How come the catholic church isn't considered a cult?

Question

Even on the popes had, the characters on it are said to add up to the numbers 666.
The Catholic church even worships on the first day of the week when in the Ten Commandments it clearly says the 7th day of the week. And there is no point in the bible in which is says God change the day of worship.

However, about the popes hat, I learned that it added up to 666 in Religion Class and I saw a link at this website.
http://www.remnantofgod.org/666.htm

Answer 1

How do you know which is the first and which is the last day of the week, Calvin ?

Answer 2

"How come the catholic church isn't considered a cult?"
Although the term "cult" can be pretty vague, normally the beliefs of cult members are held in secret until indoctrination within that cult. Also, most cults make use of all members for recruitment "drives". The Roman Catholic Church (RCC) does not possess either of these attributes.

"Even on the popes had, the characters on it are said to add up to the numbers 666."
If I say that your name adds up to 666, do you believe me? Hardly a credible claim. Besides, *lots* of numbers add up to 666, if you form the combination of digits in the appropriate way. For example, take the digits 1 4 3 5 2 3. Is it 143 + 523 = 666, or is it 14 + 35 + 23 = 72, or any of several other possible combinations - and why are we even adding them in the first place? BTW, your link - that's dead pope's hat. Currently it's Benny 16, not JP2.

"The Catholic church even worships on the first day of the week when in the Ten Commandments it clearly says the 7th day of the week."
Not only the RCC, but nearly every other Christian sect as well. In actuality, the 10 commandments do *not* command that the 7th day of the week be the day for worship. Rather, it says to keep the 7th day holy and to do no work on that day.

"And there is no point in the bible in which is says God change the day of worship."
Why? Why does *that* particular item make the bible pointless?

Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/

Answer 3

Cults have five hallmarks, according to the dictionary. 1) They are small, 2) They are unconventional, 3) They are relatively new, 4) They have a single, charismatic leader, 5) They share a single mindset. 1) RC is the biggest Christian denomination in the world. 2) They are the epitome of conventional. There are people whose families have been RC since 1054. 3) They date to 1054, when RC and Orthodox split. 4) I would not call the current Pope "charismatic". The college of cardinals are leaders too. 5) Maybe; they all believe in the trinity, but there are liberal catholics and conservative ones. The Catholics are more of a "single mindset" than we Unitarian Universalists, but they are pretty diverse. Look at the Unification church - the "Moonies" - for a real cult. I'm using a basic definition for "cult". If you look hard enough you can find people who say "Anyone who doesn't believe what my denomination does about God has to be in a cult - or worshiping Satan". Also note that time and the number of followers change the status of a cult to a non-cult. When they first started, the Mormons were a cult by all the standard hallmarks. Now they are a large, recognized denomination. For that matter, Christianity was a "cult", in the years that Jesus had just a few hundred followers.

Answer 4

That's funny. You are citing some obscure website to promote an outrageous viewpoint.

Look man, if you want to make a point about alleged fallacies of the Catholic Church, don't bother will moronic websites no one gives the time of day to. Go to the Bible.

For example, you contend that Sunday worship is wrong. Not according to the Bible:

Isaiah 1:13 - God begins to reveal His displeasure with the Sabbath.

Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2,9; John 20:1,19- the Gospel writers purposely reveal Jesus' resurrection and appearances were on Sunday. This is because Sunday had now become the most important day in the life of the Church.

Acts 20:7 - this text shows the apostolic tradition of gathering together to celebrate the Eucharist on Sunday, the "first day of the week." Luke documents the principle worship was on Sunday because this was one of the departures from the Jewish form of worship.

1 Cor. 16:2 - Paul instructs the Corinthians to make contributions to the churches "on the first day of the week," which is Sunday. This is because the primary day of Christian worship is Sunday.

Col. 2:16-17 - Paul teaches that the Sabbath was only a shadow of what was fulfilled in Christ, and says "let no one pass judgment any more over a Sabbath."

2 Thess. 2:15 - we are to hold fast to apostolic tradition, whether it is oral or written. The 2,000 year-old tradition of the Church is that the apostles changed the Sabbath day of worship from Saturday to Sunday.

Heb. 4:8-9 - regarding the day of rest, if Joshua had given rest, God would not later speak of "another day," which is Sunday, the new Sabbath. Sunday is the first day of the week and the first day of the new creation brought about by our Lord's resurrection, which was on Sunday.

Heb. 7:12 - when there is a change in the priesthood, there is a change in the law as well. Because we have a new Priest and a new sacrifice, we also have a new day of worship, which is Sunday.

Rev 1:10 - John specifically points out that he witnesses the heavenly Eucharistic liturgy on Sunday, the Lord's day, the new day of rest in Christ.

Matt. 16:19; 18:18 - whatever the Church binds on earth is bound in heaven. Since the resurrection, Mass has been principally celebrated on Sunday.

Smarten up.

Answer 5

Um, that bit about the pope's hat isn't true at all. It's not the actual title used by the pope -- if I remember right, they left out a word on purpose so they could get it to add up to 666.

Catholics worship on Sunday because the Lord gave us that day to worship (He stayed in the grave during Sabbath and rose on Sunday). You know, the New Covenant and all.

Answer 6

A cult is "a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader."

The original Church is not false or unorthodox, since Jesus himself promised that "the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matt 16:18). It is certainly not extreme or unconventional, and Catholic leaders are anything but charismatic.

The numbers 666 are code in Revelation for Nero Caesar. Most Christians, not just Catholics, worship on Sunday because it is the day Jesus rose from the dead.

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 7

+ Cults +

The English word cult comes from the Latin cultus meaning worship.

In one definition, any religion can be considered a cult.

However the most common current definition of cult is a religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.

According to the Cult Information Centre, every cult can be defined as a group having all of the following five characteristics:

1. It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members.

2. It forms an elitist totalitarian society.

3. Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma.

4. It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds recruit people.

5. Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.

The Catholic Church does not meet any of the five characteristics

http://www.cultinformation.org.uk/faq.html#cult

+ 666 +

One common myth surrounding the papal tiara involves the claim that the words Vicarius Filii Dei exist on the side of one of the tiaras.

The myth centres on the widely made claim that, when numerised (ie, when those letters in the 'title' that have roman numeral value are added together) they produce the number '666', described in the Book of Revelations as the number of the Antichrist.

This claim has been made by some fundamentalist protestant sects who believe that the pope as head of the Roman Catholic Church is the antichrist.

Four definitive sources are sometimes given:
- A protestant woman visiting Rome said she witnessed Pope Gregory XVI wearing a crown with the words on it, in or around 1832;
- Pope Gregory XVI had worn a papal tiara with these words clearly visible on it at a Pontifical High Mass during Easter 1845;
- The 'existence' of a photograph of a papal funeral at the start of the twentieth century (which probably means the funeral of Pope Leo XIII in 1903 but could possibly be Pope Pius X's in 1914) showing the words on a papal tiara.

The tiara (with the words mentioned) is always used to crown popes, but specifically was used in 1939 to crown Eugenio Pacelli as Pope Pius XII.

The claim is demonstrably false.

Whether or not the numerised total of the letters in Vicarius Filii Dei produce the total '666' is irrelevant because no such title actually exists for the papacy or the Holy See.

While the words did feature in the Donation of Constantine (now known to be a forged document) they referred to St. Peter and not subsequent popes.

In 1832, only two tiaras existed; one from the sixteenth century and one, given by Napoleon I to Pope Pius VII in 1804. Neither contain writing.

http://www.ebroadcast.com.au/lookup/encyclopedia/pa/Papal_tiara.html

+ Church on Sunday +

For Christians the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the first day of the week (Sunday) replaces the Sabbath as the day of ceremonial observance of the Commandment to keep the Lord's Day holy.

Here is the link: http://www.nccbuscc.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt1art3.htm

The Catholic Church follows the teaching and practice of the Apostles. In the 20th chapter of the Act of the Apostles, the church in Troas gathered on the first day of the week, Sunday.

The first Christians were Jews. They went to temple or synagogue on the Sabbath (Saturday) with fellow Jews.

Then they gathered on the first day of the week, the day on which Jesus rose from the dead (Sunday), with fellow Christians to tell stories of Jesus and share Eucharist. See Acts 20:7.

Later Gentiles joined Christianity. The Apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, decided that the Gentiles did not have to covert to Judaism. Therefore, they only attended on Sundays and did not have to abide by Jewish dietary laws.

This biblical practice inspired by the Holy Spirit has been followed ever since.

A few modern Christian denominations have gone back to observing the Sabbath. These groups include:
+ Seventh-day Adventist
+ Seventh Day Baptist
+ Church of God (Seventh-Day)

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 8

I think it is not considers a cult for the same reasons that the Christian denominations, Islam, and all the others are not considered cults. The Ten Commandments, who says these are from the "one" great faith? Your looking at one religion as a cult from another that someone else could say is a cult. Ever think about why 666 stands for the devil/hell? it could have very well been someone who did not like cathlics that made its meaning to be that.

Answer 9

Garbage. Ellen Gould White's name adds up to 666 - is she the devil? Your link is complete trash.

And the only religion class you would have learned that lie from would be Fundies 101...

Answer 10

FYI...the first Christian bible was approved by the Catholic Church. They Catholic Bible is the same as King James Bible EXCEPT the King James Bible took away 6 books from the Catholic bible and added, "faith and faith alone". The Protestant religions broke away from the Catholic religion. A Christian is someone following the teachings of Jesus Christ and that is what Catholics teach. Read up on your history.

Answer 11

That website is ridiculous. What you learned in your religion class came from someone who hates Catholicism. If you want to learn the truth, go to Catholic Answers or Catholic.com. You'll learn about Catholicism from people who actually know what Catholicism is.