ALEX DUNLAP ANSWERS A ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
Dear Mr. Dunlap,
Thank you for your invitation but I have decided to remain in the only Church, which, with all human failings notwithstanding, can be historically traced back to Christ Himself.
I cannot doubt that you are a sincere man, otherwise you would indeed be moved by a deep hatred of something that you really know little about, the Church. I too love the Bible and, believe me, have tried to live by it from my earliest years. I noticed that you are quite familiar with it, especially the New Testament. I was consoled to see that, for as St. Jerome said, "to be ignorant of the Scriptures is to be ignorant of Christ." Of course I don't know if you would place any stock by St. Jerome as he was put to work by one of the Popes to translate the Bible into Latin. While we are on the subject, how do you know that any Bible from which you can quote is truly the inspired Word of God? I should think that anyone seeking to know whether or not the Church is the true Church of Christ should rather go to historical facts first and not to the Bible as it was in the hands of the Church for so many centuries that it could have been tampered with. Printing or movable type, if I'm not mistaken was only invented in the 15th Century after Christ. Think of how many errors a diabolical Church could have inserted into it.
Please bear with me. You see we were only born yesterday, so to speak. What would you say of a child who goes to his family history and points out to his grandfather that he doesn't even exist? Do you know who selected which books should enter into the New Testament and which should not? It would seem that some authority existed before it, an authority which should translate it and preserve it from error.
You advocate leaving the Catholic Church and joining some group. Where is it's authority from? What right do you have to make this statement? If the Church is in error, then why aren't you? Why can't I start some true Christian Church? Or maybe we all can get some group together at least.
You say "Believe in Christ." The Devil himself believes in God, Christ, the Bible, etc., etc. but he isn't going to be saved. And so far as quoting Scriptures goes, even the Devil can quote it to his own advantage. This was shown eloquently during the three temptations of Christ.
When you signed your letter "Earnestly in the love of Christ" I believe that you are. Personally I feel that you are combatting (sic) yourself however, because you unconsciously allowed yourself to be made blind to the reality and beauty of Christ's Church by so many ugly human failings which although part of her are conspicuous by their wonderful surroundings. Believe me there are millions of Catholics leading wonderful lives because of their faith!
Life in this world has been a struggle of good against evil ever since our first parents. Stop fighting good because you are good, but use your God given energy to combat the wickedness for example of people who make money by spreading filth and corrupting youthful lives. Mr. Dunlap you're fighting one of the greatest forces for good in this world. And your only result will be a handful of malcontents, gripers who saw or experienced something or someone evil in the Church and took the Church to be evil. It's like seeing a pig in nature and taking nature for a pig!
Steadfastly, yours in Christ,
Rev. Salvatore Bonaccorsi, O.S.A.
Rev. Salvatore Bonaccorsi
Monsignor Bonner High School
Lansdowne Ave. & Garrett Rd.
Drexel Hill, Pa.
Dear Friend:
I appreciate the spirit in which You wrote. The many priests who write to us reflect their personalities in their correspondence. One who wrote me today addressed me as "Dumflop," and suggested we change our title to "The Conversion to Diabolism Center." However, another from Cincinnati most graciously invited me to call him and visit him when in the area; and a novitiate from Ontario traveled to the Center by bus, was converted to the all-sufficient Christ, and is now attending a Bible College.
Permit me to reply to your letter point by point. Assuming that you may not have a copy, the use of titles may be of assistance:
HISTORICITY
The RC church cannot be historically traced back to Christ. It appeared for the first time in the 5th century. None of the Christians of the first 4 centuries were RCs, for there was no RC church at that time. For the first 4 centuries, Christians followed the teaching of the apostles as recorded in the New Testament. Then RCism gradually took over and superseded the Bible, so that the Apostolic Church became the RC church. Gregory 1 (590-604) was the first pope. No bishop had ever used the term "universal bishop" until that time. Peter was never a bishop of Rome. The historical and Scriptural evidence is that he was never even in Rome. The enclosed paper on the subject is submitted for your perusal. Peter never claimed to be pope. Matt. 16:18 refers to Christ, not Peter. So says Augustine. So says Chrysostom. So says Paul (I Cor. 10:5). So says Peter (I Peter 2:6-8). Peter is "petras." Rock is "petra." One is masculine, the other feminine. Peter was a "living stone" in the "spiritual house," built without hands on the foundation of ' Jesus Christ (Mk. 14;58; 1 Pet. 2:5,6). The RC argument rejecting the Greek for the Aramaic is not defensible. If there was ever an Aramaic version, and the RC church trusts its own translators, it must give them credit for correctly using the Greek words "petras" and "petra." The oft-repeated RC claim of "an unbroken line of popes," the only true "title deed," is exploded on intelligent examination. I have examined the evidence, and find, sadly, that the RC church is simply not honest in its statements. Even today, it speaks authoritatively, for publication, of the "262nd pope," when it knows that such a declaration is fiction. When confronted with this refutation, RC apologists fall back on the expression, "Well, it's not important, anyhow." If this is so, then why not be honest when giving a "list of popes," and qualify it with, "Subject to errors, corrections, omissions, and changes without notice"? But no; historical honesty is lacking. For it is substituted fiction, but fiction pronounced with such ecclesiastical authority, that the average RC thinks he is bound to believe it, and every one who does not is a heretic. When hard pressed, the RC theologian says, "But this is not a dogma. It is not canon law. It is not an article of belief." But it is not so stated in the text. Neither is an RC permitted to question it. Neither is he permitted to read anything to the contrary written by a non-RC. And who would write to the contrary but a non-RC, forsooth?
I have dwelt too long on this subject, and yet not scratched the surface. But the further one investigates, the more apparent becomes the hoax of the claim of historicity. I pray you will pursue the subject for your own interest, examining the evidence to the contrary, in spite of the hierarchy's prohibition. The RC church uses the words of Jesus, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free," to its own advantage in its protestations of authority. Yet, upon examination, it is condemned by these very words. Thank God for the number of priests and people who are being set free as they find their "Title Deed" in Jesus Christ Himself, the same yesterday, today and forever. (Heb. 13:8; 1 Cor. 3:11).
ST. JEROME
I "place stock" in him only as he speaks in conformity with the Word of God. He, as well as all other uninspired men made statements that were sometimes true and sometimes silly. It is always necessary to consider what they said according to the period of their life in which the statement was made. Thus, their remarks were often contradictory. It would be folly, therefore, to introduce random quotations as evidence of any doctrine. It is written, "To the law and to the testimony. If they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them."-Is. 8:20. It is most certainly true that "to be ignorant of the Scriptures is to be ignorant of Christ." For it is written, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled that are written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. Then He opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures. And He said to them, "Thus it is written; and thus the Christ should suffer, and should rise again from the dead on the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His Name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem."-Lk. 24:44-48. This is what we believe. This is what we preach. When you give up any hope of salvation by merit, and put your trust only and completely in Jesus Christ as all sufficient Savior, you too will have remission of sins and the assurance of salvation.
WORD OF GOD
The Old Testament was complete centuries before the RC church was heard of. Writing was a high art. Political and religious and civil writings were transcribed by the thousands of copies on scrolls. The work of a scribe was just as common and professional as the work of a secretary or court stenographer today. The Word of God was jealously guarded by the Jews. It was the only Bible at the time of Christ. He referred to it many times. The apostles and disciples quoted it repeatedly. Converts to Christ were won through hearing it, reading it, believing it. (Acts 2:16-41). The Son of God did not say, "Go to historical facts." He said, "Search the Scriptures"-Jn. 5:39. It is also written, "These were of a nobler character than those of Thessalonica and they received the Word with great eagerness, studying the Scriptures every day to see whether these things were so. Many of them became believers, and so did no small number of prominent Gentiles, women and men."-Acts 17:11,12. A frank examination of the subject reveals that the RC church has been no friend of the Bible in the common tongue. Those who originally translated it into the language of the people were persecuted, put to death, burned at the stake by the express order of the highest Roman authorities. The argument that in the USA the RCs can gain an indulgence of 3 years by reading the Bible 15 minutes falls flat when the same preface to the Bible reveals that an indulgence of 5 years can be gained by reciting a 5-second prayer to the Holy Spirit; and a Plenary indulgence for reciting the same prayer daily for a month. I say "in the USA," because you are undoubtedly aware this is not generally known, and certainly not generally practiced in RC countries or provinces, such as Spain, Colombia, Italy, Quebec. The great emphasis on Bible knowledge among evangelical Christians in the U.S. has necessitated at least a token support of Bible reading by the RC church. Thus the sporadic articles in OUR SUNDAY VISITOR, and a few other RC periodicals. At the same time, any non-RC Bible is on the Index of Forbidden Books, under pain of grave sin. No RC is permitted to read a "Protestant" Bible. He is taught that it contains many errors, even the New Testament. He is not even permitted to read an RC Bible that does not have the Imprimatur. Finally, even though he is allowed to read an RC Bible containing the Imprimatur, he is expressly forbidden from interpreting it except according to the official interpretation of the RC Church. The obvious outcome is to discourage RCs from reading the Bible at all. A mental block has been set up. There is a fear of interpreting it wrongly. To whom shall they go for the "official interpretation of the Church"?-To the priest? No, be is subject to error. To the bishop? Same answer. To the Archbishop? Ditto. To the Cardinal? Similar. To the Pope? Only when speaking ex cathedra. Then perhaps there is an infallible written Commentary of Scripture. But there is no such thing. I have in front of me now the "Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture," with an impressive List of Contributors, a foreword by Bernard Cardinal Griffin, Archbishop of Westminster; Nihil Obstat R. C. Fuller D.D., L.L.S.; Imprimatur E. Morrogh Bernard, Vic. Gen. One would think, then, that here is a safe guide. But then we read on numerous occasions, "Theologians differ as to the meaning of this passage." And the inside flap says, "The Commentary ... is based on the teaching and discipline of the Catholic Church, and it will be seen that there is the amplest room for diversity of interpretation within the bounds of orthodoxy." Then when an inquirer refers to the Imprimatur as indicating the seal of approval of the RC church, be is given an involved definition of what the Imprimatur means and does not mean. He finally gives up in despair, or becomes a sudden convert to the doctrine of interpretation of the Scriptures by praying to the Author, the Holy Spirit, for wisdom, then comparing Scripture with Scripture . . . (I Cor. 2:13-16)
We do not hesitate to urge an RC to read the Douay or Confraternity or Westminster or Monsignor Knox edition. In fact, Bible Societies publish them to be sold or given to RCs, in order to encourage their reading of the Word of God. Christians do not say, "You are forbidden to read this version, or that version." Any Bible-instructed RC knows that the Douay version contained errors that have been corrected in the Confraternity edition. RCs condemned Protestants for years, claiming they had substituted "Repent" for "Do penance," in many New Testament passages. Now the Confraternity edition uses "Repent" throughout, in spite of the fact that RC editors and columnists and priests still insist that Jesus said "Do penance" in the very passages that are now translated "Repent." You have undoubtedly heard of the "Raisin" Bible, have you not? But a Christian is satisfied that when any individual reads any well-known version of the Bible, regardless of a few minor vagaries here and there, if he reads prayerfully and with an open mind, the Holy Spirit will soon show him he is a sinner, he cannot save himself, Christ made a perfect atonement for sin, and by a heart faith in a risen Savior the individual is justified by faith, receives forgiveness of sins, the salvation of his soul, and the assurance of eternal life (Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23; Lk. 19:10; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; 1 Pet. 2:23-25; Rom. 5: 1; Rom. 10: 13; 1 Jn. 5:13).
I would say that the child you speak of would have good sense in inquiring into authenticity of one who called himself "grandfather," if he bid any doubt as to his authenticity. Court records are full of cases of counterfeit relationships. The RC church only recently found out that Pope Donus II (973) was really a "person" who had never even been born! And they had made him a "saint." And his name was included in the "unbroken line of popes," the "glorious title deed of the RC Church" for centuries! And unsuspecting RC people never questioned his authenticity. And most of them still don't know that "be" never existed. And thousands, perhaps millions, prayed to this unborn "pope" and "saint" for centuries.
I have personally investigated the claims of the RC Church and have found, in common with many other unbiased investigators, that the RC Church is not my "grandfather." In fact, it has no relationship at all with Jesus Christ, my Savior. If I had found otherwise, I would not hesitate to embrace it. There would be no reason for me not to do so. Life would be much easier for me. I would not suffer epithets, curses, threats, violence, damage to my car and property, broken windows (I invite you to see our collection of rocks, bob caps, monkey wrenches, railroad spikes, beer bottles). Neither would my business be subjected to RC boycott. I would not bear cries of "Intolerant!" "Bigot!" "Anti-Catholic!" "Communist!" The apostle Paul said, "Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?"-Gal. 4:16. The truth is just as intolerant of error as it was then. We are justified by faith, not by works. Every religion except real evangelical, Bible Christianity encourages a person to merit salvation, by one means or another, or combination of means. Genuine Christianity teaches "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. " -Eph. 2:8,9.
Justification by works is neither the grandfather, nor the father nor the mother of the Bible doctrine of Justification by faith. It is an imposter. It is a counterfeit, a fraud, a hoax. One is of Satan. The other is of God. Official RC dogma declares a person who claims to know he is saved to be guilty of the sin of presumption. But the Bible says, "These things I am writing to you that you may know that you have eternal life-you who believe in the Name of the Son of God." I Jn. 5:13. And, "Whoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom. 10: 13.
The Holy Spirit selected the canon of the NT. The apostles knew they were writing under inspiration. Christ promised that the Holy Spirit would teach them all things and bring to their mind whatever He had said to them. (Jn. 14:26). Paul said to the Thessalonians, "We too give thanks to God without ceasing, because when you heard and received from us the Word of God, you welcomed it not as the Word of men, but, as it truly is, the Word of God, Who works in you who have believed." I Thess. 2:13, Luke said, "In the former book, O Theophilus, I spoke of all that Jesus did and taught," etc.- Acts 1:1, 2. He said, "Inasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a narrative concerning the things that have been fulfilled among us, even as they who were from the beginning eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word have handed them down to us, I also have determined, after following up all things carefully from the very first, to write for thee, most excellent Theophilus, an orderly account, that thou mayest understand the certainty of the words in which thou bast been instructed." John said, "I heard behind me a. great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, 'What thou seest write in a book, and send to the seven churches, to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."-Apoc. 1:11.
Thus, the apostles wrote under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These letters were copied and sent fromone Christian church . . . to another. The canon of the Old Testament had been preserved by the Jews.
Bible-believing, saved Christians have it today just as it was then. The RC church centuries later added 7 books, and parts of 2 others, that had never been accepted as canonical.
The groups of believers in various cities, that were known as "churches" (The church in the house of Priscilla and Aquila, Rom. 15:5; the church at Cenchrae, Rom. 16:2; the churches of the Gentiles, Rom. 16:5; the churches of Asia, I Cor. 16:19) kept these letters together and recognized them as the Word of God ... Acts 2:42-47. You probably know Rev. Eugene Kelly, the priest at St. Colman's RC Church in Ardmore. He insisted that the RC church gave the Bible to the world; and the world is indebted to the RC church for having infallibly defined the New Testament. I pointed to my car and asked him to name it. He rightly replied, "Chrysler." I assured him that I had known it all along, and it had been a Chrysler ever since it came off the assembly line. The fact that he finally designated it as such did not make it any more a Chrysler than before, nor was I indebted to him for the knowledge. So it is with the Bible and the RC church. They finally found out what Christians had known all along. The announcement of the RC Council's approbation brought only stifled yawns from those who loved the Word of God and had been reading and teaching it for centuries. Peter said, "The Word of the Lord endures forever"-l Pet. 1:25. Christians have confidence in God the Holy Spirit, the Author of the Bible, to preserve His Word. It is not the RC church that has translated it into over 1000 tongues and distributed it throughout the world, but evangelical, Bible believing Protestants, who are roundly condemned officially and in papal encyclicals for doing so. This in itself is good reason for your leaving the papal system. We advocate your joining yourself to Jesus Christ. He is the One Who saves. He is the One Who releases from bondage. He is the One Who forgives the sinner and sets free. "If then any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the former things have passed away; behold, they are made new!"-2 Cor. 5:17.
Then when you leave the RC church, as God admonishes you to do in Apoc. 18:4,5, you can fellowship with any assembly of believers true to the Word of God. In the apostolic days, it could have been the church in the house of Aquila; or the church in the house of Nymphas; or the church at Ephesus. There was no ecclesiastical system; no "religious orders"; no "universal bishop," no Roman Catholic church; no denomination. They believed the Word of God; had a very simple communion, or breaking of bread, as a remembrance of his death, resurrection and coming again; sang hymns; studied the Word of God together; prayed; met on the first day of the week, or the Lord's Day, fellowshipping and rejoicing together in the knowledge that because He had risen on the first day of the week, so would they have the assurance of a resurrection, either after death, or at the Rapture, when those that would be alive at His coming would be caught up to meet Him in the air (I Thess. 4:13-18).
Because saved ones everywhere had all these things in common, the sum total of all of them as individuals and as "churches" or "assemblies" became known as "universal" or "catholic." In recent years, the RC system has usurped the name "catholic," and made it synonymous with "Roman Catholic." Thus, when early writers speak of the "catholic church," meaning simply the universal Christian church, the RC apologists misapply their statements to mean the Roman Catholic church, which was totally unknown in the early centuries.
The same original "universal, catholic church" is found wherever saved people gather today. You will find it at Grace Chapel, Oakmont; at Aldan Union, Aldan; at Limerick Chapel, Limerick; among the Auca Indians, Ecuador; in China and Russia, in spite of Communistic persecution; in Italy, Colombia and Spain, in spite of Romanistic persecution; in Africa, India, Europe, Asia, S. America, N. America and the Islands of the Seas. You will find it in heaven, of which it is written,
And they sing a new canticle, saying, 'Worthy art Thou to take the scroll and to open its seals; for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us for God with Thy blood, out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation" - Apoc. 5:9.
This is the "true church," "the Body of Christ."
These are those who, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, saved by grace through faith in His perfect once for all, never to be repeated blood sacrifice, born again through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit have been made "new creatures" in Christ. Old things have passed away. They have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires (Gal. 5:24). They hate the works of the flesh-immorality, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, jealousies, anger, quarrels, factions, parties, envies, murders, drunkenness, carousings (Gal. 5:19-21). They could not possibly be part of a religious system that feeds the flesh by its festivals, gambling, beer-drinking, whiskey-selling, dancing, partying, carousings, idolatries. (I visited yours last year and St. Laurence's several times, complaining to the police without success in both instances). A system that has substituted BINGO for the "collection of the saints" is a far cry from Christ's Church, where the saved ones are admonished to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit-"charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, modesty, continency (Gal. 5:22-24).
I invite you to come to Christ now. Give Him your heart. Be converted. Be saved by faith. Be born again. Be transformed from the heart. Rest in the all-sufficient Christ. Leave the RC church. You will enter into a new world that you have never known. We are very serious. We love you in Christ.
Sincerely in Him,
Alex O. Dunlap