Do catholics worship God or the pope?

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GodMyFortress

Active member
May 9, 2021
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#81
I was raised Catholic. In my 50’s now. Backed away from Catholic Church some years ago. I didn’t feel comfortable putting the Pope on such a high place. We were taught to be ashamed of our sins. Also, we were never encouraged to read the Bible. Never. I see why now- the truth shall set you free. In 321 AD, the Catholic Church, because of the Pope, changed Sabbath from Saturday, the 7th day, to Sunday, the first day. The Bible states plainly in Exodus 20:8-11, to Remember the Sabbath. The seventh day. It was never changed by God to Sunday. That and other pagan rituals.
The Didache dated from the middle of the first century (while the apostles were still alive) proves you’re wrong about when the day of observance was changed to Sunday. In three years time, the entire Bible is read during the liturgy if you attend Church. If you never read the Bible that’s on you, not anyone else.
 

DeanM

Well-known member
May 4, 2021
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#82
Also, we were never encouraged to read the Bible. Never.

A friend who was raised catholic and attended catholic school told me they never had bible study just catechism.
 

randyk

Well-known member
Jan 14, 2021
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Pacific NW USA
#83
I tell you what, if you can find the names of Christian writers and the name of the Church they belonged to in the early centuries of Christianity, that believed the peculiar solas, eternal security, etc of the reformation...I will join that church today.

That would show me Luther actually taught orthodox Christianity instead of something he made up in the 16th century.
Luther studied philosophy and the Church Fathers. He was a professional *theologian!* He knew all of the positions, and discovered an ally in both Paul and St. Augustine, the latter being a favorite of the Catholics.

From Wikipedia on Sola Fide:
Luther further stated that sola was used in theological traditions before him and this adverb makes Paul's intended meaning clearer:

I am not the only one, nor the first, to say that faith alone makes one righteous. There was Ambrose, Augustine and many others who said it before me. And if a man is going to read and understand St. Paul, he will have to say the same thing, and he can say nothing else. Paul's words are too strong – they allow no works, none at all! Now if it is not works, it must be faith alone.[44]
 

GodMyFortress

Active member
May 9, 2021
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#84
Luther studied philosophy and the Church Fathers. He was a professional *theologian!* He knew all of the positions, and discovered an ally in both Paul and St. Augustine, the latter being a favorite of the Catholics.

From Wikipedia on Sola Fide:
Luther further stated that sola was used in theological traditions before him and this adverb makes Paul's intended meaning clearer:

I am not the only one, nor the first, to say that faith alone makes one righteous. There was Ambrose, Augustine and many others who said it before me. And if a man is going to read and understand St. Paul, he will have to say the same thing, and he can say nothing else. Paul's words are too strong – they allow no works, none at all! Now if it is not works, it must be faith alone.[44]
I never said Luther wasn’t a smart or studious man, he definitely was. But both those men you mentioned were Catholic and did not ascribe to Sola Fide or Sola scriptura. They believed in the Church’s authority the way Catholics do and they spoke plenty on the necessity of Tradition, and how you can lose salvation through sin. They were Catholic Bishops in the Catholic Church.
 

GodMyFortress

Active member
May 9, 2021
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#85
Also, we were never encouraged to read the Bible. Never.

A friend who was raised catholic and attended catholic school told me they never had bible study just catechism.
Well that’s not my experience, my children are very involved in Bible studies and so is my wife and I. I read it daily.
 
Sep 22, 2018
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#86
I am trying to clarify the original question, whether or not catholics worship the pope. In order to figure that out, we must look at the catholic catechism. The answer is in SECTION TWO „THE CREEDS“, CHAPTER ONE „I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER“, Article 1, Paragraph 2. „THE FATHER“, article 266.

"Now this is the Catholic faith: We worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity, without either confusing the persons or dividing the substance; for the person of the Father is one, the Son's is another, the Holy Spirit's another; but the Godhead of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one, their glory equal, their majesty coeternal"

No worshipping of the pope. That's also what I learned on my priest formation and everything else would have surprised me. Anyway, if somebody has a different opinion, please tell me. No irony, I am really open to learn.
 
Mar 4, 2020
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#87
I am trying to clarify the original question, whether or not catholics worship the pope. In order to figure that out, we must look at the catholic catechism. The answer is in SECTION TWO „THE CREEDS“, CHAPTER ONE „I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER“, Article 1, Paragraph 2. „THE FATHER“, article 266.

"Now this is the Catholic faith: We worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity, without either confusing the persons or dividing the substance; for the person of the Father is one, the Son's is another, the Holy Spirit's another; but the Godhead of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one, their glory equal, their majesty coeternal"

No worshipping of the pope. That's also what I learned on my priest formation and everything else would have surprised me. Anyway, if somebody has a different opinion, please tell me. No irony, I am really open to learn.
I think that the Pope should stop claiming that he can forgive peoples' sins then and drop the title of Vicar of Christ. I think those two things alone can lead people into the false belief that he can forgive sins or is Christ's representative on Earth.

People can get confused by the mixed signals of the Pope's actions especially in regard to what the Bible says. People can be lead astray by false doctrines. We shouldn't leave anything to chance when it comes to someone's salvation.

All of that being said, is there a direct statement in the Catholic Catechism that says "Do not worship the Pope?"
 

DeanM

Well-known member
May 4, 2021
549
315
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#88
Well that’s not my experience, my children are very involved in Bible studies and so is my wife and I. I read it daily.
Im talking about bible study in church and catholic school. Not what you do at home.
 

GodMyFortress

Active member
May 9, 2021
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#89
Im talking about bible study in church and catholic school. Not what you do at home.
That’s what I’m talking about. Every Wednesday the kids go to church to do Bible study with other kids with either a Priest or Deacon 5:30pm-7pm. We go over what they are going to learn about on Monday and Tuesday so they are introduced to it. There’s another opportunity on Sunday, I just don’t have time to deal with taking them.
 
May 26, 2021
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#90
Catholics are religious and worship idols. God makes it clear that you are not saved by works, but the Catholics, regardless of their verbal recalls of Bible scripture seem to base their faith on the opposite doctrine. They have many rituals such as Ash Wednesday for example, they pray to Mary even though Jesus said He is the only mediator between God and humans, they also have confession where a person decides what tasks you are to perform to be forgiven and they call him Father. The priests of the Catholic Church, unintentionally or intentionally, replace God with themselves. They have all these rituals where you’re considered a “bad follower” if you don’t do them. God speaks clearly against this in the Bible. I think some could argue that the Pope is worshipped but in general they are worshipping by performing what they deem as good works. The only rituals in the Bible are communion and baptism, which God clearly says you’re not unsaved just because you don’t do those things. He gives clear instructions on how a good Christian should live, but He only requires that you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is the son of God to be saved. Catholics have a plethora of other criteria that determines salvation. While they may not always know that’s what they’re teaching their congregation, they are teaching that you have to do certain rituals in order to be in good graces with the Lord, which is not true.
 

GodMyFortress

Active member
May 9, 2021
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#91
Catholics are religious and worship idols. God makes it clear that you are not saved by works, but the Catholics, regardless of their verbal recalls of Bible scripture seem to base their faith on the opposite doctrine. They have many rituals such as Ash Wednesday for example, they pray to Mary even though Jesus said He is the only mediator between God and humans, they also have confession where a person decides what tasks you are to perform to be forgiven and they call him Father. The priests of the Catholic Church, unintentionally or intentionally, replace God with themselves. They have all these rituals where you’re considered a “bad follower” if you don’t do them. God speaks clearly against this in the Bible. I think some could argue that the Pope is worshipped but in general they are worshipping by performing what they deem as good works. The only rituals in the Bible are communion and baptism, which God clearly says you’re not unsaved just because you don’t do those things. He gives clear instructions on how a good Christian should live, but He only requires that you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is the son of God to be saved. Catholics have a plethora of other criteria that determines salvation. While they may not always know that’s what they’re teaching their congregation, they are teaching that you have to do certain rituals in order to be in good graces with the Lord, which is not true.
I’ve heard all these mis-characterizations before but the Ash Wednesday statement kind of blows my mind. Are you unaware that millions of Protestants commemorate Ash Wednesday, including receiving Ash crosses on their forehead?
 
May 26, 2021
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#92
I’ve heard all these mis-characterizations before but the Ash Wednesday statement kind of blows my mind. Are you unaware that millions of Protestants commemorate Ash Wednesday, including receiving Ash crosses on their forehead?
No I wasn’t aware of all of who participates, and yes I was aware of the putting ash on the forehead. However, you were asking about Catholics, who also celebrate it and it’s not in the Bible. It’s a ritual deemed by humans and has nothing to do with your salvation.
 

GodMyFortress

Active member
May 9, 2021
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#93
No I wasn’t aware of all of who participates, and yes I was aware of the putting ash on the forehead. However, you were asking about Catholics, who also celebrate it and it’s not in the Bible. It’s a ritual deemed by humans and has nothing to do with your salvation.
It’s just an odd thing to have a problem with.
Something doesn’t have to be tied to salvation in order to be something worth celebrating. The Bible doesn’t tell us to celebrate Christmas, yet we do it among nearly all of Christianity.

Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Moravians, Nazarenes, several denominations of Reformed Christians observe Ash Wednesday. That is well over the majority of Christianity.
 
May 26, 2021
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#94
It’s just an odd thing to have a problem with.
Something doesn’t have to be tied to salvation in order to be something worth celebrating. The Bible doesn’t tell us to celebrate Christmas, yet we do it among nearly all of Christianity.

Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Moravians, Nazarenes, several denominations of Reformed Christians observe Ash Wednesday. That is well over the majority of Christianity.
It was an example of the many rituals they perform that aren’t biblical. Maybe that wasn’t good example since it’s so widely celebrated but at the end of the Catholics do a lot of things that aren’t only not biblical but that God instructs you specifically not to do in the Bible. That’s why anyone who knows the truth does not call them Christians. Even if they’re not directly preaching that said rituals are biblical or determine salvation, they stress the importance of their rituals to the same extent. Their practices contradict the Bible. They’re nearly a whole different faith.
 

randyk

Well-known member
Jan 14, 2021
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Pacific NW USA
#95
I never said Luther wasn’t a smart or studious man, he definitely was. But both those men you mentioned were Catholic and did not ascribe to Sola Fide or Sola scriptura. They believed in the Church’s authority the way Catholics do and they spoke plenty on the necessity of Tradition, and how you can lose salvation through sin. They were Catholic Bishops in the Catholic Church.
It only makes my point stronger that Luther was siding with Ambrose and Augustine, as well as with Paul, in stating his own description of the same: justification by faith and not by our works. Only the *works of Christ* could redeem us. Therefore, our works, apart from Christ, cannot bring Salvation.

Now, I'm one who probably departs a little from Luther in saying that our Works are necessary to justify our Faith. Our faith must be justified as genuine, and this is done by demonstrating through our faith in Christ the works of Christ.

But Luther's point made, most strongly and quite responsibly, is that any effort to do Christian works for justification *apart from Christ is inadequate for our Salvation. It is when we choose to put our faith in Christ that we are enabled to justify our faith as genuine by demonstrating the works of Christ. Therefore, we are saved not by our own works, but rather, by the works of Christ alone.

James 2.14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ...
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.


Luther did have a problem understanding this because he was so insistent on disqualifying Catholic efforts at good deeds apart from faith in Christ. He was just trying to establish the primacy of faith in order for us to operate *through Christ.* Apart from Christ, all our works are worthless!

In saying this, I think the Catholic leaders knew he was right. But they couldn't bear the repercussions with respect to the loss of indulgences money. That's a black eye in Catholic history. Martin Luther should've been listened to, and respected for the point he was trying to make. He was trying to make a *Catholic point.* But instead, they tried to murder him!

I'm not saying all Catholics are guilty for trying to kill Luther. But even today, Catholics are maligning him, as you so ably represent to us on this forum.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
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#96
Im not catholic so cant answer your question for all catholics, but I do know some kinda worship Mary, who is not the Pope and not God.

The Pope certainly figures a lot in catholic lives. I am not sure how big an influence he is, but the purse strings of the catholic church do seem to hinge on the Pope.
 

soberxp

Senior Member
May 3, 2018
2,511
482
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#97
Catholicism, Christianity, and so on.

We have only one God, we can't divide God into two parts, you have half and I have half.

We have the same God.

maybe you think they are wrong ,they think you are wrong.

maybe we are all wrong.

For we hate each other,then We are all wrong.
 

Unearthed

Active member
May 18, 2021
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#98
I think any "church" that sets out to build a hierarchy of elders, deacons, priests, super priests, etc can turn toxic very quickly.

I believe this because in such a situation it is almost always subtly implied that the more senior a person in the hierarchy, the less they should be questioned: they are right about everything simply because of their position within the church.

Sometimes this goes to the extreme where members of the church hardly read their Bible in favour of regurgitating the senior member's interpretation - this is why you have thousands of Christians absolutely convinced that tithing is a requirement of modern day Christians. But that's another topic.
 

GodMyFortress

Active member
May 9, 2021
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#99
It only makes my point stronger that Luther was siding with Ambrose and Augustine, as well as with Paul, in stating his own description of the same: justification by faith and not by our works. Only the *works of Christ* could redeem us. Therefore, our works, apart from Christ, cannot bring Salvation.

Now, I'm one who probably departs a little from Luther in saying that our Works are necessary to justify our Faith. Our faith must be justified as genuine, and this is done by demonstrating through our faith in Christ the works of Christ.

But Luther's point made, most strongly and quite responsibly, is that any effort to do Christian works for justification *apart from Christ is inadequate for our Salvation. It is when we choose to put our faith in Christ that we are enabled to justify our faith as genuine by demonstrating the works of Christ. Therefore, we are saved not by our own works, but rather, by the works of Christ alone.

James 2.14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ...
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.


Luther did have a problem understanding this because he was so insistent on disqualifying Catholic efforts at good deeds apart from faith in Christ. He was just trying to establish the primacy of faith in order for us to operate *through Christ.* Apart from Christ, all our works are worthless!

In saying this, I think the Catholic leaders knew he was right. But they couldn't bear the repercussions with respect to the loss of indulgences money. That's a black eye in Catholic history. Martin Luther should've been listened to, and respected for the point he was trying to make. He was trying to make a *Catholic point.* But instead, they tried to murder him!

I'm not saying all Catholics are guilty for trying to kill Luther. But even today, Catholics are maligning him, as you so ably represent to us on this forum.
I know you believe Luther was correct in his theology, but there is no amount of verbal gymnastics that will get me to think that way. I’ve read the Bible too and I strongly disagree with him on many points. His Protestant version of Christianity is the most fractured religion on the planet. The largest denomination in the US that bears his name ordains homosexuals. No thanks.
 

GodMyFortress

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May 9, 2021
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It was an example of the many rituals they perform that aren’t biblical. Maybe that wasn’t good example since it’s so widely celebrated but at the end of the Catholics do a lot of things that aren’t only not biblical but that God instructs you specifically not to do in the Bible. That’s why anyone who knows the truth does not call them Christians. Even if they’re not directly preaching that said rituals are biblical or determine salvation, they stress the importance of their rituals to the same extent. Their practices contradict the Bible. They’re nearly a whole different faith.
You keep saying our beliefs are unbiblical yet I can defend my faith from the Bible on anything. What gets under your skin the most?