DECEIT IS OBVIOUS
HONEST PEOPLE want to know the truth, because lies cause them harm. To gain someone’s trust and then cause them to hold a false belief that endangers their freedom, property, and life is to deceive them.
The original liar and author of deception and delusion is Satan the Devil. He has caused people to learn lies publicly, which endangers their freedom, property, and life. Millions of sincere and trusting people have been deceived, deluded, and harmed beyond measure. In order to deceive people, lies are hidden.
The truth reveals deception, enabling honest people to protect themselves. Jesus Christ, the great interpreter of truth, said of the Word of God contained in the Bible: “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). He went on to say, “For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not be known” (Matthew 10:26).
For hundreds of years, people have been deceived and misled by being made to believe lies. But the time must come when the truth will be made known, so that people may be able to avoid what harms them. That time has now come because God’s appointed time has arrived. Therefore, read the following pages carefully and without prejudice, and for every question, seek clarification from the Word of God, which is the truth.
PETITION FOR A DEBATE
People who deceive the public do not want their statements or teachings to be examined publicly because they fear that the truth might expose them to ridicule and contempt. The Roman Catholic hierarchy is composed of a body of men who are subject to a power that resides in Italy… This hierarchy rules over millions of sincere people whom the hierarchy calls “the Catholic people.” The hierarchy vigorously opposes the use of radio stations to broadcast biblical truths that expose it and its false teachings. To prevent people from hearing the truth, it will stop at nothing, no matter how evil the means. The hierarchy has publicly made the following accusation: “Judge Rutherford attacks the Catholic Church, distorts its teachings, and gives rise to religious hatred and bigotry.”
This accusation is false. In response to this accusation, 2,630,000 people from the “Catholic population” and other sincere individuals signed a petition calling for a public debate on Roman Catholic teachings Catholic teachings and for a high-ranking official of the Catholic hierarchy to prove these accusations and defend Catholic teachings. The petition was published throughout the United States of America, and a copy was sent to all high-ranking officials of the hierarchy. Since it was impossible for the hierarchy to support its false accusation, it did not receive public discussion, and therefore it refuses to defend Catholic teachings. It rejected the petition with contempt.
For the benefit of the millions of people who signed the petition and others who desire to know the truth, I quote here the main teachings of the Catholic Church and will examine them more closely. I maintain that the teachings cited in the following pages, which are represented by the Catholic organization, are not supported by the Bible, but are based on human theories. They are human traditions and therefore false; they endanger freedom and damage people’s property and lives.
The teaching about “purgatory” that is taught by the Roman Catholic hierarchy and that millions of sincere people have been urged to believe is, in short, this: “When a Catholic dies, he is not really dead, but his soul is in a state of consciousness in a place of temporary punishment, in the so-called ‘purgatory’. The duration of this punishment in “purgatory” can be shortened by the prayers and sacrifices of the living, thus helping the soul trapped there.”
I categorically reject the accusation that I am distorting Catholic teachings. I have no desire to present anything falsely. The truth is of far greater importance than the teachings of any man or organization. Regarding “purgatory,” I will quote a recognized Catholic authority. The Catholic Encyclopedia, published with the permission of the Archbishop of New York, states the following in Volume XII under the subheading “purgatory”: “I. CATHOLIC TEACHING. Purgatory (Latin, purgare, to cleanse, to purify) in harmony with Catholic teaching, is a place or state of temporary punishment for those who, passing from this life into the mercy of God, and not being entirely free from sins that can be forgiven, have not sufficiently atoned for their mistakes… The souls who are there can be helped by the prayers of the faithful, and especially by the most holy sacrifice.”
James Cardinal Gibbons, a well-known Catholic authority, says the following in his book “The Faith of Our Fathers,” chapter XVI, page 205, 78th edition: “The Catholic Church teaches that, apart from a place of eternal torment for the wicked and a place of eternal peace for the righteous in the next life, there is also an intermediate state of temporary or transitory punishment for those who, at the time of their death, still have sins that can be forgiven or still have to serve temporary punishments for their sins . It also teaches that souls in this intermediate state called “purgatory” cannot help themselves, but that they can be helped by the prayers of the faithful on earth. The existence of purgatory, of course, implies a related dogma—the usefulness of prayers for the dead—because souls in this intermediate state have not yet reached the goal of their journey. They are still exiled from heaven and lack divine grace.
To show that the teaching about “purgatory” is true, it must be clearly proven that (1) every human being has a soul that is distinct and separate from the visible creature; (2) that for the soul or creature, there is no death, that only the body dies and the soul lives on; (3) that the dead are in a conscious state; (4) that those in “purgatory” can be helped by the money their earthly friends give for prayers and services.
If the teaching about “purgatory” is false, then millions of people have been deceived and kept in chains by fear and urged to give their money and property in vain; and besides this, they have been misled concerning eternal life. Whether you are Catholic or not, as an honest person you will want to learn the truth. Jesus said, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
You ask, how can I know what the truth is? Can I trust the opinions of men? No, because all people are imperfect, and the opinion of an imperfect person is worthless unless it is supported by true facts; and that is why it is written in Holy Scripture: “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, in whom there is no help” (Psalm 146:3).
The Bible is the expressed Word of God. The Word of God is the truth. The Bible was written for the purpose of being read and understood by all sincere people on earth at the end of the world (1 Corinthians 10:11). We are now living at the end of the world (Romans 15:4). The Bible was not written for the benefit of a few who call themselves “priests,” but for all who love God and desire to serve Him, as the apostle said: “All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). No one needs to ask anyone else to interpret the Bible for them because Holy Scripture is not subject to private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20). We compare the actual facts (known to be true) with the texts of the Bible, and in this way we can see whether they agree or not; if they agree, they are true. Let us therefore allow the Word of God to answer each of the theses we will consider here.
Does every human being possess a soul that is distinct and separate from the body? No, because every living creature that moves and breathes is a soul. Man is a soul, but he does not have a soul. “The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). The body and the breath of life, which animates the organism, together form the soul or living creature. When man dies, he dies as a soul, for so God has determined (Genesis 2:17). “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). “All who go down to the dust will bow before Him, even those who cannot keep themselves alive” (Psalm 22:29).
Is it true that the body dies but the soul lives on? No. The first lie the Devil told Eve, which was written down, was: “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4); in other words, there is no death. Since Eve was deceived by this lie and Adam joined her in transgression, the sentence of death was pronounced upon both of them and carried out. For this reason, Jesus said of the Devil that he is a liar and a murderer (John 8:44). It is the soul, that is, the man or creature, that dies, as it is written: “The soul that sins, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).
When someone dies, is the soul then somewhere in a conscious state? No. It is the soul or creature that is conscious. When a man or soul dies, then that creature no longer has consciousness. This is the indisputable biblical proof. “The living, at least, know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for even the memory of them is forgotten. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might! For in the grave, where you are going, there is no work, no thought, no knowledge, no wisdom!” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10). The dead man has no more thoughts: “Their breath departs, they return to the earth, and on that very day their plans perish” (Psalm 146:4). “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any of those who go down into silence” (Psalm 115:17).
Will the money, offerings, and services I give, and my prayers or the prayers of others, help or benefit my friend in “purgatory,” and will they shorten the duration of his punishment there? No, because no one is in “purgatory.” Your dead friends are not in “purgatory.” They are dead and in the grave, as Jesus said, and await the resurrection (John 5:28).
It is well known among “Catholics” that money is collected, given, and received on the basis of descriptions and claims that such sums of money are used in connection with services and prayers for the benefit of those in “purgatory.” As an example of this, we quote the following from a letter published by the “Franciscan Fathers,” dated in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 21, 1936, and signed by Fr. Anthony, O. M. C., Provincial: “The attached list gives you the opportunity to fulfill your duty in a loving and beautiful way toward your beloved dead, who in their prison in purgatory are helpless and await relief, which can only be brought to them through services and prayers… We ask you to take full part in this in order to complete the sum for purgatory for the month of November.”
Attached to this letter is a form to be completed by the sender, on which is written the following: “Your Holiness and Esteemed Provincial Father: In remembrance of my loved ones, both living and dead, and in gratitude for your daily participation in the prayers, services, and good deeds of the Franciscan Fathers, I hereby send (or promise) you my gift of S… for… the names listed above.”
Millions of sincere people responded to appeals like this and gave a lot of money to help their loved ones in purgatory, which, however, did not help anyone.
More details here: