I was wondering about the "pope" and Jesus's death, rising again, and sitting at the right hand of the Father ...
What does the Catholic religion teach about Jesus, about Mary, about the "father on earth"?
Why is Jesus displayed as dead on a cross?
What is the origin of the Catholic religion?
Where do the Romans and Pharisees come into this?
Could this be another false religion?
Yes, Catholicism is a false religion. Catholicism is a religious system built upon the authority of men and traditions that go beyond the Word of God. I do not believe it represents true biblical Christianity because some of its central teachings contradict the gospel revealed in Scripture.
The Bible tells us plainly, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Yet Catholicism teaches people to seek the intercession of Mary and the saints and to recognize the pope as the supreme earthly authority over the church.
Jesus Christ is the head of His church, not the pope (Colossians 1:18). And Jesus warned against replacing God's commandments with the traditions of men (Mark 7:8-9).
But the most serious issue is salvation itself.
The Bible says, “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” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Romans 4:5 goes even further: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
Salvation is not something we earn through religious ceremonies, sacraments, penance, or good works. It is God's gift through faith in Jesus Christ. True repentance and good works follow genuine faith, but they do not purchase our salvation.
Catholicism teaches that its sacraments are means through which saving grace is received and that justification involves an ongoing process of inward renewal and cooperation with grace. That is fundamentally different from teaching that the sinner is justified through faith in Christ apart from works.
Paul warned in Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.”
And in Galatians 2:21 he declared, “For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
Jesus did not come to establish a religious system through which men could earn their way into heaven. He came to save sinners. On the cross He declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30). His sacrifice was sufficient, and Hebrews 10:14 tells us, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
No pope, priest, sacrament, or religious institution can accomplish what Jesus Christ has already accomplished through His death and resurrection.
Acts 4:12 declares, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
That is why I reject Catholicism's teachings wherever they contradict the gospel. I am not judging the hearts of individual Catholics. God knows who truly belongs to Him. But a religious system that adds human requirements to justification must be tested and corrected by Scripture.
Salvation is not found in Catholicism, Protestantism, or any other religious institution. Salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. We are saved by God's grace through faith in Him, not by placing our confidence in religious works or the authority of men.
And if anyone, regardless of their religious title, teaches a gospel contrary to the one revealed in Scripture, Paul's warning in Galatians 1:8 still stands: “Let him be accursed.”
