# the dead Jesus of Roman Catholicism



## dudley (Mar 12, 2011)

I wish to share some very interesting observations I have assembled for my PB brothers here about the dead Jesus of Roman Catholicism 

Anyone can walk into a Catholic church and see kneelers before every statue place within. However, the Creator specifically states... 

Exodus 20:5, "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;"

Leviticus 26:1, "Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God."

The Catholic church proclaims loudly that Jesus is dead and unable to help you. Walk into any Catholic church and you will see a DEAD Jesus on a cross, a DEAD Jesus in the arms of His mother, or an INFANT Jesus in the arms of His mother. However, look at the MEN and WOMEN depicted in statues. Look at Mary, Joseph, Peter, Anthony, and hundreds of other saints. They are all displayed as alive and well and very capable of helping you and hearing your prayers. However, it is written... 

Acts 25:19, "But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive."

Matthew 28:6, "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

The Angels were more concerned with us gazing unto the place were Jesus lay, than the place where He hung!

Rome is NOT God's Church. The system of Rome with its priestcraft and "infallible" Pope is unscriptural. Where are you told in the Bible to pray to Mary or the "saints"? Where do you find in scripture the celibacy of the clergy, limbo, purgatory, pilgrimages, holy images, prayers for the dead, extreme unction, and a whole host of other Roman inventions? The Bible way of salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. You can only get to heaven by Christ's work not your own works. As for the forgiveness of sins, no priest can forgive his own sins let alone those of his parishioners.


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## johnbugay (Mar 13, 2011)

Hi Dudley -- thanks for the important reminder.


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## dudley (Mar 17, 2011)

I came upon the following piece in an article by Marshall Almarode & Greg Hanson. They are protestant theologians who work at Empowering Christians to Expose Darkness with the LIGHT of the REAL Jesus.

I posted my own piece a few nights ago on the dead Jesus of Roman Catholicism. I thought this piece further demonstrates that the dead Jesus of Roman Catholicism is not the Jesus of the bible nor is the Roman catholic Eucharist or their Lords Supper which they call the mass ;which I see as an abomination and a blasphemy to Christ..

The following is an excerpt from their article.

_*The Jesus of the Roman Catholic Church is a dead victim by:Marshall Almarode & Greg Hanson. *_

The Jesus of the Roman Catholic Church is a dead victim (an idol) who is sacrificed on their altar and eaten by true Catholics at masses world wide. Thus, Jesus’ work of salvation was not finished on the cross, but is an ongoing work of sacrifice on their altars. The Jesus of the Bible declared his work of atonement to be completed on the cross: “It is Finished!” (John 19:30). Jesus gave his life as a sacrifice for sins, offering his body once for all (Hebrews 10:10-12). The real Jesus is no longer hanging dead on the cross but was resurrected from death to life. Because he has eternal life, he can never be sacrificed or die again (Romans 6:9-10). The real Jesus can not be eaten. Because the Roman Catholic Church is eating their Jesus, they have identified and are following a phony Jesus.

True Catholics believe that when you eat the bread and drink the wine you are actually eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood, even though it tastes like bread and wine. The Roman Catholic Church uses the word “transubstantiation,” which refers to the communion bread and wine turning into the actual flesh and blood of Jesus when blessed by the Catholic Father (Q&A, #1224). “Christ is present in the Eucharist not only with everything that makes him a man, but with all that makes him this human being. He is therefore present with all his physical properties, hands and feet and head and human heart. He is present with his human soul, with his thoughts, desires, and human affections.” (Q&A, #1223). The Roman Catholic Church proclaims that its members are literally eating their Jesus.

Because of this false interpretation of the scriptures, the Catholic Church is encouraging false, idol worship of these inanimate objects. The Roman Catholic Church sets up inanimate objects (the bread and wine) as objects of worship and adoration. Because they worship and adore these objects they qualify as idols. Since Jesus said, “I am the door,” and “I am the true vine,” this most holy Catholic sacrament is the same as worshipping a door or a vine as if it were Jesus himself.

Jesus said when he broke the bread that “this is my body which is given for you, do this in remembrance of me.” After the meal, he took the cup (of wine) and said, “this cup is the new testament in my blood” (Luke 22:19 & 20). As often as we do this, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again. These are symbols of his body and blood just as when he said, “I am the door.” His body was not really made of wood with hinges and a latch. In the same way, the Passover feast was symbolic of the first Passover feast in Egypt where the blood of the Lambs saved the first-born of the Jews in bondage in Egypt. The bread and wine are symbols of Jesus, our Passover Lamb.


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## Michael (Mar 18, 2011)

Nice post Dudley!


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## jambo (Mar 18, 2011)

It is one of the the things I have always noticed. In Catholicism Jesus is always portrayed as either a babe in his mothers arms (usually with the emphasis on Mary rather than Jesus) or dead/dying. I suppose it sums it all up. A dead Jesus for a dead faith as opposed to a living faith in a living Jesus. I know RC's believe in the resurrection but it does not seem to feature as much as the mournful, sorrowful stuff that dominates the RC mindset.

I recall one RC friend who sat in the chapel one day and looked around a the candles, confessional and the statues and thought, "If this is Christianity then I want nothing to do with it". He was soundly converted later discovering true Christianity and now pastors of a reformed baptist church. (In the interests of balance I can think of another person who as an Orangeman one 12th of July looked at those marching behind the open bible with their banners, bowler hats and sashes and thought exactly the same thing. "If this is Christianity then I want nothing to do with it." He too was later soundly converted.

Although we would take issue with the dead Jesus of Catholicism as it any different to the impotent Jesus of liberalism with its gentle Jesus meek and mild image? Or the picture of the "historical Jesus " liberal scholars have drawn up that robs him of his deity. Or the all loving all forgiving all-embracing Jesus of the ecumenical movement. Thank our God and Father that he has chosen to reveal the real Jesus of the scriptures to his elect.


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## Douglas P. (Mar 18, 2011)

jambo said:


> It is one of the the things I have always noticed. In Catholicism Jesus is always portrayed as either a babe in his mothers arms (usually with the emphasis on Mary rather than Jesus) or dead/dying. I suppose it sums it all up. A dead Jesus for a dead faith as opposed to a living faith in a living Jesus.



 

I might just take that and set it as a facebook status (with your permission of course).


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## jambo (Mar 18, 2011)

Douglas Padgett said:


> jambo said:
> 
> 
> > It is one of the the things I have always noticed. In Catholicism Jesus is always portrayed as either a babe in his mothers arms (usually with the emphasis on Mary rather than Jesus) or dead/dying. I suppose it sums it all up. A dead Jesus for a dead faith as opposed to a living faith in a living Jesus.
> ...


 
Granted


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## Pergamum (Mar 22, 2011)

I have a Catholic friend who took offense at the charge that Catholics worship a "dead Jesus." He states that if you want to critique Catholicism, don't beat up on strawmen and at least faithfully represent their beliefs.



> The Catholic church proclaims loudly that Jesus is dead and unable to help you



This quote is disputable he says. Catholics also pray to Jesus, so it is assumed that He is able to help.


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## JennyG (Mar 22, 2011)

Didn't they give up on Limbo recently? 
A friend told me she pictured all the little Screwtapes and Wormwoods of the infernal burocracy, left with an administrative nightmare on their hands and saying "Oh great, so what are we supposed to do with all these ones *now*?"


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## jambo (Mar 24, 2011)

Sorry I have not been online for a number of days and trying to catch up on things.

Catholicism presents three different faces to the world. In a country where Catholicism is dominant then you see it as it _really is._ It tends to be superstitious, conservative and even quite intimidating. (Although the intimidating aspect is not as it once was but is now more subtle) That is not to say that every single RC in those countries is like that but it is a generalisation of the state of the church there. Although RCs do believe in the resurrection, the emphasis is placed more in the sorrowful sufferings. Indeed just to look at the names of the RC churches in such places would indicate this. _The church of our lady of the sorrowful mysteries; the church of the sacred Heart etc._ I believe it is based on the amount of guilt RCs feel and the only way to remove it is through the morbid sorrowful faith. It is in such countries as this that the dead Jesus is prominent. A look at the statues or even to watch a Corpus Christi parade would show this.

The second face Catholicism shows to the world is in countries where there is roughly an equal number of RCs and Protestants. You will see a very different side of the church there. The RC church will still maintain its distinctives but there is an acceptance of others giving the impression that we are all passengers on the same bus. It may in some cases appear to have an "evangelical" style to it

The third face is that given when the RC church is very much in the minority. Edges are blurred and the church blends in with whatever surrounds it and more accepting of other things. It should of course be acknowledged that some liberal Protestant churches would do much the same thing when it is not the dominant "faith."

There are two contradictory statements that sum up modern Catholicism. Both are perfectly true.

1. The RC church has changed considerably over the last 20-30 years
2. The RC church has not changed one bit

Statement 1 may apply more to local parishes whilst the second applies to the heart of the church and its central dogmas.


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## dudley (Mar 25, 2011)

jambo said:


> Sorry I have not been online for a number of days and trying to catch up on things.
> 
> Catholicism presents three different faces to the world. In a country where Catholicism is dominant then you see it as it _really is._ It tends to be superstitious, conservative and even quite intimidating. (Although the intimidating aspect is not as it once was but is now more subtle) That is not to say that every single RC in those countries is like that but it is a generalisation of the state of the church there. Although RCs do believe in the resurrection, the emphasis is placed more in the sorrowful sufferings. Indeed just to look at the names of the RC churches in such places would indicate this. _The church of our lady of the sorrowful mysteries; the church of the sacred Heart etc._ I believe it is based on the amount of guilt RCs feel and the only way to remove it is through the morbid sorrowful faith. It is in such countries as this that the dead Jesus is prominent. A look at the statues or even to watch a Corpus Christi parade would show this.
> 
> ...



Stuart,

A precise and wonderful analysis of Roman Catholicism. You have done an excellent job here; in presenting what is as you say the 3 faces of Roman Catholicism. I concur with everything you said and I think you did an excellent job in this post Well done my brother.


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