Again, I think you're relying on what "authorities" say...

Post #319,618 by Another Scott 1/6/10 8:41:03 AM Reply	Again, I think you're relying on what "authorities" say... As far as basic basic basic theology goes, one of the biggest stumbling point is the question of ultimate authority. Catholics put the Pope above the Bible. Protestants don't. You're using very loaded language in your posts, though you may not realize it. One of the defining characteristics of almost all Protestant denominations since Luther is rejection of the authority of the Pope. (I'm tempted to throw in a Dreaded Car Analogy here, but I don't think it's necessary.) In a real sense, all Christian denominations ultimately put their leadership "above" the Bible even if they claim that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. They pick and choose what to stress and what to downplay. Baptists emphasize the importance of baptism more than Lutherans; etc. All religions that rely on sacred texts also rely on authorities to interpret them. The Southern Baptists have a convention which comes up with pronouncements on various religious and social topics. They have had leaders that say things like "women should submit to their husbands". More here: http://www.sbc.net/a...ionstatements.asp Is a SB who is devout putting their leadership "above" the Bible? Again, see for yourself what Catholics believe and practice in Mass. Don't take the word of critics or those who have left that church - too often they have an agenda of making Catholics look bad. My $0.02. Cheers, Scott.
Post #319,643 by static 1/6/10 3:50:29 PM Reply	I see. And my attempts at simplification to show that there is a difference at a very low level without having to argue exactly what that difference is seems to be wasted. Your list of differences is correct, of course: Luther's rejection of the Papal authority was a rejection that the Pope can make edicts that overrule scripture. You're using very loaded language in your posts, ... Could you please explain how I am doing that. Wade. Q:Is it proper to eat cheeseburgers with your fingers? A:No, the fingers should be eaten separately.
Post #319,646 by Another Scott 1/6/10 5:56:24 PM Reply	As Box says... there are things said about Catholics over here that may not match your experiences. Sorry if I'm rubbing you the wrong way on this topic. I understand that you're trying to be careful. :-) There's a very long history of Protestant antagonism against Catholics here. I probably don't need to review the long history. A brief flavor can be found here: http://en.wikipedia....ed_States#History When you said that Catholics put 'the Pope above the Bible' or 'Catholics consider themselves Catholic first and Christian second', that is very close to some of the anti-Catholic things that I heard growing up: "Catholics aren't Christian. They don't pray to God, they pray to their priest who prays to his bishop who prays to his cardinal who prays to the Pope." Catholic politicians over here are questioned all the time about whether their loyalty is to the US or to the Pope, or whether their votes are compatible with the Church's doctrines. Mainline Protestants don't get such scrutiny. And the things Box mentioned, and so forth. We all understand that you're not meaning to cause offense. And I don't think most of us are taking offense. It's just that some of the comments you're making about what other people have said about the Catholic church in your church seem to be easily taken as anti-Catholic in a US context. HTH a little. Cheers, Scott.
Post #319,650 by drook 1/6/10 6:47:17 PM Reply	Oh yeah? Well my invisible sky fairy can beat up your invisible sky fairy with one arm tied behind him! -- Drew
Post #319,652 by boxley 1/6/10 7:05:12 PM Reply	not hardly as a short story about armageddon where lucifer wins the final battle a shocked cleric goes "that isnt what was written in scripture!" and the devil replies "I didnt write that propaganda" thanx, bill
Post #319,655 by static 1/6/10 7:20:46 PM Reply	Yes, it helps. sigh I've been tripped by cultural differences. :-/ Thanks for the heads-up. I can honestly say I have not seen or experienced anti-Catholic sentiment in Australian Protestant churches. The closest would be pop-vox responses in the mass media to the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney. I have seen what could cause it, but that was when I was eight years old and involved a classmate in school who acted like catholics were superior to everyone... I really wasn't thinking I would be offensive when I posted. They were intended to be dry, theological observations, some derived from serious inter-faith efforts. Wade. Q:Is it proper to eat cheeseburgers with your fingers? A:No, the fingers should be eaten separately.

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