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No, I was being literal and pedantic.

Just to yank the other poster's chain.

And your accusation is further without merit, because Protties deride the Catholics for quoting the successors to the Apostles from the 200s, which is approximately the same age; not realizing that this undercuts your argument that Catholics ignore anything old.

Incidentally; did you notice 2 Thessalonians 3:6, establishes the idea of Church authorities having a valid teaching role? You know, your trusty and well-beloved phrase "Biblical Principles".

The difference is that the Catholics acknowledge such a teaching role to authorities in the Church (notice the little stamp nihil obstat in the beginning of Catholic books, it has been reviewed and found to be free of doctrinal error); whereas the Protestants allow virtually anyone to teach, and as long as they call it "Biblical Principles"™ it's all good.

The problem is how do you know the person isn't just getting carried away by his own ego; misquoting (as Lucifer tried with Jesus); putting too much stress on one verse to the exclusion of others; etc. etc.

Try reading some of the biographies and autobiographies of the Saints. You will be astounded at the deep intense personal relationship with Jesus they have. And the greatest characteristic of the Saints which I have read, is humility: submission to authority, rather than making themselves the authority, and no empire building.

You do realize the faith and death-to-self involved in making a vow of chastity and/or poverty, and forgoing for life, worldly pursuits, don't you? But that is far different than the slavish devotion to salvation by works and mindless devotion to mumbled prayers to saints taught by rote, which is the Protestant stereotype; which I thought Catholicism was myself, before converting.

The other cultural difference is that the Catholics conceive of the Church as a corporate entity (corporate as in corpus, body, not as in corporation, business) -- parishes look out for one another if invited, I've been in Catholic churches in two different states who invite persecuted Christians in the Middle East / Holy Land (they used to be 13% of the population, now are 2%) to show up and give a message at their service, and to sell carvings (the Last Supper, The Manger Scene, Madonna and Child, etc.) of olive wood, to help support themselves, and to ask for prayers for help with persecution. I never saw any Protestant Church I attended ever do that.