[kosta50]

You might think this is terrible. I don't. Common belief in God and living a (relatively) good life is enough for me

Common blief in God, as revealed by Christ, and a life in abundance of blesisngs, even when we think otherwise, is more than enough for me.

If you could claim with any degree of certainty that Catholics and Orthodox live their lives 100% according to the "official" teaching and do not choose what to believe and practice you'd have a case

The Church is made up of sinners, not saints. If we are perfect, we need not be in church. If we have nothing to confess and nothing to repent of, we don't need the Eucharist—or a Savior for theat matter.

The idea is that Catholics and Orthodox are at various stages trying understand and know and believe 100% of official doctrine. Some are trying harder than others. And, you are right, some choose not to. But they are not making up their own theology.

Baloney!

No, just ham and cheese. There is no way to know what a Protestant believes based on his or her denomination. Protestantism is anything goes. You never know what you are dealing with.

[OLD REGGIE]

Protestantism is anything goes.

Catholicism/Orthodox is show and pretend. Tell the good story. Live any way you wish. This snotty claim is not indicative of good, practicing Catholics/Orthodox. It is simply a non truth meant to belittle and put down another group. Come to think of it, just like you did.)

BTW, I was brought in a mixed Protestant/Catholic environment. My extended family group was split about 50-50. Some of them got along and some hated each other simply because of their religion. The major difference: The Protestants were the religious ones.

[MarkBsnr]

:::There is no way to know what a Protestant believes based on his or her denomination. Protestantism is anything goes. You never know what you are dealing with.:::

There are some that I have met, including a number here that have reasonably stable belief systems. But the majority of those that I have personally interacted with, and those denominations that I have gone through their online doctrines, tend to variability, often extreme.

[OLD REGGIE]

The Church is made up of sinners, not saints. If we are perfect, we need not be in church. If we have nothing to confess and nothing to repent of, we don't need the Eucharist—or a Savior for theat matter.

Oh! That must explain why Mary didn't need Jesus as her Savior.