Print This Post
Voice of the Martyrs Supports Catholicism
September 18, 2009 by Patrick Burwell
Filed under Alerts!, Heresy, Persecuted Church, Worldliness
We have just confirmed that Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) does not differentiate heretics from Christians in their reporting; They lump Catholics, Adventists and any other professing Christian faith in with their claim of being persecuted for Jesus.
I find this disturbing VOM cannot discern the difference between heretics and Brothers.
Why is that important to identify those who practice heresy? Is there a difference between Catholics and Christians, and Adventists, for example? Why identify when you are speaking about Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and Buddhists from Christians? What is the difference?
“Why are you lumping Catholics in that list, isn’t Catholicism Biblical?” Is it?
In matters like these, it is always wise to seek out elders with good reputations for their clear exegetical exposition of the Bible to see what they have to say. So let’s ask John MacArthur, Pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California since 1969, and founder of the Ministry Grace to You (http://gty.org).
On his website John answered that question in his article…
Is Roman Catholicism Biblical?
“As long as the Roman Catholic Church continues to assert its own authority and bind its people to ‘another gospel,’ it is the spiritual duty of all true Christians to oppose Roman Catholic doctrine with biblical truth and to call all Catholics to true salvation. Meanwhile, evangelicals must not capitulate to the pressures for artificial unity. They cannot allow the gospel to be obscured, and they cannot make friends with false religion, lest they become partakers in their evil deeds (2 John 11).”
John also has an audio series on Catholicism called “Explaining the Heresy of Catholicism“, which title makes clear his opinion on the matter.
Did you catch that? Evangelicals must not capitulate to the pressures for false unity and must oppose their doctrine with Biblical truth!
It is a much greater evil to send a man to Hell thinking he is safe from it than to burn down his church, killing him. The pain will not be forever in the latter but will be endless in the former. There is a very clear distinction between denominations that “differ in non-essentials” and pagan worship that sends a man to Hell, isn’t there?
A few points I have seen myself about Catholic beliefs:
1. Where does the Bible say to worship Mary or that she is in any way a co-redemptrix with Jesus for your salvation?
2. Why do Catholics still claim infused righteousness is correct, in direct opposition to Ephesians 2:8-9?
3. Why do Catholic Priests venerate tradition and what their High priests say over the Bible, when there is a conflict between them?
Catholicism doesn’t sound Christian to me. And those points are not “non-essentials.”
I asked a representative of their ministry on Twitter what their policy was after discussing the issue with him and he gave me this link on their website: http://www.persecution.net/faq-kinds.htm.
In that document you can see the ministry policy is not to be concerned with who is who. Apparently all someone need to do is claim Jesus to get on “the list.”
Why is VOM wasting funds meant to help Christians on heretics?
Richard Wumbrand is not a Catholic but, as I am told by @VOMC on Twitter, Richard suffered in a prison “with Catholics.” It is clear by their policy statement on the matter that V.O.M. considers Catholicism to be merely a denomination of Christianity.
Not True Richard!
There are many Protestants that were tortured by Catholics that would argue very vehemently with you if they could; We must argue for them instead.
Catholics are not Christians!
Wurmbrand seems to have elevated his personal experience above scriptural authority.
I like(d) what Voice of the Martyrs does, so I am saddened to hear they are allowing themselves to be used by heretics to spread their heresy as they help “persecuted” Catholics rebuild their “churches.”
It would not be difficult for you, Voice of the Martyrs, to identify the “denomination” of the person under persecution, but yet you refuse to do that and so color your news of Christians Persecution with doubt:
“Our focus of ministry is on those who are mistreated because their persecutors consider them Christians” is their stated justification for helping Catholics as if they are brothers in Christ. So now the persecutors define what you do Richard? No, brother, no; That is a mistake.
“Should we not still assist those being badly treated?” OF COURSE! Christians are responsible for the VAST MAJORITY of all assistance in the world. And MOST of those receiving such help are NOT Christians, as the Bible says. But let’s not identify these as being persecuted for Jesus when they are not.
If a Catholic is being abused he has to know he isn’t being persecuted for Jesus! A Catholic doesn’t even have a saving faith!! Consider his soul man lest he die in his sins!
Truth is more important than unity, Richard Wurmbrand, even at the cost of your own $upport. Far better to lose the ministry than foster lies as truth and help a single soul into Hell, right?
Why is that important? Why is it so all-fired important to know the difference between a Catholic and a Christian? Because JESUS cares who is His and who is being persecuted for His name’s sake. And Jesus cares very much who is lying about their associations and using His Name to garner support for their heresy, taking such help from His Children. God is not mocked.
Christians cannot have unity with darkness. PERIOD.
Any co-operation with Catholicism lends credence to their apostasy – Jesus is not pleased.
So, as long as the Voice of the Martyrs ministry continues to identify with those who are not being persecuted for Jesus then Joyce and I cannot recommend supporting their work; They might as well just become a secular news service for all the good they will do, I’m genuinely sorry to say.
I had to let our support for a housing ministry go when I found out they were Catholic. Now I find Voice of the Martyrs is Catholic friendly as well.
The final word on this, as always, must be from the Bible:
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14
“for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.” 2 John 11
Patrick and Joyce Burwell
OnlyJesusSaves.com Ministries
Related posts:
Donate here
I will pray for this site. I only profess to Jesus and i think your judging with eyes clouded by hate and misinformation about catholics. god bless you! my friends in Christ!
I desire all Catholics to come to the truth. If they follow the teaching of their Hierarchy they shall be lost to their sins without payment : ONLY Jesus Saves. There is no means whereby man may earn his salvation; Only Jesus Saves.
There’s a reason God repeatedly refers to our ancestors in the Bible… the ones who came ‘before’ the governments had created Protestantism… and gave everybody a bible so they would self-divide. United you stand, divided you fall. The end result… back to paganism. And this once again brings on the ‘End of an Era’ when the punishment comes… a repeat of a repeat of a repeat
Yes, Kate, but your are making a false premise in your comment; Catholicism, as it is being professed by Roman Catholic hierarchy, is NOT Christianity any more. Protestantism was in protest to that falling away, and rightly so; A turning back to the Bible and the sovereingty of Jesus as Lord and God. Luther was right, but now Lutheranism, in the form of the ELCA, has fallen away. SO you have a turning back, again, today uin the form of the formation of the American Anglicans.
Error must be addressed, not accepted, when it becomes the heresy like the Papacy, and the heresy of Universalism, etc…
In other words, there CAN be NO unity with those who embrace heresy.
I may be old fashioned, but I believe there is only one high priest I will confess to, Jesus Christ. I know myself as a priest and an holy nation, but you won’t find me calling any other man on earth Father. If they want to support them, they can go right ahead, I don’t read their stuff anyway. The bible is enough for me.
I appreciate what you are saying, but that still does not make the heresy of Roman Catholicism acceptable.
I was worried about VOM being part of ‘Salem Web Network’ See bottom of page http://www.biblestudytools.com for links to VOM, BillyGraham.org ! etc. I asked VOM about this and they replied they are not associated with Graham… Now I know they are not to be trusted after reading here!
Unfortunately there are more false prophets and orgs than true ones at this stage! Catholicism is probably the oldest of false ‘christianty’ no wonder Mike thinks the way he thinks. Please check out everything Chick has on Catholicism at http://www.chick.com/reading/comics/0112/indefense.asp
Read: Alberto Rivera went public with his testimony on the Roman Catholic Church. Alberto knew too much! Having been prepared for leadership in the Jesuit order…
Thank God redemption is only through Jesus and not good works.
Scary stuff on Graham: http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/graham.htm
Your belief in scripture is proof that Catholicism is the True Church. You believe scripture because the Catholic Church put defined the books of the bible. Your interpreted beliefs never existed outside of your interpretations. History shows no proof. Unless you declare that YOUR interpretation of scripture is infallible then you are liars. Why would anyone want to believe your interpretations when you claim Catholics worship Mary. They absolutely do not!! But just as the other 30,000 different Bible based church denominations you can’t show your beliefs existed more than 500 years ago, you can’t imagine what the Church was like 300 years before the Bible was put together (by the Catholic Church), etc. Yes, we have Traditions. Those passed down from the apostles. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.”
You can’t have those because you weren’t there.
Check out http://www.catholicconvert.com and learn the Truth.
Sola Gratia, Mike! Ala the Reformation…
Catholicism is nothing more than another false religion of works rightousness and a damnable heresy.
http://GTY.org has all the details.
The comment about VOM is that they should know better than to disregard the truth for what I suspect is a mtive of funding, or certainly deception.
No matter how nice someone is they, like all of us, are wretches that can do nothing but sin. Only by the Blood of Jesus can we be forgiven. Works have no bearing on salvation they are merely a reflection of it.
BTW: How will YOU do on Judgment Day, Mike? Think you are a good person?
Patrick Burwell
Dear Patrick,
Yes, Only Jesus, the one true Jesus, as revealed in the one true Gospel as preached by Paul, Galatians 1:9, by the one true Spirit, 2 Cor. 11:4, saves.
Thank you for posting the truth. I had been a supporter of VOM before God brought me into the amount of truth that I possess, and I wish fervently that VOM, along with all other churches and parachurch organizations, such as the evangelistic ministries of Billy and Franklin Graham, would embrace the true Gospel. I am grieved with VOM’s compromise, and the compromise of many [most?] churches and parachurch organizations, of the Gospel. If the Gospel is compromised we perish.
May the Lord God have mercy on us and open our eyes and hearts to the truth.
I live only by the mercy of the Lord God.
Jim Vermillion