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To: svcw; daniel1212
Well, thank goodness Dan, that God Almighty is the same today, as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow. I agree, if you (the royal you), don’t like the the group you belong to leave, do not ask the group to change.

Amen!

It is interesting that of two areas mentioned - celibate clergy and all male priesthood - BOTH were not how the early church operated. It was traditional that men WERE married and that women DID have a place in the leadership of the local churches. These "traditions" were changed over time to what the Catholic Church considers its own way of operating.

It is also interesting that a few posters seemed to criticize those who desire some changes, reasoning that the RCC doesn't bow to popular opinions. Yet many of the doctrines and dogmas Catholicism holds to today are a result of what they call "unanimous consent" - a five dollar word meant to imply that everyone voted and agreed to whatever was decided. Granted, it is not getting it from the "world" but it can hardly be true that everything deemed to be of the faith came about by direct revelation from the Holy Spirit. Several even got started because many Catholics wrote and pleaded with the Vatican to make a dogma official (i.e., Assumption of Mary; Perpetual Virginity).

I do agree, however, that belonging to a specific faith tradition should imply agreement with all that this faith deems necessary for the faithful to follow. And, if the command refuses to make changes, one should find another place to worship if the issues are that important. As it is, we have plenty of examples of people who stick around anyway all the while publicly snubbing their collective noses at what it is they are called to obey. In that case, shouldn't the responsibility for ushering them out of the fellowship be incumbent on the leadership? At least for the benefit of others that think they can also follow the same example?

86 posted on 03/15/2013 9:22:14 PM PDT by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: boatbums
It is interesting that of two areas mentioned - celibate clergy and all male priesthood - BOTH were not how the early church operated. It was traditional that men WERE married and that women DID have a place in the leadership of the local churches. These "traditions" were changed over time to what the Catholic Church considers its own way of operating.

The church began in dissent from the magisterium, which like Rome presumed more than what was written, and the people who believed on Christ were right while the leaders were wrong.

However, while required celibate clergy and a distinctive sacerdotal class titled "priests" is not Scriptural, and while women were part of ministry, (Phil. 4:3), there were no women ordained as pastors, and which restriction is based on the Divine and creational order. You can see my debate here and here

92 posted on 03/16/2013 6:08:31 AM PDT by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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