I see all the questions and uncertainty that flows through all other Christian denominations and it is truly sad that there is no real authority. A kind of by-the-seat-of-your pants doctrine and dogma. Everyone outside of the Catholic church is left to their own limited and insufficient devices for their understandings and enlightenment. To compound the error is the democratic appeals to the acceptance of perversities and abominations - that ain't love that is enabling.
When we look to the foundings of other Christian denominations, it is evident why they are so lacking in authority. They have no “real” authority. They are allowed to fit their teachings to their feelings and their conscience. When, in truth, the conscience is to be formed to the teachings of the authoritative church established by God.
Articles written, like the one posted here, with the intent of throwing all of Christianity under the bus in an effort to discredit other Christian denominations and to reject the authority of the Catholic church, is a deceitful and antagonistic attack. It does nobody any good at all. It, if believed, discredits all of Christianity. It raises the question, what exactly is the intent of these writers? Suspicions arise that quite possibly they prefer a discredited Christianity. One that is preferred by man, rather than God. An underhanded effort, again, to form the authority of the church to the beliefs and feelings of man in this fallen worldly condition.
Those outside of the Catholic church would do well, to research and understand the foundation of their own authority. If they would successfully accomplish this research and not listen in denial, then they would go a great distance toward understanding the truth...the hard truth that the Word of God is transferred orally and that we must obey oral tradition that was handed down to us from the apostles and Jesus, because Jesus and the Apostles relied on oral tradition as the Word of God. Without oral tradition, the Word of God is not complete. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX “And indeed it was a virgin, about to marry once for all after her delivery, who gave birth to Christ, in order that each title of sanctity might be fulfilled in Christ's parentage, by means of a mother who was both virgin, and wife of one husband. Again, when He is presented as an infant in the temple, who is it who receives Him into his hands? Who is the first to recognize Him in spirit? A man just and circumspect,' and of course no digamist, (which is plain) even (from this consideration), lest (otherwise) Christ should presently be more worthily preached by a woman, an aged widow, and the wife of one man;' who, living devoted to the temple, was (already) giving in her own person a sufficient token what sort of persons ought to be the adherents to the spiritual temple,--that is, the Church. Such eye-witnesses the Lord in infancy found; no different ones had He in adult age." Tertullian, On Monogamy, 8 (A.D. 213).
That is what they cannot understand. They, just like the Marcionites, the Gnostics, the Arians, the Cathars, the Saracens, the Turks, the first gen reformatters, and the communists etc. thought that Christ had forgotten his promise and it would end "how much divisions has the Pope?" -- evidently none, but we've got Jesus Christ in our corner and He doesn't go back on His word, we trust and believe Him
A kind of by-the-seat-of-your pants doctrine and dogma. -- and you can see that in my posts above -- folks will attack the Church and yet believe in crazies like Jesse and Benny Hinn.
however, Calvinism gives you all the horrors of the inexorable -- existence is controlled by rules one does not fathom, one cannot propiate, one cannot control, one is less than a Kafkaesque caricature sentenced to death for an unknown crime by unknown persons.
Calvinism seems like a case of horror -- sheer unending horror. Every slip becomes a case of "was I ever saved or not?"
Pentecostalism and Born-againism treats the inexorable sense of doom much like the Hindu Bhakti movement -- sing and dance and ignore the horror awaiting or just let's play with the theological construct.
Only orthodoxy in the Apostolic Church (Catholic, Orthodox, Oriental, Assyrian) provide the consistent constructs that give hope, share the love of Christ and truly expound our Christian God.
Of course in the hierarchy of Truth, the doctrine of perpetual virginity is much lower to the teachings of Christ, His salvation, message, nature etc. those are the central core of doctrine that elucidates the Salvation given to us who accept it from Christ
however, if the early Christians believed it, on what basis do we denounce them?
This habit of changing what we have always believed is the truth leads to nothing but the errors that we see amongst our non-Catholic brethern
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To the sola-solo types scripture is silent one way or the other -- it is not expected to record every little thing, for example, Jesus is called the carpenter's son in Matthew 13 and Mark 6, but not after -- yet he was still the carpenter's son.
I see where your post is a typical Catholic post. Rather than seriously consider what the scriptures are saying, the scriptures are touted as "ridiculous" (yes, the scriptures are because this is basically what the author uses). Instead, it is what the Catholic Church states as being fact is considered fact, irrespective of scripture. This is similar to the Democrats all saying that 2 million jobs were created over the last two months and all the minions shake their heads yes that it must be so because Obama says so.