[Dr. Eckleburg]

I've always been amazed at the RCC's teaching that the Holy Spirit does not speak to individuals, but to the church which in turn speaks to individuals. Now it seems the Orthodox prefer the middle-man to the personal and particular work of the Holy Spirit, too. Very sad. They're missing so much.

"While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" -- Acts 10:44-45;47

How does the Holy Ghost come to men? Through the Scriptures. "The Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word."

And who hears the word? Those to whom God has given new ears with which to hear and a new heart with which to understand.

[HarleyD]

I've always been amazed at the RCC's teaching that the Holy Spirit does not speak to individuals, but to the church which in turn speaks to individuals.

Hmmmmm....doesn't that fly in the face of people who have seen Mary (like Fatima) or Joan of Arc who claim to have seen a vision? How about weeping stautes, lighted pictures or grilled cheese sandwiches? It seems that the argument is really, "The Holy Spirit does not speak to individuals unless we say that the Holy Spirit has talked to them."

[Quix]

How does the Holy Ghost come to men? Through the Scriptures. "The Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word."

Now, Dr E . . . None of my profs would have EVER let me get away with such a brazen leap of pseudo-logic.

Holy Spirit falling on those who have heard The Word is NOT equal to Holy Spirit speaking only through the reading of The Word. Narrow Biases do NOT equal Biblically sound logic--in my experiences--MOST of the time.

Further, the fact remains that most of the folks who construe it that God ONLY speaks through logical intellectual reading of The Word post John running out of ink at the end of Revelation--those folks STILL TYPICALLY DO HAVE experiences [oh my!] wherein they are reading along normally quite intellectually in Scripture . . . and suddenly a verse or phrase leaps out at them as though with neon lights on it and an angel chorus acclaim it as the answer to an issue, concer, question of long concern and angst.

Of course, that's essentially the same as Holy Spirit speaking individually and leading individually into all truth; guiding for marriage choice; guiding to take a different route to work to avoid an accident etc.

[adiaireton8]

I've always been amazed at the RCC's teaching that the Holy Spirit does not speak to individuals,

That's not what the Catholic Church teaches.

-A8