Non-denominational seminaries and church groups

[JohnH]

One of my pet peeves is tht calling you out JohnH for your bigotry is considered a personal attack by the board moderator.
But I guess that just reflects his position.

?

I said that religious institutions have a right to establish foundations and so forth with restrictions they won't be used to advance the beliefs of other denominations.

I'm not sure how that is "bigotry".

The Catholic Church has many activities that are only open to people with Catholic beliefs. It starts church buildings, schools, agencies and so on to promote the Catholic faith to the exclusion of others. I don't consider that bigotry, either.

However, I don't recognize the Pope as having any authority. That's not bigotry either. You can have your beliefs and I can have mine, although I think yours have some grave spiritual errors, as did the early Anabaptists. But I'm sure you think the same about me.

[JayP]

Your characterization of Catholicism as not Christian is bigotry. You don’t have to want to be Catholic. You can disagree with any religions teachings. But your attitudes are EXACTLY those that out Jews into cattle cars. When you take any group of people, and begin characterization that contribute to others thinking and speaking of them as slightly less the road leads to dehumanizing them.

Charters that excluded Jews and Catholics is step one that ends up with the KkK.

I repeat. You are a bigot. Oh, you might not personally engage in such behavior. Biput the attitude is there. I once recognized it was better to abstain from this place. I reconsidered. I was wrong . By the way, you are slowing down. You don’t see, to have the last post on every thread. Are you slipping. And to the moderator…to bother banning me. I won’t see it.

[JohnH]

Your characterization of Catholicism as not Christian is bigotry.

I have not done any such thing. Please point to a post where I said that.

Many Catholics, however, identify themselves as "Catholic" instead of just "Christian". That is up to them if they choose to do that.

You don’t have to want to be Catholic. You can disagree with any religions teachings. But your attitudes are EXACTLY those that out Jews into cattle cars.

Huh?

When you take any group of people, and begin characterization that contribute to others thinking and speaking of them as slightly less the road leads to dehumanizing them.

I think quite a bit less of the Catholic religion than I do of the Anabaptist one. I don't believe the Pope has authority and I think many Catholic teachings, such as "Just War", are wrong.

But I don't deny the humanity of Catholic people at all. A good friend of mine went through a Catholic "conversion" experience and I supported him on his journey as he had previously lost his faith in God at all. I was also encouraged when his wife connected with the Greek Catholic faith and eventually was confirmed at the church they attend now. She could not connect to "evangelical" Christianity because of all the right wing / Republican sort of politics that often goes along with it, but did want a more traditional lifestyle/church. We also attended a very Catholic-oriented conference together that really opened her eyes about some things. There are some Catholic teachings, such the Humana Vitae and Catholic Social Teaching that I really connect to and think are good.

I will be part of a team facilitating a Catholic and Anabaptist ecumenical dialogue in a few weeks. I would welcome you to come attend if you are able to make it; details will be posted here. We will have leadership from both Amish and Catholic churches represented and will dialogue respectfully with each other. We held a similar ecumenical dialogue last year and everyone involved felt it was very helpful. Another one recently happened in Lancaster Co. and I heard positive things about it as well.

Charters that excluded Jews and Catholics is step one that ends up with the KkK.

I'm a bit confused here. The charter for that church building basically says it may be used for Protestant church services. That's not bigotry. It's a church building that was built and intended for Christian church services. I did not build the church building nor charter it. It didn't say anything about Jews in it. Jews are more than welcome to attend Christian church services and become Christians. I have attended a Jewish synagogue before and participated as much as is appropriate for a non-Jewish person to do.

As far as the KKK goes, that is the church building that my grandfather excavated the basement from with his own two hands and a shovel so there would be room for Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. My grandma often led the singing there. But both were very opposed to the KKK, and in fact they picked that town to move to because it was an anti-KKK town. My grandma grew up where there was KKK activity and witnessed a lynching once (of a white person). Her father warned her to stay very far away when they saw the fire burning in the person's front yard. The KKK no longer has any activity in that part of Ohio in part because of the actions of good people like my grandparents.

I repeat. You are a bigot. Oh, you might not personally engage in such behavior. Biput the attitude is there. I once recognized it was better to abstain from this place. I reconsidered. I was wrong . By the way, you are slowing down. You don’t see, to have the last post on every thread. Are you slipping. And to the moderator…to bother banning me. I won’t see it.

You are welcome to have your opinion. I don't agree with (some) parts of the Catholic faith and I think it's fine for Protestant churches and their bylaws to prohibit Catholic services. I also think it's fine if consecrated Catholic church buildings don't allow Protestant church services. I would not go to my nearby parish building and expect to conduct a Mennonite church service. Nor would I think it "bigotry" if they did not want me to do so.

[ohio jones]

One of my pet peeves is tht calling you out JohnH for your bigotry is considered a personal attack by the board moderator.
But I guess that just reflects his position.

There are ways of expressing vigorous disagreement without getting personal. One way is to use "I" statements instead of "you" statements.