A LESSON NOT YET LEARNED FROM THE PAST

 

For a long time Catholics have chided Protestants for their divisions.  The Catholic Church claims to be the one true Church of Jesus Christ (CCC #2105).  They claim that they are “one” because of the Church’s dedication to unity.  See this article:

https://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2014/02/there-aremany-important-choices-that-we.html

Catholics claim a “profound” unity, one which is established by God and is “inherent” in the Church.  They will claim that their unification is in direct obedience to the prayer of Jesus Christ in John 17.  But interestingly, the Catholic Church is also concerned about unity with other spiritual groups, including non-Christian ones.

But this is nothing new – they have been spearheading (and are totally committed to) an ecumenical movement which will ultimately cause all religions to come together in “peace,” with the Catholic Church as the head, of course. 

Those leading in this ecumenical movement seem to be saying that we should all put aside our differences and focus on our agreements and similarities.  After all, wasn’t unity what Jesus was all about?  (Actually, no – see Matthew 10:34).  And wouldn’t this unity lead to peace, something that would benefit the whole world?

Well, this sounds really good, doesn’t it?  Everyone would be one big happy family.  Although we would not agree on everything, or even agree on many things, we would at least be “unified” and enjoying peace, right?

But what does this type of unity look like?  Would it look like former Pope John Paul II’s  prayer meetings, where he prayed together with religious leaders from around the world, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Bahais, a voodoo priest, witch doctors, and other pagans – hoping to focus on “common ground”?  Is this the “unity” that the Catholic Church is hoping for?

What Will I Have to Give Up?

These ecumenical groups want to encourage dialogue with others in order to bring about this unity.  Dialogue with other groups is fine, but again, their emphasis must be, and will ultimately be, on putting aside our theological and spiritual differences, even our most cherished ones in order to be part of this group.  But this concept is totally unbiblical and promotes “unity at any cost.”  And the cost would indeed be great.

But how can Catholics “unite” with others whose faith does NOT include the same authority, doctrine, worship, government, outward expression, or sacraments?  “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed” (Amos 3:3)?

But it is interesting how they praise the “special” unity they have, yet they also want to unite with other spiritual groups (like Protestants and others) who (according to the Catholic Church) do not have true unity!  So, which is it?  Do you Catholics want to embrace true unity or not?  Why brag about your own “unique” brand of unity and then desire to tarnish that unity by joining with other groups whose concept of unity is “tainted”?

Even if Catholics would be sincere about true unity and true faith, those with whom they are joining would necessarily be corrupting that faith with a different form of their own. 

The Core Biblical Truth

But is the peace sought after in this modern ecumenical movement biblical?  Is this actually the kind of peace and unity that Jesus had in mind?

Jesus Christ is indeed the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).  But there is such a thing as false peace, as well (Jeremiah 6:14).  This is the “peace” that the ecumenical movement brings.  The Bible also tells us:

“There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked” (Isaiah 48:22). 

These groups will have neither true peace nor true unity.  And it is extremely important to remember that the unity that Jesus calls for is unity in the truth (John 17:17)!

Following is one of the simplest and most critical teachings in all of Scripture.  The rejection of this verse by the world religions and other non-Christians is the cause of many, if not most, of them perishing in the Lake of Fire.  Listen very carefully to what Jesus Christ says:

“Jesus saith to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.’” (John 14:6)

There is no way to avoid this core biblical truth.  It is His work on the cross, alone, that allows any human being to be fit for Heaven.  Absolutely no one on the face of this planet could possibly make it into Heaven apart from His suffering at Calvary.  Those who do not abide by this truth will be lost.  Yes, Christianity is exclusive, so the secular world (and even the religious world) doesn’t like this fact. 

John 14:6 simply will not allow the modern ecumenical movement to ultimately prosper.  This is an absolute biblical fact.  This movement cannot and will not circumvent the truth of God’s Word.  I pray that we can all embrace this truth before Judgment Day comes.

Who is Behind this?

It’s interesting to see some of the groups who are behind all this modern ecumenical activity.  How is it that secular organizations like the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU), corrupt as they both are, would be so interested in a religious crusade like the ecumenical movement?  Personally, I believe that their interest is in control, not brotherly unity.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is another corrupt entity that is pushing this idea.  In fact, they have been working together with the Catholic Church to bring about this movement for quite a while now. 

Another such attempt at ecumenism happened in 1994, where a group of Catholics and Protestants got together and drafted a document titled Evangelicals and Catholics Together: the Christian Mission in the Third Millennium (ECT).  It was signed by prominent members on both sides.   The document emphasized unity and a common mission between the two groups.  This seemed to be an attempt to reverse the Protestant Reformation of the 16^th century, and there was a heavy emphasis on agreement on the doctrine of justification.

Shame on these Protestants for betraying the gospel of grace.  Whether intentional or not, they have fallen for the slick language and have violated the biblical gospel and traded it for a works-based salvation, which is inherent in the Catholic system.  Have both sides forgotten what the Reformation was all about?  Did these people forget about all the anathemas (curse of excommunication) hurled at Protestants from the Catholic Council of Trent?  Do they not remember that many people died (on both sides) to maintain their cherished doctrines?  Or is it all just a simple “mistake” or “misunderstanding” from the past, to be glossed over today?

The Tower of Babel One More Time?

The book of Genesis tells us of man’s first attempt at ecumenism (Genesis 11:1-8).  In a nutshell, God confounded this endeavor when they were trying to form a one-world government/religion.  He didn’t like it then, and He doesn’t like it now.  But in this modern, last-day attempt, God will actually allow mankind to go through with it, but man will finally see that the result will be disastrous.  It will end with the anti-Christ creating a one-world “church” where everyone will be forced to worship him (the anti-Christ) because he performed impressive false miracles (Revelation 13:11-15)… and many will believe in this great delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:11) and will be eternally lost because of it.

Conclusion

Shouldn’t the world have learned an important lesson from this biblical story?  No, they haven’t, but this ecumenical movement is an attempt by man to re-create the tower of Babel.  In essence, it is man shaking his fist toward God once again, and saying “We don’t care what God thinks about it, we will make a name for ourselves” (Genesis 11:4). 

I once heard an example given by Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason.  His example demonstrated the importance of similarities and differences.  He drew a picture of two small round circles, one representing an aspirin and the other representing arsenic (a deadly poison).  He pointed out that they were both small pills, both round, and both started with the letter “a”.  These were the similarities.  But far more important was the fact that one would KILL you and the other would help if you had a headache.

He made the point that their differences were far more important than what they had in common.  It is the same thing with different religions/beliefs.  No matter how many similarities a false religion has with the true one, being at odds with the most crucial core belief of Christianity is fatal.  The difference between the biblical gospel and other “gospels” is one’s destiny for eternity.

So, there is no way that all religions can come together in “unity” in a successful way.  They cannot tolerate the harsh truth that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.  My friends, either Jesus is lying or He is telling the truth.  We cannot have it both ways.

If I were a Catholic, I would take a serious look at the list of powerful people and organizations that are promoting this ecumenism and run far away from them.  Any group pursuing such “unity” is extremely dangerous.

This biblical lesson from the past that God has given mankind concerning ecumenism is simply one from which we MUST learn.  Each person’s eternal destination depends on it.

IS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH’S UNITY BETTER THAN THAT OF OTHER CHURCHES?

When Catholics debate issues about Bible teaching with Protestants, they will often say, “That’s just your opinion, and just your interpretation of the passage.  You Protestants can’t really know what the Bible says in many cases, since there are so many differences and divisions when interpreting Scripture within Protestantism.  You guys can’t agree on anything!” 

The Catholic Church claims that they are the one true church, specifically, “the one Church of Christ” which is “one, holy, catholic and apostolic” (Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, Lumen Gentium, paragraph 8).

But when Protestants point out the fact that there are many arguments within Catholicism (sometimes even about doctrine), Catholics will backtrack and are forced to admit it, but they’ll say that the Catholic Church is truly unified because it can “officially” settle disputes within its ranks.  They have the pope to do that, and he can do it “infallibly”!

But if that’s true, why do Catholics still have so many arguments with each other?  That fact is undeniable.  In just one recent example, there was an issue about Pope Francis complaining about a prominent Catholic television network (EWTN) that was attacking and insulting him. 

See these links for details:

https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2021/09/21/pope-francis-says-attacks-and-insults-against-him-are-work-of-the-devil/

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/09/21/pope-francis-ewtn-critics-241472

https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-francis-issues-thinly-veiled-criticism-ewtn-comments-gender-ideology

In these articles, the pope claims that he doesn’t mind so much EWTN’s criticism of him – what he claims to be against is this Catholic network attacking the Church.  However, it seems that the problems EWTN has with the Catholic Church revolve largely around what the pope, himself, is allowing in the Church!  After all, as the sole “human head” and “Vicar” of the Church, isn’t he the one ultimately responsible for the things going on within the Church?  And isn’t he the one who is supposed to discipline leaders, clarify misunderstandings and establish Catholic teaching?  If Pope Francis is the answer to the problem of disagreements in the Church, then why is there still such major division in Catholic circles today?

It is true that EWTN has had some strong things to say, especially about the liberal-leaning Church leaders, and the way the church is being run.  Some critics are claiming that the pope said that EWTN was a “work of the devil.”

Catholic writer and apologist Dave Armstrong (as well as other pope supporters) claims that Pope Francis did not say EWTN was a “work of the devil,” but that criticizing the Church is.  Maybe the pope meant that, or maybe he didn’t, but isn’t that pretty much the same thing?  If EWTN is attacking the Catholic Church, wouldn’t that also reflect on the pope who runs it?

Furthermore, in his article, Armstrong also names several prominent Catholic people/teachers/publishers with whom he disagrees.  You can find Armstrong’s article here:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2021/09/pope-francis-did-not-say-ewtn-work-of-the-devil.html

So we can see that this “unique” harmony and unity that the Catholic Church claims to enjoy simply does not exist. 

It’s deceptive to claim a “final human authority” who can settle all disputes, when this pope, himself, is chiefly responsible for causing so many of the divisions within his own Church, including contradicting traditional Catholic beliefs that were deeply held for centuries.

Look, divisions are inevitable (1 Corinthians 11:18-19), especially when such large groups are involved.  We Protestants are not complaining about the Catholic Church because it has divisions; every church has them.  We are simply protesting the hypocrisy and pretension involved on the part of Catholic accusations of Protestant divisions, as though Catholics don’t have them.

This whole issue of divisions is simply a distraction used by Catholics to deny the doctrine of “Sola Scriptura” (the Bible alone).  This just means that the Bible is the only infallible rule of faith for the Christian church today.  The idea is not complicated.

Protestants assert that the principles of Scripture are clear enough to settle arguments within the body if simple interpretation principles and common sense are used.  See these links:

https://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2013/07/quick-notes-on-sola-scriptura-part-6.html

https://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2014/02/there-aremany-important-choices-that-we.html

https://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2009/12/dialogue-on-bible-interpretation.html

Yes, we must strive for unity in the church (John 17:20-21) – but God wants us to have unity in the TRUTH (John 17:17), not just an external, cosmetic type of unity where everyone says the exact same prayer at the same time and everyone uses the same gestures.

A small church that is unified in biblical truth is vastly superior to a billion-member church that is unified in error.  If we really want unbelievers to be drawn by our unity (John 17:22-23), then this unity must be based on scriptural truth.  A “unity” based on error is worse than irrelevant.  True unity may not come easy, but it is better to be honestly divided, than to have an artificial unity.

So, to answer the question first posed in the title of this article, no, Catholicism’s unity is not any better than anyone else’s.

 

THE GATHERING STORM

There is an interesting video on You Tube posted by Dr. Taylor Marshall (Catholic author, commentator and former academic) which addresses Pope Francis’ new book, Let Us Dream.  Dr. Marshall is not a fan of the book.  He says that in this book, one of the things that the pope wants everyone to do (apparently, for the sake of peace and harmony) is to set aside morality and dogma.  He wants Catholics to join together with other religions, even non-Christian ones, and accept their diversity in order to dialogue, to respectfully listen to each other, and to “journey together.” 

Hmmm, we’ve heard this before.  Pope Francis expects everyone to put aside doctrine and biblical teaching (2 Timothy 1:13) in order to ultimately join together with these other religious groups.  But this only creates a false unity.  The pope said he wants believers to “shed our rigidity and our agendas” and then “the God of surprises” will reveal to us “something new.”

Oh, I’m sure it’ll be something new, alright.  That “new” thing (in Marshall’s words) is a “New World Order Religion.” Marshall further adds, “…and the pope wants to be the chaplain of that whole arrangement.”  Sound familiar? (Revelation 13:11-18; 19:20)  Marshall agrees with most Protestants that this is NOT a good thing.

See here:

https://www.newsbreak.com/videos/2131848588103/god-of-surprises-pope-francis-pushes-new-world-religion

I, as well as others, have been saying this for a long time.  The Ecumenical Movement is the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy of a dangerous movement that ultimately leads this planet into a one-world religion (Revelation 13:4-15), leading millions to Hell (Revelation 14:9-11).  Remember, the Catholic Church (i.e., the Vatican) is spearheading this whole thing.  This has been the plan for a long time.  This is the endgame.  This is the spirit of antichrist.  Taylor Marshall (a Catholic) recognizes the danger of the Ecumenical Movement pushed by the Vatican.  Shouldn’t we, as Protestants, recognize it, as well?  Wake up, church!

But wait.  Maybe some are thinking that I am misrepresenting the pope.  Maybe that’s not the gist of his new book.  Maybe he doesn’t really want a merging with pagan religions.  Ok, so we need to ask, are there any other Catholic sources that speak of this type of “unity” with other non-Christian religions?  Yes, there are. 

According to Pope Francis’ latest encyclical: Fratelli Tutti (“Brothers All”):

“The Church esteems the ways in which God works in other religions, and ‘rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions.  She has a high regard for their manner of life and conduct, their precepts and doctrines which… often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men and women.’” (Paragraph 277, Emphasis added)

According to Paragraph 279 in the same encyclical:

“… It is religious freedom for believers of all religions.  That freedom proclaims that we can ‘build harmony and understanding between different cultures and religions.  It also testifies to the fact that, since the important things we share are so many, it is possible to find a means of serene, ordered and peaceful coexistence, accepting our differences and rejoicing that, as children of the one God, we are all brothers and sisters.’” (Emphasis added)

See here:

http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html

Also, if you can remember, a previous pope (John Paul II) has had public “prayer meetings” with members of other religions, including Muslims, Hindus, Zoroastrians, witch doctors, a voodoo high priest, and others.  I am not making this stuff up.  See here:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-10-28-mn-8024-story.html

https://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2010/08/cant-we-all-just-get-along-ecumenical.html

https://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-churchs-fatal-error.html

So you see, this type of “unity” is Pope Francis’ plan, as well!  And it doesn’t end there.

Taylor Marshall also states that “Ecumenism is the globalist version of religion” and “The globalist view of economics is called socialism.”

We certainly agree with that.

It should be noted that Pope Francis is not only interested in a one-world church, but also a one-world government. 

In the above Fratelli Tutti encyclical, the pope also writes:

“When we talk about the possibility of some form of world authority regulated by law, we need not necessarily think of a personal authority.  Still, such an authority ought at least to promote more effective world organizations, equipped with the power to provide for the global common good, the elimination of hunger and poverty and the sure defence of fundamental human rights.” (Paragraph 172 – emphasis added)

So, yes, according to his official teachings, he is pushing for a New World Order, as well.  Furthermore, there are plenty of articles in newspapers, magazines, and the internet (many from Catholic sources) that link popes from the past and the present pope with the New World Order.

Another one of Pope Francis’ disturbing ideas that revolves around the New World Order is that climate change is an imminent danger to the world.  This would no doubt be used to bring about a New World Order.  You can read all about it in his encyclical Laudato Si:

http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

Scientists disagree on this topic of global warming and climate change.  But the issue is not whether there are warming trends in certain parts of the world.  The issue is that politicians (and others) hyper-inflate the data to make it sound far, far worse to the public than it really is – very much like the corona virus scare.  Politicians do this in order to frighten the public into allowing them (the politicians) to make drastic changes.  Of course, they will say that the changes are to “help” us out of a crisis, when there is often no crisis at all. 

There are different theories on the cause of climate change, and I am about to share with you the latest word on that topic.  Hold on to your seat.  According to the Joe Biden administration’s team of “experts” on climate change, “systemic racism” is the cause.  That’s right, folks… racism causes climate change.  That’s what they’re telling us.  I kid you not! (Romans 1:22)

As an American, doesn’t it just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, to know that our country is safe in the hands of such capable authorities?

See here:

https://freebeacon.com/2020-election/incoming-white-house-climate-team-blames-systemic-racism-for-climate-change/

Apparently, Pope Francis has fallen for the leftist agenda that has infected America… and the world.

Conclusion

Either the pope has fallen victim to believing the climate change hype, or he is knowingly perpetuating that hype.  I believe it is the latter, but either way, he’s not looking good in this.  He is contributing both to the One World Religion and the One World Government.  This won’t end well for Catholics or anyone else.  (Revelation 13)

Pope Francis, it is not the weather or the physical climate you should be worried about, but rather the spiritual climate of your church and this world.  Yes, there is indeed a storm coming, one like the world has never seen, and YOU, Pope Francis, are responsible for leading so many directly into it. (Revelation 13:8-9)

I could only hope that Dr. Taylor Marshall, after recognizing some of these problems, would do the logical and biblical thing and part with Catholicism.  My Catholic friends, get out of that church while you can.  Leave the pope and his unbiblical and corrupt institution.  Prepare for the inevitable storm by joining a Bible-believing church and prayerfully study the Scriptures daily, which are able to lead you into all truth (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

 

SOLA SCRIPTURA AND THE “CONSTITUTION” ARGUMENT

As our readers may already know, the doctrine of Sola Scriptura (“Bible Alone”) is a key part of many Protestants’ world view.  Since Catholics believe in an inspired “Magisterium” and an inspired “Sacred Tradition,” both (supposedly) being on equal footing with Scripture, they have come up with a number of arguments against the Bible Alone concept.  One of those is the “Constitution” argument.

The Constitution argument goes something like this:

“Sola Scriptura doesn’t work because, in this view, each person interprets the Bible for himself, causing all sorts of disagreements and confusion.  You Protestants would never allow the interpretation of an important document like the Constitution of the United States of America to be subject to the whims of any and every citizen, would you?  There would be no unity.  This would only lead to chaos!  So why would you allow this kind of abuse to happen to an even greater document, like the Bible?”

   

Ok, first of all, no true Sola Scriptura person believes that the Bible should ever be subject to the “whims” of anyone reading it.  If you truly want to get something out of it, the Bible cannot be read flippantly or haphazardly.  It should be studied carefully and read with a humble, prayerful and reverent attitude (Isaiah 66:2; 2 Timothy 2:15).  It is not a toy to play with, or a book you can mold into anything you desire.  This is a misrepresentation of Sola Scriptura.

Furthermore, there are basic hermeneutical principles involved in Bible interpretation on which we pretty much all agree.  Hermeneutics is the science of Bible interpretation.  Certain rules must be followed when reading Scripture, for example, observing the context of a passage (both immediate and overall), historical perspective, genre, grammar, and the writer’s intent.  So again, the Bible cannot be interpreted “just any way you feel like it,” as those using the Constitution argument would accuse us.

Second, Catholics using the Constitution argument assume that there will be ONE human head over everyone in the church, just as there is one person (or body of persons) over the United States.  But the Bible doesn’t say this about the church.  The Constitution of the United States of America was meant to have a very specific group of elected officials to determine / interpret the exact meaning of the Constitution.  But this concept of one person being over the church is absent from the Bible.  So, this is not an accurate premise to start with, and thus, not a valid comparison.

When it comes to law and order (as in the Constitution), there must be a final human arbiter (to at least make people behave “on the outside”), but Scripture is able to deal with the heart and make people behave “on the inside,” as well.  The law deals with the external behavior, but Scripture deals with the conscience.  The judge’s responsibility is interpreting the Constitution for lawmakers.  But God, the Creator, is able to reveal His truth (Scripture) even to babes, i.e., to the simple, humble and “unlearned” (Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21). 

Third, concerning unity, remember that unity is not the Constitution’s nor the Bible’s sole reason for existence, nor its greatest emphasis.  Is unity more important than truth?  Is unity greater than righteousness?  Of course not.  Unity is indeed important, but that unity has to be built upon something greater than itself.  But listening to Catholics attacking Sola Scriptura, one would swear that unity has to be the highest of all virtues, the greatest good, and the solution to mankind’s problems.  We have to remember that any cult or unorthodox group can have unity, but God wants us to have UNITY IN THE TRUTH OF HIS WORD (John 17:17; Ephesians 4:11-14).  In the Bible, God puts far more emphasis on truth and sound doctrine than He does on unity.  Without truth and sound doctrine, unity is meaningless.

No doubt, Catholics will say, “But we do have truth and sound doctrine.  In fact, it is only the Catholic Church who has the ‘fullness of the truth’ (CCC #819).”

But not only does the Catholic Church not have the sound doctrine and “fullness of truth” that it claims to have (as this blog and many other websites attest), but it doesn’t even have the level of unity that it claims for itself.  See here:

http://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2010/12/sola-scriptura-and-divisions.html

http://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2014/02/there-aremany-important-choices-that-we.html#comment-form

Interestingly, the Catholic Church’s idea of “unity” also includes union with Protestants (for example, the dangerous and unbiblical “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” document) and also union with pagan and demonic world religions, as well.  See here:

http://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2010/08/cant-we-all-just-get-along-ecumenical.html

We are here warning everyone that this same false unity will also be used by the “man of sin,” the “son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3), also known as the antichrist, to form his ungodly one-world church (Revelation 13:7-8, 12).  We can only hope and pray that this thought is just as disturbing to others as it is to us.  You see, this craving for unity at any cost is very dangerous.

Conclusion

Having a single “authoritative” human authority over the church does not guarantee truth, just as a single ultimate authority over the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee that the right thing will be done.  An ultimate human authority can become corrupt.  This same “ultimate authority” over the Constitution has produced evil things like the Roe v. Wade decision on abortion, which regrettably, became the law of the land.  In the same way, having a person (pope) over the entire church does not guarantee truth or righteousness, either. 
 
But the Catholic will say, “But, unlike the judges who interpret the Constitution, the pope is infallible!”  Then why try to use the Constitution argument in the first place, since it is a false analogy?  So, now they must admit that the Constitution argument is an invalid “apples and oranges” comparison, and the resulting mismatch negates this whole argument.

So, the bottom line on this unity issue is this - you can either:

1) Accept the fact that there are always going to be differences / disagreements in Bible interpretation, (yet with imperfect, but acceptable, levels of unity in different places) or 

2) You can default and let someone else “infallibly” decide what Scripture says, like a church whose “unity” is an all-inclusive tolerance for false doctrine, or a dictator-type church with its forced unity.

This second type of “unity” does not work, and neither does the “Constitution” argument.

DOES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAVE THE FOUR MARKS OF THE TRUE CHURCH? (Part 1)

There are many important choices that we must make in life.  For example, we need to make decisions on which career to follow or which college to attend.  Where should I live?  Whom should I marry?  How many children should we have?  Etc., etc.  But more important than all of these decisions are the ones that directly affect your eternal destination.  According to the Bible, all human beings (whether they believe it or not) have an eternal soul that will exist forever, and at the end of this life it will go to one of two places – to a place of eternal punishment, or to one of eternal life (Matthew 25:46).  And one of the things that can significantly affect your eternal destiny is the church you attend.

There are many churches out there, and someone may well ask, “But which one is the right one, i.e., which one is teaching the truth?”  Seems like a logical question.  After all, nobody wants to end up being wrong on eternal matters, do they?  Yet, many people (including some Protestants, some Catholics, and some otherwise) don’t really care about those things right now.  They’re only living for today, but they feel that they are safe as long as they go to church somewhere.  But this is a false security.  Jesus said, “You must be born again…” (John 3:3), i.e., you must allow God to change your heart and your life, and trust in the fact that Jesus paid the penalty for your sins on the cross.  Going to church is important, but trusting in church attendance (or any other good works) will not save you.   

But where can we locate the true church, the one teaching the whole truth?  Of course many of us know that the Catholic Church claims to be that “one true church” possessing “all the fullness of truth.”  And maybe some other groups will claim something similar, but our focus here will be on the Catholic Church’s claims of identifying itself as the one true church.

According to the Catholic Church, there are four “marks” of the true church, i.e., the true church must be “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic” (Lumen Gentium, Paragraphs 8 and 26).  And supposedly, not only is the Catholic Church the only one that has a valid claim on all four of these features, it is the only one that reflects the fullness of these four marks.  

In light of that claim, this article will be the first of four on these identifying marks, but today we will focus only on the first mark – the Catholic Church’s claim of being “one” in unity.  They tell us that the Catholic Church is an “undivided church” (Lumen Gentium, Paragraph 23) with an “undivided episcopate,” or leadership, (Paragraph 18), and that it possesses an “undivided charity” (Paragraph 32).  So, the Catholic Church thinks very highly of itself and its unity.

Is church unity important?  Yes, Jesus wants His church to have unity (John chapter 17), but He wants UNITY IN THE TRUTH.  What is the truth?  He lets us know in this same chapter when He tells the Father, “Thy Word is truth…” (Verse 17).  He wants our beliefs, our actions, and our unity to first of all line up with His Word (the Scriptures).  But this, by itself, disqualifies the Catholic Church from being the one true church, since they have many teachings that either contradict the Bible, or are absent from it, as this blog has demonstrated over and over.  Therefore, any unity they may have is pretty much irrelevant at this point.  Having all the unity in the world is not going to help if your doctrine is not based on Scripture.  So what if they have common participation in certain ceremonies, or have the same basic sermon on the same day of the week in every country, or they are reciting the same mechanical prayers?  Having such a unity proves nothing if you’re neck-deep in error.

Some Catholics mockingly point to disunity in Protestant (and other) churches, and make great and inflated claims of their own unity, and then try to use this as proof that they are the one true church.  Please understand, there certainly are divisions in Protestantism; it is unfortunate and we’re not denying that.  But the truth is that there is much division in the Catholic Church, as well.  One need only search the internet to verify this fact.  There are popular Catholic apologists who disagree with each other on many issues, for example, the significance and effects of the Second Vatican Council, salvation outside the Catholic Church, the New Mass, evolution, contraception, and the list goes on and on.  There are disagreements on all levels.  In days past, there were even popes who anathematized (condemned) one another.  So, they are really not the “undivided church” they claim to be.  Catholics seem to claim some kind of supernatural unity, but their unity is no better than the unity found in many other groups.  

So, if having divisions disqualifies Protestants (and others) from being part of the true church, then it also disqualifies the Catholic Church from being the one true church.  You can’t use an argument that defeats your own position. 

See also here:

http://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2010/12/sola-scriptura-and-divisions.html

In defense of their unity, they will say, “But 1) the Catholic Church is found in every country in the world, and it is the largest Christian church on earth, 2) we have one single human leader who can settle disputes when they come up in the church, 3) we are the only church that has all the proper sacraments, 4) we have the same readings weekly in every Catholic Church in the world, and 5) we have apostolic succession!  All this is evidence that we are the one true church.” 

 

Ok, let’s break down this last paragraph: 

 

1) Just because the Catholic Church is large does not prove that it is the right church.  Being a majority does not help in spiritual / eternal matters.  Remember, Jesus said that narrow is the gate that leads to everlasting life, but wide is the gate that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).  Being in the majority doesn’t help those poor souls entering the wide gate.

2) And their having a “single human leader” (the pope) also proves nothing.  It seems that such an important characteristic of the one true church would be quite evident in the Bible, but the office of “pope” is entirely missing from the pages of the New Testament.  It might sound good, but it’s unbiblical. 

3) Concerning the “proper sacraments,” see here:

http://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2011/01/sacraments-gods-grace-for-sale.html

4) Having the same “gospel readings” in every one of its churches on the same days really proves nothing, as well, since any group could do the same thing if they really wanted to. 

 

5) And of course their claim of having a legitimate, lawful, and uninterrupted chain of popes in “Apostolic Succession” is interesting, but lacking in truth.

See here:

http://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2009/12/apostolic-succession.html

Catholics will also tell us, “But those who are causing divisions in our ranks are ‘not truly Catholic,’ so these divisions don’t count.”  Well, it’s very convenient to try to exclude those who disagree with you, but if they are “not true Catholics,” then why does the Catholic Church still count their attendance and take their weekly offerings? 

 

It’s hard to claim exclusion of these from your church who still claim to be Catholic, attend Mass, give offerings to your church, and have never been excommunicated.  Maybe someone needs to tell them that they are “not really Catholic,” even though the Catholic Church still treats them as though they are.

But ANY group or church can make such claims of unity by excluding those who disagree with them!  The fact still remains… there are divisions in the Catholic Church, and they are not as “unified” as they claim they are.

And concerning the use of the term “the church,” you can’t limit the description of the church to a single denomination or organization or label – that’s not what “the church” is.  The church of Jesus Christ cannot be contained or identified in that way.  The Catholic hierarchy has an inflated view of itself and they often imply that THEY are “the Church.”  For example, they will often use the term interchangeably with their own hierarchy / leadership.  But the term is never used of “the leadership only” in Scripture.  The “church” (meaning “called out ones” in Greek) is made up of all true Christians throughout the world, not just those in a particular group or organization, and not just the leadership.  So, asking the “location” of the true church is starting out with the wrong premise.  And finding the “right” church is nothing more than finding a local church whose people truly believe, and live according to, the Scriptures.  

Conclusion

Is Catholic unity all it’s cranked up to be?  Is the Catholic Church really “one”?  There is nothing special about their kind of unity.  Only their claims are special.  Just know that there are many arguments and much confusion within its walls, in spite of its apparent unity.

Now, we don’t have a problem with the “four marks” themselves, that were mentioned above, but the Catholic Church certainly cannot claim that all four marks only apply to them.  Actually, we would say with assurance that NONE of these marks (in the manner that they claim) apply to them.  They are not “one” in the way they claim, and we will go on to demonstrate in this series that the other three marks do not apply to them in the manner they believe, either.

SOLA SCRIPTURA AND DIVISIONS

Sola Scriptura (Latin for “Bible Alone”) is the teaching that the Bible is the only infallible rule of faith for the church today (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Catholics reject this teaching for several reasons, but this particular article will address only one of those Catholic objections. That tired, overused, but ever-so-popular Catholic argument is this: Sola Scriptura is “unworkable” as a rule of faith because it uses “private interpretation,” and this causes divisions / arguments / disagreements in Protestantism. But is this sound reasoning? Is this a fair argument?

Well, it is no secret that there are many divisions within Protestantism. Some estimate that there are 25,000 different denominations, some 30,000, others 33,000, etc., etc. One popular Catholic apologist claims that there may even be MILLIONS of Protestant denominations. While we believe that all of these numbers are wildly exaggerated, the focus of this article will not be on how many denominations there really are, nor on who has “more unity.” The focus is on the hypocrisy of Catholics who make the claim that Sola Scriptura is false because of divisions within Protestantism, while knowing that they, too, have divisions.

The Catholic Church claims to be “one” (i.e., unified), yet there are also many divisions / arguments / disagreements within its own ranks. This fact is undeniable. A little time spent searching on the internet will demonstrate that point. And some of these disagreements are on major, essential issues… even between higher officials in the Church. Even some of the early church fathers had disagreements with each other. There have been disagreements on all levels in the Catholic Church, from amateur lay apologists, to priests, bishops, cardinals and popes. Some modern points of disagreement between Catholics include the issue of contraception, the significance and effects of Vatican II, the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), Traditionalists, Novus Ordo (New Mass), evolution, Charismatic Catholics, and the concept of “extra ecclesiam nulla salus” (Latin for “no salvation outside the [Catholic] Church”) … to name just a few.

So, if Sola Scriptura is disqualified as a rule of faith because Protestants have divisions, then the Catholic Magisterium must also be disqualified. If “Bible Alone” is negated due to the existence of disagreements, then so is Catholic Tradition. If divisions cancel out one rule of faith, they cancel out all of them, making this Catholic argument self-refuting. This is certainly a double standard.

Just because you may not have “physical” divisions (denominations with separate names) doesn’t mean you don’t have divisions. And if Sola Scriptura is the cause of disagreements, then how is it that YOU have them, also? Apparently, the Catholic rule of faith is not as “clear” as many Catholics claim it to be.

Someone may respond that Catholic divisions simply stem from those who disagree with the Church’s clear and official teaching and are thus actually heretics, and not true Catholics; therefore they “don’t count” when comparing disagreements.

But, first of all, Protestants could use this same argument and say that Protestant divisions also occur because of disobedience to the Bible’s clear teaching, and that those who disagree with us are not true Sola Scriptura believers, either.

Secondly, if these Catholic “heretics” are never excommunicated, and they continue to attend and participate in Catholic services, give financially to the Catholic Church, partake of the sacraments, and continue to identify with the Church, then it certainly does not appear that the Church, herself, considers them “heretics,” does it?

So, the “heretic” argument doesn’t prove anything, nor does it erase the fact that Catholicism has its divisions.

Catholics may say, “But we have a leader (the pope) who can decide infallibly for us when disagreements arise.”

And how many times have popes “infallibly” decided anything? It is an extremely rare event. But this just causes more confusion, because Catholics can’t even know exactly how many times this has happened in history. There is no “official” list of infallible statements, so an appeal to this supposed infallibility does little or nothing to help this Catholic argument.

CONCLUSION

Unfortunately, disagreements in interpretation are inevitable in this life; it’s something we just have to learn to live with. Remember, there were many who saw Jesus Christ, Himself, face to face, and they still disagreed among themselves on what He taught. Does this mean that Jesus’ teachings were also “unworkable”? Of course not. The ABUSE of a sufficient rule of faith does not void that rule of faith.

Dear Catholic friends, I am not trying to justify Protestant divisions, but I’m simply challenging the idea that disagreements cause a problem for the Protestant rule of faith, but not for the Catholic rule of faith. This idea is inconsistent on the part of Catholics.

Yes, of course Jesus wants Christians to have unity in the truth (John 17:11, 21-23), and we should always strive for it, yet we ALL fall short… some of us more than others. But, please don’t pretend you have no divisions in Catholicism, or that your rule of faith is somehow exempt when you use the “disagreements nullify Sola Scriptura” argument.

Catholics lose credibility each time this argument is used. So, let’s put this faulty and deceptive argument to rest, once and for all.