Posted on 11/01/2009 3:53:11 AM PST by GonzoII
“Nowhere in the early Church system Christ set up was there room for any personal interpretation. It was the Apostles’ way, Peter’s way, Rome’s way— or the highway.”
Golly. Don’t know why Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would teach us, or where the Holy Spirit has any role at all. Why would the Holy Spirit bother with us, when the Vicar of Christ is ruling?
Frankly, the idea that Jesus set up Rome uber alles is ridiculous. The idea that he set up Peter as the Greatest Apostle, ruling all others is contradicted in scripture, in multiple places.
He said it because the Holy Spirit WAS guiding Peter. He sent the Holy Spirit to guide Peter and the Church. No personal interpretation is needed. Peter, and the successive Popes, when speaking on matters of faith, “channel” the Holy Spirit. The Pope is a conduit.
I am content to let Christ judge me and manage my destiny. Catholicism is not a cult and, rather than chain us, it frees us to go where Christ told us to go, and do what He told us to do, whether it makes sense to others or not.
Lots of people want to judge Catholics, but only God will judge us, thank goodness. On that, you and I, Dutchboy88, agree.
“Before I became Catholic, I attended Protestant churches each for half a year at least. I did not hear as much of the Bible in them, as I did in the Catholic church. Of course, I was interested in the Bible, and read it several times before making a decision. I still read it, in several versions”.
I grew up going to Baptist and Pentacostal services and if I had a dollar for every sermon I heard from a pastor that didn’t have a Bible in his hand and didn’t mention the Bible I would be rich. The times he even had a Bible he beat the hell out of it with his fist and said we were all going to hell in band basket if we didn’t change our ways and get straight with the Lord. “And Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me”. “Now throw down those cigarettes you’re smoking and quit drinking that vile devil’s brew or you are going straight to hell real fast”. The pastor would rant and rave for about two hours telling us all we were going to hell. Most of the time he would be singing and trying to dance, a lot of the time looking like he was going through a epileptic seizure. After services the plate would come around and the preacher got the money, hoped in his 65 Cadillac and took off with his blonde-headed girlfriend. He would would last for about six months before someone got wind that he was ripping off everybody. Then he would disappear, never to be seen again.
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