Asked and answered. By definition, a heretic cannot be a Christian. The Roman church persecuted heretics, not Christians, and certainly not Christian martyrs. By definition, the Roman church taught no heresy, because, at that time, the church wasn’t “Roman.” It was the Church, and the Church was orthodox. You don’t get to change what is and is not orthodoxy, just because you disagree with it. If you disagree, that would make you the heretic, not the Church.
So in your view you believe it was ok for the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH to pusecute and kill any one that did not believe the same as them? This is an interesting mindset. Bare with me let's tease this through...
It is amazing how those that do not have God's WORD to supoport their traditions that break the commandments of God accuse those who have God's WORD of being a heretic and of things that are not true. Let's look at some parrallels here with your claims.
The religious teachers in the days of Jesus said that he had a devil and his followers were a cult this was also independently verifiable in the days of Jesus and the Apostles. Just ask the Jews who hung Jesus on the cross (
John 7:20;
John 8:48; 52; Matt 10:25 12:24; Acts 28:22).
This could be said of all those who followed Jesus throughout time even before Jesus the religious teachers of the day killed the prophets sent to them by God to share God's WORD (
Luke 11:47; Matt 23:31)
Stephen was stoned to death it was independently verified that he was blaspheming because no one could argue with the scriptures that he was presenting (Acts 6:8-15).
Paul, Peter and most of the Apostles were also executed because it was independently verified by the religious teachers of the day that they could not respond to God's WORD they were sharing with them.
Not to mention all those of the reformation and the birth of Protestantism and the inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church which executed millions of God's people because it was independently verified by the Roman Catholic Church that they were all heretics and should be burned at the stake.
Now today you call heretic or cult because it is independently verified because you cannot respond to the scriptures that disagree with your Catholic traditions which has led many to break God's Commandments?
ONLY God's WORD is true and you do not have it to support your tradition that breaks the commandments of God. The WORD of God is sent to help you have a closer walk with God but you reject God's WORD in order to follow the traditions of the fathers.
Jesus and Paul spoke correctly quoting Isaiah;
Well spoke the Holy Spirit by Isaiah the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is stubborn, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Something to think about who do we BELIEVE and FOLLOW? The teachings and traditions of men that break the Commandments of God or the WORD of GOD. Jesus says those who follow man made traditions that break God's Commandments are not following him...
MATTHEW 15:2-9 [2], Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. [3], But he answered and said to them,
Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? [4], For God commanded, saying,
Honor your father and mother: and, He that curses father or mother, let him die the death. [5],
But you say, Whoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatever you might be profited by me; [6], And honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free.
Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. [7], Y
ou hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, [8],
This people draws near to me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. [9],
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
It is very clear according to Jesus if we follow the teachings and traditions of men that break the Commandments of GOD we are not following God.
In times of ignorance God winks at but now ,<when a KNOWLEDGE of the truth has come> calls all men everywhere to REPENT (FOLLOW) (Acts 17:30-31).
.......................
SIN is the breaking of God's Commandments (
James 2:9-11;
Romans 7:7;
1 John 3:4)
Those who CONTINUE in UNREPENTANT SIN will NOT enter into the KINGDOM of HEAVEN.
Yep seems like there is nothing new under the sun, as they persecuted the prophets and God's people all through time so it wil be again according to the scriptures