This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The End of the American Dream.
Pope Francis has certainly said a lot of controversial things over the years, but what he just told a group of Christian high school students is the most controversial of all. I know that may be hard to believe because some of the statements that Pope Francis has made in recent years have definitely been extremely bizarre.
For example, he has said that “Muslim terrorism does not exist”, he told a gay man that “God made you that way”, and he has referred to Christian fundamentalists as “a scourge”. But what he has just said tops all of those previous statements. According to Breitbart, Pope Francis told a group of high school students that he was visiting with that they should never try to convert others to Christianity…
Pope Francis told Christian high school students this weekend they should respect people of other faiths and not attempt to convert them to Christianity, insisting “we are not living in the times of the crusades.”
Asked by one of the students Friday how a Christian should treat people of other faiths or no faith, the pope said that “we are all the same, all children of God” and that true disciples of Jesus do not proselytize.
In fact, the Pope went on to say that if someone comes to you and is trying to share the gospel, that individual “is not a disciple of Jesus”…
“But listen, the gospel is never, ever advanced through proselytism,” he continued. “If someone says he is a disciple of Jesus and comes to you with proselytism, he is not a disciple of Jesus. Proselytism is not the way; the Church does not grow by proselytism.”
Seriously?
And in case there were some students that were confused about what he had just said, Pope Francis made the exact same point one more time…
Football teams proselytize, this can be done. Political parties, can be done there. But with faith there is no proselytism.
So there you have it.
According to Pope Francis, Christians are never supposed to try to convert anyone.
But this would seem to directly contradict the words of Jesus. The following are just a few examples…
Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Mark 16:15-16
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Of all the things that Pope Francis has ever said, this has me more upset than anything else by far.
Does he really want billions of people to have no hope?
Because without Jesus, there is no hope and no future for anyone.
Even if you are able to have all the health, wealth, fame and pleasure in this life that you could ever want, there would still be no future for you without Jesus. This life is not the end, and thanks to the cross we can have eternal life through Jesus Christ. This is the greatest news that anyone could possibly ever receive, and we should be trying to share it with everyone that we can. I share an extended version of the gospel on all of my websites, and the longest chapter in all of my books is an invitation to become a Christian.
But apparently Pope Francis does not think that we should be trying to share this message with anyone.
What in the world is he thinking?
On the other hand, one of the most notorious rappers on the entire globe is now proudly preaching the gospel and trying to reach as many people with the message of the cross as he possibly can.
For most of his career, very few people would have ever imagined that someday Kanye West would be a passionate Christian evangelist. But of course, the truth is that the message of the cross can change anyone, and nobody is out of God’s reach.
When I was encouraged to watch West’s new video entitled “Follow God” last month, I have to admit that I was impressed. It has already been watched more than 25 million times on YouTube, and you can find it right here.
But what has impressed me far more is the fact that West has been encouraging people to give their lives to Jesus at his live events. The following comes from Charisma…
According to two people who attended a Kanye West concert on Friday, over 1,000 people gave their lives to Jesus Christ during the famed rapper’s altar call.
West performed underneath the crosses outside Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The event drew thousands of people who came to lift their hands and worship. Even though the service started an hour late, according to Fox 8, people said they were thrilled to participate.
West and his crew even had the gumption to give an altar call when they performed at Lakewood not too long ago.
It is not how you start in life that matters.
What really matters is how you finish, and I find it quite bizarre that Kanye West and Pope Francis are both running in completely opposite directions.
West is trying to tell everyone that he can about Jesus, but meanwhile, the Pope doesn’t want his followers to try to convert anyone.
Of course, both West and the Pope could change directions again tomorrow. Every day is a test, and all of us will face great challenges during the times that are coming.
But at this moment, Kanye West is using every opportunity he has to preach the gospel, and because of that I rejoice.
About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations, I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and anyway that you can share these articles with others is a great help.
m said, “It is not how you start in life that matters.”
It matters whether this is a social justice narrative.
St Malachy vision defines pope Francis as the last pope (and a false Prophet) before the great Tribulation.
I believe it.!!!
I hope everyone had a good holiday. Kanye West is bogus. And no damn Catholic, especially the Pope, can preach to any Protestant about anything. Catholics believe in the entire socialist agenda so they can kiss my ass.
Good for you Kanye West (an American.
On another note, CA Gov. Gavin Newsome wants to shift the blame for CA homelessness & filth. Demonrat policies for decades in CA have led to this crisis. Imbeciles like Jerry Brown (D), Dianne Feinstein (D), Nancy Pelosi (D), Willy Brown (D), Gavin Newsome (D), and the rest of the Parade of Idiots have led to this easily-predictable conclusion. Anybody notice a pattern? These fools want to bring this type of failure to your town.
◄ Matthew 24:11 ►
New International Version
and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
New Living Translation
And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.
English Standard Version
And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray
I think Michael Snyder needs to check his facts:
The pope’s full answer (via Google translate):
Let’s go to your first. When I taught what a look and what words I had towards believing children or of other religions. But in Argentina there is a social phenomenon, which is the migratory phenomenon. After the two great wars there were waves of migration from Europe, also from Asia Minor and the Italians. He thinks that 40% of Argentines have an Italian surname, almost the other 40 Spanish. Then Poles, Russians, all … even Arabs, whom we called “Turks” because they came with the passport of the great Ottoman Empire. There is a mixture of blood, a strong mixed race in Argentina — I am the son of a migrant, and this has made a culture of coexistence. I went to public school and we always had companions from other religions. We were educated to coexist: “There is a Jew, Russian, ah — come, come! I am a friend of Russian!” They said Russian because the majority of the Jews came from Odessa, some from Poland but the majority from Odessa. Then there were some Arabs, Lebanese, Syrians — “Ah, Turkish! Come, come!” This was Muslim, this was Jewish. But we all played football together, we were all friends.
This has taught me so much, that we are all the same, all children of God — and this purifies your gaze, it makes you human. In Argentina there is a small group of closed-minded Catholics who do not want Jews, do not want Muslims, but this group … I have never liked it, is a group that is on the fringe, they have a cultural magazine but they do not have impact in society … This is the secret: You must be consistent with your faith. It didn’t occur to me and it doesn’t have to be like saying to a boy or a girl: “You are Jewish, you are Muslim: come, be converted!” You be consistent with your faith and that consistency is what will make you mature. We are not in the times of the crusades. It is a bad thing but it made me suffer so much, a step of the “Chanson de Roland,” when the Christians, the crusaders had conquered the Muslims and then a line of all the Muslims was queued and the priest was in front of it and a soldier. The priest in front of the baptismal font and everyone came — read that passage — he asked: “Either the baptism or the sword.” This has happened in history! They also do it with us Christians in other parts, they are also doing it but what we did was shameful because it is a story of forced conversion, of not respecting the dignity of the person. This is why my experience was natural with people of other religions because my dad my dad’s job was an accountant and he had so many Jewish business clients and they came home, it was normal and I didn’t have this as a problem. But it must be normal. Nothing to leave them aside because they have another faith …
The first is all. In front of an unbeliever the last thing I have to do is try to convince him. Never. The last thing I have to do is speak. I have to live consistent with my faith. And it will be my testimony to awaken the curiosity of the other who says: “But why do you do this?” And yes, I can speak then. But listen: Never, never bring the gospel by proselytizing. If someone says they are a disciple of Jesus and comes to you with proselytism, they are not a disciple of Jesus. Proselytism is not done, the church does not grow by proselytism. Pope Benedict had said it, it grows by attraction, by testimony. Football teams proselytize, this can be done. Political parties, can be done there. But with faith there is no proselytism. And if someone says to me: “But why?” Read, read, read the Gospel, this is my faith. But without pressure.
The globalists have infiltrated the Catholic Church as they have done with governments and groups around the world. Some would at first glance be shocked but if looked at objectively it was likely one of the easier targets. Corruption is ripe within their ranks, perverse behavior is protected and likely most of the followers do not question their authority or decisions.
Kevin2, the Catholics have always been bogus throughout their entire history, way before the globalists came along. They were the ones responsible for the crusades and kicked out the Jewish people form all European nations they’ve dominated. When they reigned supreme no one ever dared to question the so-called wisdom of the clergy. Everyone was brainwashed by them so they knew any better. When Protestants and Jews were persecuted, not one word was spoken about it by the Vatican. The Vatican was also silent when the Fascists and Nazis came to power in Italy and Germany and began their reigns of terror the Vatican remained silent. Before WW2 ended the Vatican started helping Nazi and Fascist war criminals escape from Europe and continued doing so for many years after the war ended. The majority of Fascists and Nazis were so-called ‘good catholics’. My wife was a former catholic when I first met her. She told me stories about her experience under Catholics and communism that really blew me away. And don’t get me started about the Jesuits; the WORST of all Catholic clergy.
Pope Francis has created more apostates than Martin Luther ever did and in a much shorter time. Has he ever read the Bible, in any form? Or does he think he has some special prerogative to change the clear meaning of biblical passages such as quoted in the article? He is an embarrassment to not only Catholics but to Christians everywhere.
Nope. In-law man/womans for your wifes mother/father postion do not make good bedfellows for Christian evangelists. I’ll never take this individual seriously and it’s a shame. We judge people by the company they keep. He should go somewhere else than Wyoming because we were hoping to ESCAPE emerging diversity soon in WY. He’s only getting traction because absolutely nothing else happens there.
False Prophet? (ref: Antichrist)
“LIST OF CATHOLIC HERESIES And HUMAN TRADITIONS ADOPTED and PERPETUATED by the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE COURSE OF 1600 YEARS”
h ttps://jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Roman%20Catholicism/catholic_heresies-a_list.htm
“The negro: what is his ethnological status? Is he the progeny of Ham? Is he a descendant of Adam and Eve? … What is his relation to the white race?”
h ttps://archive.org/details/negrowhatishiset00payn/page/n2
People who leave the cult of Sol Invictus are not apostate, and (c)rap music is not American. Sorry it has still has to be said.
Is ANYBODY actually shocked that the Pope, a self-anointed, sinful and flawed human, the “Messenger of god” said this??!! REALLY!! The Catholic church, is a cabal of fanatics who’s ONLY god is power and WHORE themselves with anybody so they can maintain what they have. They are directly responsible for genocide (Central and South America, Africa and Oceana, murder (Knights Templar), unjustified wars (The Crusades), outright lies (Science is heresy and the earth is flat) and the protection of pedophiles (No explanation is needed). The list goes on and on and I have not hit on the Inquisition and the cooperation between the Church and Nazi’s. So you are surprised, than you are sleeping or worse blind, ANYBODY that tells you that you must put faith over logic (religious or political) is your enemy. Zealots are on all sides whether they call themselves Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Atheist or Anarchist. Deep down inside everyone of us know what is right and wrong, the sin is not having the courage to take a stand.
blah…blah…blah…I believe some white guy in the clouds will protect me from some red guy living underground…blah…blah…blah…
This is really easy to understand.
Pope Franky is just like Obama.
Obama worked very hard for the globalist to bring America down.
Franky is trying to bring the Catholic church and all Christianity
down for the globalist
Pope Demon: Fake Italian, Communist Jesuit, Pimp of The Vatican Homosexual Prostitution Ring, Defender of Little Boy Ass Raping Pedophile “Priests”, Lover of LGBTQFUKU, Mother GAIA & Jihadi Muslims & #1 Prime Disciple of Satan.
As a former, “cradle Catholic”, I implore Catholics everywhere to leave this corrupt and evil organization.
Homosexuality is rampant within the church and within the Vatican hierarchy. The abuse crisis within the Catholic church is not a pedophile problem, but a HOMOSEXUAL problem, as 98% of all children/seminarians abused by priests, bishops, and even cardinals, were male.
Not all priests, bishops and cardinals are homosexual, but the ones who are not homosexual, have NOT spoken out and condemned the ones who are homosexual and committing these most egregious of sins.
There is also a crisis within the church of priests who are openly entertaining and living with their gay lovers, and priests using the services of male prostitutes. Another crisis within the church is the disappearance of hundreds of millions of dollars given by parishioners to fund local parishes and various charities.
Please ask yourself, would Jesus approve of a “religion” whose priesthood raped and sodomized children?
Would Jesus approve of covering up the rape and sodomy of children?
Does Jesus approve of prostitution (male or female), and would Jesus condone the theft/embezzlement of money given to allegedly help the poor?
If you continue to go to Mass, and continue to tithe or put money into the collection plate, you ARE financing, supporting, and giving your seal of approval of the rape and sodomy of children; you are condoning and financing homosexuality, prostitution, theft, grand larceny, embezzlement, etc., and you are financing and propping up a filthy, morally bankrupt, corrupt, criminal organization.
There is life after the Catholic church, there is a wonderful and new, personal and intimate relationship with our Messiah and Savior, JESUS!
“Then I heard another voice from heaven say, Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues…”
Roman Catholicism is a religion of homosexuality and worship of Mary. They have murdered the saints throughout their history while stamping out true New Testament Churches and driving them underground. They have done their best and very effectively kept the common man from reading the scriptures for himself.
Judge not, less you be judged.
Let the man upstairs do the judging.
We need to pay attention to what WE are doing.
Remember, Satan was cast out of heaven and landed HERE.
“Anonymous”, Judging humanity is God’s purview, but people of faith do need to use DISCERNMENT.
You wouldn’t let the neighbor who is listed on the Sex Offender Registry, babysit your children would you?
How about letting your drug addicted, drunken sister in law take your children out for ice cream?
This is using discernment my friend, the sex offender and the drug addicted sister in law’s ultimate fate is up to God.
We need to use that God given gift of discernment when it comes to friends, family, neighbors, AND to also use that gift when dealing with groups, clubs, organizations, CHURCHES, pastors, ministers, priests and Rabbi’s.
Roman pagans supplanted their worship/Lord Lucifer into Christianity when they hijacked the religion after slaughtering mist of true believers in the first 300 years of true Christ faith. The Christianity must worship today is a false one just like Jesus warmed of throughout his ministry. The den of thieves stole the religion she’s ago and have 1.5 billion bowing to Lucifer laughing all the way to their satanic riches.