It has been shown over and over again the declaration by the Catholic Church that salvation outside that organization is not possible. That is a declaration that anyone not subject to that organization is consigned to hell. That is a doctrine not found in scripture.
>>You have to examine the matter more closely, to see if the "element" is harmonious with the deposit of Faith which comes to us from the Apostles.<<
What an interesting comment for a Catholic to make. A great percentage of Catholic belief and practice did NOT come from the apostles. For a base let's look at what God said.
Deuteronomy 12:30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God:
It should be evident to anyone that taking something the pagans did to serve their gods was not to be used to serve the one true God unless He has specifically instituted a practice. So as an example let's take the "queen of heaven" concept which Catholics are required to believe. Was it a belief and practice by pagans? The answer is obviously yes.
Jeremiah 7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
Did the apostle teach such a thing as the queen of heaven? Absolutely not. The belief and practice is pagan and a direct disobedience of God's command.
Your wedding analogy is a mute point. A Jewish wedding was attended only by members of the Jewish faith. The ceremony and the process is well documented. Jesus attended at least one of those ceremonies as did Mary and the apostles.
Then you suggest I watch a satire on Christmas. I'll remind you of your comment "You have to examine the matter more closely, to see if the "element" is harmonious with the deposit of Faith which comes to us from the Apostles". Where did the apostles teach the celebration of the birth of Christ? And on Dec 25th no less. Actually we only have examples of birthday celebrations for evil kings and this:
Ecclesiastes 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
It is indisputable that God said not to incorporate things the pagans did to serve their gods into worship of the one true God. It is also indisputable that the Catholic Church does exactly that. And they certainly were not taught by the apostles.
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Yes, and if you read just a wee bit further in that same "chapter 12" of the book of "Deuteronomy", you will see exactly what that means:
(What they did in their worship of false "gods" was to burn their own sons and daughters in the fire to those "gods". Of course, the real God did not want the people of Israel to do that evil practice for Him.)------------------------------------------------------------
When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take heed that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do likewise.’ You shall not do so to the Lord your God; for every abominable thing which the Lord hates they have done for their gods;for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.
Deuteronomy 12:29-31------------------------------------------------------------
(You have to read things in context.)
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"It should be evident to anyone that taking something the pagans did to serve their gods was not to be used to serve the one true God unless He has specifically instituted a practice. So as an example let's take the "queen of heaven" concept which Catholics are required to believe. Was it a belief and practice by pagans? The answer is obviously yes.
Jeremiah 7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger."
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Trying to equate the worship of the "goddess Ishtar" (which was done and mentioned by Jeremiah long before Mary was even born) with the noble honoring of Mary the Mother of Jesus, is outrageously preposterous. It is worse than trying to equate the "elders" of Moab and the "elders" of Midian mentioned in Numbers 22:7 (who wanted to curse the people of God), with the "elders" mentioned several times in the book of Revelation (who passed on the prayers of the saints), an effort which, of course, is totally absurd.