[HighlyOpinionated]

It was a rhetorical question.

Meanwhile, those franchise churches you named will die of old age, having outlived their original destiny.

EXCEPT the Roman Catholic Church which has been with us since the Upper Room, the Apostles, and early Church Fathers. Throughout history, no matter the scandal, no matter the political regime, no matter the apostasy, the one Church which has stood the test of time, time and time again, is the Roman Catholic Church. Even with the split of the Orthodox (Greek) Church, the continuum of time has not diminished the Apostolic succession of Peter, the first Pope.

If in doubt, check here.

[Graybeard58]

Well, at least since Emperor Constantine:

A year after ascending the throne, Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea. Its declared purpose was to decide on theological disputes which had arisen concerning the essence and nature of Christ. However, the emperor took advantage of the gathering to determine the order and organization of the church. The Nicaean Council established a special, privileged, status for the Bishop of Jerusalem. At the same time, Constantine uncovered the site of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem, and built on it the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. As a result of his policy combining unequivocal legislation giving preference to Christianity with impressive building projects Jerusalem was transformed from a marginal pagan town into a flourishing Christian city and became a powerful magnet for pilgrims from the whole Roman Empire.

http://jeru.huji.ac.il/ed31.htm

[Ff--150]

"It was a rhetorical question."

Gotta watch out: rhetorical questions sometimes kickback with tough Truth :-)!!

Just prove me wrong:
Just send $10, 20 50 bucks to TBN, Osteen, or Warren--better yet, to some televanglist you DESPISE, "knowing" that is silly, stupid or whatever.

Onehundred fold for $10 = $1000; $20 = $2000; $50 = $5000. Then, have your excuses handy as to how you got so "lucky."

[An aside: it's just as nerve-wracking when you've expirenced the 100x time after time, because the methods used are so unexpected to get your harvests to you. My sowing is into five figures and that takes FAITH, LOL!!!!]