I was taken to the Catholic church from the time I was a baby. Following Catholic doctrines and traditions was the way of life for my family.
I was baptized at a Catholic church as a baby.
(In the New Testament we see that we are baptized after we are born again, not as babies.)
Acts 8:36-37 ... and the
eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And
Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And
he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
***
My parents took my two sisters and I to the Catholic church for Mass each Sunday and sent us to the Catholic elementary school.
(No where in the Bible are we instructed to perform rituals called "Mass")
***
Catholic
priests were welcomed visitors at our house. I recall one priest whom
my parents especially liked coming multiple times to our house.
("Priest" is an Old Testament term, but is not used in the New
Testament church. Ministers given by Jesus to the New Testament church
are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers. Ephesians
4:11-12)
***
My mom kept a bottle of "holy water" from the Catholic church in the refrigerator. She would give us a small cup of this water to drink if we became ill.
(No where in the New Testament is there anything about "holy water".
The only reference to "holy water" in the Bible is in the Old
Testament, Numbers 5:11-31, in which "holy water" is used to determine
whether a woman has been unfaithful to her husband.)
***
During
elementary school there were times when my mom seemed very concerned
about something. She would prepare an envelope with a note and check
in it and send my sister and I to the rectory with instructions to give
the envelope to a priest so the priest would "say a mass" for whatever was on the note.
(Under the New Testament we go directly to God in prayer, not going to someone called a "priest".)
Philippians 4:6 Be
careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
***
Also
during elementary school my older sister wanted to be a nun when she
grew up. She found a way to order a child's version of a nun's robe and
veil and would go around the neighborhood dressed up in these
garments.
(No where in the New Testament Bible are we instructed to wear religious garments such as robes, and there are no such things as "nuns" in the Bible. )
***
My
mom worked with ceramics as a hobby. Among the many pieces she worked
with were some statues of religious figures. We had also purchased some
religious statues at stores. My older sister prepared an altar for religious statues in the bedroom we shared, and I copied her,
preparing an altar for statues I had as well. But I soon lost interest
when there didn't seem any purpose for these things. I didn't know what
to do with them.
(Religious statues such as these are an abomination to God, as we see
in both the Old Testament and New Testaments. We don't worship God
through images, for God is a spirit.)
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in spirit and in truth.
***
***
Being taught that the Catholic church is the only true church, it never occurred to me that any of these things were wrong.
But they are wrong.
Although I believed everything taught in the Catholic church was correct, to me the Catholic church was "spooky".
My earliest recollection of church was when I was 3 or 4 years old,
walking up the stairs to the church building and dreading going
inside.
Nothing bad ever happened to me in the church building, but it was strongly in me that this was a "spooky" place and I didn't want to be there.
As I grew older, this sense that the Catholic church was "spooky" continued with me.
I thought something was wrong with me.
Later, I was shown by God that many of the doctrines and traditions of
the Catholic church are contrary to the New Testament Bible and are antichrist.
I believe God had put this aversion to the Catholic church in my
heart, even as a young child.
***
Hebrews 8:10 God says:
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to ME a people:
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