Here is an article I wrote for my site www.ourtake.net
This is sure to get some tempers flaring, but I just need to say it.
It all started back when the Romans saw that Christianity was going to be the way to keep power. Suddenly everyone was to be Christian in the empire, those who weren't, were to be converted, while that in it self may not be such a bad thing, the intentions and the method left much to be desired. You see Rome's sole reason for converting the state religion to Christianity was to appease the people, so that they could be more easily controlled, religion via "traditions" became an excellent way of having direct control over people (ie. confessions to a priest). Not all places in the Roman Empire were Christian though, and so they had to be amalgamated in to the religion and the easiest way to do that was to integrate the traditions of those other faiths directly in to Catholicism (ie. praying to saints). Here is a list of things which separate Roman Catholicism from Christianity, and why they are wrong.
1.) Repetitious Prayer: In Roman Catholicism this is generally accompanied with the rosary as a way of ensuring enough prayers have been said. (You know that divine number of prayers required before God or Mary listens.) This was integrated in to Catholicism due to a number of religions in the Empire previously using praying beads and repetitious prayer. Later repetitious prayer was turned in to a form of control where by the sinner would need to confess their sins to a priest so that the priest could tell them how many repetitions to do so that they may be forgiven.
What Christians believe is this: Matthew 6:7,8 “When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him”
2.) Prayer to Mary or other saints/angels: Another large difference between Catholicism and Christianity is the allowance prayer to people or things other than Jesus and God. The obvious and major infraction in Catholicism is prayer to Mary the mother of Jesus. You see while Mary was blessed among women, she was still a human being and was never given special power beyond that of any other human, nor does or did she have special influence over Jesus, although that is why Catholics pray to her. You see many Catholics take Mary asking Jesus to turn water in to wine and him doing so as an indication that Jesus is more likely to do what Mary asks him. The truth of the matter is that Jesus replied to his mother in this way “who are you woman to ask this of me”. Jesus was not a happy camper when Mommy asked for a favour. The reason prayer to multiple spirits or gods was integrated in to Catholicism was again due to the past traditions of conquered people who would pray to different spirits “in charge” of different things. That was converted in to the many “patron saint of [insert cause here]”. Catholics believe that asking a dead person to pray for you is no different than asking a live person to pray for you, except that you must pray to the dead person for them to pray for you.
What Christians believe is this: 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” This makes it pretty obvious that you aren’t supposed to pray to anyone other than God and Jesus. (Read from 2:1 on for full context.). While the bible does mention in a few places having other LIVING people pray for you it NEVER mentions asking a dead person to pray for you. As that would be prayer to the dead person and if it worked it would mean they have power over God, and that just isn’t the case, and that INCLUDES MARY!
3.) Probably the most important difference is Salvation: In Roman Catholicism there are many ways to “better your chances” to go to heaven, including repentance of mortal sins, purgatory, or wearing a scapula when you die. Many of these “stairways” to heaven that you must climb in the Catholic religion were and still are used as ways to control Catholics by requiring them to go to the church or priests to ensure salvation, also so that they must do what the church says there is an over tone of never being able to be sure that you are saved and are going to heaven. Catholicism also maintains that you must be a “good” person to get to heaven (of course the definition of “good” is left to the church as another form of control.
What Christians believe is this: Matthew 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” And Christians also believe this: Ephesians 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.” And Christians believe this: Matthew 4:16 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” In other words being good isn’t going to get you to heaven because you are still a sinner, but so long as you repent and believe that God sacrificed Jesus for our sins so that we can go to heaven, than guess what – Christians believe you go to heaven. This allows for virtually no control of the church over people because it takes a very simple belief to become saved and go to heaven. Oh and you can’t loose your salvation as stated here: Matthew 10:28 “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” If you have eternal life once saved you can’t then become unsaved due to the fact that you would not previously have had eternal life. I know it’s confusing but it is logical.
There are many other differences between Catholicism and Christianity, like calling no man father in the context of faith because our true father is God in heaven. I am sure I could go on and on about the horrid way Catholicism warps Christianity, but really only one more point need be made. Christianity is not about the traditions of man, nor does it allow change to the word of God (the Bible) as stated here: Mark 7:9 “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” And near the very end of the book: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, may God add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, may God take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”