[quote:2ihocdkh]All Orthodox members are more then welcome to post as long as it stays civil and attacking is not the focus. Although I must say that we seem to show more interest to understand your faith. I can’t say the same interest has been shown to us. I’m sure you have all mastered how to respond to Petrine claims. How about trying to understand the Catholic faith? ” title=”Smile” />

Thanks,

~Victor[/quote:2ihocdkh]

Well, I have to reply to this one. (And thank you Augustine for your post which as you know I feel is very good). My experience on this forum is that most RC members are less interested in learning what we believe than they are in attacking us for it. I, for instance, have been accused of not wanting unity because my idea of unity does not correspond to submission to the Pope. This doesn’t correspond at all to what you are trying to portray.

The flip side of this is that when I don’t understand an aspect of RC theology (or very often terminology as your language is quite diferent) and ask for an explanation (thus proving that I am attempting to understand your side) I am usually met by deafening silence, and sometimes hostility. Is it perhaps that in your mind ‘understand’ = ‘agree with’ much like ‘unity’ appears to equal ‘submission’?

How am I supposed to understand the Roman Catholic faith (not Catholic, you could at least give us the courtesy of allowing that we are Catholic when discussing things with us) if none of you are willing to explain? I have asked at least twice now why Papal supremacy matters to you and [i:2ihocdkh]nobody[/i:2ihocdkh] will answer. It is quite clear even just from your post-Schism history that said supremacy did not always exist as it does today, so I can only assume that you see some advantage to clinging to what is obviously the most devisive issue in Christendom (see the councils of Constance and Basel and the opposition to Vatican I if you don’t know what I mean) but none of you seem willing to tell me what that advantage is. This is, I feel, a legitimate question in relation to this topic, and especially in relation to any future reconciliation (which will not be a submission to the Pope on or side), but one that [i:2ihocdkh]none[/i:2ihocdkh] of you have yet seen fit to answer.

James