Will read the update later, time permits.
On calling the Holy Apostles gods you have a point, — provided the preist in deed said it, meant it, did not retract it etc. This is after all oral translated speech reported by an evangelical newssource.
If the priest meant it, he is out of line with Rome. There is still no basis to call the entire Chruch idolatrous and hostile to the Gospel.
At any rate, one simply cannot conclude what is in people’s hearts from pious behavior. We can, and will prostrate in front of and kiss the Holy Images and no one can tell us that we worship idols and expect to get away with it.
no one can tell us that we worship idols and expect to get away with it.
= = = =
However, we can say that the appearances are troublesome.
And, imho, I’d rather be doing all I could to convey an opposite impression than anything remotely close to implying; or anything close to giving anyone grounds for inferring that I or any of my co-religionists were even in the same galactic cluster as idol worship.
But, as I said, we all have vulnerabilities toward idolatry.
Someone said recently to me that I construed RC idolatries as inherent, indemic and Protie idolatries more situational or some such—maybe incidental or accidental.
That’s not quite accurate. I do believe that a LOT of the !!!!TRADITIONS!!!! of the ancient RC edifice makes idolatries inherantly seem quite kosher without much movement in thought or action or motivation.
However, Prottie idolatries have their own inherent aspects, too. They are just not overtly sanctioned, labeled, encouraged in ways that make the steps between kosher attitudes, behviors and motives such small steps as seems to be the case in the RC edifice.
And, while I haven’t sat in on that many RC sermons, One often hears Protie pastors, preachers, evangelists teaching stridently against all manner of Protie idolatries. I rarely hear of RC folks doing that in or out of the pulpit. Instead, there’s all kinds of heat and noise justifying idolatrous appearing behaviors. That difference is more than a bit striking.
There were a many tears shed and prostrations made. I thought and prayed,"Lord, this is what I'd do if you were here and now rather than there and then."
OF course, some people, upon seeing a woman kissing a letter she was about to send to her husband away in a Combat Zone, would accuse her of loving paper.