[kinsman redeemer]

THAT's the first false doctrine that always comes to my mind whenever the subject of the "Holy Roman Catholic Church" comes up.

It's funny how they take that literally (ignoring context, reason, and every other exegetical interpretation of “Take, eat; this is my body.” [Matthew 26:26]) and use it to mean their "holy Eucharist" sustains their righteousness (until next week); and yet, they MISS the explicit meaning of so much else in Scripture, relying on their magisterium to supply their understanding of who God is and what He wants from His people (unless it's their current "pope").

Run-on sentence? yes.

[patriot torch]

Agreed.

They are taught that their leader is infallible, but the Word of God is fallible and treated like a buffet to pick and choose according to the flesh’s likes and dislikes.

Oh, and the special on the buffet for Friday’s is fish. But only during a certain time of the year.

[Tell It Right]

The part that's scariest to me of the RCC belief in transubstantiation is not the argument over whether the elements become the real flesh and blood of Jesus or whether it's symbolic (do this in remembrance of Me). I can see how one would believe either way.

The part's that's scary is that the RCC'ers believe that it happens only when a clergy member (apostolic succession) blesses the elements. That adds an unhealthy element to the relationship between the leaders and the average Joe's (I hate the term "laity"). The same for other RCC beliefs. Can't they believe in purgatory and absolution without believing it's dependent on the clergy? Or can't they believe that apostolic succession happens through the TEACHINGS of the apostles instead of who can claim they're part of the apostolic clique?

This unhealthy dynamic makes it a lot harder for the good Catholics to reform their leaders. Unlike, say, the good Baptists recently kicking out their top dog. Or the good Methodists recently deciding to move their entire local congregations out of the hedonist United Methodist Conference when the leaders of the UMC made it clear they weren't repenting. An argument could be made that Methodists have recently chosen to be more authentically Methodist (read: more like Wesley's teachings of holiness living) than they were recently before they left the UMC.

As long as the average Joe Catholics believe that they can't be real Catholics without the clergy then the clergy have a power over the good Catholics that hamstrings the good Catholics from implementing necessary reforms.