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Thank you Vlad for enlightening me on the doctrines of the catholic church. I never had any idea the arrogance of this religion. If I change some things it sounds just like the mormon church. This air of supremacy and exclusiveness astounds me. You know, even Satan knows the Bible from front to back. There is a difference between knowing it and applying it. He knew how divisive religion could be and is taking full advantage of that fact. He wants to squelch the Truth. Martin Lutheran saw the catholic church take its eye off the ball and that’s why we had the Reformation, contrary to your opinion. I am tired of debating the points with you, well not really, there was no debate. You thought you were right all the time and I was wrong because I’m not catholic. I do know that last year my best friend’s daughter wanted to start going back to church (catholic), I was thrilled, I even bought her a Bible so she could understand His Word better. Now, when I see her next month, I’m going to ask her some very pointed questions and then let her know what God says about it, and not to be ruled by the dictates of the catholic church. It’s been real.

Thanks again Vlad

You wrote:

“Thank you Vlad for enlightening me on the doctrines of the catholic church. I never had any idea the arrogance of this religion.”

Clearly the arrogance is Protestantism. I would show surprise, if I didn’t already know from previous experience, that Protestantism is so strong in its arrogance it apparently sometimes convinces its adherents to eschew the use of dictionaries.

“If I change some things it sounds just like the mormon church.”

If I change some things in Protestantism it sounds just like Mormonism, or some parts of Islam, or other types of Protestantism (ironically).

“This air of supremacy and exclusiveness astounds me.”

Being able to use a dictionary - and having to demonstrate that fact for someone else’s benefit when a basic word’s definition is denied - is not an air of supremacy. I could see where some might take it as such, however.

“You know, even Satan knows the Bible from front to back.”

Yes, he does, but he twists it. I don’t twist scripture, but then again you called me Satan. I would never call you Satan. I also wouldn’t ascribe his ability to know the Bible to you either.

“There is a difference between knowing it and applying it.”

True. How does one apply it by ignoring Acts 22:16 or 1 Peter 3?

“He knew how divisive religion could be and is taking full advantage of that fact.”

I am sure that is true. Then again Christ came to divide. Martin Luther did too but toward different ends than Christ.

“He wants to squelch the Truth. Martin Lutheran saw the catholic church take its eye off the ball and that’s why we had the Reformation, contrary to your opinion.”

No, and it has nothing to do with my opinion. Martin Luther started the Protestant Revolution because he believed he knew better than everyone else. That’s why he rejected the Epistle of James as “an epistle of straw” and threatened to burn it. Think about that. He rejected James and said he wanted to burn it. And you think he saw the Catholic Church take its eye off the ball? Luther was off his rocker.

“I am tired of debating the points with you, well not really, there was no debate.”

There always was on my side. I posted verses all the time in post after post and you usually ignored them. When you posted verses they often had nothing to do with what was being debated. On a number of occasions, for instance, you worked to refute things no one actually said.

“You thought you were right all the time and I was wrong because I’m not catholic.”

No. Opinions are erroneous because they are not based on truth. Taking verses out of context, posting myths rather than history (e.g. Luther’s motives, etc.) and refuting doctrines no one here espoused, or ascribing doctrines to someone when no one here espoused them simply got your side nowhere.

“I do know that last year my best friend’s daughter wanted to start going back to church (catholic), I was thrilled, I even bought her a Bible so she could understand His Word better. Now, when I see her next month, I’m going to ask her some very pointed questions and then let her know what God says about it, and not to be ruled by the dictates of the catholic church. It’s been real.”

And will you actually convey the real teachings of the Catholic Church or will you convey only your caricatures and fictions of them? I have no doubt you might be able to trick or fool your friend if she is poorly catechized (and the fact that she has been away from the faith for some time would seem to indicate that), but you’ll have to answer for your actions in that effort one day.

My experience will be different. Tomorrow I will get to visit a good friend of mine and study the Bible after Mass. He is a former Lutheran minister who came to realize that Protestantism was untrue. He believes that Protestantism may be the great apostasy spoken of in scripture. I think he might be right in that it is the beginning of it, but not the be all and end all of it. Over the years to come, with his growing ministry, he will be a source of inspiration for many non-Catholics. Already people are starting to convert because of what the Holy Spirit has worked through him. Another friend I hope to see soon is someone I helped convert. When I met him he was an agnostic after years of outright atheism. He is now helping to bring others into the Church through a ministry he helped create. In July I visited my old parish in another state. A number of the people in the parish are there, or are Catholic, because, at least in part, of me. All of these people love the truth. They didn’t put Protestantism before God. They chose the truth and the truth is a Person - Christ. And they knew they wanted as much of Christ as they could have on this earth and in heaven so they became Catholics. These people were not opposed to using dictionaries. Some of them argued with me for years (no joke). But they were all open to the truth. Will you be open to the truth when you talk to your friend? If using a dictionary bothers you then I don’t see how you could be.