Not of the World

That message board is apparently dead. I know that you despise me. I will now leave this community so that you can carry on in peace.

Yes, I am aware of that practice. Do you know of any other Christian communities that welcome discussion on the false teachings of Catholicism?

No doubt. Who did that?

I don't know what to tell you, my brother. I enjoy learning and I ask questions. I've enjoyed reading a number of your posts as well and have told you so. I do enjoy being a member of this community and I do want to respect its sanctity. Perhaps @George should just invoke a blanket BAN of any and ALL discussion on anything and everything Catholic. I've learned a LOT about the falsehoods of Catholic theology from my Christian brothers and sisters here and I have shared what I have learned with others but I have also come to understand that some here are so repulsed by anything Catholic that it might be best just to entirely ban such discussion.

Thanks for sharing! Am I understanding correctly that you are a Messianic Jew and a Christian?

I hope that I have a nice place with a swimmable lake and lots of space for my 100+ dogs that I plan to have!

Do we immediately meet Jesus? Do we have a life review? And what about friends, family members, and animal companions? Will they all be there to greet us at once or might it be one-on-one??? And then, what do we do after that?

I'm praying for you.

Sadly, I've heard of people who were scammed and who were then scammed again by people claiming to be with the government, police, etc., and who were going to "help" them to recover their original loss. Unless they ask for forgiveness and repent from that despicable behavior, they have a nasty surpirse awaiting them in the hereafter.

That's good because while they're chasing you they're not robbing some lonely, elderly, person.

I think it is.

That's true. There's a difference between acting tough questions and trying to antagonize people and it's rightful to ban people who persist in wanting to cause trouble. Titus 3:10, NIV: Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.

I'll tell you what I call them, scared and lacking in faith.

Great post my brother! What does your avatar represent, please? Also, I love your comments below your avatar. Location:USA, wherever my creator leads Interests:Individuals interest me, and oddly so does solitude. My creator and savior just astounds me!

I guess it depends on the purpose of the particular Christian message board. Learning involves asking questions and sometimes those questions can be difficult to answer. Sometimes even legitimate questions and opinions can unintentionally offend another. I know of Christians that advocate that abortion is not immoral. Should they be permitted to share that opinon and their reasoning behind it on a Christian message board? I personally find the idea of Christians support aborting as ABSURD, but I would NEVER want them to be banned for saying so. I welcome it as an opportunity to learn their argument in order to compare it to the word of God and then respond. It wouldn't be possible to influence positive change if we ban everybody that expresses unpopular views.

Maybe he's trying to attract Christians in order to convert them??? Does he ban people who argue against the validity of the RCC? If he does then he's definitely a dishonest actor.

Indeed!

I've encountered Catholics that believe that the only path to salvation is by being a Catholic. I've heard others say that the RCC does NOT teach that doctrine. From my own personal experience, my impression of most Catholics is that their parents were Catholic and so they are Catholic, some go to Mass and some don't, and they know very little about the Bible. The hardcore Catholics are, in my view, cult-like with their devotion to the RCC.

I understand that the word "catholic" is supposed to mean "universal" or "comprehensive". I did a Bible search for catholic, univere, universal, and comprehensive and didn't find any. Jesus said he will build his church. I know Paul talked about the church. I don't recall any verses wherein the church was referred to as "universal" or anything like that. Do you know of any?

Outstanding post, George. I will use the resources that you provided to read further on this. Thank you.

I don't disagree with you and I apologize if I sounded like I was "complaining". I actually thought it was funny that they were so shaken by a simple question that they banned me. And I do agree that it's reasonable to be expected to abide by the rules but, like I said, the end-around is to say that someone is "trolling" which then justifies banning them. I think it's weak and cowardly but that's the nature of the world.

I have quit forums and have been banned from forums for the simple reason that the vast majority of people cannot tolerate reading or hearing an idea that doesn't goose-step to their own worldviews.

I have not disputed any of that. Sometimes people ask questions that might be called "rhetorical" while another might call it "trolling". It's subjective. Most people go with the latter when they dislike the question or statement and then want the offender banned into oblivion. It's not what I would call "Christlike".

In reading Matthew 16:18 from your post and the verses below, it sounds like Jesus was referring to Peter as being a part of the rock and NOT the rock itself. But maybe I am misunderstanding. 1Peter 2:4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

I don't think that point is in dispute. It's my understanding that the RCC believes that Peter was specially designated by Jesus to lead his church and that Peter was the first Pope and that ALL of the apostles and the churches that they founded were also all Catholic. But that is NOT my belief. My belief is that the church that was founded in Rome was legitimate as were all of the congregations that were started by the apostles. Thereafter, I believe that the church in Rome was fundamentally hijacked and that it turned into something else. I'm 56 and I was around 50 when I decided that I should be following the word of God in the Bible and NOT the Catholic Church. Verses about "not being of the world" really opened my eyes because it was/is obvious to me that the RCC is very much "of the world". And, as I delved deeper, I discovered many things about the RCC that cemented my view that the RCC is NOT, in fact, teaching the actual word of God.