NOTE: The Hindus believe that some manifestations (avatars) were in the form of animals; but, this is an ancient belief not much followed by Hindus in the last several centuries. Therefore, for purposes of our study we will only discuss the supposed appearances in human form.

1. The Incarnation of Christ, as we have seen already, was a one-time event.

However, there is one passage of Scripture that will put the lid on this Hindu false doctrine of the appearance of “god” many times in many forms.

Heb 9:25-26 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now ONCE in the end of the world HATH HE APPEARED to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Caps added for emphasis.)

    This can be contrasted with the Hindu teaching of many avatars. From the Bhagavata Purana (a sacred Hindu text) 22 avatars are named but it adds that the avatars are numberless. There are ten avatars still recognized by Hindus today. (These were listed in an earlier section) Although traditionally Hindus have denied that Jesus Christ was an avatar, recently, however, Hindu spiritual leaders have crossed that boundary. Ramakrishna (1834-86), one of the main figures of the Hindu Renaissance, identified himself with Christ. In fact he declared himself an avatar and the “reembodiment of Jesus Christ.” ⁽⁷⁾

2. The Hindu avatars were supposed to have come only to guide mankind; while Christ, on the other hand, came to carry out various things.

Christ came to: save men from their sins; pay the price demanded by God the Father for those sins, as stated in His Holy Word; and then also to teach them, by example, how to live in accord with the Laws of God, which were themselves also already available to man in that portion of His Holy Word which we now call The Old Testament. In addition He also rightly interpreted and applied the Old Testament scriptures while here on the earth and then sent His Holy Spirit to further interpret them for Him and also inspire the writers of the New Testament to finish the guidebook known as His Bible upon His (Christ’s) departure. (There are such a multitude of Scriptures that attest to these facts that we will not list them here.)

These things done by Christ are vastly different from the things supposedly done by the avatars; therefore, the avatars were not true appearances of God in the flesh. That claim can only be applied to Jesus Christ and none other.

3. From these facts it can be seen that the claims of Hindus about avatars are con-tradictory to the Bible doctrine of The Incarnation and God’s dealings with mankind through Christ, the one true appearance of God in flesh. Therefore, the Hindu doctrine of the avatar is totally foreign to the teachings of the Bible.

We will now go on to some related and well-known off-shoot religions that share common beliefs with Hinduism. After we do this, then we will present a summary applicable to all of these related false religions.

 
Click thumbnail         

to view picture.          

Amida Buddha          

1252 A.D.              

Bronze, 37' 4"       

BUDDHISM

    Although Buddhism and Hinduism share some common beliefs, there are also some striking differences. The common beliefs will not be mentioned since those beliefs were already explained and refuted under the study of Hinduism. Those beliefs, however, that are different will be treated and refuted in this section.

DEFINITIONS:

  Buddhism- What we call Buddhism here in the West is known in Asia as Buddha-sasana (the way of life, or the discipline, of the Awakened One) and also Buddha-Dhamma (approximate meaning, ‘the eternal truth’ of the Awakened One.) The latter term meaning “both the truth concerning the fact of the Awakened and that such awakenment is possible, and also the truth proclaimed by the one who is regarded as pre-eminently the Awakened, the Buddha, or ... Gautama... who lived in northern India in the sixth century BC.” ⁽⁶⁾

Buddha- The term Buddha is not a personal name but a title meaning, “The Awakened One.” The term is most generally used of Siddhartha Gautama who was born in Kapilavastu, India, in c. 563 B.C. and died in Kushinagara, India, in c. 483 B.C.⁽¹⁶⁾

    According to Buddhists, a Buddha has appeared to reeducate people in the knowledge of Dhamma whenever the practice of sasana has ceased altogether. This has happened many times, recurring approximately every 5,000 years, throughout the history of mankind. Before the appearance of Gautama Buddha there were, according to Buddhist tradition, at least twenty-four previous Buddhas. Their existence is unprovable except as ‘revealed truth’ from Gautama himself.

TEACHINGS:

God- One of the most striking differences between Buddhism and Hinduism is that the Buddhists acknowledge no Supreme Being. Whereas Hindus believe in Brahman, the Universal All, the Buddhists claim that no such essential force exists in the universe. Essentially then, the Buddhist is what we would call an atheist.  This then actually places Buddhism in the category of a philosophy of life rather than a religion.  However, it is erroneously believed to be one of the major religions of the world, even though it is not, so we will treat it as such in our study of it.

The Soul- The Buddha argued that there was no proof of an eternal soul, therefore it did not exist.

      In the second of his Three Characteristics of Being the Buddha taught:

“All constituents of being are lacking in an ego. Our greatest illusion is that we ourselves are an enduring ego, which persists through a lifetime and even gets reborn. ... But, says the Buddha, there is no enduring I. ‘I’ is just a convenient label for a series of interconnected events.”⁽¹⁶⁾

 Self-attainment of Nirvana- The Buddha taught that all enlightenment, realization, attainments, and achievements, including the attainment of Nirvana, are attributable to “human endeavor and human intelligence.” Although the Hindu/Buddhist concept of Nirvana is not quite the same as the Christian concept of Heaven, still it could be equated the same from the view that both describe what each believes to be the eventual terminus and goal of existence. In the one case it is called Heaven, in the other it is called Nirvana. Therefore, self-attainment of Nirvana, from this view, is to be equated with self-attainment of Heaven.

Cessation of pain (physical and emotional) are self-attained- As we have already seen, Buddha taught that God is not necessary for attainment of Nirvana; and he also taught that this is the only state in which pain is no longer felt or endured. Therefore, for cessation of all pain, which we Christians view as the time when “God will wipe away all tears,” to a Buddhist is something that can be effected by man on his own without any God. (Remember, Buddhists are atheists; therefore, if God does not exist then man has to, and is able to, attain anything attainable on his own.) In the fourth of his Four Noble Truths, Buddha taught that attainment of cessation of pain is possible through the,

“Noble Eightfold Path, namely, right views, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration...” ⁽¹⁶⁾

    You will notice that all of these things are humanly attainable. You will also notice, however, that it takes the judgment, or standard if you will, of what is right and wrong out of the hands of God and puts it in the hands of man.

COMPARISON WITH BIBLICAL TEACHINGS

God- The atheistic base of Buddhism can be refuted with the first verse of the Bible.

Gene 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

    If God did not exist, then He could not have created.

The Soul- The Buddhist denial of the existence of the soul of man is refuted in I Thessalonians.

   I Thess 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Self-attainment of Nirvana (Heaven) and the attendant cessation of pain (physical and emotional)

    The refutation of this Buddhist belief can be found in a combination of several scriptures.

Jn 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the 
      life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Mt 6:9 Our Father which art in heaven... (Also Lk 11:2)

            It is obvious that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father, which is in Heaven.

Rev 7:17 ... God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

    These make it also obvious that all pain, both physical and emotional, shall be wiped away by God. Therefore, the Buddhist doctrine that self-attainment of these goals is possible is totally in error.

    From just these few basic comparisons it can be seen that Buddhism is a false religion and that there are irreconcilable differences between it and the Bible. Therefore, no Christian should be involved with it nor its proponents except for the one purpose of bringing them to a saving knowledge of Christ.

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SECTION FOUR

HINDUISM IN AMERICA

Click picture to view.

Ramakrishna & Vivekananda

    Hinduism has invaded America in an unimaginable variety of ways. Beginning in the early 1800's in New England, transcendentalism made the first entrance of Hindu ideas into the religious thought of America. The writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1802-82) incorporated the Hindu concepts of Brahman and Karma into early American literature. By 1893 a new liberalism in religious thought was evidenced by the arrival and acceptance of “Swami Vivekananda at the World Parliament of Religions.” ⁽⁷⁾ The Theosophical Society, in America, did much to popularize Hinduism. At about this same time the Vedanta Societies, first established in 1897, began its growth in America. Vivekananda’s Ramakrishna Mission appealed to the educated and generally liberal segments of the American population including philosopher and writer Aldous Huxley. The flood of Hinduism washing over America in the twentieth century swirled and eddied around such figures as Meher Baba and his Spiritual Advancement of the Individual Foundation, Inc. (followed and loved by Peter Townshend of the Who, who declared Baba was Christ); Bhagwan Rajneesh; Paramahansa Yogananda and his Self-Realization Fellowship as well as his Churches of All Religions; Maharashi Mahesh Yogi and Transcendental Meditation; Maharaj-ji and the Divine Light Mission; Bhaktivedanta Swami and the Hare Krishna Movement; Yogi Bhajan and the Sikh Dharma Brotherhood; Swami Vishnu-Devananda and the True World Order; Baba Ram Das (Gordon Alpert, once a professor of psychology at Harvard along with Timothy Leary); Bubba Free John (Franklin Jones) and the Dawn Horse Community in California; Swami Kriyananda (Donald Walters) and the Ananda Community in California; and includes such movements as Arica, Eckankar, Est (most famous proponent was John Denver) the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishna); as well as many of the ancient forms of the martial arts with their roots embedded in Buddhism, specifically Zen Buddhism and Taoism. (Be careful when studying the martial arts that you do not cross the line from learning forms for self-defense to practicing the religion or religions that originally developed that particular martial art that you are studying.)

    There are so many other movements such as yoga, meditation, Ti-chi, and a myriad of others that are based in Hinduism and its offshoots, that we cannot list them here because of limitations of space and time. Suffice it to say that you should investigate the roots of any group that approach you to find out if they are rooted in the Bible or rooted in Hinduism. Hinduism has already been shown to be a false religion so we need not go into such proofs concerning the personages and movements listed here. Suffice it to say that any of these movements here in the United States, or any others here in the U.S. or anywhere else that you find out are rooted in Hinduism, should be avoided as patently unscriptural and therefore false, which is to say ungodly. If they are not from God, and we have seen that they are not, then there is only one other possible source, and that is Satan himself.

ZEN BUDDHISM

Representative drawing of Bodhidharma by Hakuin Zenji (1683-1786)

Click picture to see full-size image.

    This particular brand of Buddhism is an outgrowth of both Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism (which will be discussed later.)⁽¹⁹⁾ The main difference between Zen and the mainline practice of Buddhism is that Buddhism makes attainment of enlightenment seem remote, something that is to be attained only after a lifetime, or many lifetimes, of struggle and searching. Whereas Zen makes “liberation” (Zen’s term) seem like something natural and immanent, something startlingly obvious that could spontaneously occur at any moment.

    The history of Zen is more Chinese than Indian and since the twelfth century it has become an integral part of the culture of Japan. Tradition maintains that Zen came to China in 520 A.D. with the arrival of the Indian monk Bodhidharma at Canton. That same tradition represents Bodhidharma as the twenty-eighth in the list of Indian patriarchs in a direct line of succession from Guatama Buddha himself.

    Since Zen Buddhism is merely a form of Buddhism, which is an offshoot of Hinduism, then we can logically assume it is a false religion since it is derived from a false religion. If the daddy is a dog then we don’t have to prove that the offspring is also a dog. Likewise, if the parent is a false religion then so is the child.

CURRENT DEFENSE OF HINDUISM BY “CHRISTIAN” GROUPS

The recent release of a guide by the Southern Baptists urging prayer for the salvation of Hindus and Jews has sparked world-wide protests by those groups against the Southern Baptists. Adherents of Philosophical Hinduism and Jewish groups have marched and picketed in front of SBC churches in various cities here in the USA. In India and Nepal demonstrations by Philosophical Hindu adherents was widespread.

    The announcement this year (1999) that the SBC will go to Chicago and seek to do some evangelizing in the year 2,000 has sparked a reaction from the “Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago.” They asserted in a letter on Nov 27^th to the SBC that "hate crimes" (against Jews, Hindus, and others) might result from such an evangelistic outreach in their city. They “criticize our 'arrogance' and our 'presupposition' that non-Christians 'are outside God's plan of salvation,' as Chicago's United Methodist Bishop Joseph Sprague said in press reports.”

This stand by the Methodists that, in essence, God can save Hindus and Jews (and other non-Christians) by means other than Jesus Christ, has now aligned the Methodists with the cults and false religions of the world. Because they have proposed and espoused extra-biblical stands concerning Salvation, it must be said that they have stepped over the line and must now be considered a cult themselves. According to Land, president of the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, “I grieve, as I am sure John Wesley does from beyond the grave, that a Methodist minister would make such statements...”

The group from Chicago includes not only the Methodist Church there but also the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and 39 other major Christian and Jewish institutions. This would also force us to consider all of those aligned with that group to be in the category of cults or, in the case of the Jewish members, in the category of false religion. That the Catholics are members of that Council is no surprise at all; and we will find later that it is the largest heretical Christian cult in the world, so of course it would align itself with such heresy and such a heretical group.

It seems kind of funny that the SBC is now finding out what the Independents have known for nearly two thousand years. That to stand up and try to obey the Great Commission has caused us to be persecuted, and many times by other supposedly “Christian” groups, to the point of the martyrdom of many millions of us true believers down through the centuries. They (those in the SBC) knew it at one time but it somehow got lost in this century. Now that persecution is once again rearing its ugly head they will soon relearn the lesson.

I wonder what the Hindus and Jews and others would say about this workbook and its stand against their false religions, and against heretical, cultic, sects of “Christianity,” like those in the group in Chicago and against other wider groups such as the World Council of Churches?

             (Quotes above are courtesy of Baptist Press, a division of Religion Today. www.ReligionToday.com)

TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND THE DALAI LAMA   

     Of all of the expansions of Buddhism into various parts of the world, probably the most remarkable was its integration into the very fabric of society in Tibet, or “Bö” as the Tibetans call their country. (On some occasions they add “Khawajen,” meaning the “Land of Snows.”) The Tibetan plateau, average altitude 13,000 - 14,000 feet and approximately 1,000,000 sq. miles in area (roughly the size of western Europe), once inhabited by various tribes ruled by militaristic kings (warlords) became, under Buddhism, a unified country under the leadership of one man, a “Dalai Lama,” or “Oceanic Master.”

    The recorded history of Tibet dates back to about 3 centuries before Christ. Originally a country ruled by military dynasties and practicing animistic religion under a priesthood of Shamans skilled at divination, sorcery, and sacrifice, it later became a totally pacifistic society dedicated to enlightenment and respecting all forms of life. Non-violence became the rule of Tibetan society and continues to be so even today.

    With the arrival of Buddhism, first introduced in the seventh century A.D., it became totally integrated into the fabric of Tibetan society by the early centuries of the second millennium A.D.  The military warlords began to lose their power and over the period of several centuries the Buddhist Lamas became the de-facto rulers, and later the official rulers, of the country.

    Many Lamas led the country until the fifteenth century when a Lama by the name of Gendun Drubpa became the first in the new group of high leaders later called the Dalai Lamas. He was succeeded by Gendun Gyatso who, from a very young child, claimed to be Gendun Drubpa.

    He was accepted as the reincarnation of the previous master and was trained to continue the leadership of the country. The next reincarnation, discovered through “miracles, tests, and demonstrated abilities,” was as Sonam Gyatso. He led during the sixteenth century. In 1573 he visited Mongolia and was named the “Dalai Lama,” by the Mongolian Emperor Altan Khan. Included in the title were the previous two predecessors, of which he was believed to be their continuation through reincarnation, and he was named “His Holiness the Third Dalai Lama.” This leadership by supposed reincarnations still rules as a government in exile (because of the Chinese Communists invasion of Tibet) in the person of Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, who was recognized by a Tibetan government search party at the age of two and installed as the Dalai Lama at Lhasa at the age of four in 1939.

    Tibetan Buddhism is identical to other types of Buddhism in its teachings. Reincarnation, and an atheistic view of God are part and parcel of its teachings. The current Dalai Lama believes that Buddhism can teach Marxism how to develop a socialist society by the peaceful means of reason and a gentle training of the mind. He believes that Buddhism has many “points of contact” ⁽²⁰⁾ between itself and psychology, cosmology, neurobiology, the social sciences and physics. It is not surprising that he feels such kinship between his religion and both the materialistic and philosophical sciences (so-called) because the basis for Buddhist denial of God is that there is no proof of his existence; and belief by faith is not allowed as proof; therefore kinship with those disciplines that claim physical or philosophical proof for themselves is quite natural.

    The “points of contact” are felt on both sides, Buddhism and Science. Infiltration of Buddhist concepts into the various scientific disciplines was commented on by the current Dalai Lama.  (Click on picture of the current Dalia Lama far right to view full size.)

“In this century, when human knowledge derived through important scientific discoveries, fortunately a new trend is emerging. People in the scientific disciplines are taking a fresh interest in spiritual and moral concepts and are prepared to reappraise their attitudes towards the relevance of spiritual development in order to achieve a more complete view of life and the world. In particular, there is a growing interest among the scientific community in Buddhist philosophical thought.”⁽²⁰⁾

    This shows a narrowing gap between false religion and science which will be used by the devil to discredit Christianity (true, Biblical Christianity) by showing that Buddhism can be reconciled to Science, while Christianity cannot. Therefore, either humanity will have to accept some type of religion compatible with science, such as Buddhism, or Christianity will have to change; which is what the devil wants. The only types of Christianity that will eventually be allowed will be those that can be reconciled with science; and that will only be those types that are so watered down that they will be unrecognizable as Scriptural, historic, Christianity. Faith will not be found since it is not allowed by Science nor by religions such as Buddhism. And without faith it is impossible to please God; and without it, faith the channel for God’s grace, true salvation is unattainable. And Tibetan Buddhism is paving the way for this process. The Dalai Lama is a very good, very moral, very kind man; and just the kind of man the devil loves to use to further his own cause of subverting God’s plan, God’s Word, and God’s Salvation.

    One of the most widely known books produced by Tibetan Buddhism is the Bardo Thodol, known to us as the Tibetan Book of the Dead.⁽²¹⁾ It is a manual for dying which shows you how to prepare for death so that you will reincarnate as a human being so that you can continue toward enlightenment, which is only possible in the form of a human.

    In the preliminary explanations of the translation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead by Thurman, the comparison is drawn between the unproved Darwinian theory of evolution in Science and the idea of karma taught by Buddhism.

“The karma theory describes a ‘great chain of being’ postulating a kinship between all observed species of beings, and a pattern of development of one life form into another. Humans have been monkeys in the past, and all animals have been single-celled animals. The difference in the karma theory is that individuals mutate through different life forms from life to life. A subtle, mental level of life carries patterns developed in one life into the succeeding ones. Species develop and mutate from species to species. This karmic evolution can be random, and beings can evolve into lower forms as well as higher ones. Once beings become conscious of the process, however, they can purposively affect their evolution through choices of actions and thoughts. Although there are undeniable differences, the karma theory gives an evolutionary explanation of how beings are the way they are.”⁽²¹⁾

              When looked at from a spiritual perspective is not the Hindu/Buddhist theory of karma so closely akin to the unproved theory of evolution in the physical realm that one wonders if the modern scientific acceptance of the quasi-scientific Darwinian theory of evolution might not owe some of its unscientific acceptance of it to the subtle influences of Buddhist thinking? The influx of Hinduism and Buddhism began in the last century (1800's) and accelerated immensely during the current century (1900's). And that corresponds exactly with the growth of acceptance of the Theory of Evolution. Most of the scientists of today were the hippies and rebels of yesterday who sat at the feet of Gurus and learned Hindu and Buddhist philosophy in the 1960's, 70's, and 80's. These are the school teachers and professors and scientists of today that are postulating even newer theories based upon and further propagating the unproved theory of evolution. Neither science nor Hinduism/Buddhism believe there is a personal God. The basic evolutionary postulates of both negate the need for one. Tibetan Buddhism is narrowing the gap between false religion and false science; and God condemns both.

    The modern influence of this unholy union of the Hindu/Buddhist and the quasi-scientific can be seen in such modern works by scientists as “the Physics of Immortality” by Frank J. Tippler, professor of Mathematical Physics at Tulane University. In that book Tippler mathematically “proves” the existence of a “God” who is essentially the Hindu concept of the “Universal all.” And yet he allows the Buddhist concept of “no god” to exist alongside by making “God” something that is “coming to be,” i.e., that he is currently developing and that his totality of existence is yet future, not present. He calls his theory the “Omega Point Theory.” The Buddhist would accept this because they believe there is no God only because his existence cannot currently be proved. But when “God” becomes a totality in the future then the proof will be there and so obvious that the Buddhist, by his own philosophy, will have to accept his existence. Tippler also mathematically “proves” the probability that all humans who have ever lived will be resurrected one day into what is essentially heaven. In order to develop his mathematical “proofs” he contends that there can be no soul as conceived of in Scripture; and that the soul must be viewed as “nothing but a program being run on a computer called the brain.” Bringing him in exact accord with the Buddhist concept of the soul as nonexistent. Tippler then goes on to also stipulate, “Further, all possible types of living beings, intelligent or not, are of the same nature...” This also closely follows the Hindu/Buddhist teachings of the oneness of all life.⁽²²⁾

    Tibetan Buddhism is in the forefront of closing the gap and encouraging a synthesis that could be called “religico-science,” or metaphysics as it is more commonly called. Metaphysics is currently viewed in a negative light by both the scientific and the theological communities. However, that is fast changing, as we have already seen, because of the obvious Buddhist philosophical influences on those who call themselves scientists. If one looks at Darwinian evolution, or even the newer theory of Punctuated Equilibrium (radical mutations causing immense jumps of evolution and allowing one life form to quickly evolve into a different one,) it is easy to see that, because of the lack of scientific proof of either, belief in them actually necessitates an exercise of faith, Therefore, they are more religious philosophies than the scientists would ever admit. In fact if faith is a religious exercise and not a scientific one, which the scientists claim, then acceptance of evolution in the face of the lack of scientific proof, which makes it an exercise of faith, makes belief in evolution an indisputably religious belief and not a “scientific” one. And the previously described connection between the basics of the Hindu/Buddhist theory of karma and the basics of the theory of evolution merely solidifies the religious kinship of both theories.

Summary-

    Tibetan Buddhism is no different, basically, than other types of Buddhism. A special study of it was pursued because it is an example of Buddhism that has completely dominated a country and its society, specifically Tibet. Also it was studied because of the effect and aim it currently has of uniting false-religion and false-science and because of the leadership of the current Dalai Lama in attempting to effect that union and thereby advance the cause of Satan against Christ and true Christianity.

Comparison with scriptural teachings.

    No further comparison is necessary. As I said earlier, if the parent is a dog then there is no need to prove that the offspring is a dog. Likewise, the parent of Tibetan Buddhism has already been shown to be a false religion; therefore, there is no need to prove that the offspring, Tibetan Buddhism, is also a false religion.

NOTE: Since Buddhists do not believe in the existence of God or any other spiritual or supernatural beings, and since the secular definition of religion is an attempt to: “... manipulate supernatural beings and powers to their advantage,”⁽¹⁸⁾ then, contrary to the belief of most people in the world and all of the authors of most of the textbooks on religion, Buddhism should not truly be called a religion at all. It would be better called a philosophy; but, because it is considered by most to be a religion, I have included it in the Comparative Theology section of this workbook and treated it as a false religion. Dr. VBK

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SECTION FIVE

ISLAM

    Probably the fastest growing religion in the world today is Islam. Beginning in the seventh century in the interior of Arabia, this religion became a major religion in three short centuries. Called Islam by its founder, Mohammed, the religion now claims some 700 million adherents worldwide. The center of Islam, as far as where the most practitioners in one geographic are, is no longer Arabia but a region of the Indian sub-continent composed of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. These three countries alone claim 240 million Muslims, or approximately one-third of all adherents to Islam.

    The name, Islam, given to the movement by its founder Mohammed, means “acceptance, surrender, submission, or commitment,” and is more than just a religious system. As the name denotes, it is a way of life that permeates every sphere of existence for the practitioner. For Muslims, as those practitioners are called (Muslim means ‘those who make or do Islam’) the will of the sovereign god, to which they have committed themselves, is to be followed, without question, through their life and, if need be, to the death. Islam is in every aspect an attitude of obligation to fulfill the purpose of their god; i.e., Islam is a person’s proper relation to god. In return for maintaining this attitude of proper relationship, Islam, the practitioner receives the true fulfillment of life here on earth and good rewards in the hereafter.⁽⁶⁾

  Although Islam originated in Arabia, the principal Muslim groups today are the Arabic, Turkish, and Persian-speaking peoples of the Near East... the Indian sub-continent, and the majority of the population of the Indonesian archipelago. (6)

   Muhammad (Mohammed)- The prophet of Islam is, of course, Mohammed. Born the posthumous son of Abdullah sometime between AD 570-580, his mother died soon after his birth. Raised by an uncle, Abu Talib, the details of Mohammed’s early childhood are sketchy and unreliable. One confirmable story, however, is his marriage to the widow, Khadijah, to whom he remained married until her death. None of their boy children survived until manhood and it was only after her death that Mohammed took other wives.

    The Vision- According to Islamic tradition, sometime after his fortieth birthday Mohammed was alone on Mount Hira, which is near Mecca, meditating; this was during the month of Ramadan. Suddenly, an angel appeared to him and commanded him to “recite” in the name of God. Failing to respond, he was then grabbed by the throat and shaken by the angel as it continued repeating the command. When this brought no obedience by Mohammed, the angel continued throttling him until Mohammed finally, in desperation, did as he was told to prevent being choked to death. Islam was to spring from that time of visions, beginning with that “Night of Power;” ⁽²⁴⁾ and Mohammed was to be the chosen prophet and began writing down a series of revelations over the next 22 years that make up the Koran, which is the chief holy scripture of Islam. From the beginning Mohammed himself, however, doubted the visions and his call and even feared for his sanity. At times he even feared that he was possessed by an evil spirit. When the revelations resumed after a 2 year gap, which in itself added to his doubts and tradition says just as he was about to commit suicide, the revelations resumed. It was only then that he accepted his being chosen as the prophet of Allah.

The Kaaba at Mecca.

This huge cube is an Islamic most holy place in the most holy city.

Click picture to see full sized image.

    Fleeing Mecca because of threats to his life in 622, Mohammed moved the center of his ministry to Yathrib. From that time on the town of Yathrib became known as Medina, the city of the Prophet. This relocation from Mecca to Medina is known as the Hegira. From that time onward Islam began to prosper and spread. (The Islamic calendar is even figured from that date onward.)

Origins of Islam- Originally Arabia was polytheistic and the Kaaba at Mecca was the center of the worship of many idols. With the advent of monotheism, brought by Mohammed, the idols were destroyed in the first Islamic conquest when Mohammed made war on Mecca and captured it in 632. From that time on, Islam became the religion of Arabia and the Kaaba, under monotheism, is still one of the most holy places to Islam. It is a huge cube supposed to contain a sacred black stone given to Abraham by an angel.

The Qur’än (Koran)- The Koran is a compilation of revelations, totaling some 78,000 words, supposedly given to Mohammed from approximately AD 610 - 632 by the angel Gabriel. When listening to the Koran IN ARABIC, Muslims believe they are hearing the very voice of Allah. To them it is kalam Allah, God’s speech; and, for that reason, they will not accept a translation into any other language. They believe that only in Arabic can the true words of Allah be heard. To the Muslims, the Koran, approximately the same size as the New Testament, is the “unimpeachable authority for all matters of doctrine, practice, and law,” ⁽⁶⁾ because it is a portion of the heavenly book known variously as “the Well Preserved Tablet or the Mother of the Book,” which is written in Heaven containing the “eternal speech of God.”^(ibid.) They also believe, however, that the Koran does not contain all of the words of God, written in Heaven, but that it contains the portion needed for the guidance of men. They believe that other portions had been previously given to other prophets; such as the Gospel (Injil) of Jesus, the Psalms (Zabur) of David, and the Torah of Moses.^(ibid) In their original form these other portions of the heavenly Mother of the Book were true to it. Later, distortions were supposedly introduced into those other books by both Jews and Christians (called Peoples of the Book by Muslims); therefore, it was necessary for a pure revelation to be once again given and in the pure language of the Arabs so they could clearly hear and understand the very speech of God Himself.

      There are other important sacred writings in Islam; but, since the Koran is looked to as the final authority in all matters, we will confine our comparative study to it alone.

ISLAMIC THEOLOGY (kalam)

    The Theology of Islam will be presented with the Biblical refutation of each immediately after.

God- The Islamic god is named Allah. Originally Allah was somewhat of an ignored god in the Arabian pantheon. With the ascendance of Islam, under Mohammed the prophet, Allah was declared to be the only god by the revelations given to Mohammed which in collected form are know as the Koran (Qur’än.)

From the Koran^{(CD2 B)}

1:1. In the name of ALLAH, the Gracious, the Merciful.

2:164. And your God is One God; there is no God but HE, the Gracious, the Merciful.

   KJV

Ps 83:18 That [men] may know that thou, whose name alone

     [is] JEHOVAH, [art] the most high over all the earth.

      The Koran even goes on to put the name of Allah in the mouth of Jesus.

     Koran

3: 51-52 And I come fulfilling that which is before me, namely the Torah; and to allow you some of that which was forbidden unto you, and I come to you with a Sign from your Lord; so fear ALLAH and obey me; `Surely, ALLAH is my Lord and your Lord, so worship him this is the right path.'

     KJV

At no time in the KJV, nor in the original languages, is the name Allah used.

    It is obvious that Allah is NOT the true God. The name translated into English as “Jehovah” is simply an English comparative with the original which is actually more like “Y@HOVAH” in the Hebrew. Many believe that it sounds more like “Yahwhey.”  Also, at no time in the Bible is the name Allah mentioned, let alone in the mouth of Jesus Himself.

Jesus, The Son of God

       Allah, according to the Koran, had no son; and it teaches that any one who says he did is cursed by Allah.

  Koran

9:30. ...and the Christians say, ‘the Messiah [Jesus] is the son of ALLAH;’ that is what they say with their mouths. They only imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before them. ALLAH's curse be on them ! How they are turned away.

19: 89-91. And they say, `The Gracious God has taken unto Himself a son.' Assuredly, you have indeed uttered a most hideous thing. The heavens might well-nigh burst thereat, and the earth cleave asunder, and the mountains fall down in pieces.

         The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that Jesus is the eternal Son of God.

  KJV

Lk 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Creation of man- 

    Islam teaches that Allah creates each person directly in the womb of their mother. That then would automatically involve and necessitate another teaching by the Koran, that creation is a continuous process not a one time accomplished fact.

 Koran

39: 7. ... HE creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, through three stages of darkness.

    The Bible, however, teaches but one creation; and that God rested from creating on the seventh day.

KJV

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Gen 2:1-2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

        On the matter of direct creation of each person in the womb, (which we have already seen is impossible by the previous verses, Gen 1:1 & Gen 2:1-2) the Bible teaches that God knows us in the womb, and that He forms us in the womb, but not that He creates us in the womb.

Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

    The Koran teaches that Allah made man out of a clot of blood.

96:1-3 In the name of ALLAH, the Gracious, the Merciful. Proclaim thou in the name of thy Lord Who created, Created man from a clot of blood.

    The Bible teaches, however, that man was made from the dust of the ground.

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Salvation- To become a member of Islam and be guaranteed the bliss of heaven, one has only to recite a simple formula stating the oneness of God and the fact that Mohammed is his prophet.

 Koran

 “I testify that there is no God but God, and that Mohammed is the Prophet of God.”⁽⁷⁾

     And the one god meant in the formula is Allah.

 Koran

4:172 ... Verily, ALLAH is the only One God.

In the Bible, however, Salvation is only received by calling on the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord.

Acts 4:10-12 ... Jesus Christ of Nazareth ... Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Ro 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

    And in the matter of Mohammed being a prophet, that is impossible since there are no more prophets since the completion of the perfect Word of God; and Mohammed was not even born until the seventh century AD, long after the completion of the Bible.

I Cor 13:8-10  Charity never faileth: but whether [there be ] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

    In addition, there is nothing in the Bible added to believing on the death burial and resurrection of Christ (the Gospel according to I Cor 15:1-4) including believing that Mohammed or anyone else is a prophet of God. (The scriptures that teach that Christ is a prophet, which is taught in the Bible, do not enter into the issue of Salvation neither by context, inference, nor interpretation.)

    NOTE: This also brings up a related issue, new revelation. As the prophet of God, according to Islamic theology, Mohammed supposedly brought forth the Koran by direct revelation from God Himself. This is impossible because the scriptures just quoted, as well as others preclude the possibility of any further revelation from God after the completion of the perfect Word of God.

Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book

SUMMARY- These differences suffice to show that Islam is a false religion. The Koran’s denial of Christ as the Son of God; it’s denial of scriptural Salvation; it’s adding to the Word of God; and the differences between it’s accounts of various events in the Bible, such as Creation and the statement that Jesus said Allah is God; all are sufficient proof that the Koran is false and Islam is a false religion. One can only draw the conclusions that Allah is a different god than Jehovah and that Mohammed probably was right when he first thought he was possessed by an evil spirit. We know that it was not the Holy Spirit because the revelations given to him (Mohammed) could not have come from God because the Bible teaches that no more words were to be added to or taken away from the completed Bible. Therefore, whatever spirit he saw and received the revelations from, and who was supposed to have throttled him until he capitulated, must have been from Satan, not from God.

Addendum- The very fact that Mohammed stated that the “angel” choked him into submission is another place where Islam’s Koran differs widely from the Bible. The Holy Spirit of God never “choked” any of the prophets to get them to obey so He could deliver His Word through them. He may have brought events, some of them unpleasant, into the lives of recalcitrant ones He chose for a particular job, (such as Jonah to get him to obey and Paul in order to get him saved) but he never sent an angel to physically choke or perpetrate any other form of violence upon any of them, or on any other of those He used to write the Scriptures, into compliance. To do so would have violated several major Bible doctrines; first and foremost would be the Bible doctrine of the free will of man before God.    Dr. VBK

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SECTION SIX

MORMONISM

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)

Recommended reading: Struggle to Peace by Richard & Cindy Benson

    Because of their peculiar beliefs about “god,” the Mormon church should rightly be called a false-religion, not a “Christian cult.” Because of the mistaken belief that anyone who uses the name of Jesus is a follower of a Christian religion, many apply the term “Christian cult” to Mormonism. That is an unfortunate error on their part. The LDS church has sought, with mounting fervor in the 1990's, to be recognized by the world as the “Restored Church,” claiming to be a sect of Christianity. 

   As we will see it is not a “Christian” church, nor even a “Christian” religion, by any traditional sense of the word. True, they do use the name of Jesus Christ; but, the Christ they present is not, by any stretch of the imagination, the same Christ that is presented in the Bible. Therefore, the only similarity between the LDS church and a Christian Church is the similarity of the name of their so-called “saviour” with that of the true Saviour as presented in the Bible.

    Therefore, Mormonism will not be presented as a divergent sect of Christianity but as what it truly is, a false-religion.

Founder: Joseph Smith (1805-1844)

    Joseph Smith was born on December 23, 1805 in Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont.

    In 1820, at the approximate age of 15, Smith supposedly had a spiritual experience in the woods of Manchester, Ontario County, NY. In this experience, Smith claims to have seen the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ. First in the grip of some powerful unseen enemy that held him helpless, he claims to have then been enveloped in a pillar of intense light, “above the brightness of the sun,” that released him from the bondage of the power holding him and from which the two personages then supposedly appeared.

    During this encounter, Smith said he received instructions to not join any existing Church since, in the words of Smith recounting the instructions that were supposedly given him from the Lord, “they were all wrong... all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt...”⁽²⁶⁾

    From this encounter came the beginnings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly called the Mormons or the LDS Church; a new church founded upon revelations supposedly given to Smith from that moment on through the rest of his life (approx. 14 yrs. total revelations.) Beginning with six members, the church was organized on April 6, 1830.⁽²⁷⁾

Scripture: The religious writings of Mormonism are varied; but the most famous are: The Book of Mormon; Doctrine and Covenants; and The Pearl of Great Price. There are many others, such as, Mormon Doctrine; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith; Essentials in Church History; and a plethora of others from the time of Joseph Smith on down to the present, including the writings and revelations of all of the prophets from Smith to the current one, Gordon B. Hinckley.

TEACHINGS OF THE LDS CHURCH

    The teachings of Mormonism vary from prophet to prophet. The teachings of the various prophets many times contradict one another; and sometimes even contradict themselves from revelation to revelation. The revelations and contradictions are so widespread and varied, over the existence of the church, that to cover them all is impossible at this time. For the purposes of our study we will confine ourselves to a few; but they will be major doctrinal issues.

(We will give the Mormon teaching and then the biblical teachings immediately following in each section.)

GOD-

LDS teachings- For the basic Mormon teaching on God we will go back to statements made by the first Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith (in the book, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, arranged and compiled by the church Historian, Joseph Fielding Smith and his assistants in the Historian’s Office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)

“That which is without body, parts and passions is nothing. There is no other God in heaven but that God who has flesh and bones.”

“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens... It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God... that he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did...”

God has a body of flesh- Further clarification of the Mormon doctrine of God, first expounded by Joseph Smith, can be found in Mormon Doctrine, by McConkie.

“God the Father is a glorified and perfected Man, a Personage of flesh and bones, in which tangible body an eternal spirit is housed.”⁽²⁸⁾

    Also, in Doctrine and Covenants: D & C 130:22

“The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s...”⁽²⁹⁾

    Plurality of Gods- Mormon Doctrine by McConkie.

“... a plurality of Gods exists... there is an infinite number of holy personages... Where was there ever a son without a father? And where was there ever a father without first being a son?... The prophet also taught... that there is a god above the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ... if Jesus had a Father, can we not believe that he had a Father also?”⁽²⁸⁾

    BIBLE (KJV) teachings- Here are a few passages from the Bible that show us the true God:

Num 23:19 “God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent...”

Job 9:32 “For [he is] not a man...”

Deut 4:35 “Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he [is] God; [there is] none else beside him.”

Deut 4:39 “Know therefore this day, and consider [it] in thine heart, that the LORD he [is] God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: [there is] none else.”

I Sam 2:2 “[There is] none holy as the LORD: for [there is] none beside thee...”

II Sam 7:22 “Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for [there is] none like thee, neither [is there any] God beside thee...”

I Ki 8:60 “That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD [is] God, [and that there is] none else.”

I Chr 17:20 “O LORD, [there is] none like thee, neither [is there any] God beside thee...”

Is 43:10 “Ye [are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I [am] he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.”

Is 45:5-6 “I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else, [there is] no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that [there is] none beside me. I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else.”

Is 45:18-22 “For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I [am] the LORD; and [there is] none else. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.  Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye [that are] escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god [that] cannot save. Tell ye, and bring [them] near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? [who] hath told it from that time? [have] not I the LORD? and [there is] no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; [there is] none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else.”

   The Bible also tells us that those things called “gods” are really nothing.

I Cor 8:4-6 “As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol [is] nothing in the world, and that [there is] none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 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.”

Jn 4:24 “God [is] a Spirit...”

       These passages are sufficient to show that the “god” of Mormonism is not the God of the Bible. Their “god” is one of many gods; ours is the only God. Theirs is the culmination of an infinite number of “Fathers” begetting sons who then became gods and who then themselves begat sons; ours is eternal, without beginning and without end, not the son of infinite previous generations of gods. The teaching of the Bible is incontestably clear that there is, has been, and always will be but one true God; and that all others are false and non-existent. In addition, the God of the Bible is a Spirit and, therefore, does not have a body of flesh and bones.

JESUS CHRIST-

LDS teachings- One teaching of the Mormon church is that Jesus is the spirit-brother of Lucifer, the angel; and he (Jesus) is just one of a multitude of spirit-children of God.

    According to McConkie, concerning pre-existence as spirit children of “God our Father,” Jesus was supposed to have said, “I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the firstborn... Ye were also in the beginning with the Father...”⁽²⁸⁾ (Quoting from Doctrine and Covenants 93:21-23) “Christ is the Firstborn, meaning that he was the first Spirit Child born to God the Father in pre-existence.” ^(ibid.) 

    According to them, Jesus is, “... the literal Son of God- the firstborn in the spirit, the Only Begotten in the flesh...”^(ibid) And they also believe that he was born of God in the same way that all people are born- by sexual relations between God the Father and his celestial Wife. “... begotten and born of heavenly parents... offspring of celestial parentage... in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity.”^(ibid.) 

  This included the conception of Jesus by “a higher manifestation” of natural means.

“That child to be born of Mary was begotten of Elohim, the Eternal Father, not in violation of natural law but in accordance with a higher manifestation thereof; and, the offspring from that association of supreme sanctity, celestial Sireship, and pure though mortal maternity, was of right to be called the ‘Son of the Highest.’ ... through the ordinary operation of the fundamental law of heredity, declared of God, demonstrated by science, and admitted by philosophy, that living beings shall propagate- after their kind.”

Lucifer- According to Mormon teachings, Lucifer was, along with Jesus, also a “son of God who was born in the morning of pre-existence.”^(ibid.) (Also see, Doctrine and Covenants 76:25-26)

                They, like we, consider Lucifer an angel of God.

2 Nephi 2:17-18 “... an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God... yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil...”⁽²⁹⁾

He and one-third of the angels of heaven, all “spirit children of the Father... were cast down to earth...”^(ibid.)

Logically then, if Lucifer is an angel; and if Jesus is his spirit-bother; then Jesus is also an angel.

BIBLE (KJV) teachings- Here are a few passages from the Bible that show us the fallacy of the Mormon Jesus.

         Jesus is not descended from God; He is God.

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Since Jesus is God, then He cannot be an angel; because, they are creations of God. (Ps 91:11; 103:20; 104:4; 148:2; Mt 4:6; 16:27; 22:30; Mk 13:27; Lk 12:8-9)

We are told not to worship angels; but we are told that worship of Christ is allowed; therefore, He cannot be an angel.

Col 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels,

Rev 22:8-9 “And I John saw these things, and heard [them]. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See [thou do it] not for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

Mt 4:10 “... Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

Mt 2:11 “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child (Jesus) with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him...”

Mt 8:2 “And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord...”

         (There are also many other scriptures showing worship being given to Christ.)

    It is obvious that Jesus cannot be an angel. He is the Creator and angels are created beings. It would be illogical to think that He could have created Himself. Since Satan (Lucifer) is an angel, a created being, then Jesus, the Creator, logically could not have also been his brother.

Jesus the Saviour- If Jesus was Satan’s brother, as Mormonism contends, then, as an angel, He could not have been the Saviour since only God can be the Saviour.

Is 43:3 “For I [am] the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour...”

Is 43:11 “I, [even] I, [am] the LORD; and beside me [there is] no saviour...”

Is 45:15 “Verily thou [art] a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.”

Is 45:21 “... a just God and a Saviour; [there is] none beside me.”

Is 49:26 “... I the LORD (Jehovah) [am] thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.”

Lk 1:47 “And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

Lk 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour , which is Christ the Lord.”

(There are approx. 20 more NT scriptures that attest to the fact that Christ is Saviour.)

    To sum it up: if Christ is an angel, as the Mormons claim their Christ is, then He cannot be the Saviour; since only God can be the Saviour. However, the Christ of the Bible is God; therefore, He can be the Saviour. The only logical conclusion we can draw from the teachings of Mormonism and the teachings of the Bible is that they are talking about two totally different personages; i.e., two different Christs.

Summary-

    From these comparisons alone it is obvious that Mormonism presents a different “god” and a different Jesus. Since Christianity is based upon the Biblical God, who is the only God, and the Biblical Jesus, the Saviour, and who is God in the flesh and not an angel; then the only conclusion that we can draw is that Mormonism is not a Christian religion, in any kind of orthodox sense of the term, and therefore we must consider it a false religion, based on the teachings of fallen men who could not understand the Bible and who, therefore, twisted it’s teachings into something completely foreign in both content and meaning.

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SECTION SEVEN

This section may take two weeks to complete.

CATHOLICISM

(Specific emphasis, Roman Catholicism)

Gregory IX.

Pope from 1227-1241.

Established the Court

of the Inquisition in 1233.

    When you read most histories of Christianity, one thing you will notice is that the bulk of the literature concerns itself with the history of Catholicism. One reason for this is because, historically, Catholicism was the most prevalent sect of Christianity. The reason for that is that the Roman Catholic Church controlled most of the secular power, especially during the second millennium, either directly or indirectly through their control over the leaders of the various nations; and at the pinnacle of power sat just one man, the Pope. Because of their power, repression of other churches was the norm. This prevented other churches from prevalent places in so-called Church Histories- most of which were written by unbelievers and/or those under the influence or control of the Catholic Church.

    The most infamous arm of terror and power of the Vatican surfaced with the official establishment of the Court of the Inquisition in 1233 by Pope Gregory IX. This instrument, according to Etchegaray, head of the Vatican’s main committee for the year 2000, “fined, imprisoned and tortured alleged heretics, including astronomer Galileo.”  Many connect the Inquisition with Witches and Witchcraft; but, in reality, such Satanic pursuits were not even considered as heretical offenses until 1258 when the Inquisition asked Pope Alexander IV for permission to add such practices to the list of “ecclesiastical offenses of which it could take judicial cognizance.”⁽³¹⁾ The Pope refused, except where manifest heresy could be proved on the part of the offender. (Decretal letter Quod super nonullis) It was not until the end of the fifteenth century, two hundred years later, that witchcraft was generally recognized as heretical by “The Church.” Therefore, contrary to the belief of many, the Inquisition was for the sole purpose of discovering and dealing with heretics, not witches. And a heretic was defined by Rome (we will use that term to denote the papal seat of power, the Vatican) as anyone that disagreed with the tenets of Roman Catholicism. The Inquisition reached its peak of intimidation and torture during the 16^th century while combating the Reformation. Etchegaray said that the Church (Roman Catholic) must take “responsibility for the evils of the Inquisition.”

    Such ungodly actions by the Roman Catholic Church were mirrored in the actions of the various churches of the Reformation. Together they killed believers by the millions; but, because of the size and power of the Roman Catholic Church, they led the way, by far, in sheer numbers of those slaughtered as “heretics.”

    If you look at history you will see that “Religion” has been responsible for more carnage and slaughter than any other single cause. Many in this country (USA) would even say, and in other countries whole groups do loudly and frequently say, that “Christianity,” was and still is one of the leaders in that area. The reason for such a view is the mistaken idea that “Roman Catholicism,” is synonymous with “Christianity.” There is nothing that is farther from the truth! We will see that Catholicism (we will use that term to denote Roman Catholicism unless otherwise indicated) is NOT an example of biblical Christianity. Except in their use of Christian terms, they have deviated so far from true Christianity that they no longer should be considered “Christian.” That is not to say that there are no Christians in the Catholic Church, but that the Catholic Church itself is no longer a Christian institution. There are “saved” people in Catholicism as there are saved people in other “Christian” cults. To adamantly claim that there are no saved people in Catholicism, as many do, is to make the common mistake that salvation is based upon their Church. It is not! Salvation is based upon one’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ, alone! What church you are in will dictate how fast and how far you mature in spiritual things; but, what church you are in DOES NOT dictate whether or not you are saved! True, the gospel is well hidden by the religious trappings of various cults, including Catholicism, and it is that much harder for the person to come to a saving knowledge and appropriation of the Lord Jesus Christ when in such a cult but that does not mean it cannot happen. Remember, no one is saved because of their religion; but, many are saved IN SPITE OF IT!

    The deviations of Catholicism from biblical Christianity is what we will dwell on in this segment of the workbook.

    To set the stage, we must consider the following.

Satan has certain precepts that he has promoted throughout the Bible and down through history. We will concentrate on the six most obvious and destructive ones.

There are six basic Satanic precepts: ⁽³²⁾

1. To be God and receive the worship due only to God.

2. To delude men and women into thinking they can also become gods, with the attendant powers and privileges that God reserves to Himself.

3. To pervert God’s teachings by perverting His Word.

4. To subvert God’s plan for mankind and the Universe.

5. To prevent man from perceiving the true God.

6. To prevent man from perceiving the true Saviour.

Definitions:

Satanism & Satanists- Any religion that seeks to aid Satan in his quest to become God is Satanism, and its adherents are Satanists.

Satanic & Satanic religion- Any religion or church that follows the precepts of Satan (any or all of the six Satanic precepts just given) without actually espousing any form of worship of him, either publicly or secretly, is a Satanic religion.

Cult- Any “church” or “religion,” that claims to be “Christian” but follows the Satanic precepts, either wittingly or unwittingly, is a cult.

False Religion-  A cult is to be contrasted with a “false religion.” False religions do NOT claim to be Christian; while cults, on the other hand, DO claim to be Christian. Both may follow the same Satanic precepts; but it is understandable when done so by a group that does not claim to be Christian but it is not understandable, in fact it is indefensible, when done so by a group of supposed Christians who claim to be following the Bible but their actions and beliefs show them to be false followers, errant in their practice of what they claim to believe.

Summary-   Any religion, or church, that follows the aims of Satan is being led by Satan, either wittingly or unwittingly, and is a Satanic religion. It is not necessary for a religion or church to follow all of the aims of Satan for that religion to be Satanic. It is enough if Satan deludes them into following him in even one of his basic aims. And if that religion or church claims to be “Christian,” as the Roman Catholic Church does, then that false sect of Christianity is in reality a “Christian” cult and not true, biblical, Christianity.

    We will now examine Roman Catholicism to see if it is a cult. We will list a Satanic precept, then we will give the teachings and practices of Roman Catholicism; and then we will compare them with plain Bible teachings. Then a simple comparison will be made to see if they follow the Bible or the Satanic precepts. That comparison will make it plain whether Catholicism is Satanic, following the precepts of Satan, or whether it is Christianity, following the teachings of God’s as taught in His Word.

NOTE: As is done throughout this workbook, only the KJV (for English speaking people) will be considered as authoritative. Where confusion is brought about that results in Catholic doctrinal errors by their use of their inferior translations, a comparison with the KJV will be used to show that error for what it is.

SATANIC PRECEPT ONE

Satan wants to be God and receive the worship due only to God.

(This precept delineates “Satanism” and “Satanists.”)

    The Roman church does not worship Satan nor do they teach that any one do so. In fact, they are adamantly opposed to Satan as the enemy. Therefore, since they do not follow this main precept of Satan, we cannot consider Catholicism to be Satanism.

    However, we will now examine their teachings to see if they follow any of the other Satanic precepts. If they do, then we would have to conclude they are a Satanic religion.

SATANIC PRECEPT TWO

To delude men and women into thinking they can also become gods,

with the attendant powers and privileges that God reserves to Himself.

The Popes, Priests, and Mary-

The Catholic Church claims for these the powers and place on earth that is reserved for God alone.

POPES

    Vatican Council I, (1869-70)

        It was stated at this council on Jan 9, 1870, that:

“The Pope is Christ in office, Christ in jurisdiction and power... we bow down before thy voice, O’ Pius, as before the voice of Christ, the God of truth; in clinging to thee, we cling to Christ.”

Pope Leo (1878-1903)

        On June 20, 1894, Pope Leo stated of the papacy:

“We hold upon the earth the place of God Almighty.”

      This statement gives to the Pope the authority of God, the power of God, and the place of God upon this earth.

Here, in these two statements, we find that the Catholic Church teaches that man can possess and wield not only the power and authority of the Son, but also that of the Father. Obviously they have placed the Pope in the place of God upon the earth, with all of His attendant power and authority resting in the various men who have held the papacy.

PRIESTS

    The priest is also placed on an equal footing with Christ by taking upon himself the ability to absolve the penitent one of their sins. This can be seen in the formula spoken by the priest at the end of the “confession.”

“Finally, I ABSOLVE YOU from your sins- in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”⁽³³⁾

MARY

    The Catholic Church places Mary on an equal footing with Christ. In fact, in many ways they consider her superior to Christ. The Romish church claims that they have always believed certain things about Mary:

1. That she is the “Queen of Heaven,” and the “mother of God.”^(Ibid.)

2. That she was, “conceived without sin, remained sinless throughout her life.”^(Ibid.)

3. That you can reach Christ, “only through Mary.”

4.  And that she is man’s, “greatest assurance and the only ground of his hope.”⁽³⁴⁾

It is obvious that the Catholic Church places the Popes, the Priests, and Mary, on an equal footing with God.

        Now let’s see what the Bible has to say about that. 

Bible Proclamations-

1. Is the Pope Christ upon the earth”

Speaking to the Church at Corinth: “Now ye are the body of Christ...” (I Cor 12:27)

Speaking to the Church at Ephesus: “... which is his body...” (Eph 1:23)

Speaking of the Church at Colossae: “... the body, the church...” (Col 1:18)

    It is obvious that the Local Church is the body of Christ and wields the authority, jurisdiction, and power of Christ on earth. It is not the Pope, he is but one member of the body; that is, assuming for a moment that he might be saved and going to Heaven rather that lost and going to Hell.

    2. Does the Pope “hold upon the earth the place of God Almighty?”

Deut 4:39 “Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”

            Therefore, there is but one God in Heaven and Earth- and it’s not the Pope.

    3. Can the Priest “absolve you from your sins?”

        The Bible teaches that God the Father can forgive sins:

I Jn 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

     The Bible also teaches that the Son of God can forgive sins:

Mt 9:6 “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins...”

         Obviously prayer and confession to God, not a Catholic priest, are the only channels for forgiveness given in the Bible as being acceptable to God.

      Prayer for Salvation:

Ro 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

     Prayer of confession to God:

 I Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

     Prayer of faith:

 Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

    Straight to God is the Bible way; not through a priest or anyone else. No one but God can forgive your sins; and to teach that a priest can absolve you of those sins, and thereby placing himself in the place of God, is just simply not scriptural.

    4. Was Mary sinless and thereby on an equal footing with Christ?

Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

     The only person ever mentioned in the Bible who was sinless was Christ.

I Pet 2:21-22 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin...

       Since Christ is God in the flesh, then only God is sinless; and to declare Mary sinless is to place her on an equal footing with God.

     5. Is Mary our only assurance and ground of hope for reaching God?

             The Bible tells us that our assurance lies in the fact of Christ’s resurrection; not in Mary.

Acts 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained; [whereof] he hath given assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead.

       We are also told that the Gospel is our assurance; not Mary.

I Thess 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance...

      The Bible also teaches that we abound in hope through the Holy Ghost; not Mary.

Ro 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

      We also find in the Scriptures that Jesus Christ is our hope; not Mary.

I Tim 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, [which is] our hope;

        It is obvious that no matter how pious a young Jewish woman that Mary may have been, she was not on an equal footing with God. She was a sinner just like every other mere mortal that lived upon this earth from Adam to the present. Our assurance, our hope, our faith, cannot rest in Mary; it must rest in God alone, be He Father, Son, or Holy Ghost!

I Pet 1:21 Who by him [Jesus] do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

       Because of the way that Mary is presented in the Bible, an obedient, pious, Jewish virgin, I am sure that even now in Heaven she herself is appalled at the way that Roman Catholicism misrepresents her by placing her on an equal footing with God. By calling her the Queen of Heaven, which by the way is a pagan term adopted by Catholicism, they make of her a goddess. I am sure this grieves that subservient sinner who even called Jesus her Saviour and took her rightful place as one of the redeemed saved by the shed blood of her son, Jesus, who was the Son of God.

Summary- The second Satanic Precept is:

                “To delude men and women into thinking they can also become gods.”

- Catholicism maintains that priests have the ability to forgive sins, an ability that the Bible says is reserved for God alone; and yet humans can attain to the Roman Catholic priesthood.

- Catholicism teaches that Mary, who was a mere human being, was the “mother of God,” and the “Queen of Heaven,” which could only mean that she was a Goddess.

       Also, by teaching that she was sinless from her conception to her bodily assumption into Heaven, they are saying that she was holy WITHOUT the work of Salvation and Sanctification of herself by God. This would make her equal with God since only God is holy in and of Himself.   (Holiness is an “attribute of the divine nature...”⁽³⁵⁾ i.e., it is an attribute of God.)

- And, finally, by teaching that the Pope is “Christ on earth,” The Roman Catholic Church is giving the Pope a place in the Trinity; i.e., they make him a person of the Godhead; and yet men can attain to the office of Pope.

    While Catholicism does not overtly teach the doctrine that men can become gods, as does Mormonism, still, they do teach that men and women can, on their own without any action by God, attain the attributes of God, as well as the status, authority, and power of God on earth. Any one of which would put them in the position of being equal with God. The Bible teaches that there was only one in the flesh that was equal with God; and that was Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God the Son. He alone thought it not robbery to be so; and the obvious connotation is that for any one else it would be robbery.

            Jn 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not

                    only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father,

                    making himself equal with God.

            Phil 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be

                    equal with God:

    However, to be fair, since the Catholic Church does not teach that Mary, the Priests, and the Pope, are actually attaining to godhood, then we cannot say that they completely and overtly follow the Satanic precept. But, we can, however, see Satan’s hand at work as he uses the Roman Church to spread beliefs that GRAY the lines of demarcation between God and man and their respective and rightful places. By doing so they effect a kind of back-door approach to the Satanic precept of godhood for man. Therefore, the Catholic church scores about 50% in following this Satanic precept.

SATANIC PRECEPT THREE

To pervert God’s teachings by perverting His Word.

   We will explore the Catholic adherence to this precept by exploring their beliefs concerning Mary, the Bible, the Church, and the Kingdom, and then seeing how those beliefs line up with God’s Word. Do they pervert His Word or not? Let’s see.

MARY- According to Roman Catholicism.

Sinlessness- They teach that she was:

    “... conceived without sin, remained sinless throughout her life...” ⁽³³⁾

Virginity- They teach that:

“Because of Mary’s great role she... was perpetually a virgin

  ... lifelong virginity.” ⁽³³⁾

Way to God- They believe that only through Mary can you reach Christ, through whom you can then reach God.

“... you can reach God only through Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ only through Mary... God desires that all graces that He bestows on us to come through the hands of Mary.” ⁽³⁴⁾

    This would have to include Salvation because the Bible says that “... by grace are ye saved...” (Eph 2:8); therefore Salvatory grace, according to Catholicism, can only come through the hands of Mary. This would make her the only ground of our hope.

THE BIBLE- The Roman Catholic teachings on the Bible are that:

“[It] alone is not a competent or safe guide to a correct understanding of all the teachings of the Christian religion.” ⁽³⁷⁾

They also teach that any interpretation of it must meet the judgment of the Roman Church.

“... interpreting Scripture is subject finally to the judgment of the Church.” ⁽³⁸⁾

    And concerning the placing of other writings on an equal level with the inspired Word of God, they teach that:

“... sacred tradition, Sacred Scriptures and the teaching authority of the [Roman Catholic] Church, in accord with God’s most wise design, are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others...” ^(Ibid.)

    Concerning the effectiveness of the Bible as a guide for living today, they say that:

“The simple truth is that the Bible, like all dead letters, calls for a living interpreter... the Catholic Church is the living authoritative interpreter of the Bible.” ⁽³⁷⁾

THE KINGDOM OF GOD- They believe that the Roman Catholic Church is the Kingdom of God that is spoken of in the Bible.

“He [Christ] came to establish His Kingdom and that Kingdom is the [Roman Catholic] Church.” ⁽³⁶⁾

“He remains invisibly in the Kingdom which He established, the Church.” ^(Ibid.)

    They variously refer to the Roman Church as:

“His [Jesus’s] Kingdom,” and “the Kingdom of God...” ^(Ibid.)

COMPARISON WITH BIBLE TEACHINGS- We will now compare Roman Catholic teachings on Mary, the Bible, the Church, and the Kingdom, with the Bible’s teachings on those subjects.

 Mary

1. Was she sinless as the Catholics proclaim?

Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

    She knew she was a sinner and that God, by sending Christ to be born of her, was saving her soul and the souls of all other believers according to His promise.

Lk 1:47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

2. Was Mary a perpetual virgin or did she have other children after Jesus?

Mk 6: Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?

    The Catholic Church tries to explain away this passage by saying that it is Jesus’ “spiritual,” or “Christian” brothers and sisters that are being referred to in this passage. God knew that the Devil would try this tactic, so He (God) gave us another passage that makes it impossible to make such a misinterpretation.

Mt 12:46-50 While he yet talked to the people, behold, [his] mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

   In this passage it is obvious that Jesus was making a comparison between His spiritual kinsfolk and His kinsfolk according to the flesh. The mother and brethren standing without were His fleshly brethren and mother; and those disciples there with Him were the ones that He called His kin according to the spirit.

  These two passages alone make it plain that, according to the Bible, Mary had other children after Jesus. This is sufficient to show that the Catholic doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary is contrary to the Bible; and their attempts to explain away the Bible passages that teach her normal childbearing after Jesus miraculous conception and birth are attempts at perversion of God’s teachings by perversion of His Word under the guise of The Church being the only true interpreter of God’s Word and that all understanding of it is subject to the judgment of the Roman Catholic Church.

3. Is Mary really the way to God? How about part of the way to God? Is she our only ground of hope as the Catholic Church teaches?

I Tim 2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Acts 4:10 & 12  :10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead...

:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

I Tim 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, [which is] our hope;

The Bible

    Is the Roman Catholic teaching that the Bible is not sufficient to guide the Christian true? Is it also true that the Bible must be mixed with Catholic tradition and the teaching office of the Catholic Church in order for it to be understood? Is it true that only the Roman Catholic Church can rightfully interpret the Bible? We shall see.

1. The Bible needs nothing nor anyone in order to make it sufficient as a guide for us.

Ps 119:105 Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

    God’s Word ALONE is a sufficient guide for God’s people to keep them from sin.

Ps 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

2. Only the Holy Spirit, not the Catholic Church, is needed for guidance through God’s teachings to learn and understand the truth.

Jn 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [Even] the Spirit of truth...

Jn 14:26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things...

3. Contrary to what the Catholics teach, the Bible is LIVING not dead.

I Pet 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

4. Which Bible? The final nail in their coffin concerning the Word of God is the fact that the Roman Catholic Church has always used a perverted version of the Bible taken from the minority manuscripts instead of from the majority manuscripts. The manuscripts from which their “Bible” is taken include many passages perverted by a man that was once ousted by even his own group as a heretic- Origen.

The Kingdom of God

          Is the Roman Catholic Church the Kingdom of God spoken of in the Bible?

    A church is the people not the building; and according to Roman Catholicism, all believers are part of the one Universal (Catholic) Church. That Universal Church, according to them, is the Kingdom of God.

1. Universal Church.

    The Bible teaches that a Universal Church exists at this time ONLY in Heaven- not upon the earth.

Heb 12:23   To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven...

     And it will NOT exist upon the earth until the Lord brings it back with Him.

      Rev 19:11-14

2. The Kingdom of God is everlasting (Dan 4:2-3) the Church is not.

Dan 4:2-3 I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. How great [are] his signs! and how mighty [are] his wonders! his kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion [is] from generation to generation.

        The church will have an end. It came into existence during the ministry of Christ and will be gone from the earth at the rapture. Then it will come back to earth with Christ and then cease to exist at the end of His millennial reign. Therefore, it is not everlasting; but, as we have seen, the Kingdom of God is.

3. At this time the Kingdom of God is within people; the church never was; i.e., the Kingdom is internal while the church is and always has been an external thing. People are in the church but the church has never been nor is it now in the people.

Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

4. The Kingdom of God is His sovereign rule in the universe, in both the spiritual and physical realms, and in the hearts of His people. (Ps 103:19) Thus, neither the Catholic Church, nor any other church, can be considered to be the Kingdom of God. The church exists within the Kingdom, true, but to say that that which is part is the whole is illogical.

Summary-

    From their perversion of the Bible's plain teachings concerning Mary, the Bible, the Church, the Kingdom of God, Salvation, the Holy Spirit, and combining that with our earlier studies showing their perversions of the doctrines of both God and Jesus Christ, it is easy to see that the Roman Catholic Church has transgressed by following whole-heartedly this Third Satanic Precept.  Which is, "To pervert God’s teachings by perverting His Word."  I say "whole-heartedly" because their doctrines are in such direct contradiction to the Word of God; and this is easily seen by the plain sense of the Word.  Thus, to contradict those plainly understood doctrines of God's Word and to choose rather to follow the traditions of the Church, which they place on a higher plane than the Bible, is to willingly move away from God.  And when one moves away from God and His Word, it is always to go the other way, which is to follow after the leading of Satan who orchestrates all perversions of God's Word.

SATANIC PRECEPT FOUR

To subvert God’s plan for mankind and the Universe.

    God’s plan for mankind and the Universe is salvation and perfection- or, you might put it as being "redemption and remaking"- and that man should keep His Commandments. For us human beings in this fallen creation, it is redemption from the curse and salvation through Christ that is God’s plan for us and then a remaking of us in the resurrection or the rapture. For the universe it is redemption from the curse upon it and, eventually, it’s replacement by a perfect one wherein dwelleth righteousness. (Eccl 12:13; Ro 8:20-23; Eph 1:8-14; II Pet 3:13 et al)

SALVATION:

1. Roman Catholicism teaches that there are many ways to God other than by Salvation through Christ.

“Any adult who believes in God and basically desires to do his will, and who has sorrow for his sins out of love of God, has God’s grace-presence by this sincere desire. His sins would be forgiven - many men come to God in this way through other none-Christian religions.” ⁽²⁾

2. They believe that even a belief in God is not necessary- that good works and attitude will save.

“... one who cannot believe in a personal God, through no fault of his own, but is committed to following his conscience, receives God’s grace-presence... basic orientation to some worthy ideal outside of himself... good of society... welfare of those he loves... he is unknowingly seeking God... and God comes to him... God lives in many of those unbelievers, though they may oppose him or those who try to work for him.” ^(ibid.)

3. They believe that baptism saves.

“He gives to me, without suffering and pain, His salvation! So let no one think that baptism is merely the wiping out of sin... We know much more precisely that though it is indeed a cleansing from sin, it is also a sharing in the death and resurrection of Christ... Everything actually happened to Christ. But in your case it is a likeness of His passion and death which happens. His salvation, however, you receive not in mere likeness, but in fact. (Second Mystagogical Catechesis, 5) In baptism, then, by ‘water and the Holy Spirit’ we acquire new life; we are ‘born again’... ‘it (baptism) effects in the supernatural order, a cleansing of our souls from sin.” (Enclosed quotes were those of the source.)

    KEEPING GOD’S COMMANDMENTS

    They believe that when God’s commandments are too much of a “grave inconvenience” that they can be set aside.

Concerning fornication- which is sex outside of the bounds of marriage- they teach:

“... when there is a proportionately grave inconvenience, pre-ceremonial inter-course is not pre-marital intercourse, even if we take into consideration ones' ecclesial reality (i.e., that one is not yet married in the Church). ‘No pre-ceremonial intercourse,’ therefore, is not an absolute principle and never was considered one by Catholic moralists. Exceptions are possible when there is serious inconvenience.” ⁽¹⁰²⁾ (Parenthesis and quote marks are those of the author of the source quoted.)

COMPARISON WITH BIBLE TEACHINGS- We will now compare Roman Catholic teachings with the Bible to see if they subvert God’s plan for mankind and the universe.

Salvation - Roman Catholicism teaches that there are many ways to God other than by Salvation through Christ- good works, attitude, baptism, etc.- but God says that there is NO OTHER way than through Christ.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

      Also: Ro 10:13; Jn 3:16-17; 10:9; Acts 2:21; 15:11; 16:13.

These and a hundred other scriptures tell us that Jesus is the ONLY WAY to be saved.

Abstinence from sin in obedience to God’s commandments - Roman Catholicism says that God’s commandments can be set aside if they are a “grave inconvenience.”

    But God says- first concerning the one example that we gave from Catholicism’s teachings and then about obeying His rules in general:

I Thess 4:3 For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

    God’s “will” is that we should abstain from fornication and all other sins; and He makes no provision for “inconvenience” for fornication or for any other reason

Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

    It is our DUTY to obey God’s rules and not set them aside for any reason.

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.

    In fact those who set aside His commandments are probably not even saved.

Lk 6:46 And why call ye me, (Jesus) Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Mt 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

    God even tells us that the whole creation is cursed because of man’s sin and groans to be restored to perfection- which is God’s plan for it. (Gen 3:17; II Pet 3:13; Ro 8:22-23)

Ro 8:22-23 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only [they], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body.

    And sin was the reason for God’s curse upon the ground- so why should we continue setting aside God’s commandments and keep sinning, even if it is an “inconvenience?” God says that such sin should not even be “once named among” us!

Eph 5:3-8 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light.

    From these verses it is easy to see that God makes no provision for setting aside His rules because of inconvenience or for any other reason. It is not God’s plan that we should continue in sin but that we should keep His rules and allow Him to accomplish ongoing sanctification in our lives.

Ro 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Summary-

    By teaching salvation through many other means than by Christ and by teaching that mankind can set aside God’s rules if they are an “inconvenience,” it is obvious that Roman Catholicism is in direct contradiction to God’s teachings in His Word and in complete agreement with the fourth Satanic Precept.

    Any church that would teach these things is quite evidently not following God’s teachings and, therefore, they are aiding Satan in his attempt to subvert God’s plan for mankind and the universe- which is salvation, perfection, and that men should keep His commandments.

    Jesus himself stated in Mt 12:30:

  "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."

SATANIC PRECEPT FIVE

To prevent man from perceiving the true God.

ACCORDING TO ROMAN CATHOLIC TEACHINGS:

God had a mother - Mary is called, literally, “... the mother of God,” ⁽²⁾

God lives in unbelievers - As we have already seen Roman Catholicism teaches that those who are baptized are saved whether they are believers or not; and, thus, God lives in them. We also have already seen that they also teach that anyone who believes in God is saved; that anyone who is martyred is saved; that anyone who simply follows their conscience or has a basic orientation to some worthy ideal outside of himself even though they may oppose God and His people or may not even believe in Him- that those people are saved even though they are unbelievers and God lives within them.

God the Holy Spirit is incapable of explaining the Bible and leading believers into all truth-  They teach that He cannot lead the believer into all truth without the Catholic Church’s help. In an earlier section this was shown to be true so we will not go over it again. Suffice it to say that their teachings on God the Holy Spirit make Him impotent at the least.

God the Son, Jesus Christ, is not the sole Saviour of mankind-  As we have already seen in an earlier section, they believe that Mary is also a way to God as is baptism, the Catholic church, attitude and conscience, philanthropy and martyrdom, and others. In essence, they teach that there are many ways to God and that God the Son alone is not sufficient. Again, they make God impotent.

God inspires men to lie - According to Roman Catholicism, the inspired writers of the Gospels did not give an accurate and truthful account of the things done and said by Jesus. Instead they teach that those inspired writers took, “... scores of narratives - and frequently - remolded and refashioned them to bring out the lesson they wanted to teach.” ⁽³³⁾

    They teach that in the “Gospels, one should distinguish historical facts from theological elaboration.” ^(ibid)

    And concerning the accounts of the miracles, “... the miracle accounts of the Gospel are often more than a record of what happened- some are adaptations of similar ones in the Old Testament- the Gospel writers did not intend to write history in the scientific sense, rather they were writing theological reflections on existing traditions” ^(ibid)

    They even say the writers lied and put words in the mouth of Jesus.

According to Lk 10:25-37, the Jews asked Jesus some questions and He answered them. But according to Roman Catholic teachings: “Did he answer exactly as related in the Bible? It is not certain.” Here they are casting doubts that God’s inspiration of the human writers is somehow flawed and nobody is certain what Jesus really said.

God used evolution to create man - The Roman Catholic God and creation is presented thus:

“The discoveries of Copernicus and Galileo made Christians aware that Genesis 1 is not a sacred lesson in science but a poem on creation - Most scientists hold that the human species has developed somehow from lower kinds of life. This knowledge helped Christians to rethink the ‘how’ of God’s creative activity and to understand that Genesis 2 and 3 is not a lesson in Anthropology, but an allegory.” ^(ibid)

GOD’S TEACHINGS ON THESE MATTERS

    Now we will compare God’s teachings on these matters with the teachings of the Catholic Church. We will reiterate Roman Catholicism’s view and then we will present God’s view.

God had a mother - Does the Bible teach that this Roman Catholic doctrine is true?

    The Bible teaches that the one true God is from everlasting to everlasting and, therefore, could have had NO MOTHER!

Ps 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou [art] God.

Deut 33:27 The eternal God [is thy] refuge... Also see Ro 1:20; I Tim 1:17).

    Even the Hebrew name for God, Jehovah (YAHWEH) means “self-existent” ⁽³⁴⁾

    Since God is eternal, as the Bible teaches, then Mary is not the “mother of God” since she could not have give birth to the eternal “God” but merely to the temporal man, Jesus. Therefore, this “God” that the Roman Catholics teach about cannot be the true eternal “God” of the Bible.

God lives in unbelievers - Is this true of the true God? Or is it an error on the part of Roman Catholicism.

      Unbelievers are damned, not saved. Thus they do not have God living within them.

Jn 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Only Christians are the temple of God the Holy Spirit and have the fullness of God within.

I Cor 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

Eph 3:17-19 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

      It is obvious that God is talking to the Christian believers and they ALONE are the temple of God. The unbelievers are damned. Therefore, it is impossible that God lives within them.

God the Holy Spirit is incapable of explaining the Bible and leading believers into all truth-

    Does the Bible Teach this? Or is this another error concerning God and His abilities?

Jn 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth...

God the Son, Jesus Christ, is not the sole Saviour of mankind-

    Does the true God actually teach this? Or is it true what the Roman Catholics say that one can also be saved through works such as baptism or some philanthropic endeavors, or even by attitude or following one’s conscience?

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

    Does the true God teach that only Jesus is the Saviour?

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

    How about Mary? Is she the co-mediator as Roman Catholicism teaches?

    Speaking of Jesus, God said in His Word:

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

God inspires men to lie - Is this true? Did God really do that?

          The Bible Teaches that only the Devil is the liar and the father of lies in men.

Jn 8:44 Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Jas 1:17-18 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth...

        Titus 1:2 God, that cannot lie...

    And if He cannot lie- then how could He be the source of lying inspiration? In fact, lying is so abhorrent to God that He consigns those lost people who lie to the lake of fire at the final judgment.

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

    So how could God, who cannot lie, inspire someone to write lies and then say they deserve to be consigned to the lake of fire for doing so? That is not even logical let along just.

God used evolution to create man -

     What did God say about the creation of man?

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

    And God did not take billions and billions of years to bring it about by evolution.

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

         And from the very beginning they were created man and woman- not some simple elements that evolved into living things over billions of years who then evolved into pre-human hominids which then evolved over millions of years into man and woman.

Mk 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

            And God brought them forth by Christ, not by evolution.

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Summary- 

    To summarize what we have learned about the Roman Catholic “God” - He is a “God” who had a mother - is a liar and inspires men to lie - cannot explain His own Bible to us without human intervention - lied about creating man and when and how He did it - and lied about how men could be saved - well, I guess that about sums it up.

  Now we are left with only two possibilities:

ONE: Either the Roman Catholic Church’s positions in these areas teach of a god completely different from the God of the Bible.

TWO: Or their teachings about God are in direct contradiction to the teachings of God in His Word; i.e., they are teaching heresy.

    Either way is a road to disaster; but, we will give them the benefit of the doubt as to whether their God is the God of the Bible - we will allow that He is the one True God of the Scriptures. However, we then must conclude that, according to the scriptures, what they are teaching about God is total, unscriptural, heresy.

    But, as to whether they are in accord with the Fifth Satanic Precept, we must answer with a resounding “Yes!"

    Because of the clouds of doubt that they cast upon God’s character, function, and origin, we are forced to conclude that they are in complete accord, either wittingly or unwittingly, with Satan’s Fifth Precept which is “To prevent man from perceiving the true God.”

SATANIC PRECEPT SIX

To prevent man from perceiving the true Saviour.

CATHOLIC BELIEFS

    We have already studied a number of Catholic beliefs that there are many ways to God and, thus, many ways to be saved. We need not go over them again; but we will mention a few of them briefly. The ways to God, the ways to be saved according to them, most of them works based, include: baptism; martyrdom; philanthropic endeavors; following your conscience; an attitude that directs us outward to others rather than inward in a self-centered way; and other ways.

    They believe that God dwells in many unbelievers because of these aforementioned things and, therefore, that there are many ways to be saved outside of Christ.

GOD’S TEACHINGS ON THESE MATTERS

As we have already seen; God says that only Christ is the way to salvation.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

   It is not with the help of Mary, as the Roman Catholics teach:

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

   Nor is it through works- as the Roman Catholics also teach.

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

    It is obvious that the Roman Catholics teach that there are many other ways to God than through Jesus Christ. And by doing that they cloud the issue of Salvation to a state of impenetrable murkiness through which it is impossible to see even vaguely who the Saviour really is. Thus we have no choice but to believe that they, either wittingly or unwittingly, are in accord with the Sixth Satanic Precept which is “To prevent man from perceiving the true Saviour.

SUMMARY-

    Since Roman Catholicism follows 5 of the 6 Satanic Precepts, leaving out only the first one (Satan wants “To be God and receive the worship due only to God”), then we must conclude that it is a Satanic religion. Thus, when we have compared it to the teachings of the Bible, we must conclude that it is a cult at the least and a false religion at the worst. And since they follow so many of the Satanic Precepts and deviate so radically from biblical Christianity, then we are almost forced to conclude that they are, in the final analysis, a false religion far removed from true Christianity, “the faith,” as God calls it, and far removed also from the most basic of precepts taught to us in God’s Word.  

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CONCLUSION

    It was my intention to include several other well-known cults and false religions. However, because of time constraints, both of my personal time as well as the limited number of weeks allotted for the teaching of this class, I have been forced to curtail any further presentations.

    Hopefully, some time in the future, I will be able to expand upon this present work. But, at this present time, it looks as if that possibility is remote.

    It is my prayer that what has been presented to you will be of benefit; at the very least to arm you against the onslaught of cults and false religions that swarm in ever-increasing numbers around us.

    Many of the Protestant churches that once stood strong against these malevolent enemies of true godly religion have begun the slide into murky compromise. The waters, beginning in the 20^th century, have darkened into blackened polluted waves and they now swirl around them and will soon totally obscure the light of God that once shined from those churches. Deviating from the Word of God through false and ungodly travesties of it they sink deeper and deeper into the inescapable pits of the new translations that feed the heresies of the centuries into their minds, their souls, and their hearts; and all in the name of God by association with the sound of holiness. “The Bible can’t be wrong” they say; and the “New Bibles,” which are but travesties of the true Bible, emblazon the spiritual sounding titles across their covers, “Holy Bible.” And the preachers that promote them wave them high like spiritual banners and call them “the Word of God!” Through these methods of subtle spiritual, physical, and mental/emotional subterfuge they deceive the hearts of the people. And upon these shifting foundations they build fanciful worlds of spiritual myths and dreams that have no true basis in the reality of the true Word of God. But the people believe because of the use of religious sounding books and rhetoric.

    Drumming hard on the heels of these galloping horses of doom carrying their Protestant and Catholic riders recklessly headlong toward heresy and destruction, come the chariots of the cults and the false religions. When the horses of heretical doom stumble, as they must one day because they have no endurance to continue on indefinitely and no center of balance to keep them from stumbling when splashing madly through the pit-strewn road of carnal religion and without God’s guidance and strength, the chariots will inevitably overrun them as the Roman chariots did to the fleeing foot soldiers of their enemies.

    When that eventually happens, then the cults and the false religions and the ghost of Christian religion will become one- with antichrist as their head. Their new name- the One World Church that we are warned of in the book of the Revelation.

    Until then, and while we remain, we must try to do what we can to slow the headlong rush and, in God’s strength, try, at the least, to partially restrain the headstrong perpetrators of the destruction of “the faith that was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude :3)

    It is my prayer for you that this brief foray into the world of the cults and the false religions will in some measure forewarn you and forearm you for the battle. Perhaps it will give you some bit of ammunition for the fight. Because we are in a battle and you will be attacked, sooner or later. The seduction of the enemy is to get you entangled in half-truths and wise sounding but twisted explanations by which they will try to convince you that they believe like we believe. “Spirituality,” will be used as a weapon against you. And their “Bibles” will be waved like white flags. But be not deceived, those flags they wave as white will be found out to be blood-stained rags. Rags stained not only with the blood of Christ, whom they killed, but stained also with the blood of martyrs past, present, and future, who stood against them even unto death. But if you do not know what to look for, then you will not know them for what they are. If that happens, if you accept their “spiritual” trappings and “Holy Bibles,” that are blood-stained travesties of the true Word of God, then you will be lulled into believing that they want peace and conciliation. If that happens, then you will be drawn into their way of destruction. Oh yes, if you are saved you cannot personally face the endless destruction of Hell and the Lake of Fire, but you can become part of the destruction of the “faith which was once delivered unto the saints,” as well as becoming guilty of the destruction of the multitudes that will face eternal destruction through the false gospels and false saviours of the false faith given to them by the false religion that you have helped to promote.

    The purpose of this class has been to help you to not be seduced by them and to arm you for the eventual battle with them.

 •  You now know what they believe and exactly what God teaches about what they believe.

•  You now know how to combat their heresies with your only weapon, the true Word of God.

•  You have the love of Christ within you to share with them and you have the power and knowledge of God to resist them and to do spiritual battle whenever you have to.

    Do not be mean-spirited about it; but be strong in your beliefs and unmoveable in your stance for God in defense of true, biblical, God-given “religion,” as they call it, but which God calls “the faith.”

 I want my last words to you to be from the Word of God.

Jude 1:3

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of

the common salvation, it was needful for me to write

unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend

for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Taylorsville, UT - Dr. T.E. VanBuskirk - 11/28/07

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. The King James Version of the Bible

2. Welhelm, Anthony J. Christ Among Us.

        N.Y: Newman Press, 1996

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    WORLD RELIGIONS From Ancient History to the Present.

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11. Thiessen, Henry C. Lectures in Systematic Theology.

     Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,

     1999, Revised edition. Revised by Vernon D. Doerksen.

12. De Chardin, Teilhard. A New Synthesis of Evolution.

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13. Miller, L. Ed. Philosphical and Religious Issues.

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14. Kerr, Hugh T., Ed. Readings In Christian Thought.

    Nashville: Abingdon Press, Seventh printing 1978

15. Bratcher, Robert B., Ed.

     OLD TESTAMENT QUOTATIONS in the NEW TESTAMENT, Revised Edition.

    London: United Bible Societies, 1961

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    NY: Harper Collins Publishers Inc. 1995

17. Swami Prabhavananda, Manchester, Frederick.

    The Upanishads, Breath of the Eternal.

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25. Myers, Philip V.N. Mediaeval and Modern History.

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26. Berrett, William E.

    RESTORED CHURCH, The. Fifteenth Edition

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27. Smith, Joseph Fielding. Essentials in Church History.

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28. McConkie, Bruce R. MORMON DOCTRINE.

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    PEARL OF GREAT PRICE.

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    The 12 Steps To Holiness.

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37. O’Brien, John A. Finding Christ’s Church.

38. VATICAN II CONSTITUTION

39. VanBuskirk, Dr. T.E. Doctrinal Chaos of the Translations, The.

    Doctoral Thesis submitted to Salt Lake Baptist College, 1997

40. Catholic Bible Association of America,

    The, New American Bible, The, St. Joseph Edition.

     NY Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1970

41. James Strong, Abingdon’s Strong’s Concordance of the Bible.

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43. Smith, Jonathan Z., et al, Eds. Dictionary of Religion.

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CD’s

44. CD 1The Holy Bible, A+ Edition

         Advantage Plus Dist. Inc.

         244 Deerfield Rd. Apex, NC 27502

    A. The King James Version

    B. The Greek Received Text

45. CD 2 Bibles & Religion

        CD Titles, 411 Waverly Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02154-8414

    A. Arnold, Sir Edward (trans.) The Bhagavad Gita.

    B. THE HOLY QUR'AN

          Translated by Maulvi Sher Ali

          Edited by Malik Ghulam Farid

MEDIA REFERENCES

46. MR1 Baptist Press, a division of Religion Today.

     www.ReligionToday.com

47. www.newadvent.org/cathen/06796a.htm

48. atheism.about.com/.../bldef_gregoryix.htm

49.  http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/sunburst.htm

50.  http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/

     hf_p-xii_enc_11101954_ad-caeli-reginam_en.html

       AD CAELI REGINAM

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SALT LAKE BIBLE COLLEGE

COMPARATIVE

THEOLOGY

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Christianity

Catholicism

Shamanism

Buddhism

Hinduism

Satanism

New Age 

Taoism

Shinto

Islam

Bahai

Judaism

  a workbook by Dr. T.E. VanBuskirk