“since Catholics keep citing it as a prooftext for Catholicism, I have to correct them more than once”
so that means you must be divinely inspired to determine what “The Church” means kind of like protestants’ individual interpretations of Scripture.
what makes you think that only YOUR interpretation can possibly be correct one??
AMDG
Catholics don't "proof-text," generally. Not the way Protestants do.
Steps 3 and 4 are not logically necessary. As arguments there is NO WAY they're self-sufficient.
Should we just accept anything we hear in church as the truth?
Catholic teaching IN NO WAY says you should accept anything you hear in church. We argue with our priests and with our bishops. We write letters to Rome complaining about false teaching in our local pulpits or in our dioceses.
(Sometimes Rome actually responds. A very heterodox bishop in Virginia had his chain severely yanked.)
We write papers, start periodicals, give lectures, start prayer and study groups -- yes, yes, INCLUDING Scripture study.
And we have been known to remind our Popes of Peter's behavior.
Big
Fat
Straw
Man!
as usual.
Keep on shadow boxing. At least it keeps y'all off our backs.