A Protestant in the Midst of Apostasy. - Comments (4)

Category: Articles,Doctrine,Roman Catholicism
Author: John Malone
Date: 25th July, 2007 @ 02:38:48 AM

Peter Smagacz is 58 years old and glad to have left the Roman Catholic Church. He left it 35 years ago.

I read an article sent to me that was published on Omaha’s daily newspaper, the Omaha World Herald, that described Smagacz’ one-man “protest” at a Luis Palau “Heartland Festival” in Omaha. The event was said to have attracted 105,000 visitors, a record. I suppose, hyperbole being what it is, the crowd was likely half that size, but still large.

Palau is known among Bible believers to be “soft on Romanism,” and far too ecumenical to be Biblically sound. Many of us consider that ministries like Palau’s yoke themselves with unbelievers, contrary to Bible principles set forth in {2 Corinthians 6:14,|2cor 6:14-17} and {Revelation 18:4.|Rev 18:1-5} The more skeptical among us – call us jaded – know that men like Palau don’t become prominent in this country without somehow accepting that Roman Catholics are essentially Christian.

Otherwise, Romanists would have destroyed him by now.
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Lent. No Thanks. - Comments (52)

Category: Applied,Articles,Roman Catholicism
Author: John Malone
Date: 24th March, 2007 @ 05:56:29 AM

One of the practices I left behind when I received Christ as Savior 32 years ago was the keeping of the “Lenten season.”

The wholesale adoption of this Roman Catholic version of ancient pagan practice by what was once Protestantism is indicative of the {departure|2Th 2:3} that marks our day.

Now let me be clear here: I have no qualm with anyone’s religious practice, within civil bounds. If someone wants to re-enact the weeping for Tammuz, or some other pagan practice, I consider them free to do so.

My issue with “Lent” is the Christianizing of it: the attempt by ignorant or dishonest men to sell the practice to the unsuspecting as if it had to do with faith in Jesus Christ.
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Disagreeing to Agree. - Comments (3)

Category: Applied,Articles,Roman Catholicism
Author: John Malone
Date: 24th February, 2007 @ 11:11:27 AM

Recently, I received a reply to some Scriptural exegesis that read:

I refuse to argue with you, John.

As far as I am concerned, I have the one true religion and you can try to convince me all you want and I will not falter in my own belief, just as you apparently will not falter in your own.

Here is where I believe as mature Christians we will disagree.

So no arguing please.

Obviously, this itself is an argument – one frequently used – which has as its aim to stop a discourse, in this case specifically, my discourse to a small, but heavily Roman Catholic audience.

Here’s the short version: Stop writing.

I’m obliged to answer, in this case.
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John 21, Peter, & the Pope - Comments (0)

Category: Articles,Doctrine,Roman Catholicism
Author: John Malone
Date: 16th May, 2005 @ 11:34:48 AM

Papal Dress and Relics
“Wearing golden vestments and clutching his pastoral staff, Benedict began the ceremony by walking into the area under St. Peter’s Basilica where St. Peter is believed to be buried, paying homage to the first pope and blessing the tomb with incense as a choir chanted.”

Misusing the Memory of Peter
“In one of the most symbolic moments of the two-hour Mass, Benedict was given his Fisherman’s Ring and a woolen pallium or shawl — both symbols of his papal authority. The ring is emblazoned with an image of Peter casting his fishing nets and was traditionally used to seal apostolic letters.”

Associated Press, Sunday, April 24th
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It’s likely I would never discuss the Pope if he did not claim to be Christian.
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First Pope: Peter or Nimrod? - Comments (13)

Category: Articles,Doctrine,Roman Catholicism
Author: John Malone
Date: 13th April, 2005 @ 01:52:33 PM

With all the hoopla going on around the “election” of the next – and perhaps last – Pope, I consider it a good time to examine, just a bit, the FIRST Pope.

In 1993, I travelled to Uganda with my wife and two of our children, and we stayed for a couple days in the Capitol (Kampala) at the Nile Hotel. To our complete surprise, we discovered that also staying at that hotel were dozens, if not scores, of Roman Catholic Cardinals, due to Pope John Paul II’s visit that was happening at the same time.

For all I know, the Pope was in the hotel, too.
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Is the Papacy Dead? - Comments (6)

Category: Applied,Articles,Roman Catholicism
Author: John Malone
Date: 12th April, 2005 @ 05:08:51 AM

Is the Papacy dead? Hardly.

The latest Pope is dead and buried. It’s all I can do but get sick over the fawning over a man who, during his life, led more people toward the lake of fire than anyone else in this century. Considering the length of his tenure, he ranks near the top of the all-time list of deceivers.

That’s in the press poll if not in the coaches’ poll.
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My Papal Prediction. - Comments (5)

Category: Applied,Articles,Roman Catholicism
Author: John Malone
Date: 4th April, 2005 @ 06:20:58 PM

It seems like many pundits are trying to guess the next Pope. I’d like to achieve “pundit status” myself, so I think I’ll take a shot at it.
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