You wrote:
“No, Protestantism moved a significant number of Christ’s followers away from a corrupt institution and brought them into the Light.”
No, Protestantism is just a 16th century heresy. It deluded many and still does.
“Even the most ardent devotee of the papacy cannot deny Rome had gone wrong.”
I do. I freely admit men fall far short of proper behavior, but the Church did not “go wrong”.
“God has worked through all of us—Roman or not—who make His Son the Lord of our life.”
God works through every being in His time. Even the activities of the Devil ultimately serves His purposes.
“Anyway, I won’t try and convince you to change your mind...but I think in the world eternal you’ll see things differently.”
Nope. I have no doubt that there are good men who are Protestants. And I have no doubt that Protestantism is bad. That won’t change.
Nope. I have no doubt that there are good men who are Catholics. And I have no doubt that Catholicism is bad. That won't change.
backatcha
So we agree on a significant number of things, which is acceptable to me.
See you in eternity...I’ll go straight to the gates of pearl, no purgatorial fires. :)
Of course it can. The church is people. Take away the people and you have no church.
What the people do is what the church does, unless the people are not the church.
If the people go wrong, the church has gone wrong.
You can't have a right church with wrong people in it.
Besides, Jesus will not tolerate it. He didn't in Revelation when He chastised the seven churches there and how many of them are in existence today?