I am Catholic because I was baptized into my faith. It wasn’t really until I was older, and challenged on my faith by Jehovah Witnesses, that I had to sit down and read, research and truly ask the “why” of my faith. I do believe that Christ intended only one Church, and that Church grew and flourished and was persecuted for almost 400 years before Christians were presented with the Bible. I believe that mankind has indeed screwed things up and the faith is obviously fractured throughout the centuries. That being said, I have come to the conclusion that when my time is up and I am judged, Christ will ask “Did you love me, and did you love the least of me?” I do t think he will ask if I was Catholic. My 2cents. God bless all on this thread!
” do believe that Christ intended only one Church, and that Church grew and flourished and was persecuted for almost 400 years before Christians were presented with the Bible.”
Since you’re a Jehovah’s Witness, it be more accurate to say that your “persecution” BEGAN 400 years later, with the Arians, and, actually, it was the Arians who were doing the persecution. In fact, the churches were largely conquered by the Arians, even in Rome. The Christians all before that believed in the divinity of Jesus Christ. They also quoted from every book in the holy scripture between themselves, and the scriptures were indeed available to them from the very beginning. Otherwise, they were quoting a figment of your imagination.
Don’t take the Jehovah’s Witness pseudo-history seriously. Your founders and leaders aren’t known for being the most honest group of people.