So Paul says that Scripture is inspired by God. Ok fine, my Bible (NRSV) notes an alternate translation, "Every scripture inspired by God is also useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." 2 Tim 3.16.
In any case you are using the Bible to authenticate the Bible, and who is ultimately deciding to authenticate the authentication? You, you choose to believe what is written. It always comes back to your choice.
Observe:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Where's the independant verification? You look out the window, that's where. Although, even then your eyes may be decieved and the sky might be green. The point is that the words themselves have no weight save that which you give them. They're just words written down. I could type anything into the "Book of Philip" I could write one hundred times that it was true and it would change nothing.
Even so, Paul's letter refers to the Old Testemant, as the New had yet to be written, so the statement cannot be applied to itself, because it is not refering to itself. In which case it is just the assertion of a Bishop, albeit an eminant one.
You're essentially erring on the side of other men's errors. That's also a double edged sword. Until the coming of Christ the Lord required animal sacrifice, or so we are told. Then Christ died on the Cross and blood became unnecessary.
I am saying that by just going "tradition says" you are abdicating responsibility. You let someone tell you what to think and then you rubber stamp it if you do that. Apart from "Jesus only had male Apostles" and "tradition" you haven't produced an arguement. In any cast the Catholic Church recently named Mary Magdaline "Apostle to the Apostles" because she brought the news of the resurection to them.First of all - What sin?
Secondly, why do you think that I am shortcutting my own conscience? Are you telling me that deep down I believe that women should be priests? I can assure you that I do not.
The mind invents logic for the whims of the will; my will is that they not become priests, yours is that they should. I am using tactics that would deter them from doing so, which happen to be somewhat in unison with Church teaching and not contradicted by scripture, while you are using opposing tactics that are not in unison with Church teaching and not supported in any way by scripture.
I am argueing that the Church should not have an elected monarch. If the Pope were willing to be the Patriarch of Rome and admit that one of his predecessors about 1,600 years ago was a bit egotistical the Church would probably not be in schism to the extent that it is.Furthermore, It sounds to me as though you are essentially arguing that Catholics shouldn't be Catholics at all because the pope is a man of sin and has no divine authority. You are arguing a Protestant line in the hopes that it will change the Roman church. It may have worked when they were first having this discussion in protestant churches, but it doesn't hold much water with Catholics.
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