For the attention of  Margaret

Dear Margaret,

Thank you for your thought provoking letter put on my car outside Blarney Bible Church today. Although addressed to Craig Ledbetter you have placed your views on each of our car’s, and for that reason I hope you will accept my right of reply, as my views differ from yours.

It is true that the view that our church takes differs from that of the Catholic Church, but it is a view I whole-heartily believe is backed up by the word of God as proclaimed in the Bible. I say this not to anger you, but out of a belief that I have arrived at, through much study of the word of God over the years. ‘Study to show yourself approved of God rightly dividing the word of God.’ My story that led me to Christ is given under testimonials on the website www.biblebc.com .

You make the point that we are all sinful and weak human beings, a statement I again agree with and will go further to state that Christ said “ There is not one righteous no not one” and that “we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. However in relation to our differences over the view that the Catholic Church takes in relation to how someone attains salvation, I believe along with other Born again Christians, that true salvation could be missed by the Catholic church’s teaching. It is for that reason that we have to take a clear stand as I am concerned about my friends, neighbours, and family.

You may remember in the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians he also took a stand urging the true Christians to  ‘come out from among them and be ye different’. Sometimes when we feel strongly about something we stress this with the same degree of reproach as Paul did, and this may seem like a strange evangelisation approach. But it is an approach I believe backed up by Christ, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” (Matthew 10:34-36).Because often when one stands for what one truly believes it costs. It would be very easy to attract people to a Church by agreeing with them and adjusting one’s views so that it fits with theirs, but not to win them to Christ.

For instance you mention that we take an offensive on the Catholic Church by pointing out the discrepancies between the commandments as set out in Exodus and that taught in School Catechisms and then point out that there is no difference between the Commandments in our Bible and yours. If I can deal with the first point first; there is a difference taught by the Catechism as the second commandment with reference to bowing down to and worshiping images has been removed. You are right to say that it is still in your Bible, but the Catechism is where most Catholics get their doctrine, instead of from the Bible.

The point you make about Catholics not having to pay homage to statues and images I find strange, because having attended sermonises and funerals in the Catholic Church (My wife is an ex Catholic, now Born again) I have witnessed people bowing down before statues, even bowing before they enter their seats. I have also witnessed Catholics bowing  before statues in their gardens and saying prayers before them. You stress that this is only an image to help you as an aid to prayer but this is a contradiction of the word of God, because he definitely rejects such aids in the second commandment…’or the likeness of such’. You also stress that the same Sunday Gospel is read in both Catholic and Anglican Churches throughout the world.  This I would have to differ on because if 90% is the same and 10% is different, it is not the same, especially if the changed 10% turns upside down the real reason why Jesus came to Earth and died on the cross. Although certain wayward Anglican Churches are bending to compromise for sake of popularity.

In relation to the Rosary and Mary, I must confess I do find it a mystery why Mary is worshipped in such a high degree, taking from the worship of Jesus. Yes blessed was the fruit of her womb, and blessed was she among woman to be chosen to bear the son of God. If you were chosen you would also be blessed among woman. But it is Jesus who should be worshiped, indeed Mary called him her Lord and Saviour, because she too needed a Saviour. Apart from it being wrong to focus attention on Mary, repetitive prayer is also wrong, so when you say “Hail Mary Mother of God, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus” over and over the Bible states that this is wrong - “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” (Matthew 6:7). I believe the devil has been very subtle, like when he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden on this one, because he takes the focus away from Jesus with the apparitions of Mary. Do you know that when Mirjana Dragicevic one of the Medjegori visionaries first saw the vision of Mary, it was preceded by the vision of the devil. I quote from her words: “ he was ugly, horribly ugly you cannot imagine how ugly, he almost killed me with his gaze, I almost fainted. The Satan went away and our Lady came…”. The Bible warns us that the devil can take many forms even as the angel of light. The Bible also warns that such visions will deceive many. Further enforced when one considers what is taking place in Fathma, Lourdes, Ballinspital, including Knock, visited by John Paul the second.

I also would take issue with the Catholic Church in regard to traditions, as it is the traditions of the Church that have unfolded the Church’s teaching, rather than the gospel of Christ being the finished work. We are warned in Revelation not to add to the word of God (Revelation 22:18,19). So where in the word of God does the assumption of Mary come from as accepted in 1950. Where does the immaculate conception of Mary (not Jesus) come from as accepted 1854. Where does purgatory come from as accepted in the year 593, not to mention the recent acceptance of the infallibility of the Pope and many more.

I am again confused when you state that the Catholic Church does not continually sacrifice. Is it not the teaching of the Catholic Church that you believe that the bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Jesus at the moment of consecration in the mass? If the answer is yes, surely each time you have communion you are sacrificing him (killing Him). On the other hand if you believe as I do that the bread and wine are only symbols of his body and it is taken in remembrance of what he did for believers, it is not re-sacrifice, or even continuance of the sacrifice.

Some of my comments may have made you angry. There is a lot of layers to peal back that Satan has been active in covering over the years. I have enclosed a video on ‘Catholicism Crises of Faith’. It is presented by an ex-priest who became a born again Christian, John McCarthy.

You may still have questions after watching it. If there is anything you disagree with please keep in touch. I believe in the truth if there is anything wrong it should be put right, if it is not wrong it should be accepted no matter how difficult or what the cost in this world, because there is no cost or trouble in this world worth losing your soul in the next for.

Hope to hear from you

Bill D, Macroom