Which will you believe?

The Holy Scriptures, God's Unchanging Word

or The Human Traditions of Men?

1. PURGATORY

Roman Catholic Catechism: "What is Purgatory? Purgatory is a

state in which those suffer for a time who die guilty of venial sins

or without having satisfied for the punishment due to their sins."

This statement is contrary to God's teaching. The word "purgatory"

does not appear in the Bible. Nor does the Bible even mention such a

place as Purgatory. In fact, to believe in Purgatory is to hold the

Word of God untrue. God's Word, in the Epistle to the Hebrews,

chapter 9, verse 22, says, "And without the shedding of blood is no

remission"; and in the First Epistle of St. John, chapter, verse 7, we

read: "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. God's Word

is true, but the above Roman Catholic teaching contradicts God's Word.

We must believe God's Word, the Holy Scriptures.

St. Paul says, "Being justified therefore by faith, we have peace

with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Justified means

made innocent, pure, free from all guilt. How? Not by spending time

in Purgatory, but by accepting the finished work of our Lord Jesus

Christ.

Furthermore (Romans 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation

to them that are in Christ Jesus" (or, to those who are real

Christians). Nothing and nobody can condemn to Purgatory or to any

other place of condemnation those who through Jesus Christ have been

made free from all guilt.

2. CONFESSION, OR THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE

Roman Catholic Catechism: "How do the priests of the Church

exercise the power of forgiving sins? The priests of the Church

exercise the power of forgiving sins by hearing the confession of

sins, and granting pardon for them as ministers of God and in His

name."

This is contrary to God's teaching. In the Holy Scriptures, First

Epistle of St. John, chapter 1, verse 9, we read: "If we confess our

sins [to God], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to

cleanse us from all unrighteousness"; and also, "The blood of Jesus

Christ, [God's] Son, cleanseth us from ALL sin" - venial and mortal (1

John 1:7).

First we are told to confess our sins to God, not to a priest, and

God will forgive. Then we are told that the blood of Jesus Christ

cleanseth us from ALL sin. As we believe this, the cleansing power of

the blood of Jesus Christ takes away, washes away all our sins and

guilt. This being true, we have no more sin or guilt left. If we do

confess our sins to a priest, we deny the power of the blood of Jesus

Christ to cleanse us, and thus close God's way of cleansing and

forgiving us.

Confession to a priest is and inducement to commit more sin. God

forbids us to seek forgiveness of our sins through confession to any

human being: "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh

flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord" (Jeremiah

17:5).

3. THE MASS

Roman Catholic Catechism: "What is the Mass? The Mass is the

unbloody sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ. Is the Mass the

same sacrifice as that of the Cross? The Mass is the same sacrifice

as that of the Cross."

Rome teaches that her priests offer Jesus again in sacrifice every

time they say Mass. Every 24 hours, throughout the world, 200,000

Masses are said. This means, according to Roman teaching, that Jesus

suffers the terrible agony of Calvary 200,000 times every day!

God knew that men would fall into error and gave us the Holy

Scriptures to guide us into all truth. Note how God contradicts Rome

in Hebrews, chapters 7-10. "Wherefore He is able to also to save them

to the uttermost that come unto God by Him [Jesus], seeing He ever

liveth to make intercession for them Who needeth not daily...to

offerup sacrifice...for this He did once, when He offered up

Himself... We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus

Christ once for all...This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for

sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God."

God says that the "Mass" took place once and for ever, sat down on

the right hand of God."

God says that the "Mass" took place once and for all at Calvary,

where God sacrificed His only Son, Jesus Christ, for our sins - venial

and mortal. "Now where remission of these [sins]is, there is no more

offering for sin" (Hebrews 10:18).

Therefore, we neither offer any more sacrifices for sin nor do we

suffer for any of our sins when we accept the finished work of Jesus,

who offered Himself once and for all. "The blood of Jesus

Christ...cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7). All we need do is

ask the Holy Spirit to give us faith to believe God's Word.

4. IDOLATRY

What is idolatry? Idolatry is the making of any image or likeness

of God or any creature for a religious purpose.

In the Roman Catholic Bible, the Douay version, in the book of

Deuteronomy, chapter 16, verse 22, we read: "Neither shalt thou make

nor set up to thyself a statue which things the Lord they God hateth";

and in Exodus 20:4, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven

image..." (or statue). Yet the Roman Catholic Church, in the face of

this commandment, defies God and fills its temples and homes with

images.

Clearly the Roman Church is acting in direct opposition to the will

of God, plainly stated in many verses of scripture: "thou shalt not

make thee any graven image..." (Deuteronomy 5:8). "Now the works of

the flesh are manifest, which are these:

..adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry..."

(Galations 5:19,20) "...No...idolator...hath any inheritance in the

kingdom of Christ" (Ephesians 5:5). Wherefore, my dearly beloved,

flee from idolatry" (1 Corinthians 10:14).

"Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor

adulterers...shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9).

We dare not add or take away from God's Word! "What thing soever I

Command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor

diminish from it" (Deuteronomy 12:32). "For I testify unto every man

that heareth the words of the prophecy of this Book: If any man shall

add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are

written in this Book" (Revelation 22:18).

5. THE PRIEST OR FATHER

According to the Roman Catholic teaching, every Roman Catholic

priest is called a spiritual father. This teaching is contrary to and

in disobedience to the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God's promise to Israel was for a priesthood on this earth. Only

those who are of the tribe of Levi can be priests on the earth

(Numbers 18:1-8; Exodus 28:1). Therefore, Jesus had to ascend from

the sphere of this promise - the earth - and sit on at right hand of

God the Father in Heaven and become a priest unto us (Hebrews 8:1-4).

Jesus knew that men would disobey Him when He warned: "And call

none your father upon the earth; for One is your Father; He is not

referring to our natural fathers. Anyone calling himself a spiritual

father is anti-christ.

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some

shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and

doctrines of devils - teaching lies in hypocrisy...forbidding [nuns

and priests] to marry, and commanding to abstain [fast] from meats,

which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving by those who

believe and know the truth" (1 Timothy 4:1-5).

In Hebrews, chapters 7-10, we read that Jesus is the only Priest of

the New Testament, who is on the right hand of God the Father, always

making intercession for them that come to God by Him. So when we go

to Jesus and confess to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our

sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity. "Him that cometh to Me I

will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).

6. PRAYERS TO MARY AND THE SAINTS

The Roman Catholic Church teaches and commands the people to pray

to the Saints and Mary; for these, they say, will, in turn, pray,

intercede and be mediators for us.

This is contrary to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures. "For

there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ

Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus is the Son of God and therefore He is

everwhere. He is equal with God and can hear our prayers. Not so

with the Saints or Mary. If they are everywhere, they are gods; if

they are not everywhere, they cannot hear prayers.

The month of May is set aside for prayers and devotion of Mary.

Hundreds of thousands of Catholics are praying to her in thousands of

different churches and homes all over the world at the same time. If

she is everywhere at the same time and hears those prayers, she must

be God or a goddess; for, as the Roman Church herself admits, only God

can be everywhere at the same time.

All through the Holy Scriptures we are taught that Jesus is the only

mediator, intercessor, between man and God. 1 John 2:1 shows this

clearly: "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the

just." Not Mary, notice, not the Saints, but Jesus Christ.

Jesus never called Mary His mother; He called her "woman." He

foresaw that she would become the object of great idolatry, would be

given the place of Deity by the Roman Catholic system, and would be

assigned names properly given to Deity only. Mary is blessed, yes but

not Deity.

7. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH CLAIMS SHE NEVER CHANGES

The following partial list of events not only proves the opposite,

but demonstrates successive steps in the degradation of the Roman

Catholic Church:

Prayers for the dead were instituted........................A.D. 330

Making the sign of the Cross................................A.D. 330

Adoration of Mary, the Saints, the Cross, images, relics....A.D. 788

Fasting, lent, advent, and Fridays..........................A.D. 998

Fabrication of Holy water...................................A.D. 1009

Marriage of priests forbidden...............................A.D. 1079

Rosary beads invented.......................................A.D. 1090

Sale of indulgences.........................................A.D. 1190

Sacrifice of the Mass.......................................A.D. 1215

Auricular confession of sins to a priest....................A.D. 1215

Purgatory proclaimed........................................A.D. 1438

Tradition held equal with the Bible.........................A.D. 1545

(The dates are approximate.)

We invite you to be converted to the true Christ of the Bible, Who

never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Trust Him as your all sufficient Saviour, and Lord of your life. Be

saved from Hell, and cleansed from sin by His blood. Then unite with

a Fundamental, Protestant, Bible teaching church in your community.

If it is your desire to do this, just write us asking for more

information.

THE CONVERSION CENTER INC.

Drawer V

Havertown, Pa. 19083

COPYWRIGHT 1987 by the Conversion Center Inc.

Anyone is free to use this material

in its complete and original form.

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to this document violate this agreement!