If you are trusting on the rules and conditions that man sets for your salvation, you may want to do a bit more Bible reading rather than listen to much of the stuff being preached on Christian TV and via other sources today. I have come to realise that we have been too easily decieved by the traditions of man and that "formal religion" is a form of satan's deciet, in fact it's his favorate tools and are very effective.
It is very difficult for me to come to grips with this because I was raised Roman Catholic and MANY of my loved ones have "died in the faith" including Uncles Aunts and both of my parents. To accecpt what I have come to believe means that they have all been decieved straight into hell. I have an older brother who is a Catholic Priest and one thing I can clearly remember is saying the rosary over my Mother's dead body Easter Sunday morning 2003. I have deep regrets that they have been caught into satan's trap and are burning in the lake of fire right now.
Let me ask you to conduct an experiment and you can judge for yourself; go to the free Bible link on my homepage or, Google "on-line Bibles" and do a search of whatever version you like.. Type in any Catholic terms such as purgatory, rosary, Euachrist, Mass, Pope, communion, confession, penance; use your imanigation.... You will find that NONE of the man made (Catholic) stuff is referenced in the Bible. Better yet; try looking this stuff up in a Catholic Bible that includes the aprochtrya. Don't believe me?; Please, do it for yourself.. Need some more terms? How about Homily, benidiction, Nuns (or sisterhood for that matter), Holy Orders, Sacraments ( you should know there are 7, 8 if you include exorcisim). Much of this stuff has come from Pagan traditions however, Jesus has cast out demons and others have done it in his name.
The gist of what I'm saying is; "If it isn't in the Bible; DO NOT be decieved!" God sent his only Son here to save us (John 3:16). There IS NO OTHER WAY but through Jesus. I admire Mary a great deal and honor her for all she has done however, she is not to be a symbol of Idolatry that the Catholic church has made her out to be. Jesus was sinless; she was not, she is /was just the same as all of us according to Romans 3:23. Praying to her is idolatry, a violation of the 1st and 2ed Commandments; please read 1 Timothy 2:5.
I'm also opposed to the "flu shot" approach of doing "alter calls" and having folks recite the "Sinner's prayer" and declare them to be "saved" as happens in many Churches in America today. We aren't the ones to determine if anyone is saved or not; only Jesus has that power.
