[Dutchboy88]

"Dutchboy88, have you ever attended a Catholic Mass? I think you would be surprised if you did. We read 4 passages from the Bible: something from the Old Testament, a psalm, a reading from the Acts or Epistles, and a passage of the Gospels. Before the Gospel, we make a sign of the cross on our foreheads, our mouths and our hearts.

Yes, I have, Melian. And, then watched as the friend who invited me to the superstitious cult-like rite got progressively more discouraged by the weekly revelations of these committed "priests" fiddling with little boys. He finally left the Catholic Church and now rejects all discussions about the matter. You guys really did a number on this fellow.

But, that is still just anectdotal. The real proof of the failure of this Roman monstrosity is it's own rejection of the Gospel of grace, set out by all the Apostles in their letters of the NT. It is this for which they ought to repent, if they can. Instead, they cling to their heretical self-aggrandizing man-made religion. Darkness awaits.

[Melian]

I’m sorry to hear about your friend. I am thinking that if he rejects all discussions about the matter, there is something else going on there. If he had left in disgust, wouldn’t he be happy to discuss everything that’s wrong with the Church with someone like you?

I rather think that he’d just prefer not to discuss the Church with you anymore. I can certainly understand that. He was surely embarrassed by those priestly pretenders, as all Catholics are, and I would venture to guess his nose was rubbed in it. Are you still friends?

I’m sorry that nothing I say here can alter the way you present your opinions. The Catholic Church lives the Gospel. Every word of it. No omissions. It is the light in the darkness and does not fear the darkness. There is quite a bit of Darkness in these posts, however.