if i wanted to become a catholic

Brakelite said:

I think I may have read it 3 or 4 times, possibly more if I take into account revision of particular chapters.
It was the first book I read at becoming an Adventist 28 years ago. Loaned to me from a friend who got it back probably somewhat late. I've bought a couple of copies of my own since, the last one because I moved here.

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I think it might have been a main source of that "7th Day" miniseries with Hal Holbrook. There's always been a remnant.

Aunty Jane said:

What does it mean to be a “Christian”? It was not the Catholic church who invented the word, nor can it be applied to those who teach what Christ never did. Every Catholic doctrine is an invention or adoption from pagan sources. Not hard to research for those who are not blinded. (2 Cor 4:3-4)

It does not require much effort to identify what a true Christian should believe……nothing can come from paganism and be dressed up to look like the opposite. (2 Cor 6:14-18)

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As you know Auntie Jane,,,I'm not going to debate this with you for pages on end.

Here's the deal:
YOU do not get to decide or make up what it means to be Christian.
This was already done 2 thousand years ago by the church that was first Christian and those that came after and got GNOSTICISM out of the church and continued on to cement what the church should look like and believe.

For instance:
One of those doctrine that was present BOTH in the NT AND the doctrine of the early church was the doctrine of
THE TRINITY or as some might prefer to call it THE GODHEAD.

The JWs do not believe in the Trinity.
THIS ALONE causes you not to be identified as Christian.

YES:
Christians MUST believe in the Trinity or they cannot use the title.

A Christian MUST also believe that JESUS IS GOD.
YOU do not believe this.

JWs are not the only ones to misuse this title...
some on this very forum that think they're Christian ARE NOT.

Aunty Jane said:

What is Christendom? I am so grateful that someone bothered to come to my door and teach me the Bible rather than church “theology”…..and anyone can pick their theology because Christendom is full of man made doctrines that Christ never taught….all have their roots in the apostate church that Jesus and his apostles warned was coming. The Jews fell into the same trap, (Matt 15:7-9) baited by the same rebel who uses lies dressed up as truth to ensnare his slaves.

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You're right.
The ONLY church that got all their doctrine correct was the early church...up until 325AD.

Sorry to advise you that this would be the Catholic Church.

I'm not Catholic, but simple history will explain this to you.

OF COURSE, YOU don't care about history.

You follow a heretical belief system that was invented by MAN.
You should follow the belief system that was taught by JESUS, instead.

The man YOU follow is called Charles Russel.
He INVENTED the JW's in the 1800's, if I remember right.

I like to follow JESUS.
HE is the one that went to the cross.

And as to theology....my dear Auntie...we all follow theology...
it's just that some of us follow CHRISTIAN theology, and some of us do not.

And, BTW,,,,all denominations use the bible.
My JW friend believes as you do...
that ONLY SHE reads and understands the bible.

It's rather sad.

Aunty Jane said:

Look what he has Catholics believing…..Mary is “the mother of God”, (as if God can have a mother)…..she was preserved from original sim (who said?)….the “saints” have to wait to be approved by the church as if it can lobby God to make someone a saint! (They are of God’s choosing and no miracles were required)

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Well, actually MARY IS THE MOTHER OF GOD.
You see, Catholics believe Jesus is God.
Being God,
it's correct to say that Mary is the mother of God...
otherwise we run into all sorts of theological problems, which we will not discuss here.

Aunty Jane said:

We see a pope who is supposedly Christ’s representative on earth….his title “Pontiff” (Pontiex Maximus is a pagan Roman title)

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Oh this is just too cute.
Pontefico means a bridge.
The Pope is THE BRIDGE between God and man in a worldy sense.
Even Catholics believe Jesus is our mediator...go figure.

You do seem to be enthralled with paganism.
So why are you a JW?
I'd say that's pretty pagan since you totally refuse the NT.

Aunty Jane said:

proves that he is nothing more than a puppet of the ancient Roman church, who dominated a people kept in ignorance for many centuries…….paganism is so obvious in plain sight in the Vatican, yet people can’t see it.

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Thank goodness that YOU are so intelligent that you can see right through the Pope.

BUT
You are unable to see that you are following A CULT.
CHARLES RUSSELL would be the inventor of that cult.

Aunty Jane said:

We see churches full of images when God’s law forbade the “making” of them to be used in worship. (Exodus 20:4) Excuses are offered for their presence, but will God accept them?

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This is nonsense but I'm not debating it.
I have a pix of Jesus in my wallet.
You think I'll be going to hell?
Maybe you should find out what AN IDOL is.

YOU are following an idol.
His name is.....you guessed it.

Aunty Jane said:

We see men masquerading as priests on earth, when they were not promised a priesthood until they were resurrected to heaven. Priests could only officiate at the Temple, but it was destroyed in the first century, as Jesus warned, (Matt 24:1-2) indicating that the old Jewish system had been abandoned. It was incorrigibly corrupt.

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Read John 20:22-23 a few times and see if you can come up with an explanation.

Aunty Jane said:

There was no earthly priesthood in original Christianity….all bothers were equal and some were appointed as teachers in the congregations,

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What's the expression?
The above is a crock.
You've been brain washed really well.
Your hatred of the CC causes you not to see the plain truth.

There were teachers, and deacons, and bishops in the early church.
You really should do some study on church history.

wow. There were even POPES!
Yes,,,more than one.

Aunty Jane said:

as they qualified “spiritually”, not after attending a seminary where all are indoctrinated with the same false beliefs about death and the scare tactics of hellfire. Were the apostles educated men? Why did Jesus choose men who were not educated by the Jewish rabbis?

Being no part of Christendom, does not disqualify me from being a Christian because Christendom is meeting all the descriptors of the “weeds“ of Jesus’ parable. It is a totally disunited and bickering mess masquerading as something it is not. Jesus has never set foot in it. (Matt 7:21-23)

God’s spirit leads to unity as Paul stated….
”Now I urge you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you should all speak in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you may be completely united in the same mind and in the same line of thought.” (1 Cor 1:10)

By what stretch of whose imagination does Christendom fit that description? No one can agree with anyone except on those foundational beliefs that originated in the RCC…..the trinity, immortality of the soul, and hellfire. Yet all false religion teaches those things too with slight variations….yet none are taught in Scripture….

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I've stopped reading.
You have much to learn...but you've turned yourself off.

Aunty Jane said:

You will find out one day exactly why you have put your faith in the wrong institutions….

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HOW do YOU know what institutions I've put my faith in?
Do we know each other?
I don't think so.

Please don't assume anything about me.
You know what happens to people who ASSUME.

Aunty Jane said:

many things are now coming to light, and once trusted institutions are proving that they never were trustworthy in the first place.
Who’s world are we living in? (1 John 5:19)

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YOU belong to an institution.
Do you still go door to door?
What if you didn't want to do this anymore?
What if you left the JWs?
Would your family still be in a relationship with you?

And you don't think you're in a cult.
Funny stuff Auntie Jane.

Aunty Jane said:

The whole Church system fails to represent the teachings of the Christ….but the warning to get out of it are largely ignored. (Rev 18:4-5) “Few” will be found on the road to life because fallen human nature doesn’t change, (Matt 7:13-14) so the devil’s tactics don’t need to either. They work as well today as they ever did….

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Well, I agree with your last sentence.
And the devil is working very well within the organization of the JWs.
Yes. It's called AN ORGANIZATION.
Now if that's not WORLDLY.....

BarneyFife said:

I wouldn't get too exercised over DC's ravings. He's a denomination unto himself. And he's here primarily to vex everyone. We've got the receipts.

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This must be why I just can't seem to figure him out!

Brakelite said:

I would like to recommend to you a book that has changed my worldview almost as much as scripture. It's history. From the first century to the 19th. Some of it isn't pretty. Most of it is controversial. Much of it is unknown to most. But all of it is hugely edifying, encouraging, revelatory, and verifiably true.

Truth Triumphant
The Church in the Wilderness

B G Wilkinson.

You will find it everywhere online, both digital and hard copy. Don't pay $80 as advertised in places. $20 at most for a hard copy. PDF available for free. Kindle also has it. Great read.

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Checked amazon.it for the english version here.
English is my mother tongue and I just can't retain what I read in Italian.

So is this it? I think so.... (no sub-title The Church in the Wilderness)

Brakelite said:

I would like to recommend to you a book that has changed my worldview almost as much as scripture. It's history. From the first century to the 19th. Some of it isn't pretty. Most of it is controversial. Much of it is unknown to most. But all of it is hugely edifying, encouraging, revelatory, and verifiably true.

Truth Triumphant
The Church in the Wilderness

B G Wilkinson.

You will find it everywhere online, both digital and hard copy. Don't pay $80 as advertised in places. $20 at most for a hard copy. PDF available for free. Kindle also has it. Great read.

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Oops. Just saw that you posted the author.
I just ordered it.