Monday, June 15, 2015

CHRISTENDOM Series: Catholic

Catholic
Catholicism is subdivided into 2 groups:
1) Roman Catholic
2) Independent Catholic

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed,
 the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God,
or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God.
2 Thessalonians 2:3,4
Catholicism is Episcopal in church structure, Amillennial, has baptism by sprinkling & infant baptism and believes in the immortality of the soul.
Roman Catholic leadership is theologically mixed, Conservative on abortion, gay marriage & women ordination - but theologically liberal on the social & Green gospels and accepts theistic evolution.
Beginning in the 1960's, the Roman Catholic Church began to allow, but doesn't push, glossolalia (charismatic tongues). This has become dominate among Latin American Catholics. The Church is Sacramental on salvation issues and justifies Sunday observance as the "Christian Sabbath" or "Lord's Day" argument.
They also venerate saints, with the patron saint being of course the Mother Mary.


Roman Catholicism:
The head of the Church is the Pope (called the "Holy Father" in Rome). He is considered infallible on points of doctrine.
The real birth of the Catholic Church was with "Pope" Sylvester I, Bishop of Rome during the reign of Constantine I as Roman Emperor. When Constantine assumed the throne-the Church had been an
underground movement. When Sylvester I lay dying, he was surrounded by the pomp of the new church of the empire with bishops and a hierarchy.
It was during the Constantine rule, when he assigned Lactantius to find a way to blend the paganism of the empire with Christianity. Later, when Julian the apostate assumed the throne, trying to re-instate a pagan revival, he assigned Iamblichus to do the opposite. To organize paganism as Christianity was organized, with an emphasis on trans-migration of souls from Neo-Platonism. After him, the church was restored, and emerging from that mist of confusion & conversions, between Constantine (and Lactantius) and Julian (and Iamblichus) we have the emergence of a church with paganistic rooted holidays of Christmas & the rotating date of Easter as well as fixed Sunday observance and veneration of the saints & the immortality of the soul. It wasn't until after the fall of the Roman Empire that Catholicsim added purgatory to their mix of beliefs.


Independent Catholic:
Some of the Independent Catholic Churches in America are-
 Old Catholic Church- which separated from the Roman Catholic Church, primarily over opposition to Papal infallibility.
Polish National Catholic Church- which is like the Old Catholic Church but allows priest to be married.
Ecumenical Catholic Church - which is theologically very liberal and is open to gay laity & gay clergy.
Ecumenical Catholic Communion - another theologically liberal church of Catholicism, with women ordination & gay priests.
Orthodox-Catholic Church of America - began by a union in America of an Orthodox Church (an Oriental Orthodox denomination -the Syrian Orthodox) with an Old Catholic Church. They mix the beliefs of the two and have become very theologically liberal including gay clergy.
Christ Catholic Church - this church began in the early 1900's by the union of some
Old Catholic Churches, Polish National Catholic Churches with some Orthodox (in this case of the Eastern Orthodox branch). It has drifted into theological liberalism.
Chaldean Catholic Church - In communion with Rome, it is made up in America of mostly people from the middle east, primarily Iraq, where it is centered (aka Assyrian Church).
Syro-Malabar Catholic Church - In America, it is mostly made up of those from where it stems-India. It was the Church founded by Thomas (doubting Thomas) in India. They were at first contact in the middle ages a Sabbath keeping church until conquest via an inquisition by Jesuits from Portugal.


CHRISTENDOM OUTLINE LINK:
http://master1844-dc.blogspot.com/2015/06/christendom-series-outline.html