Why I Left The Roman Catholic Church

A Passionate Plea for all of My Family and Friends to Re-Examine their Participation in the Roman Catholic Faith by Teryl Hebert

In the Beginning

I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church. My parents were faithful to the church and they devoutly participated in all of the sacraments of Roman Catholicism and raised me, my older brother and younger sister in those sacraments and traditions. Our family was from the Cajun French culture of south Louisiana and almost everyone we knew was Roman Catholic. As I write this I’m not sure whether it’s right to say Cajun Catholic or Catholic Cajun, in our world, being Catholic and Cajun was synonymous.

I was christened Roman Catholic as an infant. I went to St. Isadore Roman Catholic School from first to third grades. I was confirmed as a Roman Catholic, made my first confession, and my first communion as a Roman Catholic. I went to catechism and learned the Roman Catholic doctrines that prepared me for the sacraments.

My parents taught us Roman Catholic prayers and we would recite them before bedtime each evening. My parents were very good people. They were devoted to each other and they lived to bring us up right. They taught us a good work ethic and to be faithful to one another and to whatever work that you were given to do. We had our family problems but we had a good family. I cannot thank my parents enough for how they raised us. We went to mass every week. We fasted from meats and even made The Way of the Cross on Friday’s during lent. We would make Tuesday night Novena’s, I still can recall and recite much of the mass.

Growing up, we made frequent trips from Baton Rouge to Palmetto Louisiana, where my family was originally from. As children, the one hour and fifteen minute drive seemed like an eternity and my brother and sister and I would oftentimes get pretty rowdy in the back seat of the car. When we got too rambunctious my mother would open the little coin purse that she always carried with her and out would come the Rosary and we knew what was next, we all had to pray the rosary, Oh Noooo!

The drive took an hour and fifteen minutes but it seems like the Rosary took about two hours, time stood still in my youthful mind as we prayed bead after bead of what seemed like at least a ten foot long Rosary, I’m sure my mother’s Rosary had extra sections added to it. We were absolutely Roman Catholic!

Speaking of the Rosary, our best friends had the habit of praying the Rosary every evening before supper and anyone who happened to be at their house at 5:30 p.m. was going to pray the Rosary too. We learned to get out of there by 5:00 but sometimes we would play too long and all of a sudden it was Rosary time. My brother and I would try to sneak off and make the short walk home but too late, busted, we would hear the demand to get back in the house and take our place on our knees and well you know, we “said our beads” as the old folks used to say.

And, as I said, pretty much everyone that we were involved with in our lives was Roman Catholic and Cajun. We Cajun folks are a passionate bunch. We loved to laugh, eat good food, drink alcohol, we cussed like sailors, we worked hard, and we played hard, we went to church on Sunday or Saturday evenings and then we worked hard, and played hard some more.

I loved our culture and our heritage, I love my Roman Catholic family and my Roman Catholic friends. I really needed to emphasize that before I begin to say why I left the Roman Catholicism.

Getting Personal, My Testimony

As a child, I must say that I had deep thoughts about God. I can remember going to Saint Isadore and it seemed like that was the biggest building in the world. We dipped our hands in the Holy water as we entered the building and made the sign of the cross. As we arrived at our usual pew we genuflected and made the sign of the cross again before being seated. I vividly remember looking at the crucifix that is behind the altar of every Roman Catholic Church that I have ever attended. I saw the crown of thorns on Christ’s head. The artwork was very detailed to show the nails in His hands and His feet, and the wound on His side. I would sit and wonder, “Why did Jesus die?”

With all of my religious training, I always knew that Jesus was the Son of God and that He died on the cross. But, I never knew why He died. All of the externals of the sacraments failed to reach me internally. I was a willing vessel but I cannot recall any of my religious instructors ever attempting to put Christ in my heart. Therefore, He always seemed far away, for this little kid, the distance from the pew to the wall behind the altar was a million miles away. All of the ceremony and pomp failed to get Christ in me or me in Christ. Something was missing and I was determined to fill the voids in my life.

When I became a teenager, I began more and more to resist participating in the rituals of Rome. To me, it was lifeless and boring, and most of all it was not doing anything in my heart. So I began a Prodigal journey so to speak. I just quit going to church and began to live a partying lifestyle. I drank lots of alcohol and did lots of drugs. I fornicated with lots of women and fought lots of men. I pretty much forsook all that I was ever taught and became a very sinful man.

In the late seventies something began to happen to me. I was miserable, like the Prodigal Son in the Bible I had come to the end of my partying. Five years of non-stop drinking and drugging will take a toll on you and all of my sins were killing me. Be sure, the wages of sin is death! And my body was paying dearly, I felt sick from sleep deprivation and alcohol/drug poisoning.

But more than that, my conscience began to bother me. I knew that if I were to die I would go straight to hell. None of the sacraments preformed on me would prevent me from paying for my rebellion against a Holy God. I was under conviction in my conscience because of my sins, and I began to fear that I was going to die and go to hell.

I remember one particular night, I was in the bar room where I worked as the bouncer, and God began to speak to my heart. I remember so clearly, I was standing near the bar when the Spirit of God spoke to me and said, “What are you doing in here?” “You don’t belong here.” I truly thought that I was losing my mind. The voice wasn’t audible but it was loud and clear to me and it was shouting that I needed to change!

I recall from then on that my thoughts of God began to return to me. I would secretly read a Bible that an old girlfriend had given to me in high school. I would sit alone in the house I rented, with a glass of whiskey in one hand and a joint in the other hand and my Bible on my lap, and I would read.

This was the first time in my life that I ever read the Bible!!! But the power that came from that Book, WOW!!! I remember reading, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.” In my conviction I would vacillate from being broken and cut to the heart at what God was saying to being angry at Him for requiring such a hard thing from me. Oh what a war was raging inside of me.

A friend of mine invited me to go to the health club with him one day and so I went. I hadn’t worked out since my football days and I was terribly out of shape. We met a man there that was the brother of one of my football coaches and we worked out with him. He took an interest in me and told me that he would personally train me. So I began to get my body back in shape. The more I would work out the more clearly I was able to think.

For five years I had been in a chemical coma, brain dead, and now I was starting to come out of that fog. I was able to reason again instead of mindlessly going right back to the things that were killing me. I thought, “Why would I work out then go smoke, drink, and do drugs? It’s just not healthy.” So I was cleaning up my act. But I found that I could only humanly achieve a measure of external cleansing but I could not do one thing to cure the internal filth.

I started going to church again, I went a few times to the Roman Catholic Church and quickly discovered that it was still as unable to reach my heart as it was before. I was searching for life and it was not there. They had seventeen years to get me and now they would not get another year. So I attended a Methodist Church with my girlfriend (now she’s my wife). I didn’t find what I was looking for there either.

One night one of my friends (he’s now my brother-in-law), invited me to a tent revival at his church, so I went. The meeting was rained out so we went into the building and watched a movie, I think it was called “The Mark of the Beast”, it was very stirring but it was not what I was looking for either. But at the end of the film, a preacher began to make a passionate plea to come out of sin. I had never heard such a thing nor did I know that it was possible. As a matter of fact, I thought that he was talking just to me. Every time he named a sin, I was guilty (I’d broken all of the commandments) I really thought someone told him I was there.

But then he said something that I will never forget. He said, “You need PEACE in your heart.” That was it! I would have given anything to get that peace that he was promising. He invited everyone forward and I immediately went to the front to pray. I remember standing there totally focused on God Himself, I said something like this, Lord, You know what I’ve done, You know what I’ve become, please Lord, give me that peace that the man was talking about and I will do whatever You tell me to do.

I didn’t get the “peace” that night, but what I did get was a vision. From that time forward I had the vision of the crucified Son of God on the cross. Much like the crucifixes depicted but much more graphic and brutal. His face was beaten beyond recognition, and it pained me to even look at it. This vision stayed with me for weeks, no matter what I was doing I could see the crucified face of Jesus.

I had made a promise at the tent revival that I would do whatever God told me to do, but I didn’t have a clue what God wanted from me. So I began to search the Bible, this time without drugs and alcohol, only a hungry heart sincerely seeking the Will of God.

So now I was reading the Bible with a fixed vision of the crucified face of Jesus. Then the question that I had as a little boy in the Roman Catholic Church came back to me, “Why did Jesus die?” I knew that He did, but Why? I believed that He did, but Why? One day as I was reading the Bible, God once again spoke personally to my heart, He said, “Jesus took what you deserved.”

Finally God answered my question. Those five words became the most powerful sentence I ever heard. All I ever knew about Jesus was good, and all that I thought about myself was evil. The very thought that Jesus suffered for what I did was unbearable to me. I said out loud, “That’s not fair.” I remember that a sense of fear and panic swept through my heart. I thought that I had just been partying but the fact that my foolishness caused Jesus this pain tore through my heart. I began to weep uncontrollably.

I felt the presence of God surround me like I had never known. I remember feeling totally unworthy to be in His presence and I resisted. But then, I dropped all resistance and that presence filled my heart. I felt like every sin that I ever committed was pouring out of my eyes. Like a great displacement, as the sins poured out the presence of God was pouring into me.

Then for the first time in my adult life, the peace of God filled me. I was born again. The old man that I was died, I was a new creature in Christ. The former things passed away, truly, all things became new. Hallelujah!!!

The Word of God

My new found peace was overwhelming, I was so blessed and full of joy, I wasn’t empty or angry anymore, I was saved!!!

The Bible became my best friend. I literally devoured it like a starving man. The more I read the more I wanted to read. I remember driving down the road in my truck reading my Bible with it perched in the center of my steering wheel (I don’t suggest anyone else do that). I just couldn’t put it down.

Then one day a Divine stirring began to happen in me, I began to ask, “Why has no one ever told me the things that are written in this Book?” I was angry, not like before, but a truly righteous indignation rose up in me particularly at the Roman Catholic Church.

All of the sacraments, rosaries, masses, confessions, communions, homilies, that I had participated in, I couldn’t recall not one attempt to tell me that I needed to be born again. In my immaturity and zeal I did not handle this indignation very well, or on the other hand, maybe I did, God knows I wasn’t trying to be mean but I had family and friends attending week after week, ritual after ritual, and I was concerned for their souls. Although most of my family and friends weren’t as extreme as I was, most were involved in just as much of a sinful life.

I didn’t know of one person in my Roman Catholic world that had been born again, NOT ONE! I did find that once I began to discuss this that most Roman Catholics became Hyper-Roman Catholic. Instead of seeking to be born again they dug in deeper to their religion.

In 1981, I renounced my Roman Catholic christening, confirmation, confession, catechism, and communion. I found through the Holy Scriptures that Roman Catholicism was so far from the Bible that I could not in good conscience hold to those things.

It is not my intent to offend any Roman Catholics. I still love the people but I do not love the Roman Catholic institution. And now for the rest of this writing I will take one issue at a time and compare the Roman Catholic tradition to what the Bible says about it. I am not trying to be rebellious or proud. The things I say, I say with a heavy heart. You may even say, “Are you saying that 1.2 Billion Roman Catholics are wrong?” Let me say to that logic, “I believe that 1 Billion Muslims are wrong.” And the thing that makes me say that Muslims are wrong is the same thing that makes me say that Roman Catholics are wrong, The Bible, God’s Word to us, is my sole authority to make such a claim.

The things I’m saying are not my opinion, they are what the Word of God says. Please hear me, I am not trying to offend but to instruct. Read the rest of this writing and then judge what I say, I will keep my comments as brief as possible because there is so much ground to cover but I will make a Biblical case for each point to show the blatant contradictions and fabrications of the Roman Catholic Church.

Christening

I was sprinkled with water as a child by the will of my parents. This is Roman Catholic salvation. I have been to many Roman Catholic funerals and I have seen the burials of some folks who I know were unrepentant sinners that were never born again. And the priest would sprinkle the coffin with water to remind us of that person’s baptism (christening) and tell us that they were saved by that infant baptism. This is the norm for Roman Catholicism.

Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

The Bible clearly says that one must believe and be baptized. So then salvation is by faith not by the work of the priest sprinkling you. I submit to you that when I was sprinkled as a child, I had not yet believed, neither can any infant believe.

Roman Catholics believe the Augustinian doctrine of “original sin.” They believe that we come into this world already guilty because of the first man, Adam’s sin. So if a baby were to die then they would not be eligible for heaven because of Adam’s sin so they would go to purgatory (another Augustinian fabrication, we’ll come back to this one). That’s why they are in a hurry to get a child christened as soon as possible, in case they die and go to purgatory.

Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…”

Adam did commit the original sin bringing sin into the world and “death by sin.” But death, not sin, passed to all men. That death is working in all of us from birth. We call it the sinful nature or the total depravity of man. Man left alone, can and will fall into all sorts of sins, that is total death and the sinful nature working in us. I am guilty of my sins and you are guilty of yours, but I’m not guilty of Adam’s and neither are you.

I list this one first because it’s where Roman Catholicism starts for us and this is considered salvation. I have only briefly touched on the doctrine of salvation but I have written a book called “The Doctrines of Christ” where I discuss this doctrine in depth. I can find nothing in Scripture that secures salvation through infant baptism. This wasn’t even practiced until after Roman Emperor Constantine reformed the church’s structure in 317 a.d. followed by the theologian Augustine who reformed the church’s doctrine to fit Constantine’s structure. I have written a book that thoroughly covers this subject called “Biblical Church.” (You can read both of those books for free online at www.housechurchesusa.com).

This is the doctrine of salvation. Your eternity depends on it. If you start wrong you will finish wrong. There are doctrines that the Bible calls “damnable heresies.” In other words, there are some erroneous teachings that can send you to hell. I believe that infant baptism gives people a false security that because they are sprinkled they will go to heaven. Hear what the Apostle Peter (supposedly the first Pope) tells us in his epistle.

I Peter 3:20-21,  …when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”

Washing your flesh in baptismal water does not save us. Washing our conscience in the blood of Christ does. Please consider this carefully, your soul depends on it.

The Sacrifice of the Mass

The pinnacle of Roman Catholic worship is known as the sacrifice of the mass. This begins when the priest raises the “host” or wafer to heaven and declares, “Lord accept this sacrifice from our hands to the praise and glory of your name, for our good and the good of all your holy church.” With that the “sacrifice of the mass” begins. Roman Catholics believe that a reenactment of the crucifixion takes place at each “sacrifice of the mass.” Jesus is put to death each time the mass is performed.

Hebrews 9:24-28,24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 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. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

The Bible clearly says that Christ was “ONCE” offered for sins. And, His perfect sacrifice is the end of ALL sacrifices. Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, His perfect sacrifice was enough for all who will come to Him by faith.

Now I know that some will say, “No, the sacrifice of the mass is a memorial.” So which is it? A memorial or does the sacrifice of the mass actually put Jesus to death again and then the host and the wine literally turn into His physical body and actual blood?

That’s not a memorial, that’s a re-crucifixion. Roman Catholics reject this as a memorial claiming that the communion table is a time to literally eat the body and blood of Jesus. Let’s look a little further into the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation.

The Roman Catholic Communion

Roman Catholics believe that when the priest performs the “sacrifice of the mass” that the bread and wine literally turn into the physical body and blood of Jesus. And that according to the Words of Jesus found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s gospels, that when Jesus says, “This is My Body” and “This is My Blood” that when the priest performs the sacrifice of the mass the bread and wine “transubstantiate” or one substance literally turns into another substance. In this case, Roman Catholics believe that they are literally eating the physical body and drinking the actual blood of Jesus Christ.

They believe quite literally that they are fulfilling the Words of Jesus found in John 6:51-58, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.”

Let me point out that Jesus in John chapter six was not serving the Lord’s Supper or even a Passover meal. He was absolutely talking about how to have eternal life. And the reference to eating His body and drinking His blood can easily be explained. Jesus, when contending with the devil while being tempted in the wilderness said,

Matthew 4:3-4, And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Eating bread is compared to eating the Word of God. So ingesting the Word of God is how we are to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Compare that thought to the Roman Catholic position on Communion. Jesus is re-crucified during the sacrifice of the mass and then through transubstantiation they then cannibalistically proceed to eat His body and drink His blood and that is just a barbaric thought.

You do not get the impression of New Testament cannibalism from the Apostle Paul when addressing the Communion Table.

I Corinthians 11:23-32, “ For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”

Eating and drinking in memory of Him is much different than literally eating His members. The Lord’s Table is a memorial service, a time to reflect on what He did for us on the cross as His body was broken and His blood was spilled out. And while we are thinking of His suffering on the cross we are to judge our own selves to see if we are in a right relationship with Him. That we are not attempting to commune with Him while we have an active willful sin in our life, and neither are we eating in a flippant presumptuous manner.

Roman Catholics are right to make this a focal point of worship but they are wrong to think it’s a time to actually kill and eat Jesus. It grieves me that most non-Roman Catholic denominations don’t give the communion table more of a prominent role in their worship services.

One final thought on transubstantiation, as I said, Roman Catholics believe that wafer and the wine literally turn into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. In other words, they believe that He manifests every time that the sacrifice of the mass is performed.

Matthew 24:23-26, 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.”

Jesus clearly warned about those who make claims that He’s appearing here and there. He said for us not to go to see and don’t believe them. Reader be warned.

Authority

In a local Roman Catholic assembly the priest is in authority. He is submitted to the area Bishop, who is submitted to a regional Cardinal, who is submitted to the Pope. This pyramid structure is absolutely unbiblical. I have written an entire book about this called “Biblical Church” where I thoroughly discuss this erroneous church structure that was concocted by Roman Emperor Constantine and then adopted even by the Reformers and now is commonplace among most churches that practice Christian religion.

Please know this, I not only left the Roman Catholic Church but I also left the so called “Evangelical” Churches including those that I started because of this false, non-Biblical structure. I am still thoroughly engaged in the church but I refuse to participate in the pyramid structure be it Roman Catholic or Evangelical.

The Roman Catholic authority structure is Pope, tradition, and then Scripture. The Pope is called many things such as “The Holy Father,” “The Vicar,” or “His Eminence.” He is considered to represent Christ on earth and to be infallible. All of the Roman Catholic priests are called “Father.”

The Pope is called “Vicar,” short for “vicarious,” the substitute one who stands in place of another. The Pope is not our vicar, Jesus Christ is the vicarious sacrifice for His church.

Jesus said in a sermon denouncing the religious leaders of Jerusalem in Matthew 23:9, And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”

In absolute contradiction to Jesus’ teaching Roman Catholics are taught to call all Roman Catholic priests “father.” Not only should the priests refuse to be called that but the people should refuse to that term.

I remember when the Bishop would come to the local church that people would line up to bow before him and kiss his ring. Do you know that the actual definition of worship (Greek, proskyneo) means to kiss, like a dog licking its master’s hand. I certainly could take that posture before the Lord Jesus but I will never again bow and lick the hand of a Roman Catholic bishop to worship him!

Consider the actions of the Apostle John when he was taken up into heaven and shown so many marvelous things.

Revelation 19:9-10, And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

The person showing John around in heaven refused to be worshipped but Roman Catholic Bishops demand it.

Consider the Apostle Peter, who is supposedly first in the Papal succession. Look what the first Pope did when Cornelius attempted to worship him:

Acts 10:25-26, 25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. 26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.”

Consider the Apostles Paul and Barnabas when they healed a crippled man in the town of Lystra.

Acts 14:13-18, 13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. 14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, 15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: 16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. 18 And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.”

Once again, we see that the Apostles refused any attempt to be worshiped by men. Yet Roman priests accept this adoration all of the time.

Did you notice that I mentioned that the flow of Roman Catholic authority is Pope, tradition, then the Scripture? Scripture must take the first place in the flow of authority to every believer. The more that time passes from the time that Jesus spent on earth and the original twelve apostles of the Lamb finished out their lives, the more room there is for us to lose what they were teaching. I believe with all of my heart that the Bible is God’s inerrant Word. Given to us and preserved by His Divine decree. We must never let the Scripture take a back seat to any one, or any trend, or to anything!!!

II Timothy 3:16-17, “16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

The Bible is given to instruct man, not vice versa.

II Peter 1:17-21, 16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

We have a “more sure word of prophecy” the written Word of God as He spoke to and through holy men by the Holy Ghost. That Sure Word is preserved and given to us in the Bible. We must take care to let the Scriptures make us wise unto salvation or men will deceive us into damnation!

We never read the Bible as Roman Catholics nor were we encouraged to do so. I would encourage all of my Roman Catholic family and friends to open the Scriptures and read for themselves, especially the New Testament, and see if what I’m saying is Biblical or not.

Worship

The second of the Ten Commandments is, Exodus 20:4-5,Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me…”

But did you know that the Roman Catholics do not list this as the 2nd Commandment? No, they conveniently omit this one and then make two parts of the 10th Commandment. Instead of the 10th Commandment being simply, “Thou shalt not covet” they make it two parts saying the 9th Commandment is “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife” and the 10th “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors goods.”

So why omit the 2nd Commandment? Could it be because Roman Catholic worship centers are filled with graven images? Statues of “patron saints” and Mary the mother of Jesus are in every Roman Catholic building. In Guadalajara, Mexico, I visited the Roman Catholic Church there and they actually have the corpse of a young girl named “Innocent.” They pray to her and give her money, how is this not idolatry and worshipping graven images?

Did you know that when the priest bows and kisses the altar during the mass, that the place that he is kissing on the altar is a hollowed out spot containing bones, clothing, or hair from one of the dead “saints”? How is this not idolatry? How is this not a direct violation of the 1st Commandment which says that you shall have no God before me? And the 2nd Commandment that tells us not to bow before ANY graven image? Could it be that the entire Roman Catholic worship experience is pagan and cultic? Could it actually having the same affect that backslidden Israel had during the time of the prophet Amos?

Amos 5:21-27, 21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. 22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. 23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. 24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. 25 Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? 26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. 27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts”

Israel, our example, went astray and began to worship idols. Please dear Roman Catholic friends please consider if maybe, just maybe, this is happening again in the Roman Catholic Church?

Prayers

Roman Catholics pray to God, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, St. Isadore, St. Jude (any one with the title of saint), Michael the Archangel, dead relatives, and just about anybody or anything, they pray to them or it. How is this different from any pagan ritual? At my grandmother’s funeral the priest said that we could now pray to her because she is strong, then a few minutes later he said that she is weak and is in purgatory, and that if we ever leave the Roman Catholic Church she will never get out of purgatory. So we must remain Roman Catholic to pray her out of purgatory. What? Which is it? This is superstitious paganism that is being practiced by 1.2 Billion people!

Jesus said in Matthew 6:6, But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

Christ Himself told us to pray to our Father in heaven. The Biblical references that tell us to pray to God, in the name of Jesus, and through the power of the Holy Spirit are too numerous to list here, so I won’t even try. I’ll just share this one verse:

Jesus said in John 16:23-24, 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

Just before leaving this earth our Lord Jesus Christ told us to pray to the Father in Jesus’ name. Go search your Bibles, there are no references that tell us to pray to the saints or to Mary, none! NOT ONE!!! So why do it? This is mindless paganism! Please my dear Roman Catholic family and friends, consider what you are doing, this is nothing more than idolatry.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:7, But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”

Jesus said that praying vain repetitions is a heathen practice but Roman Catholics in direct contradiction to our Lord do exactly that. I remember going to confession (I’ll say more about this later) and confessing my sins to the priest and then he would give me my “penance” go say ten Our Fathers and ten Hail Mary’s. What? Just go mindlessly say the same thing over and over again, why? I have nothing against praying the Lord’s Prayer “Our Fathers” but I must say something about the “Hail Mary”.

Hail Mary

The “Hail Mary” is mindlessly repeated as the entire Roman Catholic Church venerates Mary to a place of Deity. The first part of the “Hail Mary” is partially Scriptural.

When the Angel of the Lord greeted Mary to announce that she would be miraculously used by God to bear God’s Son, the angel said

Luke 1:28, 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ 

And then when Mary visited her cousin Elisabeth we have the rest of the first part of the “Hail Mary”:

Luke 1:42, And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”

So the first part of the “Hail Mary” goes like this, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus”. They do derive these words from Scripture but how do Roman Catholics justify praying this prayer to Mary?

Then there’s the non-Scriptural second part of the “Hail Mary” which says, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death, amen.” This blasphemous prayer actually places Mary above God Himself! The rosary is a string of beads, five sets of ten beads used to repetitiously recite the Hail Mary. Each set of ten Hail Mary’s begin with an “Our Father” and end with a “Gloria Patri.” Once again I will point out the unscriptural practice of praying vain repetions. But let me go further and say that more than the vain repetions the prayer beads themselves are taken from pagan worshippers like Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists.

Mary is not the mother of God! Yes, Jesus is God, and yes, she did bear the physical body of the Lord in her womb. But she is not the mother of God! Mary was not among the Godhead when the world was created. She is the mother of the son of man not the Son of God. She bore His flesh and that is a very blessed honor. But, she did not empower Him with the Holy Spirit.

There was a saying among Roman Catholics sometime back that went like this, “If you can’t get something from Jesus, ask His mother.” Let me show you something about usurping the authority of the King.

When Solomon was first being established on the throne as King of Israel after his father King David, his brother Adonijah went to Solomon’s mother Bathsheba to ask a request. Solomon is the King (a type of King Jesus), but Solomon’s brother is going to Bathsheba the King’s mother (a type of Mary). Adonijah asked (prayer) for Bathsheba to approach the King for him. The request was not only denied but Solomon had Adonijah put to death for utterly usurping his authority and trying to take the throne from him. You can read this story in I Kings 2:12-25.

There is also a doctrine in Roman Catholicism known as “The Assumption of Mary”. They “assume” that Mary was taken up to heaven just like Jesus was. Really? You assume this? Based on what?

Jesus said in 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.”

Jesus claims that He is exclusively the way to the Father. Mary did not live a “sinless life” nor did she die on the cross, get buried, and rise from the dead. Jesus Christ is Lord even over Mary!!!

Please dear Roman Catholic family and friends repent of the pagan idolatry of praying to Mary. No person that was ever greatly used by God would ever allow anyone to pray to them or to worship them. This is reserved only for the Godhead and I say with all confidence that Mary the mother of Jesus is not a part of the Godhead.

Confession 

The Bible clearly teaches us to confess our sins, even to one another.

James 5:16, 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

I don’t have a problem with confessing my sins to another person because the Bible tells us to. So the Roman Catholics are partly right on this one. But, once the sins are confessed to the priest, he in turn gives you a penance to perform. As I said earlier, this usually means to go pray vain repetitions. The Scripture never teaches us to do “penance,” rather we are taught to repent.

According to Webster’s Dictionary (penance is not a Biblical word so I have to use a secular definition), penance is something that you do or are given to do in order to show that you are sad or sorry about doing something wrong.

1:  an act of self-abasement, mortification, or devotion performed to show sorrow or repentance for sin

2:  a sacramental rite that is practiced in Roman, Eastern, and some Anglican churches and that consists of private confession, absolution, and a penance directed by the confessor

3:  something (as a hardship or penalty) resembling an act of penance (as in compensating for an offense).

These unscriptural “works” of penance to obtain absolution from the priest, besides being a doctrinal error, have been one of the major sources of corruption in Roman Catholic history, including to sale of “indulgencies” to buy you or your loved ones way out of purgatory. Rome amassed its fortunes with this abuse of power.

The Bible teaches us something very different about dealing with sins:

I John 2:1-2, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

How about that for a contrast? The Bible tells us to go to Jesus as our Advocate but Rome tells us the priest is our advocate.

Furthermore, the Apostle Paul taught us something very different from the works of penance to show sorrow and remorse, it’s called repentance:

II Corinthians 7:10-11, 10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”

Romans 2:4, Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

God’s goodness and grace leads us to repentance (a change in the way you think and a turning away from former behavior). Notice that it’s godly sorrow that causes us to repent unto salvation. True repentance will cause us to clear ourselves of the whole matter of sinful behavior. Compare that to saying ten “Our Father’s” and ten “Hail Mary’s”.

Purgatory

I have mentioned the unscriptural (not in the Bible) teaching of the myth of purgatory. Roman Catholics believe that if an unchristened person (even a baby) dies that they go to purgatory. Purgatory is supposedly a place of “short term” punishment, like a mini hell, until they are released by absolution from the priesthood. This is a fabrication by the fourth century priest named Augustine. If you weren’t “good enough” for heaven, you go to the purging place of purgatory until you are good enough.

This damnable heresy has been used to abuse Roman Catholics for 1700 years. I mentioned before that the priest said that my grandmother was in purgatory and if any of us were to leave the Roman Catholic Church she would never come out! What a terrible attempt to instill fear in our family in order to keep us subject to this false doctrine.

Hear the Word of the Lord:

Hebrews 9:27, 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

There is no chance for mercy after death.

II Corinthians 5:6-8, Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

Hear me folks, when a Christian dies their spirit and soul immediately go to be with Christ. The body waits in the grave for the resurrection from the dead when our bodies will be resurrected and reunited with our soul and spirit for eternity. When an unsaved person dies their spirit and soul immediately goes to hell and they too await the resurrection where they will receive a body that will burn forever in the lake of fire.

After death there is no chance to change!!! We are living NOW in the time of mercy, if there is any doubt, run to the cross of Christ and put all of your faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross for your salvation. Please don’t let the Roman Catholic Church deceive you for another minute.

Roman Catholicism’s Bloody Past

As I said earlier, I have written a book called “Biblical Church” that gives the history of the origins of Roman Catholicism. You can read my book for free online at www.housechurchesusa.com . How can the Roman Catholic Church get away with it’s murderous past and still have 1.2 billion people blindly follow its teachings. Rome is responsible for MULTITUDES OF MURDERS from the Crusades to the Inquisitions to even the genocide in Rwanda, the Roman priests have been responsible for unthinkable demonic examination by torture.

Please dear Roman Catholic go read Fox’s Book of Martyrs or Martyr’s Mirror and investigate for yourselves the brutal torture of people who have dared to disagree with Roman theology.

Hear the Word of the Lord:

Matthew 23:29-35, 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.”

Roman Catholicism’s religious leaders are as guilty as their Jewish counterparts for the murder of those who would bring a message that they disagreed with. Jesus will hold not only those who committed the murders accountable but also those who continue to follow their teachings. I urge you dear reader to flee from the bloody Roman Catholic Church!

The bloody past and present of Rome is neatly swept under the proverbial rug out of sight from most of men but not out of God’s sight. Rome has learned to give itself cosmetic face lifts whenever the political winds of change demand it but Rome needs more than a face lift, it needs a heart transplant!

Revellings

Galatians 5:19-21, 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Notice in verse 21 that those who participate in “revellings” cannot inherit the kingdom of God. According to Strong’s Concordance, revelling means, carousal, a nocturnal and riotous procession of half drunken and frolicsome fellows who after supper parade through the streets with torches and music in honour of Bacchus or some other deity, and sing and play before houses of male and female friends; hence used generally of feasts and drinking parties that are protracted till late at night and indulge in revelry.

Many, not all, but many Roman Catholics love revelry. From Mardi Gras to St. Patrick’s Day, New Year’s Eve celebrations to October Fest, many Roman Catholics love a drunken street party. How are those things even close to being Christian? Don’t you see that Scripture plainly states that NO ONE who practices such things will inherit the Kingdom of God?

After I was born again my mother was very troubled that I was no longer Roman Catholic. She pleaded with me to come to church with her one Sunday so I succumbed. It was time for October Fest and when we pulled up to the church there was a beer truck parked right there on the church grounds.

I was not surprised, I actually remember one October Fest when I was a child, and I saw our beloved priest in a drunken stupor, smoking cigars and stumbling around like a sot. I could see that mom was already nervous that the beer truck was on display but things went down hill from there. Once inside it came time for the “homily” and the priest stepped to up to the lectern and said, “Good food, and good fun, no sermon today” he then proceeded to have the mass then dismiss us so the reveling could commence. Mom was speechless, I never went back again nor will I.

Final Appeal

Time would fail me to go on pointing out the glaring issues with the Roman Catholic Church. Sure they have hospitals, homeless shelters, food and clothing ministries and lots of good works but will those “good works” make up for damnable heresy? The Bible tells us teaches us that we are to repent of “dead works” (Hebrew 6:1-3).

My friend gave me a great analogy that I think would fit well here. If I cooked some brownies and gave you some and you declared that they were delicious. Only then I tell you that there was a little bit of feces in them but it wasn’t too much. Would you continue eating the delicious brownies or would you throw them out? Would you smile and laugh it off or would you be angry with me?

I tell you Rome has been feeding defiled food to its parishioners for centuries but it seems the congregants can’t get enough of the defiled Roman Brownies. The Bible says, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” I think that there is more than a “little leaven” in the non-Biblical teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

I will give you one final Biblical plea to leave the Roman Catholic Church that is found in:

Revelation 18:1-5, “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.”

I believe that the Roman Catholic Church is spiritual “Babylon” and that God is going to call His people out of that unholy system in the last days. I believe we are in the last days and I urge you dear friends come out of her God’s people.

Please prayerfully consider what I am writing. I know that many of you will hate me for what I just said, but I would rather take the chance of offending you here than see you go to eternal judgment deceived by Roman Catholic heresy.

I have no desire to offend or just make you angry, I want to see you repent and turn to Jesus with all of your heart, soul, and strength. Some others of you may think that I’m right, please know that I will gladly help anyone to turn from Roman Catholic idolatry and turn to Christ. If I can help you please email me at ccctr@cox.net and I will get back to you and do whatever I can to help you.

With Much Love,

Teryl Hebert
Oikos Ministries

If you’re in the Catholic Church, Jesus has lovingly called you to, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.“ Revelation 18:4

Come out of her and know true salvation, which is by faith in the atoning work of the Lamb of God, Christ Jesus.

Click here to watch some short videos from Teryl Hebert to understand what is a true Biblical Church.

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