Does Catholic Religion Conflict with the Bible?

The following are 5 extremely important issues facing every devout religious person in Ireland today. Is what we believe, right? Let's contrast the two authorities we hold dearest: the Bible and the Church.

1st ISSUE: Basis of Truth

BIBLE: The Bible is the sufficient source for truth

Titus 1:2 - "God cannot lie."

Matthew 4:4 - Jesus answered "It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Deuteronomy 4:2 - "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it."

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work."

ROME says: The basis of truth is not just the Bible but also tradition plus what is proposed as divinely revealed by the Roman Church.

CCC* 82 - "The Church... does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence." (*Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), Veritas, 1994.)

Canon 750** "All that is contained in the written word of God or in tradition, that is, in the one deposit of faith,... must be believed with divine and catholic faith." (**The official Post-Vatican Council II Roman Catholic source quoted is The Code Of Canon Law: A Text And Commentary promulgated by the Authority of Pope John Paul II, 1983, published by the Paulist Press, 1985.)

QUESTION: If God said His word was all we need, why would we seek religious traditions which end up according to Jesus in St. Mark 7:13, "making the word of God of none effect" (of no use)? Scripture is to be our only source for God's truth.

2nd ISSUE: Inerrancy

Can we trust the Bible, or the Church to speak faithfully for God, and without any error?

BIBLE: God's Word alone is without any error.

Psalm 12:6 "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."

Psalm 119:160 "Thy word is true from the beginning."

John 17:17 "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth."

Proverbs 30:5-6 "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."

Romans 3:4 "Let God be true, but every man a liar."

ROME: The Pope's word is infallible when he proclaims on matters of faith or morals.

Canon 749 - "The Supreme Pontiff, in virtue of his office, possesses infallible teaching authority when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful ... he proclaims with a definitive act that a doctrine of faith or morals is to be held as such." (Sect. 1)

Canon 333 (Sect. 3) - "There is neither appeal nor recourse against a decision or decree of the Roman Pontiff."

QUESTION: Which authority are you willing to stake your future on - God's word, or man's teaching?

3rd ISSUE: How One Is Saved?

BIBLE: It is by grace that a person is saved through faith in the substitutionary death of Christ Jesus. This is a gift from God.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast."

Isaiah 53:5 - "But he (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions (sins), he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed."

Romans 5:1 - "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Hebrews 10:26 – "There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins."

ROME: We become children of God by baptism, and through a whole lot of effort from then on.

CCC 1821 - "In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere ‘to the end’ and to obtain the joy of heaven, as God’s eternal reward for the good works accomplished with the grace of Christ."

Canon 849 - "Baptism, the gate to the sacraments, necessary for salvation in fact or at least in intention, by which men and women are freed from their sins, are reborn as children of God..."

QUESTION: With all your best efforts, are you 100% certain you are worthy of heaven when you die, and that you will not end up instead in hell for all your sins? If not sure, then don't overlook the full forgiveness and pardon offered by Jesus Christ on the cross!

4th ISSUE: Confession to God or Man?

BIBLE: Sins are forgiven by you confessing them directly to God.

Mark 2:7 - "Who can forgive sins but God only?"

1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Psalms 32:5: "I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin."

1 Timothy 2:5 - "There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

ROME: The only ordinary way to have serious sins forgiven is to confess to a priest.

CCC 1456 - "Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance."

Canon 960 - "Individual and integral confession and absolution constitute the only ordinary way by which the faithful person who is aware of serious sin is reconciled with God and with the Church;. . ."

Canon 978 (Sect. 1) - "In hearing confessions the priest is to remember that he acts as a judge as well as a healer..."

The only way into heaven is to have all your sins paid for before death. The Church says it is by your works of contrition and penance, while God says it is by faith in the perfect work of Jesus Christ! Shouldn't you be trusting Jesus, who alone gave Himself in your place on the Cross knowing every one of your sins ahead of time?

5th ISSUE: Graven Images

BIBLE: We are to have no graven images for worship. God utterly despises them!

Exodus 20:4-5 - "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God."

Leviticus 26:1 - "Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it. "

Romans 1:22-24 - "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image.... Wherefore God also gave them up."

Yet ROME says: Display of sacred images is to remain, to encourage the worship of the saints.

Canon 1188 - "The practice of displaying sacred images in the churches for the veneration of the faithful is to remain in force;

QUESTION: Does God want anyone to turn to idols or to religious statues as aids in worship when we have a living Saviour and Lord named Jesus?

YOU DECIDE!

Who are you going to trust - God, or a Church? It's your sins, and your eternity that are at stake!

Believe only on the Lord Jesus Christ!