[quote:3mb82cg3]And did He pray to any of those mice statues? I highly doubt it but that’s okay for you catholics to do so with your statues? That is the whole point of why not to have Statues[/quote:3mb82cg3]

Once again your ignorance, and arrogance in trying to instruct people into a false understanding of what the Catholic Church teaches from your own catechism, (while it may not have the label of Catechism) Hislop, Bottiner, the webpages you use to defend your attack on Christ and His Church are in fact the catechism of misinformation about the Catholic Church. Prayers to statues are forbidden by the Catholic Church, the Worship of Mary and the Saints is forbidden to Catholics; but you’ve been told that before, and rather than listen to truth, you continue to seek after false teachers, who turn their backs on the 2000 year unwavering truth for 16th century men who not only attacked the Catholic Church, but levied horrible insults and condemnations at each other. Good thing you where not in Calvin’s Geneva, you would have been burned at the stake for disagreeing with his private interpretation of the Scriptures, or if you had brought up some of your personal insights in the England of Elizabeth I, let alone the German Lutheran cantons, where you’d have been toast. While man has from the fall needed the atonement of Christ Jesus, mankind has always wanted to buck the system established by God. The Jews did not want to follow God’s law, and the Protestants rejected what Jesus gave us. Catholics like all men struggle to live a life united to Christ, the difference is that we have the tools He gave us, and having those advantages a Catholic who lives the Faith is encouraged by the example of the Saints who trusted in Him, is surrounded by reminders both from Scripture and the lives of the Saints of what it means to daily reform ones self through the Graces given to us by Christ and become what Christ wishes, by the means He has given us.

Just finished reviewing (again) the Brean Beacon web page, and found it to be just that. Primarily a less than credible attack, probably fabricated stories, and rather than an honest reply and debate of the topic, a misinformation campaign at those Protestants who don’t know the Catholic Church, or poorly instructed Catholics. At this juncture, and based on my own sojourn in Protestantism I’d venture to say that most Protestants I have met are exposed to less of the Bible than Catholics. Mr. Bennett is a prime example. He attacks empty ritual by attacking the praying of the Breviary, and what an evil book of spells it is. In the days that he was praying the Breviary it surrounded the person with a day filled with prayer. Seven times a day a priest would open his breviary and pray from a book that was composed of around 90% Sacred Scriptures, over the course of a week (until the reforms of the 1970’s when the cycle of the psalms was spread out over the month) all 150 Psalms where prayed. Add to that the daily epistles and Gospel in the Breviary and the Mass, as well as the old Testament readings in the Breviary, a liturgical day composed primarily of the Scriptures, and what did you get, a prayer life more repeat with the Scriptures as a living prayer and living word of God than in any Protestant Church I know of.

Based on the dozens and dozens of books I have picked up at used book stores that where published long before Vatican II and the Charismatic Movement, (which Mr. Bennett places a great emphasis on) I’ve found among these books commentaries on and numerous encouragements to read the Bible. In any Catholic Bible published before 1970, and many since you will find encouragement to read and study the Bible at least 15-20 Minutes a day, and along with the words of encouragement a prayer to the Holy Ghost to be read (suggested not mandated) before and after reading the Holy Writ. If that was not enough, (and I’m not looking for another nasty comment or poisened pen Ronnie) Indulgences granted in order to encourage the reading of the Scriptures. This is from the Church Protestants wish to imply tried to destroy the Scriptures.

In summary, the arguments of self important Sola Scriptura bully pulpit anti-catholic bigots not only hold no water, but are based on puffed up pride in their own interpretation of Scripture, and their own desire to be the only ones who know (through some magical gnosis) what the translation of the Scriptures that they prefer mean, over what has been believed by the Church and taught by Christ Jesus from the beginning.