Richard Moore, you said, “If your faith rests on scripture alone and faith alone that’s your right. But don’t expect me to agree that scripture is all we need.”
PLEASE ALLOW ME TO TRY TO EXPLAIN.
Scripture alone does not mean that scripture is all we need in our walk with God. There are five solas meaning “alone”, and each serves a different purpose in the gospel and our salvation.
(1) Christ Alone - Christ alone is the only name by which we are saved.
(2) Deo Gloria (glory to God alone). There is only one God.
(3) Scripture alone is all we need for training in righteousness. It is the living “word” of God and explains everything
(4) Grace alone - is is only through grace that we are able to receive Christ’s gift, not by any works of ours.
(5) Faith Alone - it is only through faith that we may be justified (made righteous in the sight of God.
Also, no one here has damned Roman Catholics. That is the beauty of Christ’s gift of salvation, Everyone (including Catholics) who believe in Jesus Christ and lay their lives down before him by confessing that we are sinners and can do nothing without Him, receives salvation. It does not require any works of ours. It’s as simple as that. It sounds like you fit these requirements and as a Christian, I rejoice in that. So all that others here are saying is all the other stuff instituted by men not scripture......, robes and trappings, confession booths, physical eating of Christ’s body and drinking of His blood (for that was not meant literally), praying to Mary and the “saints declared so by men” instead of praying directly to God (as He is Our Father who art in heaven) which is how He declared us to pray, purgatory, etc. is not necessarily evil, just unnecessary to salvation. To make those things necessary to salvation is belittling Christ’s sacrifice and death. For that is his gift to us, God’s plan since the fall Of man in the garden of Eden. It was a perfect plan, not requiring any works of ours.
Please reply to #27 post. It is about the Real Presence.