The Roman Catholic Church teaches that that Jesus is the Son of God, that Jesus was crucified, was buried, and rose from the grave, that God is revealed in three co-equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, that the abortion is murder, that homosexual acts are disordered and that marriage is between one man and one woman, and that only men can be pastors. But is it a Christian Church? An examination of the following propositions reveals the answer to that question:
- The Roman Catholic Church presents a gospel.
- If the Roman Catholic Church presents a different gospel then it is not a part of the Christian Church.
- The Roman Church presents a different gospel.
- Therefore, the Roman Catholic Church is not a part of the Christian Church.
These propositions form a valid argument. Examine it for soundness.
Proposition #1 is very obviously true. The Roman Catholic Church presents a gospel. It’s hard to imagine a Roman Catholic or anyone else who would argue that it doesn’t. Proposition #2 is supported by Galatians 1:8 which states, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema.” Neither Roman Catholics nor Protestants should disagree on the truth of proposition #2. Proposition #4 follows logically (by modus ponens) from Proposition #2 and Proposition #3. But is proposition #3 true? Let’s examine it according to the teaching of scripture and the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Scripture clearly and simply teaches that salvation comes by grace through faith and not through works. The Roman Catholic Church denies this in the Council of Trent (1563), which was convened as a response to the Protestant Reformation.
“If any one saith, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema.” Council of Trent, Canon 24
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that salvation is the result of good works. This contrasts the Biblical teaching from Ephesians 2:8-9 about salvation. Thus, the Roman Catholic Church teaches a different gospel. Thus, Proposition #3 is true. Thus Proposition #4 is true. Thus, the Roman Catholic Church is not a part of the Christian Church.
It is anathema. It doesn’t matter that the Roman Catholic Church teaches numerous true and biblical things. It teaches a different gospel. It’s anathema.
But what if I’m wrong???
Then I’m anathema and so is every evangelical Christian who believes like I do that salvation is not maintained by works. I, along with every other faithful person of my denomination, reject Canon 24 of the council of Trent. Since I reject Canon 24, I am anathema in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church.
What about you?
*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.
Seth Dunn 
So I guess you believe that Christianty didn’t exist before the 16th century then? This is simply wild eyed fundamentalism of the 19th century
No. What led you to that conclusion.
Also, it’s the biblical protestantism of the last 500 years.
No it’s wild eyed fundamentalism, there is a reason why religious scholars considered Roman Catholicism to be a form of Christianty. You are just asserting that dogmas unique to Protestantism is Christianity
RCC is Christianitly sociologically but arguably so are Mormonism and the Watchtower.
Mormon church and Watchtower are polytheistic, isn’t one of the major points of Christianity monotheism?
The Watchtower is stridently monotheistic.
The Mormons are polytheistic.
From your assertions about Roman Catholicism. Read “Christian” history according your logic all of them would be heretics and not Christian
Why is that?
well I don’t think you see to highly to the idea that new born babies will go to hell if they are not baptized and similar beliefs
When was that canonized?
not “canonized” exactly but the earliest writings of Christians even early as the 2nd century suggest they believed that baptism wasn’t just a symbol but had something to do with salvation and they would quote John 3:5 after talking about baptism like Irenaeus . Where do you think the Roman Catholics got their idea about baptismal regeneration
If it’s not an official church doctrine but merely a belief held by some then it really doesn’t fit in with your contention about the ramifications of my statement.
I think it got its opinion of it from the idea that it could get money and power if it controlled the gates of Heaven for people’s children.
(And from theological argumentation)
except Irenaeus was claiming his teachings to be “official” church doctrines, that he was teaching it as dogma handed to him by the apostles themselves. I believe you are anachronistically imposing the idea of “canonization” on to earlier peoples
You mean like how the RCC reaches back and makes Peter the 1st Pope from whom an unbroken line of pontiffs exists until this day?
If you want to allow for diversity of thought among Christians in the early centuries of the church then doesn’t your original statement dry up?
They may have had diversity of thought but there were somethings that they always held like the idea that baptism was not just symbolic. Read Zwingli and what he wrote on baptism he literally asserted all early Christians were wrong about it.