So much to comment on, so little time. I will respond to this gem:
"There is no evidence that the early Church accepted a plurality of religious truths. THAT really IS a Protestant notion, although not a Christian one. "
I don't disagree with the former, but the latter is outrageous - Protestantism isn't Christianity? Surely you don't mean that......
The Protestant movement was started because men of conscience couldn't abide by the misdeeds of the Catholic church. (and no, good Henry was not among them....he hated Martin Luther - like good Catholics of his time had to). No, It was a failure of men, not The Word.
This bickering is pointless though, but I am appreciative that you have given me a couple of interesting lines of inquiry for next time.
Your fellow Christian/sinner thanks you for the discussion, but I'm bowing out before a jihad breaks out.
I hope to resume the discussion one day when tempers have cooled a bit. Interesting that Protestants "returning home" draws such fire though....I'd have expected the opposite.
Dear RFEngineer,
"I don't disagree with the former, but the latter is outrageous - Protestantism isn't Christianity? Surely you don't mean that...... "
Protestantism is Christianity, but certainly, as a Catholic, I don't believe that every attribute of Protestantism is Christian. Otherwise, I'd be a Protestant, right? ;-)
The idea that there is a plurality of truths is absurd from the Catholic perspective. We don't believe that it is a legitimate feature of Christianity.
"The Protestant movement was started because men of conscience couldn't abide by the misdeeds of the Catholic church."
I agree that folks like Martin Luther initially started down the path they went because of the crimes of some churchmen. However, I don't believe that where he wound up was justified by those crimes. Otherwise, I'd be a Protestant, right?
"This bickering is pointless though, but I am appreciative that you have given me a couple of interesting lines of inquiry for next time."
I don't mean to bicker, and apologize if that's what I've been doing. But I don't have a problem speaking up when I believe that another is offering a tendentious interpretation of history. That you believe that I've given you some interesting lines of inquiry leads me to believe that I've been at least partly successful in what I intended.
"Your fellow Christian/sinner thanks you for the discussion, but I'm bowing out before a jihad breaks out."
Your fellow Christian/sinner thanks you, as well, as although the exchanges between you and me haven't been without some sharp edges, I found that you've seemingly tried to reply to me with courtesy, and I've tried to do likewise.
I hope that you continue to have a blessed Christmastime.
sitetest