Last Rites

The final doctrine we will review is
also the last ritual many Catholics perform - viaticum, also known as the Last
Rites:

"As the sacrament
of Christ's Passover the Eucharist should always be the last sacrament of the
earthly journey, the 'viaticum' for 'passing over' to eternal life." Pg.
379, #1517

This ritual includes anointing the dying
person:

"If the sacrament
of anointing of the sick is given to all who suffer from serious illness and
infirmity, even more rightly is it given to those at the point of departing this
life... The Anointing of the Sick completes our conformity to the death and
Resurrection of Christ, just as Baptism began it." Pg. 381, #1523

The belief that this anointing
"completes our conformity to the death and Resurrection of Christ" is
another tradition of men the Scriptures say nothing about.

More bondage

Since this ritual can only be performed
by a priest or other Catholic leader, it keeps members in bondage to the
Catholic religion right up until the moment of their death:

"Only priests
(bishops and presbyters) are ministers of the Anointing of the Sick." Pg.
379, #1516

The Catechism also teaches that the Last
Rites are the "seed of eternal life":

"In addition to
the Anointing of the Sick, the Church offers those who are about to leave this
life the Eucharist as viaticum. Communion in the body and blood of Christ,
received at this moment of 'passing over' to the Father, has particular
significance and importance. It is the seed of eternal life and the power of
resurrection..." Pg. 381, #1524

But the Bible disagrees, declaring that
this ritual is neither the "seed of eternal life" nor the "power
of resurrection." These are man-made doctrines that God neither initiated
nor endorsed.

This act is nothing more than one final
earthly good work, which the Bible proclaims to be useless:

"...that
I may win Christ. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which
is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness
which is of God by faith:" Philippians 3:8-9

Here are a few more man-made rules
associated with this ritual:

"If a sick person
who received this anointing recovers his health, he can in the case of another
grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the
person's condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. It is
fitting to receive the Anointing just prior to a serious operation. The same
holds true for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced." Pg. 379,
1515

Rules on top of more rules. Please
remember, God never ordained any of them. Men created them all.

Conclusion

As you make your own decision on this
doctrine, here are a few points to consider:

·
This ritual is never taught in the Bible.

·
Not one Bible character ever received the Last Rites, including Paul, who
said:

"For
I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have
fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:" 2
Timothy 4:6-7

·
Not one Bible character ever administered the Last Rites.

This doctrine overflows with
commandments of men. Will you place your faith and trust in these man-made rules
and regulations, or in Jesus Christ?

Remember, Jesus warned:

"But
in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of
men." Matthew 15:9

SOURCE for Fallacy in Roman Catholicism Doctrines: "Understanding Roman Catholicism © 1995 by Rick Jones"

Reconciliation

A Catholic who is reconciled to God is
simultaneously reconciled to the Catholic church, the Catechism asserts:

"Forgiveness of
sins brings reconciliation with God, but also with the Church." Pg. 367,
#1462

Again, the Bible and the Catechism are
at odds. God's Word does teach the necessity of being reconciled to God, but not
to a church:

"And,
having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things
unto himself; by him..." Colossians 1:20 "And all things are of God,
who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the
ministry of reconciliation;" 2 Corinthians 5:18

Paul, the Apostle, prayed that people
would be reconciled to God, but never that they would be reconciled to the
Catholic church:

"Now
then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray
you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:20

This same Paul preached:

"And
that he (Jesus) might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having
slain the enmity thereby:" Ephesians 2:16

Theme of the Bible

The theme of the entire Bible is man
being reconciled to God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is
foreshadowed in the Old Testament and illustrated in the New Testament.

The heart of the Christian faith is the
beautiful story of sinful man being reconciled to a holy and just God through
the blood of Jesus Christ:

"Therefore
as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even
so by the righteousness of one (Jesus) the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life." Romans 5:18

Being reconciled to God is Biblical, but
being reconciled to the Catholic church is a tradition of men.

The Catechism threatens that if you are
not reconciled to the Catholic church, you might not go to heaven. Where did
they get the authority to create such a doctrine, since it is not found in the
Bible?

Is this but another man-made doctrine
designed to keep people in bondage to the Catholic church. While it sure appears
to be, you must make the final decision for yourself.

Who will you be reconciled to?

Today, even though the Bible declares
that our eternal destiny will be determined by whether or not we have been
reconciled to God, millions of Catholics live in mortal fear of dying without
being reconciled to the Catholic church, but have no fear of pass ing on without
being reconciled to God.

If God really meant what He said in His
Word, you, as a faithful Catholic, are making a mistake you will regret through
all eternity.

Conclusion

Here are three additional questions for
you to ponder:

1. If a person is already reconciled to
the God of the universe, does it really matter if he or she has been reconciled
to the Catholic church?

2. If your eternal destiny does rest
upon being reconciled to a church, would God omit such vital information from
His Word?

3. Why does Catholic doctrine once again
directly contradict Biblical doctrine, and even the very words of Jesus Christ?

What about you? Are you more concerned
about being reconciled to God, or to the Catholic church?

"For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Romans 5:10

SOURCE for Fallacy in Roman Catholicism Doctrines: "Understanding Roman Catholicism © 1995 by Rick Jones"

Celibacy

"All the ordained
ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent deacons, are
normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend
to remain celibate 'for the sake of the kingdom of heaven' ... Celibacy is a
sign of this new life to the service of which the Church's minister is
consecrated; accepted with a joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the Reign
of God." Pg. 395, #1579

Is celibacy a sacrifice God requires of
His servants, or is it another tradition of men? The Bible declares:

"Marriage
is honourable in all..." Hebrews 13:4

Does this include religious leaders,
like priests and nuns? When God's Word lists the qualifications of bishops, who
are religious leaders, we are told that:

"A
bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife..." 1 Timothy 3:2

God has the same requirement for
deacons:

"Let
the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own
houses well." 1 Timothy 3:12

From the beginning, it has always been
God's plan that men should have wives. Shortly after creating Adam, the first
man:

"...the
LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an
help meet for him." Genesis 2:18

Not only does God express His approval
of marriage, He delivers this powerful warning:

"Now
the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines o f devils; Speaking
lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to
marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be
received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." 1
Timothy 4:1-3

Not only is celibacy not required by
God, it is a doctrine of demons. The Bible announces that those who teach this
doctrine are "giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Speaking lies in hypocrisy;"

Please understand, these are not my
words, they are God's Words.

How tragic that priests and nuns around
the world are foregoing the pleasure of sharing their lives with a spouse,
believing that their sacrifice pleases God, when in reality they are falling
prey to a powerful demonic scheme.

If only priests and nuns could learn
that God makes no such requirement... and that they are being deceived by Satan.
God has recorded all these truths in His Word. If only they could see and
understand them.

A married pope?

Few Catholics realize that Peter, the
"first pope," was a married man:

"But
Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever..." Mark 1:30

This Simon is none other than the
Apostle Peter. (See Matthew 4:18 and Matthew 10:2.)

Why this doctrine?

This Catholic doctrine, like all others
we have discussed, directly opposes God's Word. One must wonder why Catholicism
would teach that celibacy "radiantly proclaims the Reign of God," when
the Lord has declared that this doctrine originated in hell.

Is it because the Catholic church does
not want to pay the millions of dollars it would cost each year to support the
families of priests and nuns?

Conclusion

Now that you know what the Bible teaches
on this subject, you must decide whether you will believe the Word of God or the
traditions of the Catholic church.

If you happen to be a priest or a nun,
please ask yourself who your sacrifice is really pleasing:

"Let
thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth." Proverbs
5:18

SOURCE for Fallacy in Roman Catholicism Doctrines: "Understanding Roman Catholicism © 1995 by Rick Jones"

Are Catholics Christ?

"Let us rejoice
then and give thanks that we have become not only Christians, but Christ
himself. Marvel and rejoice: we have become Christ." Pg. 210, #795

Wow! Notice that Catholics are not
merely Christians, they have become "Christ himself."

"My church cannot possibly teach
this," Catholics often argue. But two additional catechism quotes further
prove this is official Catholic doctrine.

"For the Son of
man became man so that we might become God." Pg. 116, #460

"The
only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed
our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods." Pg. 116, #460

Even nominal Catholics know this is
utter nonsense. So the million dollar question is, "What are these quotes
doing in the book of official Roman Catholic doctrine?

According to Jesus Christ, all who claim
to be Christ are deceivers:

"For
many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
Matthew 24:5

Jesus warned about being taken in by
these deceivers:

"Take heed
that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am
Christ…" Luke 21:8

"Then
if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it
not." Matthew 24:23

Yet the question remains. If the
Catholic church does not believe this, then why are these quotes in the
catechism?

Many Catholics have written me, asking
"How could you write such a thing? We don't believe that." But I did
not write the catechism. I only quoted it. And they never answer the question,
"If your religion does not believe these doctrines, why are they in your
book of official doctrine?"

Some Catholics accuse me of twisting the
words. If you feel this way, please go back and read the quotes again. They are
direct, easy-to-understand statements. It is impossible to twist them. So the
question remains, "Why are the quotes there?"

At least false cults like Mormonism and
occultic New Agers admit teaching this unbiblical doctrine. They completely
reject Bible verses like:

"…
I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,"
Isaiah 46:9

Roman Catholicism also rejects such
verses, for there is only one answer to the question at hand. These quotes
appear in the catechism for one simple reason… because they are official Roman
Catholic doctrine.

The ultimate insult

Throughout this book, you have seen how
Catholic doctrines steal honor and glory due to Jesus Christ and give it to
Mary, popes, wafers, saints, statues, etc. But this is the ultimate insult.

The Creator of the universe, the King of
kings and Lord of lords, has been dethroned and declared no better than any
Catholic on the street.

Where could such an ungodly doctrine
come from? Remember how Satan boasted that he would exalt his throne "above
the stars of God" (Isaiah 14:13)? This same Satan declared "I will be
like the most High" (Isaiah 14:14). The devil has always longed to be like
God. Is this doctrine a clue as to the real father of Roman Catholicism?

Was it not Satan who deceived Adam and
Eve, promising they would be "as gods" if they ate of the forbidden
fruit (Genesis 3:5)?

Is Satan still using this same lie to
deceive Roman Catholics, promising you that, simply by being a Catholic, you can
become God Himself?

You should be outraged that an official
Catholic doctrine reflects the desires and goals of Satan, and rejects the
teachings of God's Word.

Conclusion

Here is the next question you must
answer: "Am I willing to remain in a church that openly teaches outright
satanic heresy?"

"But
to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him;
and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." 1
Corinthians 8:6

SOURCE for Fallacy in Roman Catholicism Doctrines: "Understanding Roman Catholicism © 1995 by Rick Jones"