September 15, 2001 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org) - Bill McCartney, founder of Promise Keepers, told the press that he considers the Roman Catholic Church "a legitimate Christian church." Following is an excerpt from a telephone interview with Richard Scheinin of Knight Ridder News Service:

Question by Richard Scheinin: What parts of your Catholic upbringing do you hold onto?

Answer by Bill McCartney: I know many Catholics love God with all their heart. I have genuine respect for anyone who truly has given their life to Christ. We read about Mother Teresa and her heart and what a wonderful example she was.

Q. Do you see yourself as having been "converted" from Catholicism?

A. I had a born-again experience at the age of 33. And as a result of that I found a church to fellowship in where I felt I was being fed properly. I don't say that as a reflection on Catholicism. But once I was born again, I got an evangelical spirit.

Q. Do you consider the Catholic Church to be a legitimate Christian church?

A. Of course. ("Men's faith group founder keeping his Promise," The Daily Oklahoman, Sept. 15, 2001, p. 6B).

Thus it is obvious that Bill McCartney does not believe that Rome preaches a false gospel. He considers Mother Teresa a genuine Christian even though she was committed to Rome's sacramental faith-works gospel, she prayed to Mary, and worshipped the mass wafer. (See "Was Mother Teresa a True Christian" in the Fundamental Baptist CD-ROM Library.) Bill McCartney's position is entirely contradictory and untenable. He claims to have accepted an evangelical gospel even while continuing to hold to Rome's false gospel. This is impossible. You cannot believe in the truth and in lies, too. You cannot worship God and idols. You cannot believe in a true gospel and a false gospel. This demonstrates the incredible confusion that is created by the positive-only, judge-nothing ecumenical philosophy!

In light of this confusion about the very gospel itself, it is sad that even many independent Baptist churches have affiliated with Promise Keepers. An example is Jerry Falwell, who joined the Southern Baptist Convention a few years ago but also still claims an affiliation with the Baptist Bible Fellowship. Over 10,000 men congregated at Falwell's Liberty University for a Promise Keepers rally in March 1995.

For more on this see "The Roman Catholic Promise Keepers Connection" in the Promise Keepers section of the End Times Apostasy Database at the Way of Life web site http://www.wayoflife.org.