Final thread? I doubt it. According to dignan3, the first 99 threads included 18,854 posts. At this point we are probably close to 31,000. If we continue at this rate, we'll need a new thread by the end of December 2002. (Of course I might start one sooner than that. We'll have to see how unwieldy it gets as we rack up thousands of replies). I would be curious to see what would happen if we pushed the 65536 limit!
You are assuming that when Christ said "upon this rock I will build my church...(etc.)"
1) that rock means Peter (which I have no problem with)
2) that Peter as the rock means Peter is the Pope
3) that church = RCC
4) that Peter was only to be over the RCC and not all Christians
5) that the gates of hell will not prevail against it means no error whatsoever in doctrine for the RCC (which you haven't even established is the church spoken of in the passage)
That's for starters. I know that you believe what you are saying. But you're assuming that your (the RCC) interpretation of the verse is true. It's fine to have beliefs and it's good to hold to them staunchly. However, to pretend that it is the only possible interpretation is fanciful. To simply state something with conviction is not a proof.