This is an area where we have both absolute agreement and absolute disagreement. We agree that neither you or and of the fathers of the Reformation are infallible. We disagree that the Pope and Magisterium are and I am perfectly OK with that.
I don't expect that the doctrinal issues that separate us will be dissolved or disappear, but I don't accept that those should dominate our relationship. St. Thomas Aquinas defined Christian love as a mutual sharing of a love for Jesus that transcends all other concerns and loves. That is where we ought to put our thoughts and efforts. But a demand to consent to ecumenicalism as a form of negotiation or a capitulation of the Church's doctrines is not the ante to this relationship. All of this is secondary to the two greatest commandments and we best remember that.
As I see it, too often non-Catholic individuals and institutions are not looking simply for a peaceful coexistence with the Church. They demand more than a passive indifference, or strained tolerance and acceptance by the Church. They demand an endorsement from Catholics and the Church, even to the point of demanding that Church doctrines change to accommodate their needs and see an unwillingness to compromise as threatening and hostile and even damning.
What I have trouble understanding, and perhaps you can shed some light on this, is the preoccupation with the Catholic Church that you and so many seem to have. You (collectively) haunt Catholic topic threads and demand an endorsement of your exegesis and your new and often home-spin doctrines from the active Catholics, and ridicule, often very incorrectly, what you believe to be Catholic doctrine and dogma. I never see the same energy given to the issue of abortion. What have you personally done in your community to put an end to that abomination? Have you picket or prayed in front of a clinic? Have you reached out to pregnant women and pregnant children to assure them that they and their babies are loved and will be cared for? Have you confronted any politicians? Challenged any editorials, started any initiatives or petitions, funded any pro-life politicians or organizations? There is a reason Jesus was not born or crucified inside of a church.
While the millions of unborn every day and the entire Christian world is under attack by secular humanists, atheists, radical Islam and the like you (collectively) spend your every waking moment defending your doctrinal decisions vis-a-vis the Church and cementing divisions by what consequentially amounts to nothing more than biting at the ankles of what should be your biggest ally and champion.
Peace be to you.
St. Thomas Aquinas defined Christian love as a mutual sharing of a love for Jesus that transcends all other concerns and loves. That is where we ought to put our thoughts and efforts....
As I see it, too often non-Catholic individuals and institutions are not looking simply for a peaceful coexistence with the Church....They demand an endorsement from Catholics and the Church, even to the point of demanding that Church doctrines change to accommodate their needs and see an unwillingness to compromise as threatening and hostile and even damning...
You (collectively) haunt Catholic topic threads and demand an endorsement of your exegesis and your new and often home-spin doctrines from the active Catholics,..
While the millions of unborn every day and the entire Christian world is under attack by secular humanists, atheists, radical Islam and the like you (collectively) spend your every waking moment defending your doctrinal decisions vis-a-vis the Church and cementing divisions by what consequentially amounts to nothing more than biting at the ankles of what should be your biggest ally and champion.
NL, to use the phrase, what have you been smoking? First, this is not a Catholic caucus thread, but one of the multitudinous threads posting Roman Catholicism propaganda of self-proclaimed preeminence that would not get beyond one page if it were not for the contention it invites. When you assert unique supremacy and attack Protestant beliefs then you invite challenges, but Roman Catholics do the former and when reproved, resort to the victim-martyr complex!
Secondly, the idea that we demand affirmation by Rome is absurd. It is Rome who demands recognition of her supremacy, even to the point in the past of asserting that formal subjection to the pope is necessary for salvation (and sanctioning torture of questionable converts), including Aquinas, while yet disallowing evangelicals as belonging to churches, but which we do no need anymore than Paul did from false sources. (Acts 16:16-18) And frankly i find those who reject Protestant as Christians to be more representative of the classic Catholic stance then modern Catholic ecumenicism which based on varying interpretations of Rome. And 2 Jn. 1:11 forbids wishing a false preacher well.
Finally, i view with skepticism your own recent appeal to peace and love ecumenicism, and “lets fight abortion” as it is comes after being unable to show that Rome had an infallible, indisputable canon before Trent, and that being the instrument of conveying Divine truth makes one assuredly infallible as per Rome, and after your many harsh reactions attacking Protestant reprovers, including going after Protestants on open Protestant threads, as well as denigrating them as fabricators for posting actual Catholic material that impugned them, etc. Because of such you actually have a reputation as one of the more reactionary and unreasonable Catholic posters on FR.
And for your info, i also sometimes do things such as debate atheists (refuted one off last week), and homosexuality, etc., and personally sought to confront the governor right down the street (his aid intercepted me, but i had a “pro-abortion, pro-homosxuality, pro-death” sign which all saw). And i do some outreach as well, by God's grace, for both body and soul.
But as long as cults and Rome preach and exalt themselves as uniquely being the OTC, and teaches as doctrines traditions which do not come from Scripture, then she will be challenged by us who preach Christ, and salvation by coming to God as damned and destitute souls, and casting all their faith upon the mercy of God in the risen Christ for justification and regeneration by His sinless shed blood, with a faith that will follow Him, not at all trusting in infant sprinkling on proxy faith or in saints above or the power of Rome.
One word.....
Inquisition
Catholics and Catholicism have no grounds at all to issue any complaint in that area with their history in the treatment of those who it deemed heretics, which is those who disagreed with Rome, not those who disbelieved God.
In the Catholic mindset, peaceful co-existence with the Church means submission to it and acceptance of it's unscriptural doctrines ie. acceptance of *Holy Tradition*.
They demand more than a passive indifference, or strained tolerance and acceptance by the Church. They demand an endorsement from Catholics and the Church, even to the point of demanding that Church doctrines change to accommodate their needs and see an unwillingness to compromise as threatening and hostile and even damning.
Not a one of us has ever demanded an endorsement from the Roman Church. The RCC is free to hold its own doctrinal position, but has no basis for claiming authority over those who don't willingly submit to its authority. We do not see its unwillingness to compromise are threatening, hostile or damning. What they believe is their business and as long as they are not torturing and imprisoning those who disagree with them, they are certainly free to believe as they like.
And it's not a perception that their unwillingness to compromise is interpreted as damning, but rather clear and concise statements that if we don't become Catholics that we are damned, that others object to. Catholicism and Catholics have been quite clear about damning those who don't believe, even though they don't actually have that ability.
We recognize that they that they are just words and have no effect on anyone as GOD is the only one to make that determination.
In general, it is obvious that Catholics are much more easily offended by words than believers who recognize that they have no power over us.