From: kschudt@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Karl C Schudt)
Subject: Re: Idolatry --- the Catholic Church is NOT God
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 20:18:51 GMT



In article <199210141637.AA14451@dsuvax.dsu.edu> Tim Rolfe <rolfe@DSUVAX.DSU.ED
U> writes:
>A few reminders to some of the more strident people posting to this list:
>
>   1)  The Catholic Church is NOT God; it is possible for God-fearing and
>       God-honoring individuals to disagree with miscellaneous church
>       documents and customs.  Review what the Catholic doctrine is regarding
>       infallibility --- it DOESN'T extend to everything coming out of
>       Rome by any stretch of the imagination.
>
>   2)  The Catholic Church HAS changed its position on a number of matters
>       (one standard example is whether it is sinful to lend money at
>       interest).  It has also changed its position on matters of ritual
>       --- please don't elevate liturgical prescriptions to the level of
>       scripture.
>
>   3)  The Catholic Church DOES have married priests --- even though the
>       norm for the Latin Rite is a celibate clergy.  The Eastern Rite
>       Catholics in communion with Rome are every bit as much Catholics
>       as Latin Rite Catholics, and Eastern Rite Catholic priests include
>       . . . married Catholic priests in communion with Rome.
     As far as I know, none of us strident posters :) have mistated this fact.
Indeed there are married priests. Note someone said that this is a matter of
discipline, not dogma. It is the way the current Catholic Church does it.

>   4)  Please don't elevate the Latin text for the liturgy to the level
>       of scripture.  Again note the existence of different Rites in
>       the Catholic Church --- you can be certain that the Divine Liturgy
>       celebrated in an Eastern Rite Catholic Church is not using the
>       Tridentine Mass, or even the Mass of Paul VI.
>
>   5)  The translations/paraphrases we're using in America were approved
>       by Rome, I'm pretty sure.  So how is one being unfaithful to the
>       Catholic Church is using them?  Perhaps Rome has also gone astray?
     Do some research before you say this. There are many things that priests
do that are not approved by Rome.

>                                              --- Tim Rolfe
>                                           rolfe@dsuvax.dsu.edu
>                                            ROLFE@SDNET.BITNET

     Tim, it isn't a matter of the RC church being God. It's a matter of the
RC church having authority because it was established by God. Certainly
it is composed of people, and people can make mistakes. However, I think
it is better to follow the Church Jesus founded and give them the benefit
of the doubt. We have stayed on the right path (in general) for 2000 years.
     I choose to take my cues from Rome, for I believe in the authority
of the Church, and the validity of the Bishop of Rome's claim to authority.
I personally do not feel that I have the authority to make up my own
religion, or decide what is good and what isn't about Catholicism.

(Insert snappy Latin phrase here)
Karl :)
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