Being Catholic is OK but Baptist isn't. WHY?

Newt Gingrich's conversion from Baptist to Catholicism this weekend started me thinking. Other high-profile news-makers have converted to Catholicism recently, Tony Blair, for example, among others. Seems as there has been a veritable surge in converts to Catholicism lately, reports the Baltimore Sun.

Conversion FROM fundamentalism TO Catholicism, or to anything else, never really gets the mocking machine going, does it. Not like it does if you convert to a Baptist or other fundamental bible believer. Or if you proclaim. That really cranks up the scoffers and mockers. Just ask Sarah Palin. Have you ever thought about this, and why this should be?

Becoming a Catholic seems 'safe' for the secular world. Becoming a bible believing Baptist is not. Why? Because the bible is truth and Catholicism is not. The secular world always hates truth and always is fine with untruth. (John 15:18-19).

The bible tells us that at the end time there will be a great falling away, the fancy word for it is "apostasy."

• Matthew 24:10 - "At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,"
• 2 Thessalonians 2:3 - Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction..."
• 1 Timothy 4:1 Apostasy-- But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,

Most people envision the falling away as empty church pews, as people forsaking religion altogether. By definition, apostasy is the condition of those who once (in some degree) embraced the truth, but have now abandoned or forsaken it. But empty pews is not the only kind of falling away. It is also people falling away from the true faith, like Oprah, to openly embrace New Age philosophies, or Newt Gingrich falling away from the true faith to embrace a false religion like Catholicism. These are also examples of falling away as described in 1 Timothy above.

Tragically, Oprah has been successful in steering the public discourse on religion from the truth toward falsity. Tragic, because we are told in 2 Peter 2:21 "It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them."

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. (Hebrews 3:12.) How to stay faithful? First, after receiving the Holy Spirit, do not keep purposely sinning. (Hebrews 10:26). Stay in good conscience. (1Timothy 1:19) Stay rooted in the faith (Luke 8:13). You can stay rooted in the faith by having an active relationship with the Lord, prayer, bible reading, keeping Jesus on your mind all the time, and being around strong Christians. Read Matthew 7 for a good, long treatise on staying strong in the faith. Or here for bible verses on the subject of faith.

Heed the warnings of these faithful Apostles and of our very own Savior! Are you falling? The path to departure is usually gradual, hardly noticed by those involved. It begins with a thought, it develops through speech. It is nurtured by a desire to be like the world, or to accumulate money or things, rather than to be as God would have us. If you see a drifting Christian, help them. If you are drifting or are spoken to about your unknown drift, listen. Stay strong brothers and sisters! We will be ready when He comes!