[Chainmail]

It doesn't sound as though the Religious Forum's a place for me:

1. Religion is a private thing, between a person and God. If someone wants to discuss faith, great. If someone wants to get pugnacious about faith, I avoid them.

2. As a Catholic, I respect Martin Luther and other reformers because the Catholic Church needed reformation in those days. The Reformation strengthened Christianity and got vastly more people involved in thinking about their faith.

3. I love the Catholic Church and always have - but that doesn't give me any position to try to tear down another's approach to faith and his/her connection to Our Savior.

As I said earlier, we need to be united and expanding, not bickering amongst each other.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Agreed.

I’m Lutheran with Catholic underpinnings.

In any case, I’ve never understood the vitriol even evidenced on FR sometimes that one kind of Christian has for another. Geesh. I’ve witnessed enough.

We don’t all agree on specifics but personally I don’t have much problem with anyone who basically believes Jesus is the son of God.

[daniel1212]

2. As a Catholic, I respect Martin Luther and other reformers because the Catholic Church needed reformation in those days. The Reformation strengthened Christianity and got vastly more people involved in thinking about their faith.

I assure you that if a evangelical posted that then they would likely face outrage by certain devout RCs since it disturbs their cherish fantasy of their5 church-god.

But Luther certainly needed reformation himself, though the reformation the recalcitrance of Rome required was indeed needed, and which must yet continue.

3. I love the Catholic Church and always have - but that doesn't give me any position to try to tear down another's approach to faith and his/her connection to Our Savior.

Then (as traditional RCs charge) the Catholic Church you love is at variance with its past history, which,

• Pope Eugene IV and the Council of Florence: "The sacrosanct Roman Church...firmly believes, professes, and proclaims that..not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics cannot become participants in eternal life but will depart into everlasting fire...unless before the end of life the same have been added to the flock; and that..no one, whatever almsgiving he has practiced, even if he has shed blood for the name of Christ, can be saved, unless he has remained in the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church.” — Pope Eugene IV and the Council of Florence (Seventeenth Ecumenical Council), Cantate Domino, Bull promulgated on February 4, 1441 (Florentine style), [considered infallible by some]

[Elsie]

Religion is a private thing...

No; it is NOT!