By Rick Jones

My book Understanding Roman Catholicism generates many letters and e-mails from angry Catholics. Although I simply quoted the 1994 Catholic catechism, I am consistently accused of lying, twisting words, distorting facts and otherwise misconstruing Catholic doctrine.

The fact is, I didn't lie. Catholics just don't know what their religion teaches. No doctrine has led to more criticism than exposing the Catholic teaching that outside the Catholic church, no one can be saved.

"We don't believe that!" "How can you tell such a lie?" "How can you be so stupid?" are among the outcries I regularly hear. So am I wrong? Let's look at the facts.

The official 1994 catechism claims that the Catholic church "is necessary for salvation. "¹

Then there's the question and answer format of the older Baltimore Catechism (also official doctrine):
       QUESTION: "Are all obliged to belong to the Catholic Church in order to be saved?"
       ANSWER: "All are obliged to belong to the Catholic Church in order to be saved."²

Many former popes have also preached this doctrine. But the current "infallible" pope helped prove my point. He reaffirmed Rome's position on May 7, 2001, when he told 2,000 young people, "you cannot be a Christian if you reject the Church founded on Jesus Christ;"³ The "Church" he is referring to is not the Scriptural body of Christ, but the Roman Catholic church alone.⁴

Sadly, most Catholics are tragically deceived, but even worse, many Christians have fallen into the same deception. Catholic apologists preach unity between Catholic and non-Catholic Christians. But the pope says there is no such thing as a non-Catholic Christian.

We are not spiritual brothers and sisters. Not even close. How tragic that Christians have stopped witnessing to these lost religious people who are still counting on their good works to get them to heaven.

Understanding Roman Catholicism was written to Catholics, to show them how frequently their doctrines contradict the Bible. Thank God many are reading the book, getting saved and leaving the Catholic church.

But today, soul winners also need to know the doctrines exposed in this book. If you really love the lost and want to see them saved, you first need to know who the lost are. You need to look past the Vatican's Public Relations lies and learn the truth. The second step to winning a Catholic to Christ is showing them why their religion is wrong. The first step is finding out yourself.

1. 1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Pg. 224, #846.
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2. Baltimore Catechism, No. 2, (c)1953, Pg. 72.
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3. Vatican Information Service, May 8, 2001, N.86, from article Pope Meets with Youth of Various Christian Confessions.
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4. See the 1994 Catechism, pg. 215, #816
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