This powerful testimony is shared by a dear sister in Christ, Julie A. Kranz:
APOSTASY ALERT – ROMAN CATHOLICISM
.
Mark 7:9
And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
.
Coming out of the Roman Catholic Church was a very big step for me. Although it was many years ago, I remember it well. I had grown up in this religion and my entire family, immediate and extended were followers of it. When I was in college, I even taught the 2nd grade catechism class. My husband and I were married in it and both of our children were christened in it. When my daughter was a month old or so, God started nudging my heart. I bought a bible, a paraphrase, but a bible, nonetheless. I started reading it and realized that I could no longer attend mass. I started questing my entire belief system. I took out Catholic Catechism books from the local library and was shocked at what I read. There was so much mumbo jumbo and regulations that I had never heard of, but it was as plain as day, right in front of me in black and white. I felt chilled to the bone. I grabbed pen and paper and wrote a letter to my local church where I attended, asking the parish priest about the discrepancies that the church followed verses what the bible said. I waited and waited for a phone call or return letter of reply. None came. I had my answer and my church search began. Well, here I am 30 years later being fed a banquet each day…thanks to God and His love and mercy. Anyway, I want to explain to you, anyone who is still involved with the Roman Catholic Church, either personally or through family or friends.
.
Salvation is granted to a person upon believing in Christ (Acts 16:31). Believing in Christ is different than believing on Christ. Catholics believe IN Christ, meaning they know He existed at one time in history. Believing ON Christ is trusting in what He has done and in what He is doing in our life. By trusting and believing ON Him, salvation is assured to us. Salvation is a wonderful gift from God, granted to us, not by our works, but according to God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). These verses plainly show the problem that the Roman Catholic Church has in its beliefs. They feel that faith in Christ is not sufficient to save us. They teach that there are many things that a person must do in ADDITION to belief and trust in Jesus. Here are several of them: (The book of Catholic Doctrine was over 400 pages thick)
1) Belief in Jesus (this one is the only one that we agree with them on)
2) They believe in infant Baptism (Even those without understanding of what it means)
3) They believe that you must take the Eucharist to go to heaven (Works)
4) They believe you must receive 6 out of 7 sacraments, which are Baptism, First Communion, Reconcilliation (confession to the priest), Confirmation, Marriage (in a Catholic Church only), Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders (Entering the Priesthood)
5) They believe you must obey all Catholic doctrine (non-catholics go to hell)
6) They believe that you must perform good works (Works for salvation)
7) They believe that there are degrees of sin (Venial and Mortal)
8) They believe that their traditions are equal to or greater than scripture (They believe that the scriptures are incomplete.
9) They believe that the pope is infallible. So no matter what the popes did, even murder, it is not charged against them.
10) They worship Mary, as if she were God, and elevate her higher than Jesus
11) They actually sell their religious services. It is a “Pay to pray” church. For example the church has tables of candles. Worshipers light a candle, after dropping money in the box, and say a prayer. The prayer’s status is elevated because it was said when lighting a candle. The one church I went to had candles on electronic timers. You put the quarter in the box and the candle lit for 10 minutes. Then the light went out and was ready for the next person.
12) They believe that Jesus’ sacrifice was not enough to pay for your sins, as they believe, when you die, you will go to purgatory for the unforgiven sins that you have committed….since they are not “mortal” sins that send you directly to hell. (A person could be in purgatory for thousands of years and praying for those departed there could knock off 100 years or so.) Look at the mass cards that people purchase for their departed catholic family and friends.
13) They believe that you should pray to Mary, as she is Jesus’ mother and that Jesus can never turn His mother’s requests down.
14) They believe that only certain people can ever be a “saint” and that these saints are worthy of being prayed to for special benefits and blessings.
15) They believe that Peter was the first pope. (Apostolic succession)
16) They believe that priests should not be married. The Apostle Peter was married. In fact, Jesus healed his mother-in-law.
17) They believe that paying indulgences/donations will deduct from your time in purgatory.
18) They see nothing wrong with praying to idols. Anything that “represents” anything is an idol. They pray to them, crown them, kiss them, etc.
19) They believe in prayer repetition….rosary beads (counting aid)
.
The list goes on and on. Like I said, their doctrine of beliefs was in a thick book. Catholics believe that missing any of these will send you straight to hell. It is important to know that adding anything to belief on Jesus for salvation is false doctrine and makes the Roman Catholic Church apostate. We are not saved by performing good works, reciting repetitious prayers or performing rituals. Jesus’ death was sufficient.
.
When I look back at my life, we did and believed in all of them. This was what I was taught since a baby. Most of my family is still Catholic. They believe that I am going to hell and have brought it up on various occasions. Thank God that my children and husband are saved out of this sludge pit. I repented when I found out all of this. I had no idea about what Christianity was all about. But thank God that He saw me all along. I was one of those Catholics who did pray to God. I sought Him all my life, I just didn’t know where to look for the truth. I though that my church had the answers. I was so indoctrinated into it and I blindly felt I had to ask the priest. I loved God, but was told by them what I was “supposed” to do. I believed them. They said that the bible was too difficult for people to understand and to not even bother trying to read it. Now I know why….they were hiding the truth from me, from all of us.
.
The bible speaks out against all of these things. All I needed was to call on the name of the Lord and believe on Him and confess His name. (Rom 10:9-10, 13). There is simplicity in God’s plan. He isn’t trying to make us stumble. He loves us and wants all men to come to Him and have a relationship with Him. Salvation is a personal experience. It is having a relationship with a loving God and knowing that He loves you.
.
If we read the bible, it will change us in a way like no other. The bible is a light and shows us our faults and all the wrongs we have done. If you are currently attending a Roman Catholic Church, please realize that God is showing you His truth. He calls us out of our false traditions, family holds, and pressure from friends. We cannot allow anything to come between us and God. Not a priest, not a ritual, not Friday fish dinners…not anything. Do not neglect your calling. Jesus tells us the following and we need to heed: Mat 10:37-38
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. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
.
The Roman Catholic Church keeps its members in the dark, in the bondage of false teaching. It is not the church that Jesus founded. Jesus’ church began on Pentecost with the infilling of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. The Holy Spirit is active today and He still supplies His church with gifts of edification. God is so good to us. Don’t let any church tell you that God’s Holy Spirit is not for today. They are wrong. God would never abandon us in this world with no help. He is with us always, just as He promised us. Jesus tells us to observe all things that He taught us (which are recorded in the Bible and not in traditions) and that He is with us forever:
Matthew 28:20
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
.
The Catholic Church is idolatrous. Worshiping and praying to statues of wood and plaster is wrong. Praying to dead human beings is wrong. Read your bible and discover the truth, learning for yourself what God wants of you. Find a bible believing church and attend each week. Study your bible and let the Lord lead you. And most of all, don’t look back. The devil will put on the pressure, but do not give him place in your life. The Roman Catholic traditions and rituals are not what God wants for worship. He is Spirit and he wants us to worship Him in spirit and truth.
John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
JK
HEAVENLY REMNANT MINISTRIES 
Published by