Well, I’m a former Catholic but I’m not anti-Catholic.
But there is not one true church as you claim. And the actual first church was not the ancient Catholic Church but was the Church of Jerusalem, administered by Jesus’ brother James, established long before there was a church in Rome. Just read Acts, it’s there in black and white.
The Catholic Church is no more the “one true church” than the thousands of underground house churches sprouting everywhere in China. The Catholic Church is one of many, and most certainly the oldest, largest, and wealthiest, which aren’t necessarily its best attributes. It’s also the church that, in my opinion, has strayed the furthest in its doctrine over the millennia, excepting perhaps the Mormons. Honestly, “one true church” is a claim and perhaps a marketing line but is nothing more than that.
If I’ve learned anything in 30 years as an evangelical Christian it’s that Jesus’ church is not contained in any particular set of four walls; also, that any one man or doctrine is not superior to another as long as the essential teachings in the gospels and Book of Romans are adhered to. The notion that the Pope is closer to God is not Biblical and, just looking at Francis, is laughable. Francis is just another man who won an election to lead an organization which is hugely rich with a billion followers. And I expect that a lot of those Cardinals are still doing facepalms over that whopper of a decision.
The writings of Catholic Church leaders like Polycarp, Augustine and Clement over the years, while interesting and perhaps intriguing, do not alter these very important Biblical points.
FYI, we evangelical Christians read and quote the source document itself, e.g., the Bible, rather than church leaders who lived hundreds of years later. Always better that way. And the more intelligent among us recognize that preachers are not necessarily right so we follow the advice of the Bereans, as stated in the Book of Acts, to receive the Word with gladness of heart, but search the Scriptures daily to prove that it is so. That’s how we avoid the silliness that comes from the evangelical community like the prosperity gospel.
Frankly, that is why I left the Catholic Church. Once I read the Bible itself, I saw the huge doctrinal errors of the Catholic Church and never looked back.
“The notion that the Pope is closer to God is not Biblical and, just looking at Francis, is laughable.”
Yet the firm faith of an RC saint is not laughable. I was once instructed many years ago on the strength of adoration, took it seriously, and sought out a chapel in which to adore.
This link is good, but there are so many others just like it; the saints are powerful teachers: http://www.divinemercyadoration.org/whatisadoration/saints-of-the-blessed-sacrament.php
From the link: “Her immaculate womb became the first perpetual adoration chapel, the first true tabernacle and for nine months the New Adam was adored and loved in that little paradise with a love beyond all telling.”
In our adoration chapel hung a letter written to us from Mother Teresa and in it she said: “Each one of us is a co-worker of Christ – we must labour hard to carry Him to the hearts where He has not yet been known and loved. But, unless we have Jesus, we cannot give Him; that is why we need the Eucharist. Spend as much time as possible in front of the Blessed Sacrament and He will fill you with His strength and His power. Tell Him, ‘Come to our hearts Lord and stay with us.’ Then you will become the instruments of His love, peace and joy.” ~Mother Teresa http://adorationrocks.com/letter.html