You're just being rude and I refuse to engage with someone as rude and unpleasnat as you. I will just ignore your posts from now on as they are filled with unChristlike hate and anger.
Biblicist, I have quoted Matt here because he is right. I know of your zeal but your posts are becoming rude and unpleasant.
Please consider some of the verses related to this subject (though we are off topic and it does not have much to do with that apparitions of Mary).
Revelation 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Revelation 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Revelation 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
There are some things to consider here.
1. The standard historical interpretation for years has been that the RCC is the beast, the persecutor of Christians, the one that best fits this definition.
2. John was writing at the end of the first century. It is an apocalyptic book. Of course that doesn't make it nonfactual, it means that there could be other possibilities. It looks to the future.
3. In the last century (20th) there were more Christians martyred than all other centuries put together. Can you guess who by? It wasn't the RCC.
4. It is very possible that Islam will become the one world church, the beast, the false prophet that the Bible refers to. Have you heard of Chrislum (sp?) ?
5. Another possibility is it simply refers to the one world church that we are headed to (and very quickly) that will be ruled by one world leader called the false prophet. By that time I hope to be raptured. Look at the forces in play. The Charismatic movement is doing more than any other movement to bring churches together. The other great movement is the ecumenical movement. Humanism and the New Age Movement are also doing their best to break down doctrinal barriers. It is evident even on this board, that there are some that care more for their own experiences rather than the doctrine of the Bible. It may simply symbolize the one world church that will soon come to power.
The above are possible interpretations. I know what many people think fits best, but I don't think we can be absolutely dogmatic about it. And I certainly don't think our language should be belligerent and rude. Of course the latter statement applies to us all.