Of course the 'Catholics' have an iron in the fire....Many many Romanist are born again Christians. And trutthfully ordinary Christians have some weird beliefs too....We don't jump on them, Why jump on the Catholics?
Actually, yes, but are they “Born Again Christians,” meaning the same thing for Catholics as it does for Protestants? That’s the question that should be front and center when the term is used, as you did above. Which is really something that requires a different thread then this one.
By adding this I am sad to say, that I have done as I critique many of doing and that is sidetracking the thread.
I guess I’ll always have a bone to pick not with Catholics per se, but with Catholicism, and the yokes they attempt to tie about the necks of believers.
Oh, well, I guess I'll add
May Jesus fill us with his love and wisdom.
Jumping on Catholics is convenient. Without looking deeper into the Catholic understanding of things, preachers constantly berate Catholics. Unfortunately the result is pretty much like brainwashing to the common Christians. It's a lot like the way the brainwashing is done in the Muslim Community towards Israelis and Christians alike.
If it's preached enough times, that the Catholics are evil and going to hell. Then what are the people going to be thinking every time they meet a Catholic, the very first thing they come to is what they've been taught.
But don't think it's a one-sided deal, I constantly hear the same rhetoric from many Catholics. And I am quite often the one who stands up during a homily and yells at the priest, or whoever's giving the homily to knock it off.
I've had ushers try to stop me from complaining during a homily that's supposed to be like the preaching of a Preacher to the audience. It's not a question and answer type thing. But I will do the same to any preacher as I do to any priest, that preaches hate towards the brothers and sisters in God.
It may be convenient, but true in many respects, nonetheless. No different for Catholics who attack Protestantism, also without looking deeper as well. It's funny, the church I go to has never addressed Catholicism from the pulpit. It has happened in some of the Bible classes that I've attended, many and varied in topics, but usually due to questions being brought up from those who considered/identified themselves previously as Catholics and were trying to reconcile both teachings. For different are the teachings found in each.
Personally, I don’t think Catholics are any more or less flawed than anyone else. They’re just people who sometimes rely too heavily on human leaders for guidance that’s already given in scripture, which can lead them astray. Whether you call them Pope, Preacher, Priest, or anything else, people are often too quick to follow those who speak with confidence rather than the truth found in scripture.
When it comes to being one-sided, well, this is a Protestant site after all. But the same could be said for a Catholic site, unless they simply viewed someone as misguided, or at best, a naïve little brother who doesn’t know any better. lol I’m not sure which is worse—the open hostility or the condescension each side shows toward the other.
Anyway, best not side track this thread anymore then I have done already!
If you’d like to keep this discussion going, I can copy the posts and start a new thread that’s better suited to the topic and less off-track from this one.
With the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC/Moderator
Nick
\o/
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