I disagree. I read the Bible. Catholics compiled the Bible. I was raised atheist, but turned Protestant and eventually converted to Catholicism because of reading the Bible.
Like read John 6:47 to the end. What does that mean?
2 Tim 3:16?
The Protestant treatment of Mary was off putting as was the acceptance of birth control. Some Protestant churches allow openly gay pastors, women pastors.. these things I could never understand.
The same behavior exists in the Catholic Church. Sinfulness, corruption. The devil wants to destroy any vector of Truth. But the doctrine of the Catholic Church. It stands. Where is there disagreement? Not on opinion of the pope, but in the true teaching of the Church? What doctrine has the Protestant when there is no agreement? No structure? It troubled me then and troubles me still.
Some of these assumptions are wrong about the popes role. The pope is not supreme and infallible. His homilies and opinions and things he says about the church and doctrine can all be wrong. But he has the ability to make an infallible statement when other bishops or the laity are confused or divided about doctrine and are pressing for clarity. This type or statement from the pope almost NEVER happens.
The primacy of the pope is not ex halting him above all others either. It is a selected role of leadership and is used to guide the church. All are equal but some things require clarification. In that case issues get passed up from the lowest levels that can handle them (mainly priests at the community level) and all the way up to archbishops and if they can’t solve or clarify along the way in a last case scenario the pope may make a decision. They almost never do. And they are certainly not infallible, even then, unless they are expressly issuing a decree from the seat of Peter.
These things are not explained in the Bible because they grow of tradition. Sola Scriptura is not in the Bible. The Bible wasn’t even compiled until 400 years after Christ. And if God prevented the Bible from containing error, could He not prevent an official papal statement guiding His church to be free from error as well?
Faith alone is in accordance with the Catholic faith if it is true and living faith. “Faith, hope, and charity.” What if you have faith but no love for your brother? “The greatest is charity.” God is love and if you have no love, how can you be known by God? And Faith is a gift from God. But faith without works is dead. Why would we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and be urged by Paul to hold out to the end of the race, if belief in Jesus alone was all it takes? Even Satan believes in Jesus.
The first scripture question I had posed to you in John 6 is in regards to the Eucharist. Jesus said if you don’t eat my flesh and drink my blood, none will have life in you. The word for eat used was like a cow chewing on cud. He doubled down on eating his flesh. The crowds walked away. Even the apostles wanted to leave because they didn’t understand. But they said”where would we go? You have the words of everlasting life”
I am sorry I seem to be changing subject. I am interested in what you say. I have read your article but it seems to be setting up arguments under false pretenses. These are the very arguments I used against Catholics in my conversion.
I disagree. I read the Bible. Catholics compiled the Bible. I was raised atheist, but turned Protestant and eventually converted to Catholicism because of reading the Bible.
Like read John 6:47 to the end. What does that mean?
2 Tim 3:16?
The Protestant treatment of Mary was off putting as was the acceptance of birth control. Some Protestant churches allow openly gay pastors, women pastors.. these things I could never understand.
The same behavior exists in the Catholic Church. Sinfulness, corruption. The devil wants to destroy any vector of Truth. But the doctrine of the Catholic Church. It stands. Where is there disagreement? Not on opinion of the pope, but in the true teaching of the Church? What doctrine has the Protestant when there is no agreement? No structure? It troubled me then and troubles me still.
Some of these assumptions are wrong about the popes role. The pope is not supreme and infallible. His homilies and opinions and things he says about the church and doctrine can all be wrong. But he has the ability to make an infallible statement when other bishops or the laity are confused or divided about doctrine and are pressing for clarity. This type or statement from the pope almost NEVER happens.
The primacy of the pope is not ex halting him above all others either. It is a selected role of leadership and is used to guide the church. All are equal but some things require clarification. In that case issues get passed up from the lowest levels that can handle them (mainly priests at the community level) and all the way up to archbishops and if they can’t solve or clarify along the way in a last case scenario the pope may make a decision. They almost never do. And they are certainly not infallible, even then, unless they are expressly issuing a decree from the seat of Peter.
These things are not explained in the Bible because they grow of tradition. Sola Scriptura is not in the Bible. The Bible wasn’t even compiled until 400 years after Christ. And if God prevented the Bible from containing error, could He not prevent an official papal statement guiding His church to be free from error as well?
Faith alone is in accordance with the Catholic faith if it is true and living faith. “Faith, hope, and charity.” What if you have faith but no love for your brother? “The greatest is charity.” God is love and if you have no love, how can you be known by God? And Faith is a gift from God. But faith without works is dead. Why would we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and be urged by Paul to hold out to the end of the race, if belief in Jesus alone was all it takes? Even Satan believes in Jesus.
The first scripture question I had posed to you in John 6 is in regards to the Eucharist. Jesus said if you don’t eat my flesh and drink my blood, none will have life in you. The word for eat used was like a cow chewing on cud. He doubled down on eating his flesh. The crowds walked away. Even the apostles wanted to leave because they didn’t understand. But they said”where would we go? You have the words of everlasting life”
I am sorry I seem to be changing subject. I am interested in what you say. I have read your article but it seems to be setting up arguments under false pretenses. These are the very arguments I used against Catholics in my conversion.