I'm just saying, Sandy, that the Bible yields it's most fruit when it is illuminated by a gifted preacher who backs up his sermons with scholarly exposition on what he's teaching. In other words, just intoning the words doesn't get down deep into people's hearts and minds. Haven't you found that when you hear a scripture many many times, one day, it clicks in your mind in a way that it didn't before?
Now, let me re-iterate, I full believe there are MANY MANY Roman Catholics who ARE saved, and WILL go to Heaven. Many are wonderful, God-loving people. (I'm totally at fault for not stressing that enough in my posts) My beef is strictly with the Vatican.
In my Church the Daily Masses are a conjoining of the Word, the lesson, a devout congregation that understands the reading of the day and how it relates to all the previous and forthcoming daily readings, and of course the invoked ACTUAL PRESENCE of Our Lord in the Eucharist.
v.
There is no teaching regarding what the scriptures are about....
If you are interested in truth, then you must attend some masses. That statement is false and I'm sincerely embarrassed for you, that you would display your ignorance so unabashedly.
....there is no learning on the part of the people (which is exactly what the RCC secretly wants)
I would have to disagree with that statement also. It has been my observation that the Catholic posters on Free Republic are amongst the most knowlegeable and enlightening contibutors, in both secular matters and religious ones. Lack of learning could hardly characterize Catholics. I think that what you mean is that because you disagree with Catholicism's interpretation of scripture you think Catholic's are ignorant. Disagreement doesn't necessitate " no learning". But that would contradict your big "Whore of Babylon" theory wouldn't it? Secretly,you think, it is run by Satan and his minions, and only us guys who study the bible exhaustively are privy to the truth. Only we, who have ferreted out the secret meaning of the secret motives of the Vatican, we scholars, we know the truth. It's in the bible isn't it? There are 1 billion dupes who are completely scripturally ignorant but those of us who are members of (what church do you go to? St. Art Bell of the Birch Society?) the select genius class, in the know, are up to speed on the real deal about the Catholic Church. Arrogance. Elitism. Intellectual pride. Malice. That's what I see in the lie that you wrapped in parentheses.
In a good church, the scripture is part of a sermon ( usually lasting about 90 minutes in most evangelical churches ) which is NOTHING BUT Bible teaching.
There is copious note-taking.
That's not a church, it's a lecture hall! That's not practicing religion, it's indoctination! It sounds more like a college course than a church. Religion is about rituals and sacrifices. It's about conveying a sense of the divine. It should be ceremonial and it should have beautiful music that lifts ones spirit toward heaven. What you descibe in an evangelical church is intellectual masturbation.
....the bible yields it's most fruit when it is illuminated by a gifted preacher.
If your beliefs about the Catholic Church are any indication of what your preacher is saying, and the notes you are taking, then you give new meaning to illuminate. Never before, would I have imagined bile to be lustrous. Your immortal soul is in great danger if the "fruits" you exhibit here are produced at your "church".
Finally, you have been given excellent advice. Read the catechism, go to some masses. Then, at least you can be taken more seriously. At present, your opinions are laughable.