I don’t know why people would take umbrage, because it is true. The Bible is a Catholic book, written by Catholic and created by Catholics, through the Holy Spirit.
We have been this route before, Graceful Lamb. Many people take umbrage, because they believe quite differently. How in the world can you say that the Bible is a Catholic book? My rabbi friends would shake their heads. The Bible is Jewish. Jewish followers of Jesus added on the Gospels and some letters (and a bit of history and some apocalyptic words) to the existing Scriptures.
The Old Testament was Jewish, the New Testament was Catholic. The apostles were Hebrew Catholics (which we still have today)
I never denied they were part of the Catholic Church (back then that is).
I’ve seen this “30,000+ denominations” figure many times here is CAF. Can you give me some reliable source for this figure? What counts as a separate “denomination”? Just curious to find out where this number comes from.
Different schools of thought that were NOT CHRISTIAN schools of thought, i.e., one was Gnostic, while the other believed the God of the Old Testament was evil (and not the same God of the N.T). And yes, they were a threat, which is why St. Irenaeus wrote a treatise against Gnosticism and Tertullian against Marcionism (just like St. Peter denounced Simon Magus). There’s was not the faith handed down by Jesus and guarded by the apostles and their successors.
Just to clarify… do you mean to say that the Eastern Christians called themselves, or identified themselves, as Catholic ‘back then?’
From what I remember it was a Protestant source (seminary school), but, whether you believe it or not, there are numerous Protestant denominations, not to mention, groups breaking off from their denominations and forming their own ecclesiastic communities (due to doctrinal/moral issues).
I can walk very easily to 12 churches in my immediate area, 4 of these are within a stones throw of each other and my arm is not as good as it used to be. They are all unrelated. Don’t communicate with each other, wouldn’t recognize each other on the street.
He turns around looks up and says “Who is my bishop?”
Yeah, that figure has been debunked several times, by both Catholic and Protestant apologists. It comes from the World Christian Encyclopedia, which uses a weird method to come to that number. That same source says there are over two hundred different Catholic denominations, which is just obviously false.
I know huh? I checked into this thread today and was like, “Whoa. What did I miss?”Ha ha, funny things non-Catholics do … right?
Personally I believe the problem to be far more extensive. Non-denominationalism is the fastest growing “Christian” identifier over the last 20 years. By nature you cannot call a non-denominationalist a denomination. The two terms conflict each other and mood. Non-denominational is a reaction to the horrendously excessive denominationalism of the protestant Church. They are the ones who are sick and tired of the stupidity of protestant denominationalism, Protestants sick and tired of protestant direction. They speak, their voice is loud, I listen, I understand. But they are the protestant sick and tired of protestantism and not knowing where to turn, so are unable to turn home.
I would guess about 4 or 5 pages of sensitivity about relationship to the Apostles, escalating quickly, focusing on a definition of the early Catholic Church, feelings of lack of connection, so therefore no one is, no one can be, so everyone is. Response from those who have real connection to the Apostles. Just the usual really and nothing out of the ordinary missed.
Still do in fact.