**I *haven’t ***derailed this thread at all. I was answering your challenges. You’re wrong, though - this thread IS about you and others like you.
**Hatred of Christ’s Church doesn’t **come merely in spewing venom directly against her…
Okay, this is ridiculous. Criticism is not hatred.
I love the Churches of Christ. I no longer identify with the Churches of Christ because of their problems and how they would affect me, but I invested a lot of time and energy in trying to be a productive contributor to them after leaving.
I love the Disciples of Christ. I attend a local congregation. I do not agree with what our denominational agencies do. I am a blunt critic of what our denominational agencies do.
My wife loves me, but I am not perfect. When needed, she gives me criticisms.
I recently had a recent high school graduate in one of my college classes. The kid had a great head on his shoulders, but was making a number of reckless decisions that I saw to be a pattern and potential trouble later in life. I gave that kid quite a few bit of criticisms – because I cared.
If your line of thinking is correct, then parents who criticize their children do not love them. My wife would not love me. Obviously, that is not true – and accusations of such would be considered vile things.
This whole notion that CMatt25 hates the Catholic Church because he does not agree with everything the Vatican does, and he `dares’ to say so, is ridiculous. You are not a mind reader; you know nothing about how he feels.
**If you are going to be so vicious, you better be sure you are right – because as ruthless as you are being, if you are not right, the Lord will not be happy. I would take this as a warning, because
a) you have no way of being certain if you are right, and
b) if you are wrong, the Lord may vindicate him and chastise you.
Me, I would not think it is worth the risk.
**
Further, you play into the cause of real Catholic Church haters when you deem criticism hatred. It makes people believe that if criticizing the Catholic Church is hating it, then there is no such thing as hating the Catholic Church. Hence, the real haters of the Catholic Church get away with denying that they hate the Catholic Church.