I don't have the time this morning for the proper lead-in and setup for this, so I'm going to rush it all together into one post.
First of all, I am going to admit where I stated something incorrect. The Catholic Church *does* teach that priests have the power to absolve sin. Now, Mindia claims, several times in this thread actually, that this goes against the Bible. I'm not going to wait for him to post to agree with that, he's already said it here and you can refer back to it.
So, Mindia's argument is that this, among other things, proves that the Catholic Church violates the Biblical teachings. Mindia states that there is no precedent in the Bible to support this practice and that this, among other things, proves that the Catholic Church is evil and cultist.
Again, I'm not going to wait for Mindia to reply to agree with this statement - he's already said it and I have to get to work soon. So, without further ado:
Matthew 16:19 wrote:And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven
This is Jesus speaking to Peter. Jesus clearly states that he is giving Peter the power and authority to determine who is allowed entrance into the Kingdom of God. Now, many people speak of this as Peter is the Guardian of the Gates of Heaven - meaning that when you die, you check in with Peter. Yet, that's NOT what the scripture says. Read it again. Jesus tells him that the Power of Heaven will honor Peter's judgement of those he absolves and grants entrance.
Precedent is thereby set for Peter to have the power of Judgement. That's just Peter, though, right? He's just one man, and God maybe a special provision for him... right?
Wrong.
Later, Jesus is speaking to ALL of the Apostles:
Matthew 18:18 wrote:Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven
We see the exact same language here. "Whatsoever" is a term without limits, without bounds. It is unequivocal verbiage. ANYTHING that the Apostles choose to loose (forgive) shall be loosed in heaven. ANYTHING. They are given the same power and authority as Peter. They have the ability to judge and to forgive.
Note:
- that the "binding" and "loosing" refers not to physical but to spiritual or moral bonds among which sin is certainly included; the more so because
- the power here granted is unlimited -- "whatsoever you shall bind, . . . whatsoever you shall loose";
- the power is judicial, i.e., the Apostles are authorized to bind and to loose;
- whether they bind or loose, their action is ratified in heaven. In healing the palsied man (Mark 2) Christ declared that "the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins"; here He promises that what these men, the Apostles, bind or loose on earth, God in heaven will likewise bind or loose
Now, you're about to say - "there's nothing there that says that they can forgive sins, that's YOUR interpretation!" OK, fair enough. Then I'll give you THIS scripture:
John 20:21-23 wrote:As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained'
There. God-given power to forgive sins given to humans. Is that enough Biblical precedence to validate that the Catholics' belief in the empowerment of a priest to absolve sin is not "heresy"? God grants the leaders of his Church ("As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.") the power, the authority, and the mandate to forgive sins.
I'm going to go one step further. Your church has declared that the ability to forgive sins is not only untrue but is also heresy. I would say to you then, that your ministers and pastors are guilty of violating the direct spoken will of Christ himself. As leaders of their respective denominations (who all worship God in his three forms, including Christ) they are directly disobeying a mandate given to them by God. Christ sent them to forgive sins... it's right there in the Gospel of John. But your ministers don't do this, instead they're saying that those who practice God's will,
as written in the Bible (which is YOUR litmus test it would seem), are blashphemers. I throw it back in your face and say that your Ministers, for violating the Will of God, are sinners and unable leaders.
It is one of a pastor's, minister's, priest's duties to God and his parishioners to forgive sin, and I have shown the Biblical proof that you said doesn't exist. I didn't have to link any Catholic "propaganda" - unless the Bible is now propaganda (no, no.... Vonkaar - leave that alone).
