[William Terrell]

The reason I use those two verses is because they pretty much sum up the scriptural relationship of man and God, and man's access to God. They reflect the spirit of the rest of the scriptures, and indeed, our observation of ourselves and the world around us. I believe that the foundational things of human spirituality written of in the Bible can be observed in every day life.

Let me say, if my seeming truculence has you fooled, that I find most every Catholic I meet good folks, grounded in the things of the spirit. I expect, and know I will see, them standing shoulder to shoulder with me and mine when we face the evil of Islam. In the final analysis, we are all brothers in Christ and make up His body.

I agree on your writing about baptism. I do think that to baptize, the one must be on the true path to the Kingdom and hold the teachings of Christ sincerely in his heart, and so must the baptized. And that's all that's needed.

I don't think statements of repentance are much good. Repentance of past sins before receiving Christ is a long process, and only when the truth of your behavior come clear do you feel that gut wrenching need to fall on your face and confess your wrongness, and it that state can you be open for forgiveness. The forgiveness is what matters. Only then are you clean.

In my experience, you hurt when you've realized your past wrong, and when you repent, you actually feel the forgiveness of Christ come to you.

As for Jesus charging a disciple with the car of His mother, it don't see how, even if He waited to the last minute, it confers anything other that her as His mother to her. In at least three other scriptures, there is the appearance that he didn't esteem her greater than any other that came to him to learn the ways of God.

You could even interpret this act on the tree interpret like that. I don't believe that that, though. I believed Jesus loved His mother, and acknowledged that the Holy Spirit used he to build His earthly body.

I don't believe that accorded her status to be prayed to, or worshiped in any way, which acts of faith are reserved for Him and His Father. I think the Catholic church leadership errs in that, and errs in arrogance.

And we must remember Paul's opinion, which I happen to share. Of faith, hope and charity, charity is the greatest, and no matter what miracles you do, if you can't love with pure agape love, you are not alive, just your body.

[annalex]

Likewise, I do not feel any personal animosity to the Protestants, who, after all founded this country which I love. I also agree that we find very much in common and are all attacked as Christians from several quarters. Besides, it is in discussions like these ones that we understand better our own belief system, as well as other Christians'.

I use those two verses is because they pretty much sum up the scriptural relationship of man and God, and man's access to God.

If that were true, there would be no need of any other scripture. Since the other scripture is there, -- let alone since questions like that of the Purgatory or the role of Mary vex us and they are not fully explained in the scripture, -- we need the entire revelation available to us, and much of it speaks of the social character of Christ's teaching. Catholics are often accused of basing their entire theology on John 6 and Matthew 16. If we were, that would have been wrong.

I don't believe that accorded her status to be prayed to, or worshiped in any way, which acts of faith are reserved for Him and His Father.

Of course not. Mary is not to be worshiped and her powers are all secondary to Christ's. A prayer to Mary is always intercessory prayer for graces that come from her Son alone.

I don't find much, if anything at all, to disagree regarding the rest of your post.