Catholicism is a religion that originated around 325 A.D. when Roman Emporer Constantine lifted a 280 year legal ban on Christianity. Emporer Constantine believed Christianity was the religion that would unite the Roman empire which, at that time, was falling apart at the seams. However, while he accepted Christianity to an extent, Constantine never gave up his pagan beliefs, and he soon found that neither would many of his citizens. Like many people in the modern day, Constantine decided to compromise. He did not fully embrace Christianity, but rather called for the "Christianization" of the many pagan beliefs and practices that were floating around in his day. This caused a Christian-pagan hybrid religion, known today as Catholicism.

 

The Roman Catholic Church portrays itself as the one legitimate heir to New Testament Christianity, and the Pope as the successor to Peter, the first bishop of Rome. However, even a cursory reading of the New Testament reveals that Catholicism is not all that it claims to be. In this section, you will find information on Catholicism, what it is, what it believes and what the Bible says about it.