Michele Bachman & The Sermon on The Mount

A really good article about the American Salem Church in relation to its one time member Michele Bachman puzzled me. Ms Bachman is, rightly distancing herself from the Salem view that Pope Benedict, in addition to his many other achievements is also the Anti-Christ. This related to the text indicating that "the Roman Catholic Church insisted that faith alone was insufficient and that good works dictated and overseen by the church were necessary for salvation".

 I am unaware that the Church has ever insisted that good works had to be dictated and overseen to be valid. A more accurate depiction of the Churches position in my view would be "By their acts shall ye know them" Mathew 7;20. or "by their fruits". These are the results of the Holy Spirit at work in partnership with an informed conscience.  That said if I were an American rather than British I would want to know what Michele Bachman is saying now about her spirituality and how Christian teaching like that espoused in the Sermon on The Mount will figure in her approach if elected to high officer. What will she do about the poor and dispossessed of one of the world's richest and most powerful nations. Is this nation that has twice intervened in Europe in two world wars to oppose tyranny and oppression going to practise this "charity" at home? True Christianity is a very radical concept even for us Catholics ;-).

No, in terms of this debate it is the biblical context that the Salem Church holds its view about not the translation of the Greek per se. If you want to hold a grown up conversation with Catholics you might want to understand, if not agree with, Catholic teaching. The Pope does not replace Christ however we Catholics believe he is the successor of Peter whom Jesus appointed head of the Church and a representative of Christ "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it".

The biblical definition of the AntiChrist is "

1 John 4:1-3 says, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."