Martin Luther created the archetype and the process of creating one's own religion by simply looking in the mirror and writing down what he thought he saw.
Given that we are on approximately the tenth generation of Protestant evolution, the glass appears to be increasingly warped. Christianity as practiced by especially the newer, or the newer evolving Protestant churches is simply the slapping together of selected Scripture with the repudiation of the Christian faith and the Church Fathers, except, again, for cherry picked phrases and sentences that support the incidental beliefs of the moment.
Calvinists refuse the inclusionary verses of Scripture, relying on terms such as 'elect' to somehow include themselves in a select group, while feeling superior to those excluded. Those who refuse to embrace paedobaptism, the same. And the Eucharist, and icons, and relics, and veneration of saints...
My friend, you have opened up yourself to descriptions of past hurts. It is not that which condemns you in the eyes of the anti Catholics, it is the fact that you are an unashamed Catholic apologist. And that is the worst condemnation of all to many of those here.
That is key. He has "opened himself up." No one has done that to him. And yet he refuses to explain why he says a book so frazzled him he couldn't touch anyone for 14 years.
You've got to admit, that's a mighty large paper cut.
With absolutely NO EXPLANATION as to why it occurred.
Don't blame us if it's difficult to take someone's opinion of something if they don't say why they hold that opinion.
Calvinists refuse the inclusionary verses of Scripture
Calvinists believe the entire Scriptures, unlike Rome which utilizes a very selective thesaurus.
Martin Luther created the archetype and the process of creating one's own religion by simply looking in the mirror and writing down what he thought he saw.
lol. Luther didn't "create" anything. He recognized the Gospel even though Rome had worked to pervert and bury it for centuries.
What Luther saw as his reflection in that mirror was not the pale and pious representation of men's inherent goodness, but the face of a sinner, broken and weary and ultimately consumed with gratitude for the free, merciful gift of Christ's righteousness within him.
"The human will is placed between God and Satan like a beast of burden. If God rides it, it wills and goes where God wills; if Satan rides it, it wills and goes where Satan wills. Nor can it choose to run to either of the two riders, but the riders themselves contend for the possession of the beast." -- Martin Luther, "On the Bondage of the Will."