WORSHIP OF SAINTS: Each day of the year is dedicated to a particular saint who is singled out for special attention on that day. Worship of the dead is a practice borrowed from a number of pagan religions.

HALLOWEEN: “All hallowed eve” (Halloween) is the night when all dead saints are honored with symbols of death. According to Anton Levey, former pastor of the Church of Satan, Halloween is the night when the forces of Satan are at their most powerful.

USE OF FIRE IN WORSHIP: Many pagan religions use fire in their worship services. In the past, yule (a circle of) logs were burned to represent the sun god of various groups that had joined the church en masse. It is from this practice that the expression “yule tide season” was taken. The ritual was performed around December 25th each year to encourage the sun god, who was near “death” to rise and produce more heat, which the sun begins to do naturally at that time each year. Catholics now substitute candles for yule logs, burning them to encourage the dead toward their eventual rise to paradise.

MASS: “Mass”–“unbloody sacrifice.” The gods of the ancient Babylonians and Assyrians required a “bloodless sacrifice” in their honor. Catholics use ritualistic prayer at the alter to satisfy this requirement of the pagan gods.

ANOINTING THE DYING: This act was performed in honor of Beelsamen, the Chaldean/Babylonian “Lord of oil,” also known as the “Lord of Heaven.” The olive branch was the symbol of Beelsamen in that the oil used to anoint the dead was taken from olives. The oil was and still is supposed to make the dead person’s resistance to Satan’s accusations more powerful.

RELIC WORSHIP: Catholics worship relics–objects shaped like religious artifacts–as well as the bones, teeth, pictures, statues, etc. of saints. This practice remains popular among Buddhists from whom the practice was borrowed.

THE ROSARY: This practice was copied from Hindu, the primary religion of India. Other pagan religions found among the ancient Greeks, Chinese and Egyptians had similar practices which utilized wooden beads which were rubbed or rolled in order to produce good luck. Catholics rub rosary beads while praying to Mary believing that the act will bring success.

CUPID AND MOTHER: This caricature was copied from the Babylonian Venus, the goddess of love, and her son, Cupid. After adopting the duo in order to appease some of their “converts,” the church renamed them Madonna and Child.

INFALIBILITY OF THE POPE: The inability of the pope to err in any way was a characteristic bestowed upon all popes, including himself, by Pope Pius IX in 1870.

CARRYING THE POPE IN A CHAIR: This practice was borrowed from Egypt where the high priest was carried to the temple in a chair supported by his servants.

NUNS: Various Babylonian religions featured nuns. Among the Peruvian Incas young girls were taken from their homes and forced to become nuns. Placed in secluded locations, they were separated from the public, becoming totally isolated from the world.

As is seen by those with eyes to see–those who seek God’s Truth–the Catholic religion is a hodge-podge of heathen beliefs, practices and rituals put forth as “Christian.” There is nothing Christian about this abominable cult, not even their emphasis on the cross, which the worshipers of Tammuz also emphasized–the cross, or tau, being his symbol. Today, millions of unwitting believers bow before him, having been convinced by church leaders that they are worshiping Jesus. Looking ahead to a time when the masses would follow false religions, the Lord issued a warning to the world while addressing a group of Pharisees: “These people draw neigh unto Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain do they worship Me, teaching as (My) doctrines the commandments of men” (Mat. 15:8,9). The irony of this global Satanic mess is that so-called Protestants who point the finger at Catholicism have adopted many of her heathenistic practices and beliefs while adding some of their own. If the Bible can be believed, the fraternal twins comprising the Counterfeit Church are equally abominable in the eyes of God. Truly, Simon of Samaria exceeded his goal. To be continued. L.J.