Yelsew responded, where I last said:
How is it that you accept as "God breathed" in whatever Protestant version of the New Testament you have without question, yet at the same time, look upon the very Church who presented that very same New Testament in the form you have in great suspicion and derision?
[/QUOTE]
A good question. I suppose the addage that absolute power corrupts absolutely is appropriate. The Catholic church has not been forthcoming with all the "truth" it claims to possess, which seems to put it in the position of being a closed society.[/quote]
Yelsew, what corruption?
Does the Church have individual men, including popes, who have sinned? Yep, they are sinners just like you and I.
Or has the Church become corrept in doctrine and beliefs? If you think so, then please document your statement so that we can have a serious look at them.
And up to now, you have not satisfactorily answered my question - the bible you hold so dearly, a product of the very Church you dismiss!
I'm not concerned with the business end of the church, but I am concerned with the lack of disclosure of God's truth that the Church seems to be concealing. For example, the keys to the kingdom that is claims it possesses. (oh wait, I see that Carson posted something about the Keys) What specifically are they?
Carson explained perfectly, but I will do so in my own words: The "keys of the kingdom" is simply a metaphor for 'authority to act for the kingdom (heaven)" or, takes "keys" alone, it means simply
authority. And that is exactly how the metaphor is treated in Isaiah 22:22, which I invite you to read and see what I mean.
There are other examples that the church uses the "casting pearls before swine" as a means to keep from being "exposed" to criticism of any kind. Not to mention the other aspects of Catholic tradition and practise that have no foundation in the Holy Scriptures such as assigning to Mary, the mother of Jesus, attributes that she in no way possesses.
Yelsew, you have completely sidestepped my quandry over your acceptance of scripture without question, yet reject the very authority that compiled it for you! By all rights, you should dismiss the bible (or at least the New Testament) as some "suspicious Catholic publication" that bears watching with a jaundiced eye!
I previously said:
And again, if the Catholic Church had the authority to do this, why do you then deny her the authority I speak of?
Because Peter himself said that believers are a kingdom of priests and therefore have the priestly authority that you claim for the Catholic church. I do not deny the Catholic church proper authority, but do demand that the church rightly extend that authority to all believers as Peter did.
Who were the "believers" that Peter extended his hand to? If not members of the only church around at the time, but they soon become so, right? And what was that church, Yelsew?
Also, we are all all a part of the "priesthood of believers," Yelsew, which includes as a subset, the
Sacradotal Priesthood as manifested in the original 12 apostles, later to be supplimented by Mathias and also Paul, who then trained Timothy ordained to be a bishop! Cool huh!
As for what is the Sacradotal Priesthood is,I give you the following web site:
http://www.catholic.com/library/bishop_priest_and_deacon.asp
If you think I deride the Catholic church, wait until you hear me talk about that Mormon bunch, and the Jehovah's Witnesses for their false doctines.
Yelsew, the Mormons and the JW's are "Johnny come latelies" as were also the Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, etc., who can trace their history only so far as their break-away from another sect or from the original breakaway from Holy Church.
By the way, Thanks for the list, is there a place where the writings can be download or at least read in electronic form? I'm not a rich person and cannot afford to purchase personal copies of each to read.
I wish I could help you on that one, as I would love to read them as well! And btw, I "stole" that list from someone else who compiled it, not remembering who he is (was). For the most part, I have seem some of those titles, including reading fragments from some of them. Perhaps one of the Seminaries, Catholic or otherwise, may have them on-line in a web site...
God bless,
PAX
Bill+†+
Pillar and Foundation of Truth, the Church. (1 Tim 3:15)