No. I defined what the Church actually is, not what I think it is. I have no idea what you’re saying here: “And you clearly segregated it from the people who ‘attend your church’...” You’re not making any sense.
Well let's try this again then...
The Church will ALWAYS be what she once was because she cannot be anything else. People are changed, but the Church, as the body of Christ changes not.
The people,,, but, the Church...
You have made a distinction BETWEEN the people and the Church...And that's NOT Biblical...And we see that all the time, even here on FR...
I have seen it claimed that the Church is the priesthood...The Church is the pope and magisterium...The Church is the Church fathers...The Church is the catechism...The Church is the long robes and rituals...The Church is a structure adorned with statues, paintings, tapestries, chants, etc...And the head of this Church is the pope and the head of the pope is Christ (and Mary)...In other words, a religion...
And the parishoners are called the 'faithful'...Apparently faithful to the Church...Faithful to the Cathoic Faith...
However, all of this is in contradiction to the words of God...It may have some things in common with the Jewish religion with the temples and rituals but has nothing in common with the 'church' of the New Testament...
The 'church', the Body of Christ is the body of called out believers...Numerous scriptures have been posted in the past to prove this...
Your Church is NOT the church that Jesus called out to be separate from the world and be saved...
Your Church is a religion that worships the same God as the Muzlims (admitted by your magisterium as well as many Catholics on FR)...Your God is in a wafer, the muzlims have the same God in a black rock over in the desert...
The Body of Christ is those who are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, 24/7 (not just for 20 minutes when they eat the wafer) and who are as well, IN CHRIST...
A pope or priest, or pastor or minister or a religion is no more representative or no more a member of the Body of Christ and His church than a homeless believing man, with ragged clothes that reeks of stale wine sitting in the last pew of a church...
I am the Body of Christ, the church...If you are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, you are the Body of Christ...And if your pope is filled with the Holy Spirit of God, he is the Body of Christ...A religion (your Church is NOT the Body of Christ...
You wrote:
“You have made a distinction BETWEEN the people and the Church...And that’s NOT Biblical...And we see that all the time, even here on FR...”
Incorrect. I now see why you were so mistaken previously. Your lack of understanding regarding reality and ecclesiology naturally leads you to erroneouos conclusions.
People change. Do you deny this? Only a fool would. People can become sinful for instance, more sinful than they were. They can lose their faith. You rejected this reality in a previous thread, but it is undeniable. Thus, people change, but the Church doesn’t. People sin, but the Church doesn’t. That’s why the Bible - the book you claim to base your view of the Church on - says the Church is a spotless bride - yet it is filled with sinners. Rev 22:17, Eph 1:4, 5:27.
“I have seen it claimed that the Church is the priesthood...”
By whom? Not the Church. Listen, rather than post cliches and misinformation why not deal with reality?
“The Church is the pope and magisterium...The Church is the Church fathers...The Church is the catechism...The Church is the long robes and rituals...The Church is a structure adorned with statues, paintings, tapestries, chants, etc...And the head of this Church is the pope and the head of the pope is Christ (and Mary)...In other words, a religion...”
You can try all you want to explain away the error you posted, but it is all yours. No one claims - ANYWHERE - that the Church is building, or paintings, or tapestries. Why do you post such obvious nonsense that no one believes?
“Your Church is NOT the church that Jesus called out to be separate from the world and be saved...”
Yeah, actually it is. The fact that you have to post things so manifestly incorrect as the idea that people (who?) supposedly believe tapestries are the Church just seems to prove the Church is a lot more worthwhile to listen to than you.
“Your Church is a religion that worships the same God as the Muzlims (admitted by your magisterium as well as many Catholics on FR)...Your God is in a wafer, the muzlims have the same God in a black rock over in the desert...”
Oh, here we with the typical anti-Catholic throwing in of the kitchen sink of distortions and misrepresentations! When an anti-Catholic loses a debate BIG TIME this is often how it goes. Can’t win, so they throw anything they can hoping the conversation will change topic to hide the fact they’ve lost.
The rest of your post is the usual defeatist posturing and ranting I’ve come to expect when anti-Catholics go down in flames.