What is the origin of the Catholic Church?
The Roman Catholic Church contends that its origin is the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ in approximately A.D. 30. The Catholic Church proclaims itself to be the church that Jesus Christ died for, the church that was established and built by the apostles. Is that the true origin of the Catholic Church? On the contrary. Even a cursory reading of the New Testament will reveal that the Catholic Church does not have its origin in the teachings of Jesus or His apostles. In the New Testament, there is no mention of the papacy, worship/adoration of Mary (or the immaculate conception of Mary, the perpetual virginity of Mary, the assumption of Mary, or Mary as co-redemptrix and mediatrix), petitioning saints in heaven for their prayers, apostolic succession, the ordinances of the church functioning as sacraments, infant baptism, confession of sin to a priest, purgatory, indulgences, or the equal authority of church tradition and Scripture. So, if the origin of the Catholic Church is not in the teachings of Jesus and His apostles, as recorded in the New Testament, what is the true origin of the Catholic Church?
For the first 280 years of Christian history, Christianity was banned by the Roman Empire, and Christians were terribly persecuted. This changed after the “conversion” of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Constantine “legalized” Christianity with the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313. Later, in A.D. 325, Constantine called the Council of Nicea in an attempt to unify Christianity. Constantine envisioned Christianity as a religion that could unite the Roman Empire, which at that time was beginning to fragment and divide. While this may have seemed to be a positive development for the Christian church, the results were anything but positive. Just as Constantine refused to fully embrace the Christian faith, but continued many of his pagan beliefs and practices, so the Christian church that Constantine promoted was a mixture of true Christianity and Roman paganism.
Constantine found that with the Roman Empire being so vast, expansive, and diverse, not everyone would agree to forsake his or her religious beliefs to embrace Christianity. So, Constantine allowed, and even promoted, the “Christianization” of pagan beliefs. Completely pagan and utterly unbiblical beliefs were given new “Christian” identities.
Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/origin-Catholic-church.html
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Mike Gendron of Proclaiming the Gospel says:
Roman Catholics continue to declare that their church is the one true church founded by Christ. I challenge Catholics to look in the Book of Acts, which is a history of the first century church, and find any of these traditions and practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
• Priests offering sacrifices for sins
• Indulgences remitting punishment for sins
• People praying for souls in purgatory
• Church leaders forbidden to marry
• Infallible men or popes
• Salvation dispensed through the sacraments
• Headquarters in Rome
• Rosaries, scapulars, holy water, crucifixes, statues or praying to Mary.
I suggest Catholics either change their motto, “semper idem,” which means “always the same,” or quit declaring their church is the church Christ founded.
- Richard Bennett (Former Catholic Priest)
The Papacy's Claim to have the Authority of the Apostle Peter
- Richard Bennett (Former Catholic Priest)
"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it." (Matt. 16:18).
The Roman Catholic Church Puts a great deal of emphasis on Peter and claims that Jesus said he would build his church on him.
READ MORE: http://carm.org/is-peter-the-rock