Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 3
January 31, 1952
NUMBER 38, PAGE 3a

"Catholic Ads Reviewed"

R. Ervin Driskill, Columbus, Georgia

In one of the Knights of Columbus ads we have this statement: "Every week...all over the world...thousands of people are received into the Catholic Church, as converts. In some cases, they are PROMINENT, even FAMOUS people, and newspapers and magazines will interview them to ask: "Why are you adopting the Catholic Faith?" How different in the church of Christ—Paul said, "For behold your calling, brethren, that not many WISE AFTER THE FLESH, not many MIGHTY, not many NOBLE, are called:" (1 Cor. 1:26)

But again: "It isn't easy to become a Catholic...thorough instruction in CATHOLIC BELIEF, (Caps, mine, R.E.D.) and OBLIGATIONS comes first..." Will some Catholic kindly give just ONE New Testament example where those converted by the apostles or, any inspired man, became a Roman Catholic or, where they were ever given "thorough instructions in CATHOLIC BELIEF and OBLIGATIONS"? In New Testament times when people wanted to become a member of the church of Christ, and at the same time have their sins remitted, they were told to "believe, repent and be baptized." (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16) Thus, God has made it EASY (if one truly believes, genuinely repents and is baptized) to become a Christian but, as the ad says, "It isn't EASY to become a Catholic." Cannot everyone see to become a Christian is one thing and to become a Catholic is something else?

Then, the ad says: "The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Penance and Holy Communion, must follow. And these are only the beginning of Catholic life and Catholic obligations." Will some Catholic please give New Testament teaching for these "Catholic Obligations"? They are not there and thus, all can see that New Testament teaching is one thing and Catholic teaching is something entirely different. The apostles did not teach such and the anathema of God has been pronounced upon Catholics for teaching it. (Gal 1:8, 9) Friends, if I was a member of a church, about which you could not read in the New Testament, with God's approval (you read of the Catholic Church in Rev. 17:5; 1 Tim. 4:1-3 as the "apostate church" and the "THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH"), and whose worship and doctrine was also not found in the Bible and who did not have the courage and conviction to prove their teaching, when pressed (as the Catholic Church has) to prove it; I would just know it was false to the core. This has not been written to be mean but just PLAIN.