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Another thing: If you are not a Catholic, your search for truth takes a different path; i.e. you search for truth in the Scriptures, having discussions, etc. I am a Catholic. The Catholic Church has a credible claim to truth. To throw all that away, I would be starting from scratch, compelled by conscience to read everything ever written about Christianity. Then, in the final analysis, IF I thought my own interpretation was true and the Catholic Church's was not, HOW COULD I EVER BE SURE OF THAT?

A very good point. Many mistakenly think tradition should be tossed away, but forget that it is, in reality, answers from debates carried out by Bible studying Christians over the centuries. Yes, you can have doubts, in fact the Church encourages you to learn and get your doubts because that shows that you are striving to learn about your faith. But once you have the doubts you should read what other people who have had the same doubts over the centuries have thought about. I've done that and many times have had my doubts cleared because of insights from my fellow travellers. The same thing happens here on FR.

Let no one overlook post #1153, in which Havoc links directly to Jack Chick (http://www.chick.com/reading/books/160/160_13.asp) as an authority on the Catholic Church.

Bwa ha ha ha ha!

" I've done that and many times have had my doubts cleared because of insights from my fellow travellers"

Indeed. I have also removed filters by reading what the Church really teaches. Human nature makes it entirely too easy to rationalize, hear what we want to hear, interpret texts as we want them to be read . . .