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Catholicism Unveiled 
reveals what is hiding behind Rome’s modern, ecumenical image. Itpresents complex subjects in a clear, straightforward manner that is easy to understand. Itconfronts troubling issues with compassion and objectivity.This book is thoroughly documented. In addition to source books, it gives references to Internetarticles and pictures. You can check them out for yourself and draw your own conclusions.Come explore the world of Catholicism, where grace can be “merited,” and people atone for theirsins by doing penances. We will travel through history and meet some fascinating people (bothgood and bad). And we will look at some official Catholic documents that show a surprising sideof the Catholic Church.
Please print this Home Page and Chapter 1 (“Hiding Behind Words”)and give them to your pastor.ABOUT THE AUTHOR
: Mary Ann Collins entered the convent because she wanted to be close toGod. She gradually realized that some Catholic doctrines are contrary to Scripture. She left theconvent and became a Protestant Christian, and she finally found the relationship with God thatshe had been seeking all along.
Cat hol ic UnVeil ed
Chapter 1
Hiding Behind Words
What happens if two people are talking, and they use the same vocabulary, but they have adifferent dictionary? What if the same word means quite different things to them?They may think that they understand one another when, in reality, they have no idea of what theother person is thinking. They may think that they are in agreement about something when theyactually disagree.This can happen between Catholics and Protestants. For example, let’s look at the word “grace.”According to the Bible, salvation cannot be earned. The Apostle Paul said:“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not ofworks, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
 
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...”(Titus 3:5)However, according to Catholic doctrine, if people do good works, and they fulfill certain specifiedrequirements, then they can merit a “divine reward” from God.[1] This is a doctrine of earningspiritual things by doing good works.The liturgical ritual for baptizing infants includes a prayer asking God to give grace to the water inthe baptismal font (the water that will be used to sprinkle the infant).[2] So for Catholics, “grace” issomething that can be given to inanimate objects, such as water.When I was a Catholic, this made sense to me, because I was used to accepting whatever thepriest said without question. Now that I am a Protestant, and I have some understanding ofScripture, the idea is incomprehensible.In the Bible, grace seems to be a simple thing. But somehow the Catholic Church makes it seemcomplicated and mystifying. The “Pocket Catholic Dictionary” has a complex, technical, three-paragraph definition of “grace” that ends by recommending that the reader also look at entries foractual grace, efficacious grace, habitual grace, justifying grace, sacramental grace, sanctifyinggrace, and sufficient grace. It also has entries for “baptismal graces” and “state of grace.”[3]Here is an example of how Protestants can think that they understand Catholicism, when theyreally don’t.A Catholic priest wrote to me saying that the Catholic Church teaches that we are saved by gracethrough faith in Jesus Christ. He failed to mention something. It teaches that we are saved bygrace through faith in Jesus Christ--
PLUS
being baptized, going to Mass on Sundays, receivingcommunion at least once a year, going to confession at least once a year, believing the officialdoctrines of the Catholic Church, and dying in a state of grace. (In America, Mass on Saturdayscan be substituted for Mass on Sundays.)Until the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), popes openly declared that there is no salvationapart from the Pope.[4] That involves more than faith in Jesus Christ.Modern popes taught that salvation comes through Mary.[5] According to the “Catechism of theCatholic Church,” Mary has a “saving office” and her intercession brings us our salvation.[6] In1993, Pope John Paul II said that Mary “obtains for us divine mercy.”[7]Words can cause confusion. For example, Catholic theologians speak of three degrees ofhomage, which have Latin words. “Latria” is the kind of worship that is due to God alone. “Dulia”is appropriate for honoring the saints. “Hyperdulia” is appropriate for honoring Mary. It is higherthan “dulia,” but not “latria.” Because of these three words, Catholic theologians say thatCatholics do not worship Mary.However, in the real world, these theological distinctions don’t work. Most Catholics have neverheard of these words. Of those who have, how many know how to apply them in practical ways?Catholics are not taught how to engage in “hyperdulia” without crossing a line that results inactually practicing “latria” towards Mary without realizing it.When I was a Catholic, sometimes people would ask me about praying to Mary and the saints. Iused to say that I was just asking them to pray for me, like I would ask a friend. But there is adifference. When I talk to my friends, I am talking to people who are alive--not people who have
 
died. The Bible tells us that we should not communicate with dead people, that we should notseek the dead on behalf of the living. (Isaiah 8:19; Deuteronomy 18:11-12)So what I said was misleading. However, I didn’t realize it at the time.Some ways of using words can result in statements that are technically correct, but the result ismisleading. Here is an example.For centuries, the Catholic Church would not allow the Bible to be translated into English. It wasonly available in Latin.A Catholic apologist told me that this made no difference, because the common people wereilliterate. They were unable to read and write. They would not have been able to read the Bibleeven if it had been available in English.However, during Mass, the priests read passages from Scripture
out loud
. Even people whocan’t read are able to understand what they hear. If the Scripture passages had been read inEnglish, then the people would have understood them.When the Bible was finally translated into English, it was kept in a church. All day long, men tookturns reading the Bible out loud, while crowds of people listened.[8]
PRACTICAL CONSEQUENCES OFMISLEADING VOCABULARY
I have an Evangelical friend who has seriously studied Catholicism. He had an urgent, practicalneed for the information, because he married a Catholic woman.At the time that he married her, he believed that Catholicism was “just another valid form ofChristianity.” He attended Mass with his wife on Sundays. After a while, he began to feel thatsomething was wrong. Then he started investigating Catholicism. This is what my friend Jeff hasto say:“Today's ecumenical movement draws many Protestants and Roman Catholics together,because they believe that they share a common faith. The Protestants believe that there areoutward differences, but the faith is the same. The Catholics believe that their faith is Biblical, andthat Protestants are just separated brothers and sisters who need the Mother Church in order toexperience the fullness of the faith. When you look into it, though, you'll find that the majority ofProtestants and Catholics are unfamiliar with the history and official doctrines of the RomanCatholic Church, and, indeed, unfamiliar with the Bible. They prefer to get along with one anotherin matters of faith, rather than to investigate, understand, and contend for the Gospel of Christ, aslaid out in the Bible, and to compare it with official Catholic doctrine. As a result, many RomanCatholic teachings remain out of view for the average church-goer and mass-attendee. Thosewho do earnestly investigate Catholicism, and compare it with the Bible, find that some of thelanguage appears to be the same, but the definitions, beliefs, applications, and perspectivesbehind this language are anything but the same
.
They also find a multitude of additional layersand dimensions to Roman Catholicism that they would never have imagined.” (Jeff Lawlor, usedby permission.)In Jeff’s case, the situation worked out. His wife became an Evangelical Christian. Jeff and hiswife are in agreement about how to raise children, where to go to church, and how to practicetheir religion in their home.
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