Comparison Grid of Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Christianity

I hesitate to put this grid up only because I do not want to needlessly assail the Catholic belief system in an offensive manner. However, I cannot help but see the similarities between Catholicism and some of the cults.

Do I think Catholicism is a cult? No. But I do think it has some very serious theological problems, bordering on apostasy, imposed upon itself through its history of letting traditions seep into the fabric of biblical truth.

Issue	Catholicism	Mormonism	Jehovah's Witnesses	Christianity
Specific Church Leader on earth	The Pope	The Prophet	Watchtower Organization	none (except, of course, Jesus)
Source of Theology	Bible and Tradition	Bible and additional Scripture	Bible and Watchtower Organization	Bible
Sample of non-biblical teachings	Purgatory, Penance, Indulgences, praying to Mary, her assumption.	Many gods, god from another world, goddess mother, you can become a god.	Jesus is Michael the Archangel. No blood transfusions, no hell, 144,000 go to heaven	If it isn't taught here, I don't believe it.
Method of Salvation	Faith, grace, baptism, works	Faith, grace, baptism, works	Faith, grace, baptism, works	Grace through Faith
True Church	Their church organization is one true church	Their church organization is one true church	Their church organization is one true church	All who are saved by grace through faith are in the true church
Claim of Authority	Apostolic Succession	Apostolic Succession	Being the faithful servant	In Jesus alone
Assets	Great Wealth and Power	Great Wealth and Power	Wealth, not much power	Treasures in heaven
Goddess-like figure	Mary has godlike abilities: able to hear and answer all prayers of all people all the time, intercede with God.	Goddess Mother who has populated this world with spirits who inhabit human bodies	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
Images of God, or Jesus, or Mary, etc.	Used in worship in churches	Used in temples and headquarters	Not Applicable	Not Applicable

There are many good things in the Catholic Church, but I find it disturbing to see the similarities between itself and the cults--in regard to a final earthly authority, non biblical teachings, claims to be the one true church, exaltation of Mary to semi-goddesshood, the use of images, and adding works to salvation.

The Catholics, of course, will complain that this chart is not fair or does not focus on the dissimilarities. Well, they are right in that it does not focus on the dissimilarities which are many. But that isn't the point of this comparison, is it?

The Protestant Reformation happened for a reason: to get back to biblical theology and to be rid of extra-biblical teaching. The counter-cult movement has happened for a reason, to get back to biblical theology and to be rid of extra-biblical teaching.
Eternity is a long time to be wrong.

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CARM |by Matt Slick