1. They will say, “We agree with you that the Scriptures are inspired,” but they also insist that the Catholic Church is the higher authority and that Scripture must be interpreted according to their Tradition (Vatican II, Dei Verbum).
2. Their Tradition accepts the Deity of Christ, but by worshiping Mary as “Mother of God,” they destroy the meaning of “Deity” (Catholic Catechism, 25).
3. They do believe in the universality of sin; however, they insist that the merit of Jesus Christ is applied to infants by the sacrament of baptism, and by baptism the guilt of original sin is remitted (Council of Trent, 22, 23, 54). As children grow up, their sins are dealt with by the unscriptural doctrines of Penance, Confession to priests, Indulgences, and finally the fires of Purgatory.
4. They will say, “Yes, we believe in Christ’s substitutionary atonement,” but for Catholics there is no justification by Christ alone. In their Decree on Ecumenism, we read, “For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone that the means of salvation can be obtained.” They say Christ makes salvation possible, but He is only one of the means of justification. Other essential means of grace include the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist, efficacious only when administered by the Catholic Church. They also insist that “Mary is truly Mother of the Church and brings birth of believers” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 25).
5. They profess faith in the physical resurrection of Christ and His second coming, but they insist that no one can be ready for that event without going through the cleansing fires of purgatory.
6. They teach that Purgatory exists because “the saved must be purged before entering Heaven” (Catechism, 268).
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