MaxPC wrote: ↑Fri Sep 17, 2021 6:16 am
Josh wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 4:00 pm Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. I've sometimes found out virtually every person in my workplace was ex-Catholic.
None of them wore it like an identity.
Indeed. The only time I see it used as an identity or when articles are written, is because of axe-grinding.
They are making a political point, usually homosexuality and homosexual "unions" or abortion; both of which the Catholic Church at large condemns as immoral and abomination.
Yes, for present day, this is what it’s come to.
Organized political blocs are out to get Catholics over these carnal sin reasons, they’ve been terribly effective across the board. Legally and socially. Catholics are the single biggest target remaining in Christianity (not that they are untouched by division). Present POTUS is one example.
So many are ashamed of their Catholicism (or Christianity) they lie, or deny it. Or face all manner punishment (as Josh often correctly describes).
But for Christians, our ancestral past was Catholicism (or EO, i’m not completely clear on that) - including Martin Luther and Menno Simons. In history, claiming to be ex-Catholic, or being suspected of it, could mean death. It was a hard beginning. There are many Catholics today who continue to hate ML, not many know about MS. From what i understand, even if they knew about MS, they still really blame ML. These men were ex-Catholics. Even tho neither wanted to be. i digress.
When i was young, the Catholic/Protestant divide was still intense.
Odd, tho, how today so many Catholics (and Protestants, and maybe Anabaptists) keep their faith on the down-low because of social pressures. Not so much physical violence/death (but that happens, too). Some years ago, on this forum, there was a member in England who was retired from her work as a child advocate in their court system. She described how being Christian as parents/guardians in their legal system had become a detriment. (i think this was RuthG. not certain.)
No speculation required. The handwriting is on the wall.
o.yeah.
Protestants and Anabaptists didn’t leave the Catholic Church because they rejected “all” of it. No.
They wanted to correct what they understood to be in error, not destroy it. This continues today. To begin, it was not possible without loss of life.
So, naturally, much will remain in common, all that can be agreed that is of Jesus Christ. Which is a lot.
Not all Bibles are identical. But the majority content is the same. No matter how many splits.
So, i agree. Denoms can be left and/or changed. The goal is not leaving Jesus. But even when it is, acknowledged or not, Jesus remains. Jesus can be denied, but He cannot be “left behind.” That effort will not succeed. Not in eternity.
People are really confused today. And, confusion is no accident.
The biggest confusion today is
churches leaving Jesus to embrace the secular and even carnal.
This leaves many believers floundering and without.
QUOTES: WILLIAM BOOTH 1829-1916
“The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be
religion without the Holy Ghost,
Christianity without Christ,
forgiveness without repentance,
salvation without regeneration,
politics without God,
heaven without hell.”
I cannot speak for RZehr; as for myself the opposite of school boy is retired old man. 
