Catholicism's disregard for the Bible showed up again recently. In a statement by the U.S. Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialog we find the following quote: "While the Catholic Church regards the saving act of Christ as central to the process of human salvation for all, it also acknowledges that Jews already dwell in a saving covenant with God."

This view of two ways of salvation has been around in ecumenical circles for some time. In the blind push for unity, clear biblical doctrine goes out the window.

The secular media latched onto the statement as proof that the Jews can be saved by their original covenant with Jehovah. The Boston Globe noted that this was evidence of "dramatic changes in Catholic thinking about the Jews and Judaism in the wake of the Holocaust."

This led the U.S. Catholic Bishops to declare that the statement was not a "formal position" of theirs. Cardinal Keeler of Baltimore, a member of the committee, said that Catholicism was experiencing a growing respect for the lasting covenant which God made with the Jews.

Jewish leaders were delighted. Rabbi Gilbert Rosenthal declared that: "Neither faith group [Catholics or Jews] believes that we should missionize among the other in order to save souls via conversion."

Southern Baptist leaders have attempted to set the record straight. Jim Sibley, coordinator of Southern Baptist ministry to the Jews points out that Catholicism has gotten it wrong twice. First they spent several centuries persecuting the Jews trying to force them to convert.

This hardened the Jews against legitimate soul winning. Now, Catholicism has moved too far the other way. "There can be no more extreme form of anti-Semitism" than "withholding the hope of Israel," said Sibley.

Jesus spent most of His ministry witnessing to Jews. If the Old Testament covenant had been adequate for salvation, Christ would not have had to die.

Christ either died for all mankind or Peter (who Catholicism claims as their first pope) got it wrong when he told a bunch of Jewish leaders in Acts 4:12: "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

This is just more evidence that Rome is more interested in unifying all religions under the pope than in biblical truth. Bible believers know that Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father but by me." This is the message we are commissioned to give to "all the world." We must keep doing it.