The history of the human Roman organization is full of blazing brazen examples to the opposite. I have no need to rub anyone's nose in them. But I'm a bit shocked that the above statement is believed by anyone in light of them.
Absolute power corrupting absolutely has been exemplified worst in RELIGIOUS organizations up until probably Hitler. There could be other exceptions I'm not thinking of at the moment. Augustine was wiser than to have made such a brash statement. Evidently his biases blinded him.
it is not the Roman Hierarchy per se that determines orthdoxy--as 20,000+ different John SKERRIAN FLIPFLOPS, indulgences, Papal exceptions for Papal escapades . . . on what is right and wrong from one year, decade, century to the next have demonstrated with abundant repetitiveness. It is fundamentally the Church, particularly, her bishops in POLITICAL succession from the Apostles and in POLITICAL BLOCK MANEUVERING with the bishop holding the seat of THE CHIEF POLITICIAN--THE POPE--THAT HAS DEMONSTRATED VERY BRAZENLY SO REPEATEDLY OVER THE CENTURIES that Phariseeism is alive and well on planet earth.
Just as in the days of Christ and the Apostles, to enter the Church was to enter into political gamesmanchip with the currently most politically successful pharisees and to submit to their leadership and authority, VS THAT OF SCRIPTURE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT . . . so today to enter the Church is to FAR TO OFTEN IN MOST ALL ORGANIZED RELIGIOUS GROUPS . . . to enter into more political gamesmanship; pharisaical posturing and pontificating with those bishops in succession from the pharisees of Jesus' earthly walk and submit to their spiritually corrupt; spiritually bankrupt; spiritually deadly leadership and authority.
. . . slightly . . . (tee hee) . . . edited for accuracy and Scriptural faithfulness.
The history of the human Roman organization is full of blazing brazen examples to the opposite.
Name one example in the history of the Catholic Church of orthodoxy being determined by the laity instead of the bishops.
Absolute power corrupting absolutely has been exemplified worst in RELIGIOUS organizations up until probably Hitler.
First, neither the Pope nor the bishops have "absolute power". Second, Christ is the one who gave ruling authority to the Apostles, and through them to the bishops they ordained. Seemingly, on your view, Christ should not have ordained Apostles and bishops. The fact that secular political authorities sometimes abuse their authority does not imply that we should rebel against the bishops, or that orthodoxy is not determined by them.
Augustine was wiser than to have made such a brash statement. Evidently his biases blinded him.
Or, your anti-institutional bias is blinding you. Which is more likely, that you are blinded, or that the great saint Augustine (and all the fathers, since they all agreed with him) were blinded?
it is not the Roman Hierarchy per se that determines orthdoxy--as 20,000+ different John SKERRIAN FLIPFLOPS
Please name one 'flipflop' in Catholic *dogma*. Just one.
-A8