Sunday, May 04, 2008

I haven’t been on the web lately, so I had quite a bit or reading to do to catch up on this blog. Well not that I’m done, I can post my reaction to one in particular. On Friday, Adam posted about a Seminar that he went to attended given by Gerry Matatics. I have two problems with what I read.

First, Gerry says that he converted to the Roman Catholic Faith, but he rejects what he terms “counterfeit Catholicism,” which includes “nearly all of the doctrinal, liturgical, and moral changes that have taken place in the Roman Catholic Church in about the last fifty years”. The things that happened over the last fifty years or so were dictated by the Popes that he also claims were heretics, but these are all people who are the “Vicars of Christ”, the people who claim the title only previously given to the Holy Spirit! Isn’t there a problem when a worldwide church is run by one MAN?

Second, I need to hear a reason for denying Sola Scriptura! Sola Fide I guess I can see, since Catholics will say that you are not justified by Faith alone, that it is Faith and Works (which I completely disagree with as well!) both that play the part of salvation. But to say that the Bible isn’t self-authenticating and sufficient itself to be the final authority of Christian Doctrine is a heresy itself. I’m curious to know what more we need, maybe the Holy Authoratative word of the Pope!

It’s probably clear that I vehemently oppose anything Roman Catholic. I don’t hate Catholics, I feel it’s like a disease. I don’t hate someone because they have Aids or Cancer; I love them, but hate the sickness inside!

p.s. I wonder if he ever heard Dave Hunt talk about the Whore of Babylon!
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3 comments:

Adam Nate said...

Let me answer your last question first. Gerry has heard of Dave Hunt, having debated him in the early 90’s concerning the definition of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I’ll e-mail you that debate sometime tonight. At that time Gerry was a “mainstream” Roman Catholic, which is obviously the position he represented in that debate.

Gerry is also familiar with Hunt’s view, shared by many early Protestant Reformers such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox, that the Roman Catholic Church is the “Whore of Babylon” described in Revelation 17 and 18.
And in fact Gerry would now, as a “traditionalist” Roman Catholic and in some ways a “sedevacantist,” agree with Hunt to some extent, but for different reasons. Gerry basically holds that the post-Vatican II Roman Catholic Church is a “counterfeit church” and is the Whore of Babylon. Gerry would differ with Hunt in that he considers the Roman Catholic Church prior to Vatican II to be the true and authentic Roman Catholic Church. Dave Hunt doesn’t make that distinction.

You write that the “things that happened over the last fifty years or so were dictated by the Popes that he also claims were heretics...” Gerry actually has a strong historical basis for claiming that one who sits on the seat of Peter is not necessarily a lawful pope. It’s a fact that Roman Catholics have rejected many “antipopes,” in addition to “robber councils.” Gerry simply adds to that list modern popes and Vatican II.

You ask: “Isn’t there a problem when a worldwide church is run by one MAN?” There certainly is if it’s an unbiblical position. Pragmatism aside, the issue is whether or not the office of the papacy and the doctrine of apostolic succession have biblical foundations.

Concerning Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide, I’ll get back to you on those.

4:25 PM
Anonymous said...

My question is how you were able to convince Christina Lemke that Catholicism is a disease. I guess if that sort of thing is something that can be congratulated, then congrats...you hit that one out of the park.

3:20 PM
JPN said...

I have no idea who you are or what you are talking about.

Second, remember that this site is now being posted by three people, make sure you check the postings to see who is writing.

3:54 PM

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