The
following questions are written specifically for those who still
consider themselves "Protestant" and yet regard the Roman
Catholic Church as a Christian Church. They are a challenge from one
who is unashamedly Protestant and who regards the Ecumenical Movement
as a direct threat to the cause of Christ in Ireland.
1) Are you really saved…or do you just have a religious experience…or job? Note: I am thinking here of
Nicodemus who was a religious leader and yet Jesus told him that he
"must be born again" (John 3:3)
2) If you are a Protestant
minister…did you assent to your church's Confession of Faith?
Note: The Westminster Confession of Faith (Presbyterian) the Anglican
Articles of Religion and John Wesley's teachings all hammer the
distinct doctrines of the Church of Rome e.g. the mass etc., It seems a
bit rough that men can brand masses as a blasphemy against God and yet
fellowship with those who perform them.
3) If your church can be traced back (historically) to the Reformation, why do you think the Reformation was necessary? Note: Protestant churches exist today
because our forefathers obeyed the command of Scripture to "have no
fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather rebuke
them" (Ephesians 5:11) If you have fellowship with Roman Catholics and
their false doctrines, then either you are wrong or your church for
hundreds of years has been wrong. Paul acknowledged that if he built
again the things which he destroyed, then he became a transgressor
(Galatians 2:18)
4) Has Rome changed doctrinally since the Reformation for the better or for the worse? Note: Since 1517 when Luther publicly
nailed his theses to the door of the church at Wittenburg, Rome has
dropped no offending doctrine and took on further belief in the
equality of Tradition with Scripture (1545) the Creed of Pius IV as her
official creed (1560) the Immaculate Conception of Mary (1854) and the
Infallibility of the Pope (1870)
5) If ordained, whatever your local RC
priest may say or do…Rome regards your ordination to the
Christian ministry as "null and void" - what are your views on this? Note: It is my view that this whole idea of "Christian fellowship" is a sham.
6) The anathema's of the Council of
Trent which were thundered out against our forefathers still stand in
all their original force…is this the ground on which real
fellowship can take place? Note: Well...? As recently as 1995
when the Lutherans went to see him, the Pope point blank refused to
rescind the force of these curses. They still stand in all their
anti-God fury.
7) If you get involved in ecumenical ventures (ECONI etc) in order to reach RC people - can you reach RC people outside of such ventures? Note:
Our forefathers managed to do so quite well. There are many today in
Ireland reaching out very effectually to Roman Catholic people and all
outside the ecumenical movement. You cannot reach out effectively to
people in evangelism if you already regard them as Christians. Perhaps
this takes us back to the first question again as to what actually
constitutes a Christian. It certainly isn't baptism or church
membership etc.,
8) Is it not more honest for you to go
over completely to Rome like Newman and others before you than to stay
in Protestant churches and destroy the Protestant faith? Note: Or
does the pension scheme encourage you to stay on? If you did the
honourable thing and went over to Rome, it would certainly save your
conscience a lot of trouble. One Church of Ireland ecumenical minister
publicly admitted on RTE radio that he had difficulty sleeping at night
when he remembered that he assented to the 39 Articles of Religion.
Wouldn't it be a lot easier if he resigned his charge, told the truth
(No...I don't assent to these articles even though I told God and the
congregation I did) and went to where he could honestly say: "This is
what I believe?)