Thing is, many of them are not doing violence to the Church. They simply want permission to continue worshipping along with all the other sinners. But they are being told they can’t. Who is doing more violence to whom?
Who is the ‘them’? Should I partake of communion while in a state of mortal sin, or isn’t it a mortal sin anymore?
Is it really that simple? Worship how? In what way? If I ask for mercy, for forgiveness, do I have the right to dictate terms?
If there is no such thing as apostolic authority, how can their be a Church?
You can ‘simply’ worship with other sinners, in the way you choose.
If you can’t find a church that conforms to your rules and your way, make one up. The more the merrier? I hope not.
The Church has authority, It has a constitution. It has terms. They may be wrong, the beliefs may be false, but it is what it is.
If the authority is no longer authoritative, in terms of things we MUST believe to be Catholic, then what?
I understand. I’ve even said it before, in this thread even. Basic question though. Is the Catholic church the Church that Christ started? Did he give authority to the apostles? Did they pass it on?
The hard part is, like it or not, understand it or not, the individual successors personal failings aside, on Dogma, not discipline, but things that are established as things you MUST believe, do you, can you, will you?
Where does it stop? Is there, agree with them or not, an authority? Does that authority even HAVE the authority to change
Dogma?
How immaculate is the conception? That will go out the window, along with belief in the divinity of Christ and anything else that is ‘inconvenient’ or even hard.
What cross is it exactly that we are to bear?