“Thus, even though Rome claims that the Bible is its ultimate authority, practically speaking it is the church that is the ultimate authority.”
Are Protestant anti-Catholic just plain stupid? That is the only way I can see so many of them having such poor reading comprehension. “Rome” does not claim the Bible is “its ultimate authority”. The Catholic Church claims that the “Magisterium is not superior to the word of God, but its servant” and that the “word” is not restricted to what is scripture. Thus, not only is the premise of the above article wrong, but clearly the author of the article - who may be stupid don’t forget - doesn’t even understand the doctrines he is attacking.
The Catholic Church claims that the “Magisterium is not superior to the word of God, but its servant” and that the “word” is not restricted to what is scripture.
While I understand your frustration (as one who also rejects the Qaraite/Protestant doctrine of sola scriptura), I must nonetheless ask why you find it necessary to resort to the old liberal charge of the "ignorant" (and, I assume, inbred) "Protestant" in order to make your point. Considering the place of this trope in liberal culture, I really think it should be banned from this site (though that isn't my decision to make).
Really, Vlad, to FReeper Protestants ever insult Catholics as ignorant and stupid? And considering the fact that the bulk of the Catholic Church's membership over the centuries has been simple illiterate peasants, they could certainly make this charge if they chose to, couldn't they? Then of course Catholic FReepers would whine about the attack on simple people by highfalutin' Protestant intellectuals.
Catholics really need to make up their minds if they are a church of geniuses and intellectuals or of people of every shade of mental giftedness. If the latter, the attacks on Protestants for being "stupid" or of low intelligence should really stop.
You're not winning any friends doing this, Vlad. I know that were I still Catholic I would feel terribly embarrassed (as well as unwelcome and a traitor to my people) by such behavior.
When Rome claims to have given us the Bible and thereby claims the right to properly *interpret* it, it puts itself above Scripture.
What they say about the authority of Scripture is meaningless, when what they do in practice is different.
There is no reading comprehension issues amongst non- Catholics but there is the issue of brainwashing and cultic indoctrination amongst Catholics so that they cannot see logical fallacies when they are hit over the head with them.
What is stupid is not to see that claiming to be the author of Scripture does not mean the magisterium is over the Bible.