OakWood Posted March 25, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 7 Topic Count: 867 Topics Per Day: 0.24 Content Count: 7,331 Content Per Day: 2.01 Reputation: 2,860 Days Won: 31 Joined: 04/09/2014 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/28/1964 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Okay, this may seem an odd thread to start but I'm talking about history here. I'm not criticising or promoting Catholicism, I'm just making what I believe to be a valid historical observation. When Christianity first started it quickly spread, but it found its power base in Europe. A few hundred years later it was under attack by Islam and around two-thirds of the Christian population were destroyed in the Middle East. Eventually Constantinople fell (in1453) and Eastern Orthodoxy collapsed and fragmented. Under Catholicism however, Christianity was preserved. By being under the tutelage of the Pope, Europe remained fairly united and that led to economic growth and protection from invaders. Scientific progress followed. I believe that God preserved the Catholic Church until Europe had become the most powerful continent on Earth. Once it was stable enough, Protestantism emerged. Europeans discover the New World and Western European nations between themselves dominated the World with their empires, The Spanish, Portuguese, French, British, Dutch, Belgians and even Germans had empires at some time or another. Without the unifying body of the Roman Catholic Church, Christianity in Europe would have been all but destroyed and Christianity would have ended up as little more than a small, virtually unknown religion living under the bondage of Islam. It was the British that gave the English language to the rest of the World and with it's successor the U.S.A. and with modern technology, the Bible has now been preached to all corners of the Earth. I believe that the Catholic Church exists for a reason. Whatever you may think of it, it has had an important role to play in history and an important role in preserving the word of God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 ....I believe that the Catholic Church exists for a reason.... I Have Known Many Many Brothers And Sisters In The LORD Who Stayed In The RCC I Even Married A Catholic Girl, A Cute Little Daughter Of The KING And Although We Both Were Condemned To Hell By One Of My Dear Dear Grandmothers (We'll Met Back Up At Jesus' Feet) My Wife Ended Up Teaching Sunday School At A Calvary Chapel Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. Proverbs 18:22 See Beloved, God Loved Even This Sailor Boy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 GOD uses whatever he desires to accomplish His purposes. But like everything that mankind comes in contact with and has control over, it becomes corrupted by sin. I believe that GOD is still using the RCC for His purposes, but how He will use it is to help destroy the Nations. It will be (is) part of the Apostate Church movement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OakWood Posted March 26, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 7 Topic Count: 867 Topics Per Day: 0.24 Content Count: 7,331 Content Per Day: 2.01 Reputation: 2,860 Days Won: 31 Joined: 04/09/2014 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/28/1964 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 ....I believe that the Catholic Church exists for a reason.... I Have Known Many Many Brothers And Sisters In The LORD Who Stayed In The RCC I Even Married A Catholic Girl, A Cute Little Daughter Of The KING And Although We Both Were Condemned To Hell By One Of My Dear Dear Grandmothers (We'll Met Back Up At Jesus' Feet) My Wife Ended Up Teaching Sunday School At A Calvary Chapel Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. Proverbs 18:22 See Beloved, God Loved Even This Sailor Boy Very moving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willa Posted March 28, 2014 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 68 Topic Count: 185 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 14,204 Content Per Day: 3.35 Reputation: 16,629 Days Won: 30 Joined: 08/14/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted March 28, 2014 I also have many born again friends in the RCC. However, I believe that the Greek Orthodox church has also preserved the Scriptures. Tyndale translated mostly from the majority text of the Greeks, for instance. I remember that he was martyred before he could complete his translation. KJV was based mostly on Tyndale's translation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebula Posted March 28, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 10 Topic Count: 5,823 Topics Per Day: 0.76 Content Count: 45,870 Content Per Day: 5.97 Reputation: 1,897 Days Won: 83 Joined: 03/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/19/1970 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I agree with what Oak Wood posted on the OP. On the other hand, for centuries the Christianity the RCC preserved was horribly corrupted, such that I wonder how many people who believed they were "Christians" and paid heavy prices to get to Heaven never made it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OakWood Posted March 28, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 7 Topic Count: 867 Topics Per Day: 0.24 Content Count: 7,331 Content Per Day: 2.01 Reputation: 2,860 Days Won: 31 Joined: 04/09/2014 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/28/1964 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I agree with what Oak Wood posted on the OP. On the other hand, for centuries the Christianity the RCC preserved was horribly corrupted, such that I wonder how many people who believed they were "Christians" and paid heavy prices to get to Heaven never made it. I can share your mixed feelings there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OakWood Posted March 28, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 7 Topic Count: 867 Topics Per Day: 0.24 Content Count: 7,331 Content Per Day: 2.01 Reputation: 2,860 Days Won: 31 Joined: 04/09/2014 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/28/1964 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 I also have many born again friends in the RCC. However, I believe that the Greek Orthodox church has also preserved the Scriptures. Tyndale translated mostly from the majority text of the Greeks, for instance. I remember that he was martyred before he could complete his translation. KJV was based mostly on Tyndale's translation. Yes the Eastern Orthodox Church also preserved scripture too. But up until the Eleventh Century, they were all the same church anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajchurney Posted March 29, 2014 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 3 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 158 Content Per Day: 0.04 Reputation: 101 Days Won: 3 Joined: 01/30/2014 Status: Offline Share Posted March 29, 2014 It bears some similarity to how the Lord used the Scribes of Israel, even when the religious establishment was quite corrupt, to preserve the Tenach. It seems that much of the preservation work occurred in the monasteries, where men were set apart from much (but certainly not all) of the common abuses and terrors of the RCC. Scribal work before the advent of the printing press was laborious, tedious, and exacting. It really is amazing how the Lord orchestrates such a thing, even with very much imperfect men and movements of men. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2404 Posted March 29, 2014 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 29 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 188 Content Per Day: 0.05 Reputation: 28 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/17/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted March 29, 2014 It bears some similarity to how the Lord used the Scribes of Israel, even when the religious establishment was quite corrupt, to preserve the Tenach. It seems that much of the preservation work occurred in the monasteries, where men were set apart from much (but certainly not all) of the common abuses and terrors of the RCC. Scribal work before the advent of the printing press was laborious, tedious, and exacting. It really is amazing how the Lord orchestrates such a thing, even with very much imperfect men and movements of men. Well said. God can use who and what ever to fulfill His purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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