Re: Conflicts, contrasts or differences between Catholics and Protestants in Great Britain

"Alec Brady" <alec.brady@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:d66g2293f7k8faf17hfmhvgqaj51lf3h01@xxxxxxxxxx
On 27 Mar 2006 02:01:16 +0100, Gareth McCaughan
<Gareth.McCaughan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

snip

Suppose you heard that there was a prominent modern denomination that
said - like Augustine - that the reason you should believe the Bible
was because *they* told you to. Which church would you imagine they
were?

Moonies? Jamestown? The Jesus Army? Or any other bunch of loonies.

Suppose someone was explaining why they continue in their present
church rather than changing to another, and the reason they gave was:
"The succession of priests keeps me, beginning from the very
seat of the Apostle Peter, to whom the Lord, after His
resurrection, gave it in charge to feed His sheep, down to
the present episcopate."
Which church would you imagine they were a member of?

Well Id imagine that since they were showing that they were ignorant of
church history and believe a lie only told by the RCC that they went there.

Suppose the reason they gave was:
"the name itself of Catholic, which, not without reason, amid
so many heresies, the Church has thus retained; so that,
though all heretics wish to be called Catholics, yet when a
stranger asks where the Catholic Church meets, no heretic
will venture to point to his own chapel or house."
Which church would you imagine they were a member of?

Orthodox, CofE, RCC or a few others

Suppose that you went into a church and asked the first person you saw
"is this the Catholic Church?" and they said "yes". Which church would
you imagine it was?

See above

In order to support the point you appear to be making (that the RCC and the
RCC alone is the "Catholic church" of the creed) you will have to far better
than rely on the poor understanding and different word useage of modern
folk.

As for the one church in the place argument it would appear that even the
RCC does not concur since there are many places where it has far more than
one. If you will not call all the other, non RC, churches the Catholic
church then I fail to see how you call call all the other RC churches it.
You might, I suppose, propose that it is the fact that they have the same
aim as other RC churches and the same rule they are therefore one church
even though they be separate buildings and congregations but that argument
can, and Im sure you see how, be easily used against you.

You could claim that there has always been a Roman Church and that Peter was
the first Pope. But the first is entirely false and the second is
unproveable at best. Then you might claim an unbroken line but one must ask
a line of what? When there were 2 Popes which bunch of followers were truly
the Catholic Church and which bunch of followers were not? What about when
there were 3 Popes?

I wont even go to looking at consistency of teaching since in my experience
the RCC generally just goes into denial when the inconsistencies and erros
are pointed out.

Perhaps I have misunderstood, entirely possible, and you are not going where
I think.

regards

Phil
.

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