First, there were serious problems among some in the church when Martin Luther decided to leave it. Few dispute that. However, instead of working within the church to correct the problems, Luther chose to leave the faith and make his own religion, accepting some of the doctrines and disgarding others, removing seven books of the Bible on his say.
Today, many Protestants have rejected the teachings of Luther, and therefore we have over 33,000 separate Protestant Churches with different takes and interpretations on the Bible and what God "meant" when He said something. For example, I bet many Protestants would be shocked to discover that Luther believed in the perpetual virginity of Mary, Holy Mother of God. Today, Protestants think that it's ridiculous that we can expect that Joseph refrained from having sex with his wife. (His wife that everyone agrees gave birth to our Lord, Jesus Christ). Now, if you really believe in the immaculate conception, in the angels coming down to Mary and Joseph, in God's revelation to the shepherds and wise men the night Jesus was born, in miracles, and that Jesus died, rose for the dead and ascended into Heaven (all of which Catholics and other Christians believe with all their heart); what's so difficult about believing that Joseph and Mary didn't have sex?
Now, during our current scandals and the purification that the Church is going through, most of the Catholic faithful believe that we must stand by our Church -- because the Church is not the priests, the Church is the Church established by Christ, who gave us the Sacraments, who gave us Himself in the Holy Eucharist. Mass is about Jesus Christ dying for our sins and rising again from the dead; Mass is about hope and salvation and grace. Mass is not about one charismatic minister preaching ... Mass is, and always has been, centered and directed towards God through His son Jesus Christ.
People who leave the Church, like Luther, leave the body of Christ. They desert Jesus because of the fallen few in His ministry. Jesus Himself said that some of those who call out his name will not see the kingdom of Heaven. When there is wicked in the Church, the faithful need to root it out from within. You don't just leave and start a new religion, changing what you don't like.
This writer makes so many blanket statements as if they were fact ... like no Biblical support for purgatory. He is obviously biased, obviously doesn't not understand the Catholic faith, and I hope that anyone who reads this realizes that.
I think you mean "Virgin Birth" not "Immaculate Conception." You don't find non-Catholics believing in the IC, which is wholly different.
Otherwise, right on.
SD