And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.E/b>
This command was not just for the drunkards, prostitutes or thieves, but to all who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus. Some evils are obvious, some are not so obvious, but evil is evil and darkness is darkness and the command is the same, have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknessE/b> and reprove themE/b>.
We recently received a letter from one reader, James Sundquist, who attended a Salvation Army church for two years, ministering in music, preaching, teaching a Bible study, and praying with and for them. His reason for attending this church was that they still sang many songs about the Blood of Jesus and the urgency of the Great Commission.E/b> When James got a flier in his mailbox, depicting a Roman Catholic Cardinal conducting services at one of their main retreat service, he said, My heart just broke. I was in total shock.EHis initial thought was There must be some others in our local church as well as the Salvation Army in general who might have received that brochure and were equally disturbed by this infusion of the RC in the church.E/b> James was in for his second shock! I could find NONE who were dismayed or concerned. NONE who were thankful that I had exposed this heresy. And as Paul said are there NONE wise among youEE/b>
James wanted to be faithful and give the man responsible for having a Catholic cardinal preaching at a Salvation Army pulpit every chance to repent. He followed Matthew 18 and privately went to him explaining that the doctrines of Rome are idolatrous and blasphemous. The man did not care, so James wrote to his superiors to voice his concern. To his dismay, they took up the cause of Roman Catholicism and defended them as Christian brothersE James felt completely undone. He explains:
A further problem in the Catholic-like hierarchy of the Salvation Army, is that there is not a mechanism for enforcing compliance when a leader goes astray, but simply watch in horror as a captain drives his ship right on to the rocks. You can confront a brother (Captain) but there is no accountability to ensure compliance if he is acting unbiblical.E/b>
James confesses,
It is only out of love for the people of God and the Salvation Army and obedience to Scripture that I, with great heaviness of heart, am making it public. It was the LAST resort. We are no longer able to give financially either to the Salvation Army because in our hearts we would be funding an unholy alliance. I know that a host of Christians in other denominations give to the Salvation Army. BUT I AM CERTAIN THAT MANY OF THEM WOULD NO LONGER GIVE TO THEM IF IT WERE MADE KNOWN TO THEM THAT THE SALVATION ARMY HAD MADE THIS UNHOLY ALLIANCE WITH ROMAN CATHOLICISM. We must not be deceived, a little leaven does not leaven just a little of the lump, but the WHOLE lump!E/b>
James struggled with this decision and considered it to be a great personal tragedy for himself.
I have loved the people of the Salvation Army and many of them have loved me and been a great refuge to me. And many will feel betrayed by me for making this public. But the betrayal has already occurred when they invited the Roman Catholic Cardinal to minister to their sheep. And in the end I have not done them a favor by simply looking the other way. I am sure they hope I will simply go away. But Christians forfeited that option when they became Christians!E/b>
In desperation, James wrote to us:
Dear Rebecca, I note with great gratitude your exposes of Roman Catholicism on your website. In this regard, I invite you to read and make known to your readers the following: I am enclosing a website which reveals that Roman Catholicism has sadly invaded the Salvation Army. At the Montclair Salvation Army Corps we received a brochure and picture of Cardinal Bernard Law conducting an ecumenical service at Salvation Army's Old Orchard Beach Pavilion on July 21. (Ecumenism is a leaven of apostasy that has invaded a large percentage of all Protestant denominations, but I never thought it would invade the Salvation Army. William Booth would turn over in his grave!!). James SundquistE
Mr. Sundquist included an official website to substantiate his claims. Of course, being a former Catholic, I immediately went to their site. I was equally shocked as I read the following information:
Celebration of Faith His Eminence
Cardinal Bernard F. Law
Jennifer DeDominici - Vocalist
Laura Darrell - Vocalist
Music by The Salvation Army Band
Choir for Higher
Captain Janet Munn - Mime/Sacred Dance
7:00 pm - Free to the Public
Parking at Ballpark
Free Shuttle Bus Service
Cardinal Bernard F. Law, Archbishop of Boston, Massachusetts, will minister
in a service of an ecumenical Celebration of Faith. Cardinal Law is an
ecclesiastical delegate of Pope John Paul II and Chairman of the Board of
Trustees at The Catholic University of America."
I immediately wrote back to Mr. Sundquist and asked him more about this. He
informed me that he had written the directors of Salvation Army and he included
their correspondence. Here is the letter from Colonel Francis, the top official
for the entire N.E. United StatesE sent on August 7, 2001 to Mr. James
Sundquist:
Re: Roman Catholicism and The Salvation Army
Dear Mr. Sundquist: Thank you for your correspondence (attached) and your
interest in The Salvation Army and the Northern New England Division. Your
ongoing support and heartfelt concern are appreciated, as is your love for the
people of The Salvation Army. However, we do believe that allowing Cardinal Law
to speak recently at a Salvation Army function in no way compromises our
theology or evangelical position. While there clearly are doctrinal differences
between The Salvation Army and the Catholic Church, we share a oneness in our
ultimate allegiance to Jesus Christ. We seek to proclaim Christ as Lord in this
ecumenical effort. May the Lord bless you.
Sincerely yours,
sent electronically
Colonel William W. Francis
Chief Secretary
wfrancis@use.salvationarmy.orgE/b>
Although Colonel Francis admits that the Roman Catholic Church does have
doctrinal differences from the Salvation Army, he fails to mention what those
differences are. He fails to mention that the Roman Catholic Church preaches and
teaches another gospel. Did Colonel Francis reprove Cardinal Law for Mary
worship, transubstantiation, the Mass, rosaries, scapulars, novenas, the false
priesthood, idolatry, purgatory and indulgences before he allowed the cardinal
to speak? No, instead of reproving the unfruitful works of darkness, he had
fellowship with them. He allowed a wolf in sheeps clothing to minister to the
flock. If Rome has deprived her own people of the gospel of grace, what makes
the Salvation Army think they will impart some wisdom or truth to others? This
deals a staggering blow to those who have supported the Salvation Army and
believed that they would not budge or move the plumbline of righteousness.
Cardinal Laws allegiance is not to Jesus Christ, but to the pope. Romes
allegiance is not to the gospel of Jesus Christ, but rather, to world
domination! Her cardinals, bishops, monsignors, priests, monks and nuns, along
with every single Catholic, must pay their allegiance to the pope. He is to go
unquestioned by anyone and obeyed by all. Let Rome speak for herself:
The Pope can make and unmake laws for the entire Church: his authority is
supreme and unquestioned. Every bishop, every priest, every member of the Church
is subject to himE (My Catholic Faith, Morrow, 251).
Rome is notorious for hiding her real objective. She plays both sides of the
fence and uses her own people to further her cause. Thats why youll see Catholic
Apologists attacking the Christian faith calling us hereticsEand ignorantE while
on the other hand they fight furiously for unityE Which ever side works is the
side Rome will take.
It wasnt that long ago that the Roman Catholic church condemned the Salvation
Army. One former priest writes about it:
Roman Catholics have been taught to abhor the word ProtestantE It is one
of the tricks of Rome to prevent them from studying and accepting pure
Christianity. An American student in the theological Seminary of Montreal once
asked his professor why the Salvation Army was condemned by the Roman Catholic
church. The learned professor answered in three Latin words: Quia sentit
ProtestantismumE/i>(Because it smells Protestantism)EE(I Was A
Priest, Vinet, 134)
James received another letter from the Salvation Army World Headquarters
confirming their global intent and unholy alliance with Roman Catholic Church.
In reply to your question to the Web Major of The Salvation Army's United
Kingdom Territory, The Salvation Army does not have a position paper on the
Roman Catholic Church separate from our attitude to all other Christian groups.
You will see from the attached however that our position is that of support for
the Roman Catholic Church as with other Christian groups. That includes respect
for their doctrines and practices and, as opportunity allows, sharing in
corporate worship and public events of an ecumenical nature. Internationally, we
particularly share a relationship with the Roman Catholic Church through our
membership on the Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions on
which the Roman Catholic Church is represented by the secretary of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. I represent The Salvation Army
at that conference. The current Roman Catholic representative has recently been
named by the Vatican as Bishop Marc Oullet.
Earl Robinson
The Salvation Army International Headquarters Office for
Spiritual Life Development & International External RelationsE/b>
The Salvation Army supports and respects the doctrines and practices of the
Roman Catholic Church by her own admission. They respect and support Mary
worship and the making of images and the bowing before them. She respects and
supports the doctrine of purgatory! This is truly alarming! Can we support them
in good conscience, knowing that a Catholic priest or cardinal may be witnessing
to those who earnestly come seeking truth. Will we support them teaching and
preaching their false doctrines? The scriptures are filled with warnings not to
be partakers with idolaters, not to eat with them or to bid them Gods speed,
lest we be partakers with them in their sin and share in their plagues.
We, along with James, pray that the Salvation Army will reconsider its
position of support for the doctrines of the Roman Catholic church. Roman
Catholicism is a cult parading around as Christian brothersE If true Christians
do not stand up against the lies of the RCC, then millions of Catholics will
perish because we have failed to preach the truth to them, and perhaps millions
more will be deceived into believing that truth must give way to unity.
By Rebecca A. Sexton