Tuesday, May 2, 2006
How Old is Your Church?

I received this fabulous email:

IF YOU ARE A LUTHERAN, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex-monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.

IF YOU BELONG TO THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 A.D., because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to re-marry.

IF YOU ARE A PRESBYTERIAN, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560 A.D..

IF YOU ARE A PROTESTANT EPISCOPALIAN, your religion was an offshoot of THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND founded by Samuel Seabury in the American Colonies in the 17th Century A.D..

IF YOU ARE A CONGREGATIONALIST, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582 A.D..

IF YOUR ARE A METHODIST, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744 A.D..

IF YOU ARE A UNITARIAN, Theophilus Lindley founded your church in London in 1744 A.D..

IF YOU ARE A MORMON (Latter Day Saints) Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, New York, in 1829 A.D..

IF YOUR ARE BAPTIST, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605 A.D..

IF YOU ARE DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH, you recognize Michaelis Jones as founder, because he originated your religion in New York in 1628 A.D..

IF YOU WORSHIP WITH THE SALVATION ARMY, your sect began with William Booth in London, England in 1865 A.D..

IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST, you look to 1879 A.D. as the year in which your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.

IF YOU BELONG TO one of the religious organizations know as "CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE," "PENTECOSTAL GOSPEL," "HOLINESS CHURCH," "PILGRIM HOLINESS CHURCH," "JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES," your religion is one of hundreds of new sects founded by men within THE PAST 100 YEARS!

IF YOU ARE ROMAN CATHOLIC, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 A.D. by Jesus Christ the Son of God, and it is still the same Church. All the other churches listed above are Horizontal Churches (not Vertical) CREATED BY MEN, not by JESUS CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES!

4 comment(s):

del_button May 2, 2006 at 8:24 AM
Anonymous said...

You are correct the Jehovah's Witnesses are a spin-off of the William Miller apocalyptic movement of 1844.Best regards,Danny Haszard

del_button May 2, 2006 at 4:12 PM
Saint Peter's helpers said...

Amen and Amen!

del_button May 2, 2006 at 8:42 PM
Matthew said...

Horicon,

I'm glad you're back!

You said, "The Roman Catholic Church is nothing like the Church of the Apostles time. you say,
"it is still the same Church."?"

It is the same religion though. We follow the same doctrine of the apostles. The Catholic Church traces back to the time of the apostles. The apostles were the first bishops, even. The Catholic Church has changed minor things over the year (vestments, language, etc) but has always believe in the same doctrine as the apostles. No other Christian denomination can trace itself back to the apostles and Christ.

However, that doesn't mean everyone else is damned to hell. Of course not! Everyone has the opportunity to reach Heaven. Catholicism would be the complete truth, but other denominations have some truth in them. Take Lutheranism and the East Orthodox. They broke off of the Church and, while they do believe in some errors, we have many similarities. We are trying to serve the same God - that's what is important. I will always try to bring people into the Catholic Church because it is the fullness of the truth, but not all other denominations are completely wrong.

Some religions are though. Take Mormonism, which does not believe in the Trinity - the most important part of our faith.

I'm glad you're back for discussion, Horicon. I'm glad you're trip went well.

God Bless!

del_button May 2, 2006 at 9:58 PM
Matthew said...

"Apostles did not have a papal like system."

They actually did. St. Peter was always higher than the others. It's like today's Church. The pope is highest and all of the bishops below him are on the same level.

For numerous scripture references of Peter's Primacy please see this very good site:

http://www.scripturecatholic.com/primacy_of_peter.html

YOU: "How much of the truth, does one need to be believe in to be saved?"

Only God knows. But aren't we all aiming at following the truth - 100%?

YOU: "I have been receiving mixed messages, especially from the EWTN Q/A section, that say people that belong to other churches will not be in heaven, for the Catholic Church is "the mother church", and that protestant churches are not really churches at all."


ME: As with all Internet sites, be very careful what you read. The views of those people are not in complete accord with the Catholic Church. We believe that Jesus Christ's Church (The Catholic Church) is the complete truth, but by the mercy of God, others can reach Heaven.

YOU: " I would say that Christ never founded a visible church with Peter as a higher leader."

It's clear that the Church was a visible structure in the Acts of the Apostles with Peter making nearly all of the important decisions. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus made Peter the head of the Church by giving Him the keys of Heaven and Hell. It's obivious to most people that the Church was visible since the Last Supper - the first Mass and Eucharist.

God Bless!

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