See our playlist "Dealing with Roman Catholicism, Idolatry & the Virgin Mary" at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715 with 124 videos & counting. Larry Wessels, director of Christian Answers of Austin, Texas/ Christian Debater (YouTube channel: CANSWERSTV at http://www.youtube.com/user/CAnswersTV; websites: http://www.BibleQuery.org, http://www.HistoryCart.com & http://www.MuslimHope.com) presents former Roman Catholic priest for 22 years Richard Bennett (website: http://www.BEREANBEACON.ORG) on the question - "Are Catholics Christian?" "Are Catholics Christians?" By Richard Bennett (former RC priest for 22 years, www.BereanBeacon.org) The Catholic Church presupposes itself to be Christian. Nothing could be farther from the truth; yet, the Catholic Church has presented and promoted herself in that guise particularly since the close of the Second Vatican Council in 1965. A primary, non-negotiable goal of Vatican Council II was to lay the groundwork and to establish the rules and parameters for a multifaceted, ecumenical outreach. Evangelical Christians, now called "separated brethren", rather than "heretics",1 are the primary target of Catholic ecumenism. The goal is to draw them into the Roman Catholic fold.2 Thus, in the 1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church, the word "Christian" occurs more than 100 times in these official teachings. Buzzwords such as "dialogue", "ecumenism", and "social justice" are being used under the guise of promoting true Christianity while advancing the Roman Catholic agenda. Assurances to Evangelicals Negated Evangelicals are assured that Catholics who believe in the incarnation, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are true Christians, even though they misunderstand some of the "technicalities" regarding salvation. Such reasoning is negated by the fact that Catholicism differs from biblical faith—not only on minor details, but more importantly on what is essential for one’s salvation. The most dangerous aspect of Catholic Church doctrine is that it appears to be based on the great, indispensable truths of God’s revelation.3 In reality, however, the telling fact is that Catholic doctrine denies essential, biblical doctrines by that which it adds on to biblical truths. For example, while Catholic doctrine affirms the worship of the three distinct Persons of the Trinity, it adds divine adoration for the Virgin Mary by addressing her in prayer as "the All Holy One". The exact words of the official statement are, "By asking Mary to pray for us, we acknowledge ourselves to be poor sinners and we address ourselves to the ‘Mother of Mercy,’ the All Holy One".4 The Catholic Church also demands that worship, which according to Scripture is due exclusively to the one true God in three persons, is also to be given to the 1 The anathemas or curses against Evangelicals as heretics still remain in Roman Catholic law because the Council of Trent (1545 – 1563) has never been revoked. Since the demise of the Holy Roman Empire, the Papacy has had no military and civil power by which to enforce these anathemas as it had during the 605 years of the Inquisition. Thus the Papacy has recently adopted "ecumenism, "dialogue," and promoting "social justice" as ways and means of drawing Evangelical Christians into its fold. 2 Vatican Council II Documents, "Reflections and Suggestions Concerning Ecumenical Dialogue," Vol. I, Sect. II. This crucial Vatican document states, "…ecumenical dialogue is not limited to an academic or purely conceptual level, but striving for a more complete communion between the Christian communities…it serves to transform modes of thought and behavior and the daily life of those communities. [non-Catholic churches] In this way, it aims at preparing the way for their unity of faith in the bosom of a Church one and visible: thus ‘little by little’, as the obstacles to perfect ecclesial communion are overcome, all Christians will be gathered, in a common celebration of the Eucharist, into that unity of the one and only Church which Christ bestowed on his Church from the beginning. This unity, we believe, dwells in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose…" 3 For example she holds to the existence of a self-existent and eternal God, the Creator of the universe, of man, and of all things. She teaches the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. She teaches Adam’s sin resulting in the shared guilt and consequences of his sin. She accepts the doctrine of man’s redemption by Jesus Christ, teaching that He became incarnate and endured the death of the cross; that He arose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and will return again. To see the rest of this article go to http://www.bereanbeacon.org/article/sorted/01_On_Catholicism/Are_Catholics_Christians.pdf. Titus 1:9-16

• published: 24 Mar 2015
• views: 112