Actually, Rose, it has gone beyond interesting.
As a child, one of my older cousins converted to Catholicism in order to marry his teenage sweetheart. At that time, a Roman Catholic could not marry a non-Catholic, and the children must be raised Catholic. Neither family had a problem with it.
They lived in another state, and he is now deceased.
I'm not sure my uncle and aunt even realized what a profound difference there was between the two different gospels, but just considered Catholicism another denomination.
My son-in-law, my daughter's husband was raised Roman Catholic, though, since my daughter's known him he has never attended mass, and when he goes to a Sunday service now, it is to my daughter's Protestant main denomination church with her and their children.
They have all been calm, loving rational, successful, hard-working people.
It makes me wonder if they would all go bonkers if I started quoting Scripture to them.
...but I don't think so, for I use a line of Scripture in practically every sentence I speak or write. I always have, and it's natural to me; never have I seen people's teeth set on edge as they are here among this dynamic trio.
I believe it is having the true history of Roman Catholicism discussed, and contrasted with Biblical Christianity, and their honest belief that their "Holy Mother Church" holds their destiny, heaven or hell in "her" hands, or more truthfully, in the hands of their priest...
I find this horrifying, for their sake. How can anyone who refuses to actually study history, or read the unadulterated word of God, find their way out?
Answer: They can't. Only through God's intervention; sometimes God has to hit you with a two by four.
I know you have a better answer to that, than I, as you have walked those hallways into the light.
Finally, let me say, that during years of accounting work with Arab Muslims in an Arab Oil Company's scholarship program for their engineering college students and subsequent accounting work for an international Jewish university students program, some years later, I never encountered the irrational, absolutely insulting treatment these three elder statesmen of Roman Catholicism have exposed.
Whether or not you defend yourself when lied about is an individual decision.
I will continue to pray for their eternal souls, as I pray that the elemental manners their mothers surely instilled in them as children are allowed to surface.
Rose42 wrote:
This is interesting to see unfold. I've known and spoken to so many Catholics but none have acted as some here do. Not a one. On here they are getting worse the more God's word is presented. It's a good lesson to remain on guard for Satan's attacks and to not respond in kind - which I have done and am sorry for. It goes nowhere.