yeah the immaculate conception is Mary, not the virgin birth of Christ.
so you are saying that the holy roman empire is the same thing as Catholicism? I don''t understand this fed to lions logic. Catholics beleive Christ is the son of god and died for our sins. I'm sorry, but I think that pretty much makes them Christians. Whether you agree with the religion is a different matter. I agree that papal infallibility is a waste. You ask why does it exist -- I don't know. It's probably the main reason I'm no longer catholic.
who do they trust to get them into heaven? Jesus? or the Church?
it's pretty easy to make the distinction, isn't it? i mean, what man-made group of people could literally take the dead up into heaven?
John 3:16
god bless the mass brain washing natzis
you can be first, right after me

Doom & Gloom meaning "If you don't do what we're telling you to do (In the name of the Bible), then you're gonna spend eternity burning in Hell "... ..No one here can really wrap their brain around "eternity"..Nor, can they wrap their brain around suffering for an eternity..... People here on Earth can't even stop shoveling booze, drugs, & unhealthy foods into their mouths, and the end result of that IS tangible because they CAN see the end result of that all around them..... Yes, they do need to be aware of what will happen if you reject Christ.... But, beyond that, constantly threatening them that they're gonna burn in Hell if they don't "repent" and live the Christian way, is meaningless...... What they should be doing a lot more of is teaching what a relationship with Christ can do for you while you're living & breathing here on Earth.. That IS discussed quite a bit in the Bible, yet the Catholic church tends to ignore that.. choosing to place an abundance of their focus on the Doom & Gloom aspect...
you know they not only said mary was born of a virgin, sinless, but never had sex, right? even though Jesus had brothers and sisters?
John 3:16

it's like people can't remember anything beyond their own birth
10 emperors persecuted the early church; killed millions of christians. then one pontifus maximus says "we christian now" and everybody forgets![]()
John 3:16

This may be where you're mistaken or have been mislead. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6. I'd say we trust Jesus to get us into Heaven.
Man made group of people? you don't believe that Jesus was both human and devine? I'd say any follower of Jesus is part of a man-made group of people, MattyT.

But, that's just a bunch of fluff that 99% of the human race cannot identify with... That's something that has always driven me nuts during Church services, & with the people that attend... They all start speaking in a vernacular that no one uses today... Using words & phrases that make it appear (to the outside laymen) that there's some new secret language that you need to speak when you become Christian .... If you're gonna reach people who are on the fence with Christianity, then they (Christians) need to talk a language that people know & understand.. Without all the Old Word euphemisms & phrases that are no longer used in modern vernacular... (I.E - Making a "Joyful Noise" only means 'singing' to those who are entrenched in the Church lifestyle)...

i'm saying the catholic church today is the same catholic church that killed millions of christians, jews, and other fine folks, all in their quest for temporal power and riches.
please tell me you've noticed the vatican is its own state, with diplomats, et al., and you've heard something about the popes crowning the kinds of yesteryear.
then look around the vatican. notice the trillions of dollars. then look at most catholics. notice they're starving to death.
all religions are man-made; the only salvation is God reaching down to man, and by His grace, saving all who believe.
not all who get baptized as babies into the roman catholic church; not all who attend mass; have communion; go to confessional; pay for indulgences; have last rights; get married in the church, etc.
the institution worships things other than God. get out.
John 3:16
Go blow King Edward and King James then help yourself to true Christianity.
for more reading, read The Prophecy of the Popes, or even The Woman Rides The Beast.
if you're saying you know some nice catholics, so what? there's nice mormons too. in fact, if one were to pick a religion based on niceness, it would likely be mormonism.
John 3:16
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