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To: metmom; ejonesie22
re: Protestants base their beliefs on the Bible,

That is an incomplete statement, and thus False. Each Protestant INDIVIDUAL bases their beliefs on how THEY interpret the bible. Therefore, no one can know what each individual Protestant believes. Therefore, Protestants as a group, have no doctrines that another Protestant does not oppose.

re: If the Catholic Church did indeed write Scripture as it claims, then why does the Catholic Church say Protestants are wrong for going back to IT

The Catholic Church says that each INDIVIDUAL is wrong in self interpreting the bible. If a Protestant sect existed that had authority to interpret the scripture, then it could oppose the Catholic Church. That church does not exist.

From Wiki and Patrick O' Hare's The Facts about Luther:

“There will be the greatest confusion. Nobody will allow himself to be led by another man’s doctrine or authority. Everyone will be his own rabbi: hence, the greatest scandals.”

“There are as many sects now and beliefs as there are heads. This fellow has nothing to do with baptism. Another one denies the sacraments. A third believes there is another world between this one and the last day. Some teach that Christ is not God. Some say this, some say that. There is no rustic so rude that if he dreams or fancies anything believes it must be the whisper of the Holy Spirit and that he himself must be a prophet.”

"If the world lasts, it will be necessary, on account of the differing interpretations of Scripture which now exist, that to preserve the unity of faith, we should receive the Catholic councils and decrees and fly to them for refuge."

325 posted on 03/17/2010 5:15:08 AM PDT by Leoni
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To: Leoni
You are confusing Mainline Denominations (for lack of a better word) with outlying sects and cults.

The mainline protestant movement as well as Catholicism and Orthodoxy come from the same foundations, and at the most basic and most important level believe the same thing (Trinity, Grace, Christ is Deity, baptism)

If they did not then how do you explain the shared histories, that they can share the same message in Ecumenical movements, as well music and above all the fact that they accept the Baptisms from each other.

332 posted on 03/17/2010 5:43:30 AM PDT by ejonesie22 (Palin bashers on freerepublic, like a fart in Church...)
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To: Leoni

Just new to FR, who are you really?


335 posted on 03/17/2010 6:10:46 AM PDT by svcw (Jesus comforts the uncomfortable and makes uncomfortable the comfortable.)
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To: Leoni; ejonesie22
That is an incomplete statement, and thus False. Each Protestant INDIVIDUAL bases their beliefs on how THEY interpret the bible. Therefore, no one can know what each individual Protestant believes.

That is a blanket statement of your view of Protestantism and therefore not true.

Likewise, I've seen considerable variation in what individual Catholics believe, some of which borders alarmingly on superstitious.

The Catholic Church says that each INDIVIDUAL is wrong in self interpreting the bible.

So what? that's their opinion. If Catholics want to believe that, that's their business, but the Catholic Church saying so does not make it a fact. They would have the authority if God actually gave it to them. They don't have the authority simply because they claim to.

If a Protestant sect existed that had authority to interpret the scripture, then it could oppose the Catholic Church. That church does not exist.

Neither does the Catholic Church have authority to interpret Scripture. They claim they do, but it's very convenient for them to make the claim that only they can correctly interpret Scripture and then tell everyone what they have to believe, as if people cannot read the plain and simple truth written in the Bible for themselves.

Virtually all Protestant denominations have a statement of faith that clearly spells out their doctrinal position for anyone interested. While the mainline ones have abandoned belief in the Bible, there are still many which refer back to Scripture as the final authority on issues that arise.

I find it extremely inconsistent that the Catholic Church claims to have written the Bible and then turns around and criticizes and condemns anyone who uses it as their final authority. The Catholic Church uses the Bible itself to establish ITS authority but doesn't permit anyone else to appeal to it.

If the Bible is good enough for the Catholic Church to use as authoritative, then it's good enough for others to use as authoritative.

The general populace is not as stupid regarding spiritual issues as the Catholic Church likes to present it as. Although there are some things in the Bible are not easy to understand, for the most part, the Bible is easy enough to read and comprehend without someone holding our hands for the interpretation.

338 posted on 03/17/2010 6:13:56 AM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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