THE FRANCIS PHENOMENON

70% of Americans including 95% of practicing Catholics speak highly of the new pope.  It does not seem to matter that so much of what he has said contradicts the Bible or that the Bible warns us to beware when people speak highly of you and that if they hate Jesus they will hate you.  The world loves Francis because based upon his voluminous public announcement and his own writings, he is of the world and thinks like the world despite his religious trappings. The world understands that and it assuages their guilt. The same people and media outlets who condemn Catholic and non-Catholic Christians who follow Christ exalt this man.  There are a lot of reasons why.

Haters of Jesus including atheists speak positively of the pope - after all, he told them if they live a good life they will be redeemed - they don't need Jesus.  Muslims and homosexuals get the same false assurance. THAT is heresy and ignores the justice of God. There is a reason so many traditional enemies of the gospel of Jesus love him, and it is because he preaches a different gospel that is at odds with historic Christianity.  He is largely parroting the social gospel preached by mainline protestant churches who have next to zero spiritual life. You can check Catholic or neutral sites yourself to get the particulars.  Here are just three parts of the gospel according to Pope Francis IN HIS OWN WORDS:

"When we read about creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so.  The "Big Bang" that today is considered to be the origin of the world does not contradict the creative intervention of God. On the contrary, it requires it." (Read Genesis, Exodus 20, John 1, and countless other passages.  He directly contradicts Jesus Christ. God is omnipotent and HE created - he did not intervene in a natural process.  His thinking is secular humanist in origin and incompatible with God's word).

"This is important: to get to know people, listen, expand the circle of ideas. The world is crisscrossed by roads that come closer together and move apart, but the important thing is that they lead towards the Good."  (Jesus said, Broad is the road that leads to destruction, but narrow is the gate that leads to eternal life;  the pope denies the depravity of man - God says, no one doeth good - no, not one.  All have sinned, and we all need to have our sins covered by Christ and enter into an intimate relationship with him).

"If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge? We shouldn't marginalize people for this. They must be integrated into society."   (Read Romans 1 or any of the hundred of Bible passages on the fact that no one who practices sexual sin has eternal life with God.  Homosexuality and similar perversions are the ultimate rejection of what God made you.)

So whom will you follow -  Pope Francis or any number of non-catholics such as Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Tony Campolo, seminary professors, or anybody in the social gospel and liberation theology camps, and many, many others who have made similar heretical statements?   I know many have been  blessed under the ministries of big name preachers.  Some have been saved from hearing the word of God from them.  However, MANY who started off right have veered off the road and have forsaken the narrow gate that Jesus described so well.  Some turn off early in life, others late in life.  The critical thing is to STAY on the road that God has ordained to lead you into eternal life.  No exits are allowed.  If you contact me, I will be glad to send you a colorful tract called THE NARROW ROAD.

May God bless you1