Well, there's certainly a richness in terms of historical depth in the Catholic Church. It's like visiting the Queen of England's residence and witnessing the history of English kings and queens.
But I wouldn't at all say the Catholic Church is spiritually deeper than what I experience in an average-sized church in my neck of the woods. In fact, the spiritual presence of the Lord is so strong I can't but weep. Why should we even compare? This is just carnal competition.
I embrace the Catholic Church as home to so many Christians of the world. And yet, so many of them that I meet lack spiritual depth until they get outside of the Catholic Church. They didn't learn much more than a moral/spiritual tradition, and certainly didn't become biblically literate.
On the other hand, in my Protestant world I've run into many able biblically-literate people. You will find arguers and disenchanted people everywhere, who will compete with you, denigrate you, and basically, unashamedly indulge their flesh. So this is a sin problem, and not a Catholic or Protestant problem.
I just don't see any Catholic supposed superiority--nowhere. There is power in numbers, I suppose, and people feel secure in a huge organization of Christians that spans the centuries. Adding that the bureaucracy emanates from Peter is a bit much, though.
But I have no wish to bash you. I'm just responding to a thread that deals with Catholicism. These are my two cents worth.
But I wouldn't at all say the Catholic Church is spiritually deeper than what I experience in an average-sized church in my neck of the woods. In fact, the spiritual presence of the Lord is so strong I can't but weep. Why should we even compare? This is just carnal competition.
I embrace the Catholic Church as home to so many Christians of the world. And yet, so many of them that I meet lack spiritual depth until they get outside of the Catholic Church. They didn't learn much more than a moral/spiritual tradition, and certainly didn't become biblically literate.
On the other hand, in my Protestant world I've run into many able biblically-literate people. You will find arguers and disenchanted people everywhere, who will compete with you, denigrate you, and basically, unashamedly indulge their flesh. So this is a sin problem, and not a Catholic or Protestant problem.
I just don't see any Catholic supposed superiority--nowhere. There is power in numbers, I suppose, and people feel secure in a huge organization of Christians that spans the centuries. Adding that the bureaucracy emanates from Peter is a bit much, though.
But I have no wish to bash you. I'm just responding to a thread that deals with Catholicism. These are my two cents worth.
I completely agree with you on all of the above. Maybe I should share a little of my faith journey with you, so you can understand where I come from.
#1 I was born, baptised and confirmed in the RCC as per tradition.
#2 Large parts of the RCC are dead wood - as in ritualistic and only paying lip service to their faith. My home town parish was one of these and I too was the organist for it for a while. Those parishes are dying.
#3 I had a great awakening through avenues considered taboo to most Protestants, but rest assured that I very quickly found myself moving among charismatic people who move in the Holy Spirit both inside and outside the Catholic church. Those protestants whom I shared fellowship with would listen to my story, look at me, scratch their heads and say 'Well, we can see Jesus in you, so who knows about the rest of your story then?"
#4 I wandered away from the church for 18 years and in that time my parents divorced (big taboo) my brothers and sisters dropped the faith like me and we all became lapsed - still maintaining some belief but definitely not good churchgoing christians.
#5 A Pentecostal who is becoming a great faith friend got talking to me a few months ago. My eyes were suddenly opened by God and I saw the spirit in her and I found her love for Jesus to be infectious. We talk a lot and compare our beliefs and are learning a lot from one another.
#6 I will always consider myself Catholic because of articles of faith that have not even been touched on here and things I have seen with my own eyes that I cannot renounce. The things that everyone like yourself raise are things I myself find contentious and I don't really pay to much credence to them.
