“As I understand it, Catholic priests start off their education with at least 3 years of pagan philosophy...They then head to a seminary where they learn Catholic church history and the ins and outs of the Catholic rituals and priestly functions with little or no bible study...Except for the talking points we see posted constantly...”
You very well may be right, based on the quality of what has been posted on FR. If so, this is immeasurably a sorry state of affairs of a group that purports to represent God.
“That would certainly explain why it is nearly impossible to engage a Catholic in a discussion of scripture...”
I realized when interacting with one certain member of that denomination, that their belief starts with whatever the church claims and then they try to find it in scripture and defend it. That is the totality of their approach. It again, is sad.
Yes, it is very sad.