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| Visit of Nicodemus to Christ by American artist, John La Farge, 1835-1919 |
Of the various heretical sects
that have prowled the earth in these latter times in defiance of the One True
Church, perhaps the most adamant and hypocritical has been the "Born-Again
Christian" movement, a Protestant sect which perverts Christ's teaching that "a
man must be born again" to be saved. (John 3:3)
In the Gospel, Jesus tells
Nicodemus, "Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and
the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." (John 3:5) This verse
of scripture refers specifically to the sacrament of baptism in the Catholic
Church. Jesus says we must be born again through baptism if we want to be saved.
Note that the application of water is indispensable, without which there is no
being born again.
The born-again sect
detracts from baptism and the institutionalized Church. Its objective is to
prevent man from being reborn into Christ, that is, to prevent his baptism into
the Catholic Church. Accordingly, it instigates rebellion against the vows made
at baptism that we remain allegiant to the Church of Rome.
Hence the born-again movement is
not Christian, nor is it based on scripture, but is part of a network of
latter-day false prophets that has been set up to attack the Catholic Church.
Though it comprises some members that operate with charity, the movement itself
is based on the demonic teaching of Martin Luther that Jesus died on the cross
so that we can sin freely without the fear of eternal punishment. Consider
Luther's own words:
"Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe
and rejoice in Christ even more boldly... No sin will separate us from the
Christ, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day."
(From Luther’s letter to Philip Melanchthon, August 1, 1521, LW Vol. 48, pp.
281-282)
It's good to point out that
Luther, the founder and main force of the Protestant Reformation, was a secret
society initiate who spent his life blaspheming Christ and His Church. He
rejected six books of the Bible, abetted the murder of 70,000 peasants during
the German-Peasant War of 1524-25 (Erlangen Edition of Luther’s Works, Vol. 24),
and even
blasphemed the person of Christ by saying, "Christ committed adultery first of
all with the woman at the well… Secondly with Mary Magdalene, and thirdly with
the woman taken in adultery." (Luther’s Works, American Edition, Volume 54, p.
154, Concordia Publishing House)
Moreover,
Luther was in direct league with Lucifer. His famous colloquy with the devil in
1522 is very telling, which is documented in Abraham Woodhead's superlative book
The Spirit of Martin Luther
(1687). Therein is discussed
Luther's "negotiations" and "conferences" with the devil. In his de Missa Privata & Sacerdotum
Unctione (1533), Luther wrote of his "long experience" with Satan's "arts
and practices" and of "many a sad and bitter night" spent in talks with him.
His colloquy on the Mass is particularly significant, since this is what turned Luther against the Mass, after which he would never say Mass again. On that occasion, the devil in a "grave and strong voice" persuaded Luther that he had committed "idolatry" for fifteen years by adoring, and causing others to adore "naked bread and wine."
These same conversations with Satan are
what gave birth to Luther's doctrine on justification, which comprises the heart
of the born-again movement. Through this infernal colloquy, the devil convinced
Luther that we must accept our sinful lives as they are, and he instilled in him
a false security about the sins we commit, so that what ensued was this crackpot
idea that Christ's Sacrifice automatically guarantees salvation to all who
believe, regardless of their unrepentant sins.
And this tells the whole story of the
born-again cult. According to the mainline advocates of this movement,
there is no sin that can condemn you, and no good that can save you. You
could even hate Christ, curse the Father, steal, cheat, and murder to your
heart's content, and be saved, as long as you believe that Christ saved you. Did
the Bible not warn of "doctrines of devils" that would surface in the last
times? (1 Timothy 4:1)
As with Luther, born-again fanatics
insist that the use of our free will to please God is vain, which contradicts
scripture. The first and greatest commandment is that we love the Lord with our
entire mind, heart, soul, and strength—a love that is only realized through the
keeping of the commandments. But the born-agains say, "No, you don't need to
love God, Jesus already paid the price." In place of baptism, they prescribe
that we simply accept Jesus as our "Personal Savior" and "know" we are saved.
This is most hypocritical, since
born-again zealots viciously attack that personal devotion which
distinguishes Catholics from all other groupings on earth. To them, kneeling
affectionately before an image of Jesus is an abomination. Their approach to
Jesus is very impersonal. They
don't want to see his face, they don't want to hear his voice, they don't want
to speak to him, obey him, adore him, i.e. they don't want him
around. They just want to believe they are saved through his
Sacrifice.
This perverted notion of justification
comes from Luther, which explains why the born-again sect is so
bent on attacking the Catholic Church. It is purely Protestant, encompassing all
the major *Protestant denominations of today, i.e. Lutheran, Baptist,
Evangelical, Pentecostal, etc. Accordingly, it deceptively uses scripture to try
to substantiate Luther's error. The following is perhaps their most quoted verse
in the attempt to advance Protestant doctrine:
"By the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before him... For we account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law" (Romans 3: 20,28)
The law mentioned has
nothing to do with the Law of Christ and the performance of good works, but
refers specifically to the Old Mosaic Law where they practiced circumcision and
offered animals in sacrifice, and observed certain feast days, etc. Christ came to
do away with these former works so that we are no longer under the Old Jewish
Law, but under the Law of Christ. And this is what the scripture is saying, that
we are not justified by being Jew, but are justified by being Christian, plain
and simple.
Fallen-away Catholics that
have been lured into the web of false religion need to understand that Christ is
the founder and head of the Roman Catholic Church, outside of which He does not
abide. He who rejects the Church rejects Christ, and as such, cannot be saved.
Empty lip-service and protestations avail us nothing. As Jesus said, "Why do you
call me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:
46)
In the face of impending
wrath that now hangs over the world, apostates need to return to the fold while
there is time. The Blessed Virgin at Fatima in 1917 warned that various nations
would be annhiliated if her requests for prayer and penance were not heeded, and
now, in the 100th anniversary of her visit to Fatima, we see the fulfillment of
her prophecy nearing. This is no time to listen to false prophets who go about
"alluring unstable souls" (2 Peter
2:14), "Promising them liberty, whereas they themselves are slaves of
corruption." (2 Peter 2:19)
This rather is the time to make
amends. St. Paul exhorts the faithful of God to work out their salvation "with
fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12), remembering that "the Son of man shall come in
the glory of his Father with his angels: and then will he render to every man
according to his works." (Matthew 16:27)
Needless to say, Heaven
is gained by merit. Christ's mercy and grace is given only to the humble who
keep his commandments. "For not the hearers of the law are just
before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." (Romans
2:13)
*It should be pointed out that the
founding fathers of America, many of whom are dubbed "Protestant," were actually
opposed to Luther's ideas and were not "Reformationalist" Christians. They
preached the Ten Commandments, the need for good works, and the eternal
punishment that is incurred for not doing good. That is to say, they were good
and outstanding people, just as there are good non-Catholic people today.
Several of the early fathers were Catholic friendly, and in fact some of them,
including George Washington, converted to Catholicism. http://catholicism.org/george-washington-died-a-catholic.html
Martin Luther sought to destroy the catholic church.
ReplyDeleteHe was not a friend of Christ and the churches that embrace Luthers legacy are not friends either.
Sadly a new problem has emerged because unfortunately the one true catholic church in Rome has a serious papal identity crisis.
"You Will Know Them by Their Fruits"
Matthew 7[15-20].
No one can be saved except through Christ and His Catholic Church, that is, the Church is necessary for salvation, however non-Catholics CAN and ARE saved. Hopefully David Martin is not saying otherwise.
ReplyDeleteAre Non-Cathoics saved? The Catholic Church has descended into indifferentism on this contentious doctrine but Salvation for Non-Catholics is a difficult proposition.
ReplyDeleteThink of Non-Catholics and objective Mortal sin; for instance, how can they keep Holy the Lord's Day if they never go to Mass and how is that sin (unconfessed by those not Catholic) forgiven outside of Sacramental Confession?
http://traditionalcatholic.net/Tradition/Information/The_Catholic_Dogma/index.html
http://traditionalcatholic.net/Tradition/Information/Salvation_Answers.html
Yes, Susan, it's in the footnote on the bottom, wherein I acknowledge that there are good non-Catholics. The implication is that some of these people, through the grace of the Catholic Church, are also saved. They don't receive the same reward as God's first-born, the Roman Catholics, but they can and are saved, as you say.
ReplyDeleteHowever, non-Catholics who consciously resist and reject the Faith after receiving sufficient knowledge, cannot be saved. God is always the final judge of course, no one can say who went up or down. But going by the books, this is what we would have to preach, because it is what the Church teaches.
Baltimore Catechism 4, sensibly, describes just how difficult is is to attain unto Salvation outside the One True Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church but such sensible and true descriptions of Salvation have been submerged and dissolved in the waters of ecumenism.
ReplyDeleteEcumenism is the Universal Solvent of Tradition.
*121 Q. Are all bound to belong to the Church?
A. All are bound to belong to the Church, and he who knows the Church to
be the true Church and remains out of it, cannot be saved.
Anyone who knows the Catholic religion to be the true religion and will
not embrace it cannot enter into Heaven. If one not a Catholic doubts
whether the church to which he belongs is the true Church, he must
settle his doubt, seek the true Church, and enter it; for if he
continues to live in doubt, he becomes like the one who knows the true
Church and is deterred by worldly considerations from entering it.
In like manner one who, doubting, fears to examine the religion he
professes lest he should discover its falsity and be convinced of the
truth of the Catholic faith, cannot be saved.
Suppose, however, that there is a non-Catholic who firmly believes that
ReplyDeletethe church to which he belongs is the true Church, and who has
never--even in the past--had the slightest doubt of that fact--what will
become of him?
If he was validly baptized and never committed a mortal sin, he will be
saved; because, believing himself a member of the true Church, he was
doing all he could to serve God according to his knowledge and the
dictates of his conscience. But if ever he committed a mortal sin, his
salvation would be very much more difficult. A mortal sin once committed
remains on the soul till it is forgiven. Now, how could his mortal sin
be forgiven? Not in the Sacrament of Penance, for the Protestant does
not go to confession; and if he does, his minister--not being a true
priest--has no power to forgive sins. Does he know that without
confession it requires an act of perfect contrition to blot out mortal
sin, and can he easily make such an act? What we call contrition is
often only imperfect contrition--that is, sorrow for our sins because we
fear their punishment in Hell or dread the loss of Heaven. If a
Catholic--with all the instruction he has received about how to make an
act of perfect contrition and all the practice he has had in making such
acts--might find it difficult to make an act of perfect contrition after
having committed a mortal sin, how much difficulty will not a Protestant
have in making an act of perfect contrition, who does not know about
this requirement and who has not been taught to make continued acts of
perfect contrition all his life. It is to be feared either he would not
know of this necessary means of regaining God's friendship, or he would
be unable to elicit the necessary act of perfect contrition, and thus
the mortal sin would remain upon his soul and he would die an enemy of
God.
If, then, we found a Protestant who never committed a mortal sin after
Baptism, and who never had the slightest doubt about the truth of his
religion, that person would be saved; because, being baptized, he is a
member of the Church, and being free from mortal sin he is a friend of
God and could not in justice be condemned to Hell. Such a person would
attend Mass and receive the Sacraments if he knew the Catholic Church to
be the only true Church.
I am giving you an example, however, that is rarely found, except in the
case of infants or very small children baptized in Protestant sects. All
infants rightly baptized by anyone are really children of the Church, no
matter what religion their parents may profess. Indeed, all persons who
are baptized are children of the Church; but those among them who deny
its teaching, reject its Sacraments, and refuse to submit to its lawful
pastors, are rebellious children known as heretics.
I said I gave you an example that can scarcely be found, namely, of a
person not a Catholic, who really never doubted the truth of his
religion, and who, moreover, never committed during his whole life a
mortal sin. There are so few such persons that we can practically say
for all those who are not visibly members of the Catholic Church,
believing its doctrines, receiving its Sacraments, and being governed by
its visible head, our Holy Father, the Pope, salvation is an extremely
difficult matter.
I do not speak here of pagans who have never heard of Our Lord or His
holy religion, but of those outside the Church who claim to be good
Christians without being members of the Catholic Church.
It has been my experience sadly that those "good Christians" outside the Church, who appear so nice on the surface can in fact harbor deep prejudice and hatred toward the doctrine of the Church. I am not just speaking of the visible corruption we all witness, but the basic beliefs we Catholics embrace as truth.
ReplyDeleteSo however "nice" you want to think they are, they reject what Christ taught. They carve out a church of their own desire.
As sad as I am to say it, this includesall the members of my own extended Protestant family.
It is natural to DESIRE that they will be saved, but you cannot reject the body, the Church, and expect to find eternal life. The branch apart from the tree cannot live.
Only God can know the heart of a person and judge a soul to be saved or not. My family was also protestant and remains so today. My parents had my brother and me baptized by a holy Episcopal priest who toward the end of his life wished he were Catholic. They raised us in a Christian home, were good people and their best friends were Catholic. They never converted, yet it isn't wishful thinking to hope they are in Heaven. It's Catholic teaching that they will be judged according to the light of truth they were given and to the extent they followed it, just like all the rest of us.
ReplyDelete