of the Spirit.

Answer 10

If following the Bible is your main concern, why are you not mad at the thousands of different protestant sects. They claim to follow the Bible, but they all interpet it differently.

Answer 11

You state matter of factly that "they [Catholics] don't follow the teachings of the Bible."

I think you should rephrase that to say that Catholics don't follow YOUR INTERPRETATION of the Bible.

If anyone does not recognize all of Scripture, it is the Bible Fundamentalists who pick and choose, and misintrepret out-of-context verses, and twist them to satisfy their pre-conceived judgments of others.

Peace be with you, and my the Lord enlighten you with His Spirit of Truth. Amen.