So, I think we can agree that there are (at least) two possibilities: (1) the Catholic Church is a big deception fobbed on us [Catholics] by Satan, or (2) Protestantism is a big deception fobbed on [Protestants] by Satan. Now comes the hard work of determining whether (1) or (2) (or something else) is the case.
= = = =
D) All of the above.
In that . . . satan uses ALL organizations made by man to raise up RELIGION--AGAINST
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD; FELLOWSHIP; WALKING IN THE GARDEN; INTIMATE DIALOGUE PERSON TO PERSON WITH GOD.
He destroyed it in The Garden. He's been diligent to destroy it ever since.
Do the letters to the 7 churches in Revelation sound like letters to components of a big human oriented, organized, RELIGIOUS system? Hardly.
And, those letters are not very flattering. Yet, those churches started out wonderful with God's anointing to greater or lesser degree. Doesn't hinder God's rejection even slightly--He's concerned with where they are NOW in terms of SEEKING HIM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FIRST instead of their own agendas first, middle and last.
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD; FELLOWSHIP; WALKING IN THE GARDEN; INTIMATE DIALOGUE PERSON TO PERSON WITH GOD.
(Please stop using all caps.)
Anti-institutionalism of the sort you are advancing is a form of Protestantism. It is the natural development of Protestantism, and can be found in the Anabaptist tradition of Protestantism (think of Quakers, Brethren, etc.). So, we don't need an additional category of the sort you suggest. It is covered by Protestantism.
-A8