Ron, I can see where you are coming from and I really don’t have or the time or the patience to fuel these arguments that lead absolutely nowhere. Unfortunately, you have a strongly biased view against the Church and that’s too bad. I don’t want to sound repetitive or unfair, but this anti-catholic belief is what makes up for protestant unity.

[quote:d5bf9z2t] No way, that may be as you and your Church believe and teach but That doesn’t make it truth. I just did a study on the Apocrypha that reveals much about your “history” at http://www.studytoanswer.net/rcc/rvb_ap … html#intro
good stuff!!![/quote:d5bf9z2t]

Study on the Apocrypha? They are called apocrypha for a reason: they have a disputed canonical status, thus not being reliable enough to be included into biblical canon. Some of them are considered deuterocanonical (second canon) and are used as an example of life and instruction of manners, but aren’t applied to establish doctrine. The faith handed down by the Apostles was the standard to be guided through and that was what ultimately decided the biblical canon. Luther, certainly felt more inspired than the Church Fathers and decided a canon on his own. You talk about history, so what about a study on early Christian history, on the Apostles, the Martyrs and the Church Fathers? That could seriously help you to get out of those misconceptions. Christ prayed that we may all be one – are the hundreds of protestant denominations one? Are they the Apostles’ Church, the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church?

[quote:d5bf9z2t]Lets put this in the proper setting THE Church is NOT Your church – The Church consists of only believers in Jesus Christ and your statement above has no baring upon this Fact[/quote:d5bf9z2t]

You don’t need to yell to make a point. However, I see that you don’t abide to the Creed, so no further discussion is needed.

[quote:d5bf9z2t]Have you ever read Dave Hunt’s Book – [b:d5bf9z2t][i:d5bf9z2t]”The Woman Rides the Beast?”[/i:d5bf9z2t][/b:d5bf9z2t] Some good enlightening material in there [/quote:d5bf9z2t]

Enlightening, indeed. Next thing you know, you’ll be recomending me to read books like the Da Vinci Code to learn about Church history! Instead, try reading [b:d5bf9z2t]A Biblical Defense Of Catholicism[/b:d5bf9z2t] or [b:d5bf9z2t]The Catholic Verses: 95 Bible Passages That Confound Protestants[/b:d5bf9z2t], both by Dave Armstrong – a former protestant campus missionary that came back to the Catholic Church.

[quote:d5bf9z2t] One more point here to realize God is in control, not man. For man to have the power to forgive sins, then God would be under man’s control[/quote:d5bf9z2t]

Which part of [i:d5bf9z2t]¬´It is Christ who forgives the sins, not the priest¬ª[/i:d5bf9z2t] that you didn’t understand? The sacraments are all ministered by God through the clergy (priests and bishops), regardless of their morals or conditions. The believer is always granted the grace of the sacrament. [i:d5bf9z2t]¬´Ex opere operato¬ª[/i:d5bf9z2t], because the Holy Spirit is active in the Church.

[quote:d5bf9z2t]Of course I do – That’s why I left the Catholic Church – they do not follow Jesus but teach a false Gospel of meriting one’s salvation through works and Sacraments – none of hich takes away the sins of mankind…[/quote:d5bf9z2t]

I’m sorry to be a little disrespectful here but that’s just that old plain prottie garbage again.

Period.