That was a statement from me directly and I added the verses from which I refer to in holding that belief.
I agree with what you said about people acting outside the Church ( as denoted by the Church being the actual Body of believers in Christ).
My struggle is the perception continually promoted that somehow the leadership actions or inactions within a religious body must be overlook yet the same body continues to claim sole authority in the faith, vested specifically in that leadership. So much as to insist individuals must always accept the leaderships interpretations of scripture as opposed to seeking for themselves.
God / Jesus wants a personal relationship with each of us, not an intermediary relationship. We must ultimately decide for ourselves to follow Christ and learn His teaching. I must add I am not saying to to exclude inspired men of faith helping us along the way. Just that being a priest doe snot automatically make one an inspired man of faith, nor even a man of faith.
Yet some religions vest sole authority in their priests for the interpretation of the scriptures
RCINC is the oldest, most profitable multinational corporation on the planet
This man was raised in the Baptist church by his grandmother in Argentinia.
Q: "Can you talk to me about your grandmother?"A: "She went to a Baptist church and then her son died. Her most precious son died of cancer. That was the first time I encountered death, in that I actually saw a dead body and I remember they made me kiss him. I just said it and I felt this thing going through my body. It was traumatic for me. Argentinian funerals and wakes are very dramatic. That’s the Italian influence: people cry, and there are lloronas who cry at funerals. If you don’t have llonaras, it looks like a person was not really loved.
She was in the Baptist church at the time, and she started having issues with the Baptist church not allowing her to be upset. I think the Baptist church idea was she should be happy that he went with God. They told her, “God chooses the most beautiful flowers for his garden.” But she said, “I wanted that flower with me. That was my flower. I didn’t want him to take my flower.” She was upset with God.
...she always kept reading the Bible. The Bible can be interpreted in many oppressive ways, but she never did.
The thing is that churches in small places, churches are not just the church. They’re the whole social understanding of life. The people from church were the people who were gonna help her build a new garden. They were the ones who celebrated the birthdays..."