If you think what has happened in the past in Brazil is any form of worship that you OR I would approve of, you are simply badly mistaken. We’re not talking Presbyterianism sweeping Brazil, or TULIP, or reformed, or anything like that. Go check out what churches were taking root in Brazil for yourself, and look up their beliefs online; they’re about as “orthodox protestant” as voodoo. I know you think anything bad for Catholicism has to be good, but some of that stuff is downright demonic.
I'm under no allusions whatsoever concerning what passes for Christianity, both Protestant and Catholic, in South America. Further, I don't have the horrid opinion of Catholicism you seem to think I do. Disagreement is not disrespect.
"Now, for all I know, as the Catholic Church retrenches itself, you may just find that some of the bizarre, local denominations and cults are also maturing and reaching out to more mainstream Protestant, and these developments may be good from either perspective,..."
The only change I would make to this statement is to include the Catholic Church, the real Catholic Church.
I believe we are in agreement.
>> FWIW I left the Catholic Church in 1948-1949 (I don’t remember exactly when) and was not taken off the rolls until a few years ago. So much for the census. <<
How would you know that? Did you keep getting materials for the Bishop’s annual appeal? (That’s the only way of knowing that I can think of). That’s not just a rhetorical question; I’m interested know how reliable the data are.
>> I’m under no allusions whatsoever concerning what passes for Christianity, both Protestant and Catholic, in South America. Further, I don’t have the horrid opinion of Catholicism you seem to think I do. Disagreement is not disrespect. <<
Well, you sure seemed to be desperately holding onto the hope that the Catholic church is dying out in South America, and came back seeming bitterly defensive when I slammed the kooky churches of the Brazilian underclass.