As I said, google pulls up a variety of numbers.
This WikiAnswers gives two estimates -- "986 million" and "over one billion."
One important reason why the numbers are all over the map is because Rome inflates the numbers of its members by including all those millions of men and women who have fled Rome for a faith founded on Scripture. While they are no longer Roman Catholics, Rome still counts them in their inaccurate tallies.
It is generally understood that omniscience is required to know for a certainty the truth of what is in another person's heart.
So not only have you broken the rules by falsely saying I believe myself to be "omniscient," but you now imply I think I know your heart.
However, the hearts of Roman Catholics are murky, at best. Their posts are so filled with Mary and their own good works that there seems to be little room left over for Christ. Therefore I wouldn't presume to know their hearts. We can only hope they do not mirror their posts.
Well put.
“However, the hearts of Roman Catholics are murky at best.”
There is no practical, factual reason for this comment.
“Their posts are so filled with Mary and their own good works that there seems to be little room left over for Christ. “
Simply a blanket, one-size-fits-all, “drive-by” comment that is not true.
“Therefore I wouldn’t presume to know their hearts.”
You just said their hearts are murky.
“We can only hope they do not mirror their posts.”
It’s reasonable to think that one would have that hope about other posters on this forum.
So I will ask yet again, can you name a reputable group with verifiable methods that suggests there is a significantly lower number of Catholics?
To which you responded:
As I said, google pulls up a variety of numbers.
This WikiAnswers gives two estimates -- "986 million" and "over one billion."
Now, if you will refer back to my post, you will see that I asked for a REPUTABLE group with VERIFIABLE methods, your WikiAnswers were provided by ID1152302961 and That--Girl and under no circumstances would an intelligent person consider anonymous WikiAnswers contributors to be reputable or their methods verifiable (now, they may both actually be reputable and their methods verifiable, but this is impossible to conclude without any documentation).
Nevertheless, if we look and see when ID1152302961's answer of "over one billion" was given, we will see that it was on February 29, 2008 and this was more than two years before the latest estimates of membership in the Catholic Church was given. We then see That--Girl's edit of 986 million was on February 20, 2009 and still over a year before the latest estimates were released. Based on the estimates prior to those given in 2010, the membership of the Catholic church WAS around one billion; however, it is also important to realize that only about 98% of Catholics are of the Latin Rite, so there are fully 20 million Eastern Rite Catholics who WOULD NOT be considered Roman Catholic.
So, your "experts" at WikiAnswers have actually done nothing to satisfy your claim that there are a "variety of numbers" because the dates and context given are important.
One important reason why the numbers are all over the map is because Rome inflates the numbers of its members by including all those millions of men and women who have fled Rome for a faith founded on Scripture.
You've made this claim numerous times, but you have yet to actually document its validity. Do you believe that something becomes true if you repeat it enough?
While they are no longer Roman Catholics, Rome still counts them in their inaccurate tallies.
Actually, and this has been explained to you many times, the Catholic Church DOES NOT consider those who have formally left the Church to be Catholic.
I wrote:
It is generally understood that omniscience is required to know for a certainty the truth of what is in another person's heart.
To which you responded:
So not only have you broken the rules by falsely saying I believe myself to be "omniscient," but you now imply I think I know your heart.
Actually, I've said nothing of the sort, I pointed out a general understanding, I'm not responsible for any inferences you may draw from it.
However, the hearts of Roman Catholics are murky, at best.
Please tell us how you really feel, don't hold back.