It's Time To Call Out Catholicism For What It Is
A False Gospel
Welcome, friend.
I’m Mark, and this space is for the wanderers, the worn out, and the ones still wrestling with God at 2 a.m. I don’t have all the answers, but I know the One who does—and I’m learning to trust Him more.
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Let me say this upfront: this isn't about being mean. It’s about being honest. If we love the truth—and love the people caught in deception—we have to speak plainly. The Roman Catholic Church teaches another gospel. And that’s not my opinion. That’s what Scripture says. If your eternity matters (and it does), don’t trust your soul to tradition. Trust the Bible. Let’s go line by line, chapter by chapter, and see why Catholicism doesn’t just miss the mark—it teaches a gospel that God calls cursed.
1. Salvation Is by Grace Alone—Not Grace + Works
The entire foundation of the Catholic gospel is built on this equation:
Faith + Works = Salvation
The Catholic Catechism teaches that baptism is necessary for salvation, that keeping the sacraments is how grace is dispensed, and that your standing with God can increase or decrease depending on what you do. But Scripture says salvation is a gift—not a paycheck.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” – Ephesians 2:8–9
Paul goes even further:
“But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace.” – Romans 11:6
If you try to earn grace, it stops being grace. Catholicism teaches that you have to maintain your salvation through confession, penance, and the Eucharist. That’s not the gospel. That’s religious slavery. Jesus didn’t die to give us a head start—He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Not “You finish the rest.”
When the jailer asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul didn’t say “Get baptized, take the Eucharist, and don’t miss Mass.” He said:
“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” – Acts 16:31
When James Is Misused
Many Catholics point to James 2:24—“You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only”—to claim that salvation comes through both faith and works. But this is a misreading when compared with the full counsel of Scripture. James is not talking about earning salvation through religious rituals or “works of the law.” He’s talking about what real faith looks like—active, obedient, and alive.
Paul makes it clear in Romans 3:28: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” He reaffirms it in Galatians 2:16, saying, “A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.”
The tension isn’t between Paul and James—it’s between dead faith and living faith. James 2:17 says, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” He isn’t contradicting the gospel of grace. He’s saying that genuine faith always leads to action. Real salvation produces fruit.
Sincere Faith Bears Fruit
Think of it this way: fruit doesn’t make the tree alive—the life inside the tree produces fruit. Likewise, works don’t save a person. But a truly saved person will have works that reflect the Spirit of God. As Paul writes in Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits are evidence, not requirements.
2. Jesus Is the Only Mediator—Not Priests, Popes, or Saints
Catholics are taught they need priests to forgive their sins through confession and penance. But God’s Word says Jesus is our only High Priest.
“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” – 1 Timothy 2:5
Not one mediator plus a priest. Not one mediator plus a confessional booth. Just Jesus.
Hebrews also obliterates the entire Catholic priesthood:
“But this Man [Jesus], after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God... For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” – Hebrews 10:12,14
That means no ongoing sacrifice. No need to repeat what Jesus already did. Catholic priests claim to re-present Christ’s body and blood in the Mass. But Jesus’ sacrifice was once for all—not to be repeated.
“Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” – Hebrews 9:28
The veil in the temple was torn in two when Jesus died (Matthew 27:51). Access to God is now open—not through priests, but through Christ.
3. Mary Is Not a Co-Redeemer, Queen of Heaven, or Intercessor
Let’s be crystal clear: Mary was a godly woman, but she was a sinner who needed a Savior.
“My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” – Luke 1:47
That’s not something a sinless being says. And yet Catholicism teaches that Mary was immaculately conceived, remained sinless, and is a “co-mediator” with Christ. Some popes even refer to her as "the neck through which all graces flow." The Bible doesn’t just ignore that idea—it rejects it:
“No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:6
“Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died... who also makes intercession for us.” – Romans 8:34
Nowhere—nowhere—in the Bible are we told to pray to Mary, venerate her, or call her our advocate. Praying to Mary (or the saints) is not only unbiblical—it’s idolatry. Worse still, the title “Queen of Heaven” is only found in Scripture in one place—and it’s God condemning idol worship:
“The children gather wood... to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven. They provoke Me to anger.” – Jeremiah 7:18
Mary is not the Queen of Heaven. She was a faithful servant. But she is not a redeemer, and she does not share in Christ’s role.
4. Purgatory Undermines the Cross
The Catholic Church teaches that after death, most people go to purgatory—a temporary place where your remaining sins are “purged” before entering heaven. But Jesus already purged our sins.
“When He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” – Hebrews 1:3
What does by Himself mean if we still have to be purged later? Either His blood was enough—or it wasn’t.
“The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” – 1 John 1:7
Not most. Not eventually. All.
Purgatory doesn’t come from Scripture—it comes from tradition and the Apocrypha, which even Catholics didn’t officially add to their Bible until the 1500s. Purgatory also led to the selling of indulgences—buying time out of God’s judgment for cash. That’s not gospel. That’s spiritual bribery.
5. Catholic Claims, Twisted Texts: What Scripture Actually Teaches
Catholicism is a system of spiritual bondage that twists Scripture to support its manmade rituals. Let’s walk through a few key passages Catholics love to misuse — and what the Bible actually says.
1. The Rich Man and Lazarus — Luke 16:19–31
Catholics sometimes point to this story as proof of purgatory. But it’s not about purification — it’s about eternal separation. Jesus says the rich man is in torment, while Lazarus is comforted. The text clearly describes two final, irreversible destinations — not a temporary middle ground.
Abraham tells the rich man in verse 26, “Between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.” That’s not purgatory — that’s hell. This parable warns people to repent before death, because after death, your eternal fate is sealed (Hebrews 9:27).
2. Confess Your Sins to One Another — James 5:16
Catholics use this to justify priestly confession, but that’s not what James is talking about. The verse says, “Confess your faults one to another” — not “to a priest,” not “for absolution,” and not “as a sacrament.” It’s mutual — brother to brother. Not vertical, hierarchical, or exclusive.
In fact, 1 Timothy 2:5 says plainly: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” That’s it. We confess to God directly (1 John 1:9) — not to a man behind a screen.
3. Jesus Breathed on the Apostles — John 20:22–23
This is another Catholic favorite to justify their priesthood and claim that priests can forgive sins. But let’s read what actually happened:
Jesus said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them...” (John 20:22–23).
He wasn’t giving priests divine power. He was commissioning His disciples to preach the gospel — the message that through Christ, sins can be forgiven. The authority they had wasn’t to forgive sins themselves, but to proclaim forgiveness based on whether or not a person believed the gospel.
And guess what? The apostles never acted like Catholic priests. You never see Peter or Paul sitting in a booth and handing out absolution. Instead, they always pointed people to Jesus Christ for salvation (Acts 4:12).
The Real Gospel Is Simple — And It’s Not Catholic
Catholicism adds layers of manmade tradition to what Jesus already finished. It tries to mix grace with law, faith with works, and Christ with religion. But Jesus doesn’t need help saving you. His blood was enough.
If you belong to Him, you don’t need purgatory. You don’t need a priest. You don’t need penance. You need a Savior — and His name is Jesus.
6. Tradition Is Not Equal to Scripture
The Catholic Church teaches that Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are equal in authority. But Jesus had strong words for anyone who tried to mix man-made rules with God's Word:
“Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” – Mark 7:13
Catholic tradition includes things like papal infallibility, the Immaculate Conception of Mary, and transubstantiation—all doctrines you will not find in the Bible. And yet the Catechism declares these traditions as infallible.
That’s dangerous. Because when you place tradition beside Scripture, tradition always wins. People stop reading their Bibles and start trusting men in robes.
But Scripture says it is sufficient:
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable... that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16–17
Not almost complete. Not partially equipped. Complete.
7. The Bible Warns Against Another Gospel—and That’s What Catholicism Preaches
At the end of the day, this is the dividing line. Paul said:
“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” – Galatians 1:8
Paul didn’t say, “Let’s agree to disagree.” He said cursed. The Catholic gospel is not the same gospel. It adds works. It adds mediators. It adds sacraments. It adds Mary. It subtracts assurance. And it replaces grace with performance.
If you add anything to the cross, you empty it of its power (Galatians 5:2–4). You can’t have Christ and something else. It's all or nothing.
Final Word: Come Out of the System
I say this with love in my voice and fire in my bones: if you're Catholic, get out. Run from the tradition. Flee from the false hope. You don’t need a priest. You don’t need a rosary. You don’t need the sacraments.
You need Jesus.
Call to Repentance
If you’ve been trying to earn your way into heaven, it’s time to stop striving and start surrendering. Today can be the day everything changes. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Don’t wait for a better moment. Turn from your sin, believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and receive the gift of eternal life. He is calling—respond to Him today.
Call to Action
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