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Ok, it would be absurd to MOST people to claim that the Pope was not a Christian was was going to hell, for either acceptance of a scientific theory OR for his Catholic theology.

For a zealot who plays the ‘who is REALLY a Christian and who do I want to send to HELL!’ I suppose it isn't absurd at all to claim that the Pope is not a Christian and is going to Hell.

But for most REASONABLE people, it sounds absurd on its face that a man who devoted his life to the Church and to Biblical scholarship, isn't a “real” Christian.

But you see I don't play those ‘who is REALLY a Christian’ games. Thus your confusion when I was speaking about the history of Christianity.

When I speak of the ancient world where for over a thousand years the vast majority of Christians were either Roman or Byzantine Catholic, I am NOT speaking of who were necessarily a “good” Christian or who was “really” a Christian; I am speaking of the people who identified as Christian.

When I say that America is some 70-80% Christian, do you truly believe I am making a statement as to the state of their salvation or what they truly hold in their hearts (which none but God and they could know)?

And did you think for a single second about the absurdity of your argument? I point out that through most of the Christian era the vast majority of Christians were either Byzantine or Roman Catholic - and your refutation of that is ‘how do i know if they are REALLY Christian?’????

Uh, because we are counting people who when you ask them say they are Christian; unlike you I don't have a “go to hellometer” that I gleefully apply to any creeds whose theology I find objectionable.