Jack Chick's View on Catholicism

[Presbyterian Continuist]

There's nothing funny about a lukewarm Christian.
Rev. 3:15-16 speaks volumes about people like you:
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

As for Hillaire Belloc's quote - not once does it say that GOD is funny.
That is your perverted interpretation of his words. Just because God is not funny doesn't mean that humor is bad - anymore than ice cream is evil because God doesn't eat that either. There is a time and place for humor. The fact that Jack Chick seduced so many out of the Church with blatant lies is not funny. For you to intimate that it is simply illustrates the fact that you're not what you profess to be.

God is the kindest Person we will ever met. If anyone hasn't encountered the wonderful kindness of God at any time, then they have never met God, nor do they know Him.

We are at present in God's day of grace where He says, "Come boldly to the throne of grace where you will find mercy and help in your time of need." The Scripture also says that even while we were yet sinners, Jesus loved us and gave Himself for us.

God's day of judgment hasn't come yet, and it is wrong for anyone of us to judge anyone before the time. We may look on outward appearance but God looks on the heart. We cannot know the hearts of people. This is why we always need to present the love and kindness of God to everyone we encounter and leave the judging to God.

The quote that you put down was actually written to a First Century Church. It may have been written for our education, but not directly to us. Therefore it is wrong to apply that verse to any particular person on this thread, or to anyone else. It is God's right to pass judgement, and He is not doing that in this day of grace. God is not willing that any should perish but that all may come to repentance. God is not going to say, "Get right with Me otherwise I will spit you out of my mouth." He is saying, "See my Son who suffered and died for you, to take your sins away, so that you might enter into the joys of eternal life."

"You" messages are kicking the player instead of the ball. When someone represents Christ, he is showing the love and kindness of God, otherwise Christ is not represented at all.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Well, now you know. They are scatological. Best that they be buried.

With every ministry (and no ministry is perfect), we need to pick the meat from the bones.

 

[prodromos]

Yes, we the living pray for each others needs.

So you agree that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob can pray for us?

 

[redleghunter]

Unfortunately, Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide are Scripturally untenable.
You can cherry-pick verses to TRY to prove these false doctrines - but the fail in the context of Scripture.

As for the "good reasons" for the Reformation - there is never a good reason to splinter the Body of Christ.
The splintering continues to this day to the tune of almost 50,000 disjointed sects - ALL teaching different doctrines yet ALL claiming to have the "truth".

It's up to 50,000 now! Wow.

 

[redleghunter]

His early tracts were the most powerful and effective at presenting the gospel. Remember that he presented the work of demons as part of his message, especially the influence of demons depicted in his tract about revival in the church. If he was exposing the work of demons in society and the church it is understandable that he became a threat to the devil and so the devil would want him discredited. It seems that the way that happened was the Chick was diverted away from the pure gospel and into areas where God did not intend him to go. What the devil succeeded in doing is to present him as a buffoon writing silly cartoons. This is a lesson for all of us wanting to serve God effectively. When we become too effective, the devil will use tactics to discredit us and make us appear ridiculous to people so that our preaching of the gospel because ineffective and the threat to the devil is removed. Peter tells us to be sober and vigilant because the devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

I have to admit Chick did do some great basic Gospel tracts.


Here's a good one:



https://www.chick.com/m/reading/tracts/readtract.asp?stk=0036

 

[redleghunter]

It says not to make "vain repetitions as the heathens do". Is there anything vain about repeatedly asking God to have mercy on us?

Not at all.

I think what Jesus meant was the canned prayers mumbled without heart and soul poured in.

The key word is vain.

 

[redleghunter]

It does say to pray for one another, it says God is the God of the living (referring to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) and it says the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and affective.

It says not to make "vain repetitions as the heathens do". Is there anything vain about repeatedly asking God to have mercy on us?

Patron gods? What are patron gods?

So you are posting your opinion, not historical facts. Thank you, that is much less misleading.

I believe the pagan patron god reference was from Acts 19:28

And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

 

[prodromos]

Not at all.

I think what Jesus meant was the canned prayers mumbled without heart and soul poured in.

The key word is vain.

Kinda like "Weejus" prayers?

 

[redleghunter]

You believe i'm wrong. I believe you're wrong. That's my point.

If you post up some references to support your claim there would not be this merry go round.

 

[redleghunter]

And learn to laugh at camels, because they are very funny creatures.

A bit smelly but wonderful to watch as they run across a flat desert...while the owner tries to flag them down. To watch a camel hit their full stride without rider or burden is a beautiful site.

Their milk is not too bad either.

 

[redleghunter]

Nice to read that, this doctrinal fight about salvation by faith alone versus works is never ending, every generation it will come up, until the end.

I haven't read much of Martin Luther since my Jesuit university years. However, one quote which keeps coming to mind is the following:

Faith is a living, bold trust in God’s grace, so certain of God’s favor that it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it. Such confidence and knowledge of God’s grace makes you happy, joyful and bold in your relationship to God and all creatures. The Holy Spirit makes this happen through faith. Because of it, you freely, willingly and joyfully do good to everyone, serve everyone, suffer all kinds of things, love and praise the God who has shown you such grace. Thus, it is just as impossible to separate faith and works as it is to separate heat and light from fire! ----Martin Luther

(An excerpt from “An Introduction to St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans,” Luther’s German Bible of 1522 by Martin Luther, 1483-1546)

 

[redleghunter]

Well, now you know. They are scatological. Best that they be buried.

The anti Catholic tracts I agree.

He did make some great basic Gospel tracts which are suitable for all audiences in several languages.

Then again, I'm not the throw the baby out with the bathwater type.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

So you agree that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob can pray for us?

Why do we need for those guys to pray for us when we have Jesus, who is Lord of Lords, advocating at the throne of God for us?

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Not at all.

I think what Jesus meant was the canned prayers mumbled without heart and soul poured in.

The key word is vain.

I think that Jesus was referring to the repetitive prayers he saw among the religious Jews. Similar to the type of praying and bowing at the Wailing Wall.

 

[JESUS=G.O.A.T]

If you post up some references to support your claim there would not be this merry go round.

I was waiting for you to post yours tbh

 

[redleghunter]

So you agree that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob can pray for us?

I believe the point might have been, is there evidence of any prayers or supplications made to anyone other than God in the new or old testaments?

If the argument is asking departed saints to pray for us was a later development, then I agree. However, no evidence in the OT or new testament no matter how much we try to shoehorn an eisegesis.

Am I saying it's pagan in origin? No I'm not.

However, consider your Protestant and Evangelical brethren the weaker for a moment and don't condemn them for abstaining from meats...so to speak.

For this Evangelical, praying is Trinitarian. We were taught by Christ and His apostles to pray in the Spirit, to the Father in the Name of Jesus Christ.

 

[redleghunter]

Kinda like "Weejus" prayers?

Don't really know what that means.

However, I don't poke fun at anyone's prayers.

I do know sometimes I am at a loss for words. When I was informed of a serious illness in my family, I learned the meaning of "But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words." (Romans 8:26)

As St. Patrick of Hibernia mentions in his Confession:

Another time, I saw in me one who was praying. It was as if I were inside my body, and I heard above me, that is, above my inner self. He prayed strongly, with sighs. I was amazed and astonished, and pondered who it was who prayed in me; but at the end of the prayer, it was clear that it was the Spirit.

 

[redleghunter]

I was waiting for you to post yours tbh

I was trying to facilitate a healthy discussion. Not get involved in it.

Consider me unconvinced on the history of Constantine and his relations with the church.

I have an open mind. Your chance to convince me.

 

[prodromos]

Why do we need for those guys to pray for us when we have Jesus, who is Lord of Lords, advocating at the throne of God for us?

I didn't say we needed them to pray for us, but since you brought this up, why do any of us ask others to pray for us? If you are going to reject asking their prayers then why aren't you consistent in not asking anyone's prayers?

 

[Philip_B]

Constantine ended the persecution of the Christian faith. Before he did so Christianity was illegal. Christians died. He didn't make Christianity the state religion, as so many detractors think he did. He made Christianity as legal as Paganism.

He did try to meddle in the faith, true. When Christian bishops were arguing over the teaching of Arius, Constantine summoned all of the bishops to meet in Nicaea to hammer it out. But Constantine wanted a compromise position, semi-Arianism. The council rejected what Constantine wanted, totally rejecting Arianism and semi-Arianism. So Constantine's meddling wasn't even effective.

The mythology about Constantine is way thicker than the truth about him.

It should be remembered that Constantine became Caesar on the death of his Father in York in 308. His Mother was Helena (attributed with locating the true cross) who was a Christian. Politically Constantine had become Caesar of a diverse Empire with a multitude of Gods, and yet he saw in Christianity to hope of the Empire. At the time of the Edit of Milan 314 it is generally thought that 8% of the Empire was Christian. Constantine saw the value of a religion that could be transnational and transcultural, and saw it as the spiritual equivalent of a political empire. The feud in the Church needed to be resolved - and there is no doubt Constantine had a deal of political capital at stake - when it came to the Council of Nicaea. Did he get his own way? probably not and probably yes. He was later baptised by Eusebius who was, at least at one stage, an Arian, and one may conclude that he may well have had a deal of sympathy. None the less the purpose Constantine was truly after was peace in the Church, to bring peace in the Empire.

His new capital Nova Romanum was dedicated to the Christian God, under the patronage of the Virgin Mother of God. Some time before his baptism, no less.