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"Here in America people are usually more interested in knowing what type of Christian one is"

That is total bunk. Just like in saying I'm an African-American is telling what kind of an American I am. Please. We are all Christians. It is a matter of unity. By being distinctive you are saying I am a Catholic first and a Christian second, just like saying I am an African first and an American second. I take offense at you accusing me of some sort of elitism (Liberal Playbook?). We are all Christians. Paul put it best in 1 Corinthians when he says "Is Christ divided?".

1 Cor 1:10-15:
"I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chlo'e's people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apol'los," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Ga'ius; lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name."

JM

We are all Christians. It is a matter of unity. By being distinctive you are saying I am a Catholic first and a Christian second, just like saying I am an African first and an American second.

By being distinctive I am being honest. I am a Christian first, a Catholic type of Christian to be exact. You are a Christian first, a 20th century American fundamentalist type to be exact. Sorry. It just is.

"I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

Well, if we look at the emphasis given here I think we can put aside any notions of unity. We are tasked to be of the same mind and same judgment. This is unity. We are not united. And no amount of verbal patches will make it so.

"I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chlo'e's people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apol'los," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Ga'ius; lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name."

And Paul also tells us that we have "One Lord, one faith, one baptism" Eph. 4:5. The current state of Christendom is not one faith. Hence the qualifying distinctions. Trying to whitewash our differences are of no help to our common goal(I hope that is one of your goals) of unity.

And why is Paul calling Peter "Cephas"? I thought that Peter wasn't Rock. Oh, well.

Pray for John Paul II