Okay, the glory hath departed from my sense of humor.
IMHO, the problem is to determine our goals in conversation. As Q. knows, I have my suspicions and problems with charismatic (I'm just grasping at an identifier here, not making a judgment) type recensions of the Gospel. Q, on the other hand, thinks that the structures of the RC Church -- ones which I see as virtual guarantors of sound doctrine and providers of a prayer-life (again, for want of a better term) rich beyond my fondest expectations -- enable and encourage and almost make inevitable an idolatrous and/or polytheistic religion which by flouting the "jealousy" of the LORD deprives many of its adherents of the great benefits which follow from trusting in Him alone AND also interpose needless barriers and complications between individuals and each saint's task of "working out his own salvation in fear in trembling, for it is ....[and the rest of it]."
I think we Catholics have to admit that there is some basis to the old chestnut about the woman to whom, as she prays her bedes, the Lord appears and calls. She responds, "Be quiet, I'm talking to your mother." And I'd like to think that Quix will cop to some "charismatics", both now and in the past who have, at the least, "not played well with others" and some of whom have, as a writer (quoted by Eusebius [History Bk V chap 17] in one of my favorite lines) says of a false prophet, "...starts in voluntary ignorance and ends in involuntary madness."
SO, (pause to gather breath and remember what we were talking about) the question is how can we talk to one another?
Clearly there are some Protestants who think the catholic Church is an abomination, through and through. I simply do not know how we can converse with them. Similarly there are some catholic Xtians (and maybe some Orthodox, I don't know) who think that at least some Protestants are an abomination, etc.
As I said miserere nobis. We haven't been doing the love thing too well. At least I haven't.
Masterfully, wonderously, Biblically, Lovingly put, MD.
Thanks tons. Much, much agree.
Though I disagree that you have not done the love thing too well. Well above average, imho.
LUB,
BLPH,
I think Marianism is a sweet thing. I belong to a Marian church. The problem starts when we tell them in no uncertain terms that we love Mary, we don’t like to hear people say bad things about her, and that we believe that she, and all the Saints in Heaven, can hear us when we pray (talk) to them, in Jesus Name, and they simply will not believe us. They’ll pretend to listen and turn around and say, “No, you worship her.” They wish to bash, they wish to persecute, and they’ve been doing so ever since the mad, renegade monk Luther spread HOPIOS across Europe in the 1500s.