For the record, I agree and I don't claim to be superior to anyone, spiritually speaking, Christian or not as a matter of fact. It's a different thing to claim that a Church as a WHOLE is the only "true Church", and to claim that I, MYSELF, am superior. Those are two entirely different concepts.
Unfortuantely, the Catholic Church has been the one that excommuncates those that disagree with it.
In actuality, it's individual actions that excommunicate oneself from the Church. The Council of Trent, and others that listed "...let him be anathema" lists were just that, lists of things one would do, that would make ONESSELF an anathema. BTW, this is a Biblical concept as St. Paul himself directed in Gal 1:8 that anyone who preaches another gospel, "let him be accursed", which is another way of saying "anathema". Was St. Paul being unreasonable there?
Luther did you guys a favor by challenging church authority. It was then that the Catholic Church tried to clean up its act. If it did not it would have faded into oblivion
I actually tend to agree with this assertion to a certain point. I believe that God may have used Luther, in the beginning, to bring much needed change to the Church at the time. However he over extended himself, by not only trying to fix some wrongs in the Church (which, by the way, weren't official Church teachings, simony never was or is; they were the sins of powerful leaders in the Church, thus personal sins by fallible people again), but then leaving the Church to start his own. Luther was quite egomaniacal, btw, I'm sure you knew that.
Here is a FACT for you. Luther never wanted to leave the church. It was the Pope who excommunicated him and the Pope who did excommunicate him was a very flawed individual. Luther wanted to reform the church but the church was in no mood to listen to an upstart priest.The selling of indulgences and one way tickets to heaven for contributions was an example of how things got out of hand.Luther also got married. So thank God for Luther. He had his role to play.Have to go now but I enjoyed the exchange. God Bless You.