THE 
            BLASPHEMY OF FATIMA EXPOSED 
            Editor: Steve Van Nattan: Pope John Paul II has made all manner 
              of fuss over Our Lady of Fatima. This is one of the most far sighted 
              ploys the Roman Whore ever hatched, for Fatima was the daughter 
              of Muhammed, and the town Fatima in Portugal was named for here. 
              The courtship of Islam by John Paul II fits so very well with this 
              alleged apparition of Mary, for it will draw the whole Catholic 
              and Muslim world into one Holy piano covers and Rage as they stand on the 
              threshold of the Age of Antichrist. 
            The following article is a powerful discussion and very revealing. 
             
            Our Lady 
              of Deception  
              By Reese 
              Currie, Compass Distributors  
              A being, representing itself as Mary the mother of Jesus, made 
              an appearance at Fatima some years ago. This has been dismissed 
              by some as a demonic apparition that was not Mary at all. I was 
              asked to explain how a demon could make such an appearance and point 
              people to Jesus.  
              To begin with, the apparition did not actually point anyone 
              to Jesus. Rather, she promoted Mariolatry and the false sacramental 
              gospel of the Roman Catholic Church.  
              I found a page describing the appearance of pseudo-Mary at 
              Fatima. I have taken a few excerpts from this page to show how the 
              "Mary" and "Guardian Angel of Portugal" could not possibly have 
              God as their source.  
              The page says, "The Guardian Angel of Portugal appears to the 
              children and tells them to submit with patience to the sufferings 
              that will come to them. He tells them to pray and offer sacrifices 
              in reparation for the conversion of sinners."  
              The fact that the Roman Catholic Church consistently requires 
              sacrifices, beyond the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, proves 
              conclusively that the Roman Catholic Church is not Christian. At 
              least it does so for anyone with an inkling of understanding of 
              the Bible.  
              Of Jesus, blips 7:26-27 says: For such 
              an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate 
              from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 Who needeth not 
              daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his 
              own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when 
              he offered up himself.  
              What inseparably removes Roman Catholicism from Christianity 
              is that they do not believe Christ’s one-time sacrifice was enough, 
              as the Bible plainly says. He gave His life for our sins, once, 
              that is, one time, for all, that is, all sins. "All" does not refer 
              to "all people"; the subject of the sentence is not people, it is 
              "sins".  
              Rather, Roman Catholicism has masses that supposedly re-sacrifice 
              Christ for sins daily. They further require acts of penance for 
              sins, they require baptism for (meaning in their case, "to obtain") 
              the forgiveness of sins, and partaking in the mass to sacrifice 
              for sins. One may spend a long time in "purgatory" if one has not 
              received "extreme unction", yet another sacrifice for sins. In their 
              funerals, they pray for the dead that their sins may be forgiven 
              in death, and make sacrificial payments in the funeral mass so the 
              dead one may be released from purgatory. All of it is false and 
              unnecessary for Christ made one atonement for all sins.  
              The document then describes the first appearance of "Mary" 
              to the children. "A Beautiful Lady, all of brilliant white, appears 
              to the children at Cova de Iria. Her hands were together as in prayer 
              and Rosary beads hung down between the fingers of her right hand." 
               
               Now, 
              I’d like you to take a look at the image of "Mary."  
              Here we see a white European "Mary," complete with halo, as 
              regularly depicted by the Roman Catholic Church. How would these 
              poor, deceived children possibly recognize the real Mary, who was 
              a blipish peasant woman and looked nothing whatsoever like this Romanized 
              imagery? We know then, certainly, on the basis of physical appearance 
              alone, that these children were not really seeing Mary. 
              If it actually was Mary, surely she would not allow the children 
              to bow to her, as we see here in this picture. Revelation 22:8-9 
              tells us we should bow before no one but God.  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. 9 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.  
              Let’s move on to the frankly insane concept of Mary herself 
              having a rosary. What is the rosary for? For saying "Hail Marys", 
              correct? Why, then, would Mary need to use a rosary? To "Hail" herself 
              or offer prayers to herself? It’s nonsense to any but the cultically 
              deceived. The document then goes on to reveal Mary’s instructions. 
              "The children were instructed to: say the Rosary every day, to obtain 
              peace for the world and the end of piano covers."  
              Just saying the rosary is a serious violation of Scripture. 
              In Matthew 6:7, Jesus piano coversned, "And when you pray, do not use vain 
              repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be 
              heard for their many words." The rosary is an act of saying "hail 
              Mary" over and over again.  
              The act of saying a "hail Mary" is an act of worship topiano coversd 
              Mary that is also absolutely prohibited by Scripture. Matthew 4:10 
              says, Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee 
              hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy 
              God, and him only shalt thou serve.  
              This apparition was trying to take worship away from God, and 
              onto Mary. This conclusively proves that the apparition was of Satanic 
              origin, for it is a work of Satan to prompt people to worship someone 
              other than the Lord. It follows logically that the whole of the 
              Roman Catholic Church is of the same Satanic origin, since it officially 
              promotes Mariolatry (the worship of Mary through praying to her). 
               
              The document continues, "Lucia asked the Lady about two girls, 
              friends of the family, who had died recently, as she wanted to know 
              whether they had gone to heaven. The Lady replied that one of the 
              girls was in heaven but that the other girl would be in Purgatory 
              until the end of the world."  
              The very concept of Purgatory cannot be found in Scripture. 
              It is a payment for sins after death that is foolishness. We know 
              from blips 7:26-27 that Christ’s one time sacrifice for sins was 
              sufficient for all whom He has saved, which is identified elsewhere 
              in Scripture as those who believe in Him.  
              If you do not believe that Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient, 
              you do not actually believe in Jesus and need to repent immediately. 
              To believe in Jesus could be described as, "Forsaking All I Trust 
              Him." By forsaking all, we speak not only of sins, but of man’s 
              pigheaded belief that some of his actions can lead to his saving 
              himself. We must trust Christ only, else we do not in fact trust 
              Him, or believe in Him, at all.  
              The document continues, "The Lady appears to the children and 
              when asked by Lucia what it was that she wanted of them, the Lady 
              replied that she wanted them to come to the same place on the thirteenth 
              day of the coming month, to recite five decades of the Rosary every 
              day and for Lucia to learn to read. The children understood from 
              this vision that the Immaculate Heart of Mary was outraged by the 
              sins of humanity, for which there must be reparation. Francisco 
              and Jacinta were told that they would soon be leaving for heaven." 
               
              We can know this was not Mary for several reasons from this 
              passage alone. The Catholics speak of "revering" Mary (they actually 
              worship her), but I think I revere Mary enough to believe she would 
              not lie or turn people to a false gospel. I do not for a moment 
              believe that Mary would violate the Scriptures about repetitive 
              prayers, worshipping God only, or espouse the false Catholic doctrine 
              of Mary’s being "immaculate."  
              What many Christians do not understand is, the term "immaculate 
              conception" in the Roman Catholic Church does not refer to Jesus 
              – it refers to Mary. Or, "Mary the Immaculate", as some are given 
              to calling her. It is the belief that, for Jesus to be conceived 
              without sin, Mary had to be conceived without sin as well, so from 
              her conception, she was shielded from inheriting original sin. Therefore 
              she did not pass on original sin, or the sinful nature, to Jesus. 
               
              This is so immensely theologically flawed in itself as to render 
              the gospel useless. It is based on the false Catholic theology of 
              inherited sin. Catholics believe that children inherit sin itself, 
              not just a sinful nature, from their parents. That is why the Catholics 
              must rush their infants off to be baptized as soon as possible; 
              if their original sin is not forgiven by baptism, and they die, 
              they will go to hell. This sin is inherited because sex itself is 
              sinful, according to the Roman Catholic Church.  
              So, there somehow needed to be an additional level of protection 
              for Jesus. Not only could sex not be involved in his production, 
              but the effects thereof had to be miraculously erased from the production 
              of His earthly parent, Mary. These false beliefs came from the Greek 
              philosophical influence that crept into Christianity.  
              People who believe such tripe have no hope of ever understanding 
              the simple beauty of the gospel unless they repent. You see, what 
              the Catholics find deplorable and impossible to believe about Christ 
              is the very thing we must believe about Him: That He was fully God 
              and fully Man and that He was tempted in all ways, even as we are, 
              but without sin. They set up Jesus as a person who did not have 
              to contend with a human sinful nature, but He did, and defeated 
              it soundly. If He had not, His sacrifice would have been useless 
              for it could not have reconciled Man, as he really is, to God.  
              Not only that, but people who believe this sacramental gospel, 
              with acts like baptism somehow forgiving sins, could not hope to 
              understand the most basic things about the world. For instance, 
              it has often been asked, "How can God permit children to die of 
              starvation?" For the Catholic, who blindly believes the Church and 
              the doctrine that baptism is necessary for salvation, there is no 
              answer – the only conclusion could be that God hates man and does 
              not care about his well being, consigning them to hell without a 
              chance to be baptized. But for the Christian who thinks it through, 
              the death of children is an act of mercy by God, for He does not 
              hold children accountable for any sin until they reach an age of 
              accountability and ability to repent.  
              People think living to a ripe old age is "normal" for humans. 
              That is incorrect. On a global scale, the reality is most humans 
              die as infants. Now, consider where most of those infants die. Most 
              die in non-Christian countries, like India. Given the chance to 
              grow up, the vast majority of those Indian children would have committed 
              suicide of the soul by cleaving to Hinduism. However, because they 
              died as infants, God can be merciful to them because they have not 
              rejected Him.  
              It is interesting that, in our remarkably sinful North American 
              culture, the death of infants is on the dramatic rise through abortion. 
              And even then, we can see the pattern. Who is dying through the 
              abortion epidemic? Infants who would not have been born into Christian 
              homes, and would have most likely rejected the Savior. What Paul 
              wrote is definitely true, And we know that 
              all things work together for good to them that love God, to them 
              who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28). 
              If God called one of these babies, He would not see them go through 
              life and end up separated through joining the Islamic, Hindu or 
              Buddhist religions, or any other religion that denies Christ.  
              There are no such answers in this world, if Catholic theology 
              is true (not to mention the theology of all the "baptismal regeneration" 
              churches). Roman Catholicism is a soul-robbing, festering sore of 
              a false religion that harvests millions of souls for Satan each 
              generation.  
              The document goes on, "When the Lady appeared this time her 
              first request was for the children to say five decades of the Rosary 
              every day in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary. ... The children 
              were told that to save sinners God wanted to establish a devotion 
              in the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary."  
              I hate to sound like a broken record, but once again, we see 
              repetitive prayer and false religion through the worship of Mary, 
              which we have already discussed. Isaiah 45:22 says, 
              Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I 
              am God, and there is none else. Don’t look to Mary. Mary 
              herself would never ask you to look in her direction. She, like 
              all others who believed in Jesus, would point you in His direction 
              for salvation.  
              The document continues, "Just before the Lady left she told 
              the children a final secret that has never been revealed. Lucia 
              wrote the secret out and Pope John XXIII opened this letter in 1960 
              but he decided that it would better not to reveal its contents to 
              the general public." This statement shows a strong aspect of cultic 
              behavior in the Roman Catholic Church.  
              When a cultic group, like the Roman Catholic Church, wishes 
              to target a person for mind control or "thought reform," a triangle 
              is placed around a person. The three points of that triangle are 
              Miracle, Mystery and Authority.  
              The "Miracle" is ideology imputing miraculous powers to leaders 
              or activities. In this story, saying the rosary is said to have 
              miraculous powers. In Catholic dogma, baptism and holy communion 
              are also attributed powers for the forgiveness of sin that Christ 
              never intended them to have.  
              The "Mystery" is secrecy obscuring actual beliefs and practices. 
              The popes will not say what the "third" prophecy of Fatima was, 
              so that no one can evaluate it on their own. There is also a real 
              mystery about what the Roman Catholic Church holds is truly necessary 
              for salvation. We know that the Roman Catholic Church does not say 
              faith in Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation, for they maintain 
              that good Hindus and Muslims can also be saved. So what exactly 
              do they believe? Who do they believe God is? Why don’t they believe 
              the clear statements of the God of the Bible? We really don't know, 
              but we are supposed to believe that the leaders have secret knowledge 
              that transcends all that.  
              "Authority" is obviously a big part of the RCC cult scheme. 
              The Church is supposed to be infallible, and the pope is also supposedly 
              infallible and is chosen by God to lead the church through apostolic 
              succession. In all cultic cases, this perceived authority legitimizes 
              inordinate claims on people’s time, talents, and resources. These 
              young people were given a requirement to spend a lot of time in 
              repetitive prayer and we can see, reading the whole document through, 
              that cleaving to the "Holy Mother Church" and saying the rosary 
              are requirements given even to the readers of the document. Too 
              bad they weren’t directed to spend their time in Bible study instead; 
              they may have escaped the snare of Catholicism.  
              There are more excellent examples from this document of Roman 
              Catholic abuse of "Authority." The Bishop of Leira-Fatima declared 
              in a Pastoral Letter that the apparitions at Fatima were "devotions 
              worthy of belief." Who is he to tell anyone what to believe without 
              Scriptural authority backing him up? Pope Pius XII consecrated the 
              world and later Russia for the "Immaculate Heart of Mary." Unless 
              I am mistaken, Russia is a subset of the world and would have been 
              included in his first proclamation, but that piece of typical Catholic 
              illogic is beside the point. Who gave him the authority to do so? 
              Later, pope John Paul II rededicated the world to the "Immaculate 
              Heart of Mary," which makes it obvious that pope Pius XII did not 
              have the authority. So why would John Paul II have the authority? 
              It is obvious he does not, especially since Pius XII is in John 
              Paul II’s "line of succession."  
              Continuing on with the document, we read, "The Lady appeared 
              on this day instead and told the children to recite the Rosary every 
              day. The children were also told to pray for sinners and to make 
              many sacrifices for them as many souls go to hell because there 
              is nobody to sacrifice and pray for them."  
              What a laundry list of unscriptural trash! We've discussed 
              the non-necessity for new sacrifice in blips 7:26-27. We’ve discussed 
              Matthew 6:7 and its admonition against repetitive prayer. We’ve 
              shown how prayer and worship to any other than God is forbidden. 
              And now, we find this garbage about people going to hell because 
              others do not pray for them. This lie is held by too many evangelicals 
              as well.  
              John 6:37 says, All that the Father giveth 
              me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise 
              cast out. That means that whoever is going to be saved by 
              Jesus will invariably come to Jesus, and their salvation is secure 
              when they come. These are two things the Catholics don't believe, 
              incidentally.  
              Consider blips 10:11-14. And every 
              priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same 
              sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after 
              he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the 
              right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies 
              be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected 
              for ever them that are sanctified.  
              The Catholic Church pretends that people need to make sacrifices 
              over and over for people, because they "sin again" and thus need 
              more sacrifice. This is a lie. For by one offering, He has perfected 
              forever those who are being sanctified. They cannot be "unperfected," 
              even by sin. Jesus has perfected them forever. If we don’t believe 
              that, we do not believe the Bible or Jesus Himself.  
              The document continues, "For just as there still has to be 
              the conversion of hearts in Russia, our own hearts have cooled and 
              many hundreds of thoBlipnds, even millions, in North America have 
              turned away from the Holy Mother Church. We need to begin again, 
              if we have not already done so, to have recourse to the Most Immaculate 
              Heart of Mary which is outraged at the sins of `humanity' and for 
              which there must be reparation. … Throughout the narrative of the 
              Fatima events, the emphasis given to the Rosary by Our Lady cannot 
              be overlooked."  
              I would hope that you do not overlook the fact that this Fatima 
              vision contradicts the whole tenor of the gospel message. Because 
              the fact is, the emphasis given to the Rosary by the Catholic’s 
              "lady" can be overlooked. Deceived evangelicals overlook it every 
              time they claim the Roman Catholic Church is by any means a Christian 
              church and worthy of unifying with.  
              Now, many people attempt to validate the "Lady’s" appearance 
              by the fact that 70,000 people supposedly witnessed her. If you 
              read the document closely, however, you will learn that only the 
              same children actually witnessed her. The other people did see a 
              supernatural event, however.  
              The document says, "When the Lady appeared more than 70,000 
              people had gathered at the site. She told Lucia that she was the 
              Lady of the Rosary. Our Lady told Lucia that she wanted a chapel 
              built on the site and that she also wanted the Faithful to say the 
              Rosary every day. Lucia was told that World piano covers I would end soon 
              and as Our Lady left, the children were shown further visions that 
              included Our Lord and St. Joseph. As these visions were being seen 
              by the children, the sun began its well documented 'Dance' that 
              was seen by thoBlipnds of people present at the site. Our Lady had 
              performed the miracle that she had promised."  
              The sun's dance is a tactic God would not use. Matthew 12:38-41 
              says, Then certain of the scribes and of the 
              Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 
              39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation 
              seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but 
              the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and 
              three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three 
              days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh 
              shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: 
              because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a 
              greater than Jonas is here.  
              If Jesus would not give a sign like the sun's dance then, why 
              on earth (or in heaven) would He do it now?  
              Another Marian apparition occurred in Egypt and very many people 
              saw the apparitions. From a different web document on Marian apparitions, 
              we read, "These apparitions attracted large crowds by night, sometimes 
              up to 250,000 people, they were Christian, blips, Moslems, unbelievers 
              and many others, it was a gift of Our Lady to all the nations. The 
              apparitions finally ended in 1971 leaving an atmosphere of unity 
              and peace and many people received miraculous healings there."  
              The first person to receive such a healing was a Muslim. But 
              did this healing actually come from God? Consider the common element 
              in the following verses of Scripture.  
              Matthew 9:22 But Jesus turned him about, 
              and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy 
              faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that 
              hour.  
              Luke 5:20 And when he saw their faith, 
              he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.  
              Luke 7:50 And he said to the woman, Thy 
              faith hath saved thee; go in peace.  
              Luke 8:48 And he said unto her, Daughter, 
              be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. 
               
              Luke 17:19 And he said unto him, Arise, 
              go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.  
              Finally, look at Matthew 13:58 And he 
              did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.  
              Here's the point. There were many unbelievers there who were 
              healed, including a Muslim who received healing. But throughout 
              the Bible, it is people's faith in Jesus Christ that makes them 
              well. Where there is unbelief, Jesus does not do many mighty works. 
               
              And with regard to bringing unity among Christians, blips, Muslims 
              and unbelievers, that is not a Biblical message. Although it is 
              a goal of the Roman Catholic Church, it is not a goal of Christ 
              and should never be a goal of Christians. Matthew 10:34-38 says, 
              Think not that I am come to send peace on 
              earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to 
              set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against 
              her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 
              And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that 
              loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he 
              that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 
              And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not 
              worthy of me.  
              In short, true believers will be at odds with unbelievers and 
              practices of different religions, not at unity with them. They must 
              follow Christ at the expense of relationships with these types. 
               
              If you will dig thoroughly into these appearances of Mary, 
              you can find many things that are counter to the overall message 
              of the Bible. One reason why "the Lady" might appear to all these 
              people is to help push ecumenical unity being sought by the Roman 
              Catholic Church with Protestant, Islam, Hindu and blipish religions, 
              so that there will be that one-world "harlot" religion. A demon 
              would certainly be willing to help out on a goal like that because 
              it would effectively end Christ-centered evangelism in the entire 
              world. It would be "religion-centered" and "man-centered" instead. 
               
              Not once, in any of these "Mary" appearances, is a thing said 
              about repentance -- people are allowed to continue on in their self-centered 
              and self-righteous religions, not turning back to God. Not a thing 
              on these pages points to Jesus Christ but only to the Roman Catholic 
              Church. I actually think it is very interesting that in all the 
              blabber, "Our Lady of Fatima" didn't say a single word about Jesus 
              Christ. That should tell you something.  
              I realize this plain speaking will inflame many Catholics, 
              some of whom will wish to e-mail me to convince me of their view. 
              However, this time, I will not answer such correspondence, not because 
              I am over-awed with their intellectual prowess, but because nothing 
              short of an act of repentance topiano coversd God can possibly help them. 
              If they can reject so many plain examples of how Marian apparitions 
              and the Catholic religion conflict with Bible teaching, they are 
              free to cleave to their religion and follow it all the way into 
              the bowels of hell; I shake off the dust of my feet at them. I would 
              much rather they repent, disassociate themselves with popery, and 
              live. I will certainly not waste my energies restating the obvious 
              to those Catholics who wish to cleave to religion rather than truth. 
               
              For more information on Roman Catholicism, see also Pope-pourri 
               
              For a wide variety of topics, see our TOPIC ARCHIVE  
             
            DIALOGUE 
            Reese Currie 
            The 
              Catholic Priest 
            The 
              King James Bible 
            ___________________ 
            Some people found the above topic objectionable and claimed 
              it was inaccurate. What follows is my response to a Roman Catholic 
              priest who felt this article was the product of an "obvious lack 
              of research." This is an even more eye-opening revelation of the 
              heresy of Roman Catholicism.  
             I take it from the "FR." that you want to be referred to as 
              "Father," but I will respectfully decline, since such a title is 
              specifically forbidden by Matthew 23:9.  
              
               Not that I believe that this note will 
                do any good, but a member of my parish referred me to your web 
                page.  
             
             I'm sorry the truth offends you. For my part, I think the note 
              has done a world of good, and I think I will post it alongside the 
              "Lady of Deception" article so others may read more about Catholicism. 
               
              
               First of all, I would ask that if you 
                are going to enter into a debate with the doctrines of Roman Catholicism 
                that you first learn what our church teaches. Your article "Our 
                Lady of Deception" is riddled with errors, misconceptions, and 
                an obvious lack of research on your part as to what the official 
                church teaches.  
             
             By the time we get to the end of this response, you can decide 
              if I am truly unresearched or if you are simply trying to intimidate 
              me into recantation with a number of inaccurate statements of your 
              own.  
              
               I would recommend you reviewing a copy 
                of the Catechism of the Catholic Church which gives a basic statement 
                of Catholic belief. I have already.  
               You will not find all the philosophical, 
                theological, or scriptural reasoning (there are, however, other 
                sources for that) but at least you will see the basics of our 
                faith.  
               Yes, like the writings of Jerome, Augustine, 
                Thomas Aquinas, and other Catholic writers with whom I am familiar. 
                 
               You took issue with the Marian apparition 
                at Fatima. Please realize that the Catholic Church has NEVER made 
                the material presented in an apparition part of the deposit of 
                faith. As a matter of faith, the strongest statement that the 
                church will make concerning an apparition is that the messages 
                are not in contradiction with faith or morals.  
             
             It seems that your statement is in contradiction with the truth. 
              On the pro-Catholic web site I drew my information from, it states, 
              "11. 1930: The Bishop of Leira-Fatima declares in a Pastoral Letter, 
              that the apparitions at Fatima are `devotions worthy of belief'." 
               
              
               Granted, there are some (well-meaning) 
                Catholics who I believe take Marian devotion overboard. However, 
                Mary's role is only to point us to Jesus, not to herself.  
             
             Well, as we saw from my article, and the page it refers to, 
              "Mary" did not say one word about Christ but quite a bit about Marian 
              prayer and devotion through the rosary. Now, in my book, if you 
              are devoted to someone you pray to, you are worshipping that person. 
              In your book, the New Catholic Catechism, we read:  
              971 "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic 
              to Christian worship." The Church rightly honours "the Blessed Virgin 
              with special devotion. ..." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the 
              Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome 
              of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary. 
               
              I would have thought Christ was the epitome of the whole Gospel, 
              but you know, you Catholics differ with Biblical faith on a lot 
              of points.  
              
               Also, no Catholic is required to believe 
                in apparitions as a matter of faith. It is purely private revelation. 
                If Mary were to decide to appear to me (which she hasn't) I would 
                be the only one bound to believe since she was speaking to me, 
                not the whole world.  
             
             You would not be so bound! You would be required to validate 
              what she said to you against Scripture. Galatians 1:8 says, "But 
              though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto 
              you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." 
               
              Why won't Catholics do this? Acts 17:11 
              These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received 
              the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures 
              daily, whether those things were so.  
              If it was not offensive to the real apostles that their teachings 
              be questioned this way, why on earth would it be offensive to Catholics 
              who claim apostolic leadership?  
              
               Secondly, when you quote scripture 
                I would challenge you to ask yourself, "Where did this Bible that 
                I am reading come from? Who determined which gospels, which letters, 
                etc. would make up this book." Contrary to what you might believe, 
                the Bible did not just miraculously drop out of heaven.  
             
             It doesn't surprise me that a Catholic priest would deny inspiration 
              of the Scripture. But I think I may be reading more into your statement 
              than you intended.  
              
               The Bible is the Book of the Church. 
                We are not a "church of the book."  
             
             That's evident from your church's lack of adherence to Biblical 
              doctrine.  
              
               In other words, the church predated 
                the Bible. And the only two churches that can historically trace 
                themselves to New Testament times would be the Roman Catholic 
                and Eastern Orthodox churches.  
             
             Actually, even your own church's writings dispute that. The 
              president of the Council of Trent, Cardinal Hosius, wrote in 1524, 
              "Were it not that the baptists have been grievously tormented and 
              cut off with the knife during the past twelve hundred years, they 
              would spiano coversm in greater number than all the Reformers." This means 
              that Hosius counted "baptists" (which went under many names down 
              through the centuries) existed just as long as Catholicism.  
              I think I would correct also your statement that the church 
              predated the Bible. Obviously, only the New Testament portion is 
              predated by the church. The Old Testament portion predates the church. 
              However, the early church in Scripture bears no noticeable likeness 
              to the Roman Catholic Church. Rather, we know that the churches 
              did not form under an umbrella organization, the Catholic Church, 
              until 313. So Scripture certainly does predate the Catholic organization. 
               
              
               All Protestant denominations trace 
                their history to the Catholic Church in the West.  
             
             In the case of Baptists, which are not technically "Protestant," 
              they do so erroneously. In the case of Church of Christ and Brethren, 
              which are "restorationist" churches, they do not trace their lineage 
              back to Rome either. The Church of Christ originally claimed that 
              Rome was apostate.  
              I realize that the "Reformed" variations of Christianity come 
              from the Western Church, in that they reflect many Catholic errors 
              such as episcopal hierarchy, infant baptism and church-state religion. 
              However, you must have had Baptist teachers who claimed they were 
              part of the Reformation as well. Anabaptists predated the reformation 
              and traces of the faith can be found down through history. Only 
              in England did the Baptist faith come following the Reformers. Unfortunately, 
              many Baptists (especially people in the SBC) only go back to England 
              when they recount their history.  
              
               It was THE CHURCH that determined which 
                Gospels "made it" into the Bible, since there were many, many 
                gospels floating around.  
             
             I am apiano coverse of the New Testament apocryphal works as well. However, 
              the "church" that determined the canon of Scripture predated the 
              Catholic organization. All the Catholics did was place the seal 
              of approval on the books that were already the de-facto standard. 
              Some regions had a few more books than today's canon, some less. 
              The regions together agreed on a canon simply by collecting their 
              various opinions surrounding the genuineness of the books in question. 
               
              
               Please don't think that I believe that 
                the Catholic Church is flawless. Historically we have had our 
                share of characters that made a mess of things. As a convert from 
                the Baptist faith, and now a Catholic priest, I am convinced that 
                is precisely why the Church is of God. If we were only a human 
                institution we would have folded centuries ago considering the 
                various scandalous behaviors that some of our leaders displayed. 
                 
             
             That's really not very sound reasoning. Consider your own logic. 
              Hinduism predates Christianity, but it still exists; does that make 
              it of God? Taoism and Buddhism predate Christianity by centuries. 
              Does their continued existence mean they are of God? Islam has existed 
              for about 1200 years; does that mean Islam is of God?  
              At this point, I'd like to call attention to the fact that 
              the Roman Catholic Church actually does believe Islam is of God 
              and that Islamic people will be saved, despite the Bible's repeated 
              doctrine that faith in Christ is necessary for salvation.  
              Quoting from your catechism, "841 The plan of salvation also 
              includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst 
              whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, 
              and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's 
              judge on the last day."  
              So I understand that you would therefore contend that Islam 
              is of God. Truly Peter wrote when he said, But 
              there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall 
              be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable 
              heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon 
              themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1).  
              I bet not many Catholics know that Muslims are "Christians 
              too." False teachers among them brought in damnable heresies. This 
              one even denies the Lord that bought them, for it allows salvation 
              to those who deny Jesus Christ as Lord. I think the swift destruction 
              is probably faced in the afterlife, judging from the fact that the 
              Roman Catholic Church is so old.  
              
               Yet Christ is the Head of the Church. 
                The pope is only the visible head. Hey, the buck has to stop somewhere 
                and we believe that the Holy Spirit is with us to insure that 
                we don't stray too far, regardless of the human shortcomings of 
                the pope at any given time.  
             
             There are human shortcomings in a person who can make ex cathedra 
              proclamations that are considered to be infallible? That's not a 
              really comforting thought for Catholics, I bet!  
              Why do you think a human head is really necessary? Is God powerless? 
              It reminds me of blip, when they installed a king in the Old Testament 
              instead of allowing God to rule. 1 Samuel 8:7 says, And 
              the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people 
              in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, 
              but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 
              Have you not rejected God in giving yourselves a human head?  
              No, the church is to be without a king except Christ.  
              If you believe the Holy Spirit keeps you from straying, why 
              will you ignore His words in 1 Timothy 4:1-3?  
              Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that 
              in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed 
              to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in 
              hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding 
              to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created 
              to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know 
              the truth.  
              Forbidding marriage: Marriage is forbidden for Catholic priests, 
              nuns and monks.  
              Abstaining from food: Remember the admonition against eating 
              meat on Fridays?  
              Hypocrisy of men who speak lies: Your church at once states 
              that baptism is necessary for salvation, and at the same time that 
              unbaptized Muslims can be saved. That's only one example of a hypocritical 
              position.  
              Seducing spirits: We can see from my article that the version 
              of "Mary" that appeared there drew people hard away from Biblical 
              doctrine.  
              Doctrines of demons: Prayer and devotion to people and things 
              other than God. One known doctrine of a demon was identified by 
              Christ in Matthew 4:10, when He said, Then 
              saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, 
              Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 
               
              The Roman Catholic Church supports prayer to Mary according 
              to the catechism (I repeat):  
              971 "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic 
              to Christian worship." The Church rightly honours "the Blessed Virgin 
              with special devotion. ..." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the 
              Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome 
              of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary. 
               
              
               Peter was given the keys to the kingdom 
                by Christ. Certainly when Peter died the keys weren't thrown away! 
                Peter wasn't the brightest of individuals either, as scripture 
                attests. Yet God was able to use him anyway!  
             
             If Peter gave the keys to the Catholic popes, he did throw 
              them away, for no one in history has a more bloody legacy than Catholic 
              popes with the possible exception of Adolf Hitler. When we look 
              at the keys of the kingdom, however, it is awfully interesting to 
              me that the Roman Catholic Church needs to ignore the actual tenses 
              of the Greek verbs in order for their doctrines about them to come 
              to pass. For what the Bible actually says at Matthew 16:19, says, 
              And I will give unto thee the keys of the 
              kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall 
              be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall 
              be loosed in heaven.   
              The popes say they can change the mode of baptism, for example, 
              because what they bind on earth will be bound in heaven, following 
              bad translations. The truth of the Greek is the reverse, and a good 
              example of it taking place is the way God showed Peter that salvation 
              had come unto the Gentiles. What Peter then bound on earth had already 
              been bound in heaven.  
              
               Mary isn't the center of our worship 
                - Christ is. Each time I receive him in the Eucharist I am strengthened. 
                We believe the Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and divinity 
                of Christ. No, we are not cannibals! The Christ we receive is 
                the RISEN Christ, not the dead Christ. We are not Killing Christ 
                over and over again on our altars. We are participating in the 
                ONE sacrifice for which Jesus atoned for our sins. Yes, it's the 
                bloody sacrifice of Calvary in an UNBLOODY manner. Christ knows 
                no time or space. We received his RISEN body as nourishment ... 
                The Eucharist is a sign of God's presence to us ... a reminder 
                that God never leaves us.  
             
             Okay, so here's a question. How come atonement for sin knows 
              time and space, according to your church's doctrines, if the sacrifice 
              for sins knows no time or space? Surely you agree with your own 
              Catholic doctrine that the sacraments remit sin. Surely you agree 
              with your own church's stated doctrines to that point:  
              1414 As sacrifice, the Eucharist is also offered in reparation 
              for the sins of the living and the dead and to obtain spiritual 
              or temporal benefits from God.  
              Here's one from John Hardon's "The Question and Answer Catholic 
              Catechism" (Garden City: Image, 1981).  
              "Are the sacraments necessary for salvation? According to the 
              way God has willed that we be saved the sacraments are necessary 
              for salvation."  
              How do you then answer the Scriptures from blips that state, 
              "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, 
              sat down on the right hand of God;" If one sacrifice suffices for 
              all time, on what basis do you people claim that people need to 
              receive Eucharist as a sacrifice at all? You can say, "It's the 
              same sacrifice," but according to the Bible, the sacrifice was only 
              offered once. Your practice simply does conflict with Scripture. 
               
              Your catechism states:  
              1367 The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist 
              are one single sacrifice: ... "In this divine sacrifice which is 
              celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once 
              in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and offered 
              in an unbloody manner."  
              To quote John Knox: "How can you deny the opinion of your Mass 
              to be false and vain? You say it is a sacrifice for sin, but Jesus 
              Christ and Paul say, The only death of Christ was sufficient for 
              sin, and after it resteth none other sacrifice... I know you will 
              say, it is none other sacrifice, but the self same, save that it 
              is iterated and renewed. But the words of Paul bind you more straitly 
              than that so you may escape: for in his whole disputation, contendeth 
              he not only that there is no other sacrifice for sin, but also that 
              the self same sacrifice, once offered, is sufficient, and never 
              may be offered again."  
              That effectively answers the statement from your catechism, 
              does it not?  
              You claim that you offer no new sacrifices; then, how do you 
              explain this teaching from Mr. Hardon's "The Question and Answer 
              Catholic Catechism":  
              "How does the Church communicate the merits of Christ’s mercy 
              to sinners? The Church communicates the merits of Christ’s mercy 
              to sinners through the Mass and the sacraments and all the prayers 
              and good works of the faithful."  
              The Mass is a sacrifice that communicates the merits of Christ's 
              mercy, but so are the sacraments according to this. I suppose it's 
              inaccurate? Or from your catechism:  
              1497 Individual and integral confession of grave sins followed 
              by absolution remains the only ordinary means of reconciliation 
              with God and with the Church.  
              What is sacrifice if not a means of reconciliation? Is there 
              a means of reconciliation other than sacrifice?  
              You do offer sacrifices other than the sacrifice of Christ. 
              Why not admit it and be done with it? Why charge me with inaccuracy 
              and ignorance when I can show you your teachings from your own catechism? 
               
              
               Regarding babies, Catholics aren't 
                obliged to "rush" their children to be baptized. If a child dies 
                before baptism that child goes to be with God. Baptism is necessary 
                for salvation, but certainly God wouldn't count it against a child 
                who was unable to be baptized!  
             
             I guess they don't teach logic at Roman Catholic seminaries. 
              Something is either necessary or it isn't. As Malachi 3:6 says, 
              For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore 
              ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. That Scripture predates 
              the church, incidentally. If God requires baptism for salvation, 
              that's it -- God requires baptism for salvation.  
              
               Historically we acknowledge three types 
                of baptism: water, blood, and desire. Water is obvious. Blood 
                is martyrdom before baptism (which was not uncommon in the first 
                centuries among those who were in the process of converting to 
                Christianity in the Roman Empire when Christianity was outlawed). 
                Desire is when the parents or the individual desired baptism but 
                were not able to follow through in a timely manner.  
             
             Consider this. Baptism is a transliteration of the word baptizo 
              for "immersion". So what you are saying to me is, you immerse in 
              water (Catholics sprinkle, which is not even an immersion); you 
              immerse in blood and you somehow manage to immerse in desire which 
              is not something you can even immerse in!  
              You can see that Catholic doctrine is built on lie after lie, 
              because first we have to lie about the very definition of the Greek 
              term "baptizo" to even continue with that line of discussion. I'm 
              not rightly sure what "baptize" means to you -- it's yet another 
              sacrifice for sin, obviously -- but what it means in the original 
              language is "immerse." You have to depart from the original meaning 
              of the word you base your doctrine on in order to explain it. Can't 
              you see there's something desperately wrong with that?  
              
               There is no limbo (contrary to some 
                popular belief) - just heaven and hell as our ultimate destinies. 
                 
             
             I understand there is some question even about that. Didn't 
              the pope recently say that heaven is not a place? I understand the 
              recantation of limbo occurred in the sixties; is this a new recantation 
              of the existence of heaven today?  
              
               Purgatory is another issue - but only 
                for those who are heavenbound. Most of us will need some purification 
                before we see God face to face. To be emptied of those things 
                which we cling to other than God. Yes, some popular piety made 
                it sound like a jail term when using descriptions of years and 
                hours to describe the time spent there. And some made it sound 
                like a "temporary hell." Those are not the preferred terms anymore. 
                Some things changed after Vatican II. Read the Vatican II documents. 
                You might be surprised (although no DOCTRINAL changes were made). 
                  
             
             By claiming that we need more purification, you are saying 
              a number of things I think you should rethink, and I mean, in emergency 
              fashion. Because what you are saying speaks terrible blasphemies 
              against God.  
              But now the righteousness of God without 
              the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 
              22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ 
              unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 
              23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being 
              justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in 
              Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through 
              faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission 
              of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, 
              I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and 
              the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. [Reference: 
              Romans 3:21-26.]  
              You are first of all claiming that Jesus sacrifice was not 
              enough for all of your sins; but the Bible uses the word "propitiation" 
              (Greek "hilasmos", which means to "to reconcile" or "make atonement"). 
              Therefore, if you actually believe in Christ, your atonement for 
              sin is already made; your reconciliation is already made.  
              Now, this propitiation is declared here to be a demonstration 
              of God's righteousness. So, in saying that you need purgatory, you 
              are denying that God is righteous, because it is a demonstration 
              of God's righteousness that He fully atoned for your sin. That's 
              quite a charge to lay on God. I wouldn't want to have it against 
              me at the judgment.  
              
               Believe me, I write this in all charity. 
                I have idea what your religious affiliation is although I have 
                friends in almost every Christian denomination: Baptist, Methodist, 
                Presbyterian, Evangelical, Lutheran, Episcopal, etc. We are not 
                looking for form one "harlot" religion as you say. We are just 
                looking to get past some of the nonsense we've been clinging to 
                for 350 years! While we have our differences in theology, we do 
                hold our faith in the resurrection of Christ in common!  
             
             We have an entirely different definition of faith. I believe 
              that when Christ said on the cross, "It is finished," it really 
              was finished. I believe in trusting Christ only for salvation, and 
              if I look to my good works or those of saints, or to the denomination 
              I am affiliated with, I condemn myself as one who does not trust 
              in Christ alone and His finished work on the cross.  
              To give Mary evil titles like co-redemptrix, the doctrine that 
              she is our redeemer along with Christ and Christ alone is not our 
              redeemer, and to name her our mediator, is to deny Christ's identity 
              as our only redeemer and our only mediator with God. I know, you're 
              going to cry "inaccurate," so here's your catechism reference:  
              969 "... Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving 
              office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us gifts 
              of eternal salvation.... Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked 
              in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, 
              and Mediatrix."  
              blips 12:24 identifies Jesus as the sole mediator of the 
              New Covenant. And to Jesus the mediator of 
              the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh 
              better things than that of Abel.  
              You are either dishonest or uninformed about the goals of your 
              own church with regard to restoring a one-world church. From your 
              catechism:  
              820 Christ bestowed unity on his Church from the beginning. 
              This unity, we believe, subsists in the Catholic Church as something 
              she can never lose ...The desire to recover the unity of all Christians 
              is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit.  
              And if you weren't trying to create a "one world church", you 
              should be, considering this belief:  
              834 Particular Churches are fully catholic through their communion 
              with one of them, the Church of Rome "which presides in charity." 
              "For with this church, by reason of its pre-eminence, the whole 
              Church, that is the faithful everywhere, must necessarily be in 
              accord"  
              So, let's be honest, shall we? Your church wants to create 
              a one world church, which judging from your catechism would include 
              even Muslims. That would give it all the Scriptural qualifications 
              of a "harlot" church.  
              If you want to get past nonsense, get past 1800 years of Roman 
              Catholicism and get back to the Bible. I don't know why the plain 
              truth of the Bible is not the basis of the efforts at reconciliation, 
              but rather, "agreement to disagree." As I have demonstrated, Catholic 
              doctrine is quite dangerous to the soul. If I am dutiful topiano coversd 
              Christ, I will oppose it; if I deny Christ, I will sit idly and 
              let fellow believers be victimized by organizations like the Catholic 
              church.  
              These reconcilation attempts are also typical of Catholic illogic. 
              There cannot be multiple truths. There is true, and there is false. 
              But you allow things such as Islam, which is evidently false, and 
              Fatima, which would certainly seem counter-biblical to me, to be 
              believed by whomever wishes.  
              One of the reasons Catholics are hard to pin down is their 
              doctrines are internally self-contradictory. I mean, right here 
              we see that you can be saved if you are Islamic and unbaptized, 
              but baptism is necessary for salvation. I mean, if I were to take 
              your belief that baptism is necessary for salvation and refute that, 
              you'd come back and say, "We don't believe that, because even Muslims 
              can be saved." (I've actually had this tactic used on me by one 
              of your fellows.) There's always an answer in a doctrine as twisted 
              and self-contradictory as yours, as long as your whole doctrines 
              are not taken into account.  
              When something contradicts the whole tenor of the Bible, you 
              say things like, "Well, you don't have to believe it." That was 
              your response to the Fatima apparition. I'm not "required" to believe 
              it.  
              If you were a shepherd, would you allow poison into the feed? 
              No. You wouldn't say to the sheep, "Oh, by the way, you don't have 
              to eat that poison. You can eat around it." No, you would take the 
              poison out of the feed. So as a shepherd of Christ's church, why 
              would you not purge out false teachings?  
              
               I would challenge you to read a book 
                entitled Catholicism and Fundamentalism by Karl Keating. It might 
                clear up some misconceptions. Also, Setting the Record Straight: 
                What Catholics Really Believe by the same author.  
             
             I think I've shown I don't really have the misconceptions you 
              allege. Actually, I am well used to the tactic of charges of ignorance 
              and inaccuracy, which is why I remain prepared as I do to answer 
              detractors such as yourself.  
              I would challenge you to read the Bible, and rather than twist 
              it to a Catholic interpretation, read it for what it really says. 
              I assure you, the Author is a much more learned and reliable fellow 
              than even Karl Keating.  
              
               If you have any questions, or wish 
                to engage in a dialogue I would welcome your questions and comments. 
                 
             
             I think I'll save the dialogue for people like the evangelicals 
              who signed the "Evangelicals and Catholics Together" agreement. 
              You will note that I have included every word from your original 
              e-mail interspersed with my comments so this is a reliable account 
              of our conversation. I believe the foregoing provides a sufficient 
              outlet for your attempts to call into question the article, "Our 
              Lady of Deception."  
              Our Lady of Deception is Copyright © 1999 by Compass Distributors 
              All Scripture in the article Our Lady of Deception taken from The 
              Holy Bible: King James Version  
            Take a look at some other articles and some freepiano coverse at the 
              Web Site of Compass 
              Distributors. 
             
            A PRACTICAL 
              APPLICATION OF FATIMA 
            May 30, 2000 
            The man who is serving a life sentence for the shooting of Pope 
              John Paul II is requesting clemency, following the Pope's revelation 
              that the third secret of Fatima was a prophetic vision of his assassination 
              attempt. 
              Mehmet Ali Agca argues that since his crime was "preordained," 
              he should be absolved of all responsibility. The 43-year-old Turk, 
              who is in prison in Ancona on Italy's east coast, envisions a holy 
              life for himself, as a preacher spreading the message of Fatima. 
              
              Agca sent a letter to the Pope pleading "Your Holiness, help 
              me" on May 13, the 19th anniversary of the shooting and the day 
              the Vatican disclosed the third secret of Fatima. He followed it 
              up with a telegram five days later on the Pope's 80th birthday. 
              "I am hoping for the diplomatic intercession of the Vatican [for 
              my release]," he told Reuters in a recent interview. "The Pope is 
              not the only one who makes sacrifices and dedicates his life to 
              humanity."  
            One of the bullets fired is placed in the crown of the statue 
              of the Virgin Mary at Fatima. 
             
            BACK 
              TO "WINDSWEPT HOUSE"  
              AND THE REAL THIRD SECRET as of July 1 
              
              
              
            
              
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