HAVE YOU EVER ASKED WHY?

...Catholics believe that the souls of the dead are already in heaven, hell or purgatory?

Catholicism teaches that right after death, each person is judged whether his soul goes to heaven, hell or purgatory based on how they lived:

"Each person will be judged after his death on every thought, word, deed and omission of his whole life.

"At death the sentence of heaven, hell, or purgatory will be pronounced, according how one has lived. " (Francis B. Cassilly, S. J. Religion: Doctrine and Practice, p. 431)

But the Bible teaches that Judgement Day for all people will be on the Second Advent of Christ, not at each persons death. On that day, all wicked people will perish while the dead in Christ will rise first and, along with the living brethren, will receive eternal life in the Holy City. The rest of the dead, who are not in Christ, will rise after 1,000 years to be cast into the everlasting fire. There is no purgatory.

"But the day of the Lord will come

"the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." (IIPt. 3:10, 7, New King James Version)

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heavenand the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (I Thess. 4:16-17, Ibid)

"[The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished.] But fire came down from heaven and destroyed them.

and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev. 20:5,9,10, Todays English Version)

...The Catholic Church baptizes infants?

Catholic authorities explain that it is a very grave sin not to have babies baptized shortly after birth; unbaptized babies, they add, are not certain of going to heaven.

"Babies should be baptized shortly after birth.

"To neglect to baptize your baby is a very serious sin. It is extremely doubtful that unbaptized infants will go to heaven." (Rev. Martin Farrell. A Catechism For Non-Catholics p. 68)

Infant baptism is biblically pointless: 1) To be baptized, a person should first believe in the gospel and repent from his sins, which he can do at the right age but during infancy. 2) Baptism is for the forgiveness of sins, which infants do not have since they have not violated Gods law. For children in His Church to inherit the kingdom of heaven, Christ set the example of laying His hands on and praying for them:

" Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mk. 16:15-16n NKJV)

" Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38, Ibid)

"sin is a breaking of the law. (I Jn. 3:4, TEV)

"The little children were there brought unto him that He might put His hands on them and pray. But Jesus said, Let the little children come to Me for of such is the kingdom of heaven." (Mt. 19:13-14, NKJV)

...Catholic theology regards Mary as mediatrix and co-redemptrix?

According to Catholic popes and theologians, Mary the mother of Jesus also acts as the mediator of men to God since she supposedly cooperated with Christ in the work of redemption:

"Thus it is commonplace amongst the doctors of the Church to say that she co-operated in our redemption and in that sense can be called mediatrix. By one Pope after another, Pius X, Benedict XV, Pius XI, she is even called the co-redemptrix." (Catholic Dictionary, 17^th edition, p. 559)

This teaching is unscriptural. Jesus Christs mother, Mary, could not be His co-redeemer and, thus, not a mediatrix because the Bible clearly states that Christ alone is the Mediator between God and men, and the One sent by God to redeem sinners. Mary herself expressed that she needed Gods salvation through Christ:

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (I Tim. 2:5, NKJV)

"But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem them that were under the law" (Gal. 4:4-5, Ibid)

"And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." (Lk. 1:46-47, Ibid)

"To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Jude. 1:25, TEV)

Note: Underscoring in quotes ours.

Does your religion really teach the truth?

Its not too late for you to find out what our Lord God really wants you to do. Make sure that your faith will not be worthless. Learn the true words of God in the Bible as upheld by the Church of Christ.

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