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To: matthewrobertolson
I found myself alone and empty after a scarring experience. So, I sought the counsel of philosophy and history – surely, men had answered my questions before!

If you had turned to God and his scriptures instead, you'd have become a Protestant...Let's look to see what God has to say about your journey...

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

So God is not too impressed with folks putting their trust in philosophy and men...

My advice for anyone that wishes to be a Protestant is to avoid the Church Fathers like one would avoid a plague.

Now that is bad advice...Protestants should read the church fathers...But they should also read the history of the Catholic religion to see how that apostate religion forged and fabricated letter and then falsely attributed them to those church fathers to make it look like the fathers supported the Catholic religion...

In my search for the Truth (capital 'T' intended), I asked a long series of questions.

On the Magisterium (teaching authority) of the Church, I asked: Does God still reveal things to us, or does His message end with the Bible? What would He reveal things through?

You obviously didn't ask God those capital T questions...You apparently ask your apostate religion...

Revelation ends with the scriptures...And to prove that, you can't name a single thing that revealed to your religion from God (with any kind of evidence)../

The idea that God arbitrarily ended His message with the Bible and deliberately chose to allow confusion over doctrine became untenable to me, especially in light of verses like Deuteronomy 31:6 (He will never leave us) and John 17:11 (He requests Christian unity). The Protestant position on this (Sola Scriptura) then made little sense. How could that idea, unprecedented before the Renaissance and ungrounded in Tradition or common sense, be true? I have found no sensible argument in favor of it.

I have...

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

1Co 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
1Co 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
1Co 3:20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
1Co 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men.

What would His mouthpiece be, though? His Bride (Mark 2:18-20), the Church, of course!

Really??? Really??? Not according to God...

Psa_119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

It is written is stated 80 times in the scriptures...

Joh_5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

This is where apostolic succession (the lineage of bishops from the time of the Apostles to the present) comes in. Bishops are given special power (Luke 21:15)

Luk 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
Luk 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Luk 21:21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
Luk 21:22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

Again, REALLY???...This is your proof for apostolic succession??? I'll bet you guys hate it when people check your references in the scriptures to see if you are telling the truth...

All of this “clicked” in my head when I first read these words from St. Ignatius of Antioch: “See that you all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as you would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop.

Apparently after you read a little bit of the church fathers you didn't bother with reading Catholic history to see that Ignatius' letters were forged...

Some in the historical-critical movement have, naturally, raised objections to St. Peter's primacy

Some in the scriptures raised objections too...Namely, the other apostles...

Act 8:14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

Peter certainly wasn't the top dog here...He followed orders from the other apostles...

So good luck with your human philosophy but don't confuse it with the truth of scripture, cause it ain't...

9 posted on 02/16/2014 8:25:37 PM PST by Iscool (Ya mess with me, you mess with the WHOLE trailer park...)
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To: Iscool
Colossians 2:8 refers to the Pharisees -- but it's interesting that people were still required by God to follow them, because they held the "Chair of Moses" (Matthew 23:1-3). Christ supplanted this Chair with the Chair of Peter.

When did the Church go apostate???

"The Scriptures" include other writings of the Church Fathers (early Christian leaders). Why would only some of their writings have any merit? Because the Church supposedly said so?

Luke 21:15 is directed at the Apostles and their successors. Interesting to note that you didn't address the other verses cited in that sentence.

Do you have proof that "Ignatius' letters were forged"? I know of none.

In Jerusalem, James received special honor because he was the patriarch of the region (ref: list of patriarchs). The Church still reflects this with Her principle of collegiality. If the Pope were to visit another bishop's diocese tomorrow, he would first request permission from that bishop and would then show him special respect during his visit.
11 posted on 02/16/2014 8:50:43 PM PST by matthewrobertolson
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