Utah. I had respect for you but this thread has taught me otherwise.
How could you say something like that?
Jesus meant for us to be ONE in Him, and to love each other.
1 Corinthians 12:2
Ephesians 4:4
John 13:35
Were it not for the Catholic or Universal church, since there was only ONE church at that time, we would not even be here.
The church fought against heresies that would have certainly destroyed Christianity had they been permitted to evolve.
Councils were formed to state the truths of the faith.
Just think how we all don't agree on this forum. What if Christianity had been splintered from the very beginning. What would be left for us to believe?
How do we know, for sure, which one of us is correct if we come up with different beliefs and yet we all claim to be guided by the Holy Spirit.
It's good to go to a church. It's good to have a church explain scripture. Do you suppose theologians study for years for no reason at all?
Do you think each one of us should start their own little church for each little nuance that we believe differently?
It's a church that holds all of us together. Man needs an institution. Man needs tradition.
Do you have Thanksgiving dinner with your family?
Why?
How could you say something like that?
Jesus meant for us to be ONE in Him, and to love each other.
1 Corinthians 12:2
Ephesians 4:4
John 13:35
Were it not for the Catholic or Universal church, since there was only ONE church at that time, we would not even be here.
The church fought against heresies that would have certainly destroyed Christianity had they been permitted to evolve.
Councils were formed to state the truths of the faith.
Just think how we all don't agree on this forum. What if Christianity had been splintered from the very beginning. What would be left for us to believe?
How do we know, for sure, which one of us is correct if we come up with different beliefs and yet we all claim to be guided by the Holy Spirit.
It's good to go to a church. It's good to have a church explain scripture. Do you suppose theologians study for years for no reason at all?
Do you think each one of us should start their own little church for each little nuance that we believe differently?
It's a church that holds all of us together. Man needs an institution. Man needs tradition.
Do you have Thanksgiving dinner with your family?
Why?
God meant for those who are born-again and have the Spirit living within to be at unity. Not an organization.
If you do some research on the early church, there were believers without the catholic church. We didn't need the catholic church at all. We already had a universal church.
If anything, the catholic church did more harm than good. Just read its history. And there were councils before the 4th century. If fact there was one in Jerusalem soon after the birth of the church.
Believers can do quite fine without institution and without tradition. The birth of the church shows us that. They met in homes and in the open air.
But I agree that the description of the birth of the RCC was a little coarse.
I have a couple of friends that were catholic. They could never go back. They even said they aren't true Christians unless by accident. One of them was so devoted to the catholic church, but when she got saved outside of it she left. They never told her about being born again. Not once.