re: Milo on Jehovah’s Witness, Christian Scientists, Mormons, etc

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The key word here is humility.
Foo are you paying attention.
Mary, the first Christian was humble.

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She was, indeed. I don't deny it.

Why are you saying that to me? Are you saying I'm not humble because I'm defending the Scripture-based truth?

Holy twisting the Catechism into knots, Batman!

This refers to Aboriginals, jungle tribesman, etc...

Furthermore, the Church does NOT teach that non-Catholic Christians don't go to Heaven, only that they are not in Communion with the Church.
Some "Catholics" and some "Protestants" will be in Heaven, some will need the world's biggest AC...

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There are approximately 45,000 protestant denominations. How do you know which one has the correct interpretation of scripture?

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I read the scripture and listen to God. I don't rely on another person's interpretation. I'll listen to what a person has to say, but I don't automatically assume their interpretation is correct because they are a priest. That would be an appeal to authority, and I understand that even the most holy people can be fallable.

People tend to get lost in the details. All Protestant faiths (mostly) believe in the same basic principles. These are the same basic principles as Catholics in regards to how the Trinity is viewed. The main difference is that Protestants prefer a personal relationship with God while Catholics prefer a more bureaucratic relationship.

The whole argument detracts from the purpose of Christianity. God is not going to say, "Welcome, Catholic. You believed exactly as I wanted you to. Sorry, Protestant. You didn't revere the pope enough or do enough rituals. You gotta go." Likewise, God will not look at two holy people and find favor with the Baptist while discarding the Methodist.

It's just absurd to think God would expect someone to adhere to every minor, often vague, detail knowing that His Word would be translated across millennia. This would make God more like a government worker who cares more about every I and T on a lengthy form as opposed to a loving Father who wants us to live righteously.

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Are you saying the Church puts its authority above God? Because that's just simply not true.

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She does, in practice, though she won't say that.

Rome teaches there are three co-equal authorities, as I stated previously. There's the written and oral traditions of the apostles and there is the magisterium. The problem is that the magisterium is what defines and interprets the other two, and when there's an apparent conflict, Catholics have to side with the magisterium since she claims infallibility.

So no, Rome doesn't overtly teach that the Church has authority above God, but that is the reality in practice because she claims divine authority for herself.

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Not exactly. The Church says that the Bible was written under the inspiration if the Holy Spirit. You've already conceded that the Church holds some authority. The Bible can't mean more than one thing. No matter who has it correct. There is a correct answer about each topic. Why would you give the Protestant interpretation more authority than the people who put it together?

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First, ceding that the Church has some authority is not a concession towards Rome because there is a big difference between having some authority and being the final authority in practice.

One of the big mistakes Catholics make is thinking that the what she is part of today is the same exact Church that has existed for 2,000 years. Too often Catholics take more recent interpretations of Rome and insert them back into history to interpret what the early fathers taught, claiming what she believes today is exactly what the early fathers meant. That's not usually the case.

Lastly, I agree that there is one principal understanding of what God intends in the Scriptures. I'm not taking the "Protestant interpretation" over those who received God's word, but I'm taking God's word as it is in light of what else it teaches. It's not about choosing the Reformers over the Popes but in choosing what I believe is the right interpretation of Scripture based on Scripture, itself, using biblical hermeneutics of interpreting Scripture by Scripture and allowing the clear passages to inform the less clear.

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It's just absurd to think God would expect someone to adhere to every minor, often vague, detail knowing that His Word would be translated across millennia. This would make God more like a government worker who cares more about every I and T on a lengthy form as opposed to a loving Father who wants us to live righteously.

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I get your point and don't necessarily disagree with you, but have you read Exodus and Numbers? God is very detailed oriented in the Old Testament. As a Catholic tho, I do NOT subscribe to Protestants going to hell because they aren't Catholic.

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The church comes from Christ. The Bible comes from the church.

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The Bible comes from God. The Church received what God provided. There is a big difference.

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If two of you have a dispute bring it to the church ….

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Correct, and the Church is to judge according to the word of God.

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You claim scripture is inerrant and yet you ignore it at every turn.
There are none so blind as those who will not see.

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I'm not ignoring it at all.

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read the scripture and listen to God. I don't rely on another person's interpretation. I'll listen to what a person has to say, but I don't automatically assume their interpretation is correct because they are a priest. That would be an appeal to authority, and I understand that even the most holy people can be fallable. People tend to get lost in the details. All Protestant faiths (mostly) believe in the same basic principles. These are the same basic principles as Catholics in regards to how the Trinity is viewed. The main difference is that Protestants prefer a personal relationship with God while Catholics prefer a more bureaucratic relationship. The whole argument detracts from the purpose of Christianity. God is not going to say, "Welcome, Catholic. You believed exactly as I wanted you to. Sorry, Protestant. You didn't revere the pope enough or do enough rituals. You gotta go." Likewise, God will not look at two holy people and find favor with the Baptist while discarding the Methodist. It's just absurd to think God would expect someone to adhere to every minor, often vague, detail knowing that His Word would be translated across millennia. This would make God more like a government worker who cares more about every I and T on a lengthy form as opposed to a loving Father who wants us to live righteously

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The Bible disagrees with your understanding of who god is and how he operates.

God spoke to Abraham and the people followed Abraham.
God spoke to Moses and the people followed Moses.
Jesus founded a church and the people followed the church.
To obey Abraham, Moses, the church is to follow God.
When one of the fold strays from the flock he is lost.
Just me and Jesus is NOT biblical.
We are one body in Christ and we do not stand alone.
The communion of saints , the great cloud of witnesses.
United we stand , divided we fall.
Protestantism and Satan have much in common. They both sow division.

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Foo some reading for you

Rome Sweet Home by Dr Scott Hahn, a Catholic convert & former Presbyterian minister. It's not a book that beats you over the head.
It's less than 200 pages & not expensive. I read it in less than a week.

If nothing else, it'll help you understand why we are Catholic. But if you have an open mind, I think it'll do more than that.

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I greatly appreciate your recommendation. I'll be honest and say that I won't likely read it. I've been engaging with Catholics for a few decades and have done all kinds of study in the past from reading books to watching debates to listening to podcasts of Catholics talking about their positions and why they believe what they believe. I've read several books on church history and read most of the works of the early fathers. I've read most of the writings that came out of the councils, as well.

I'm not completely ignorant of these issues, though I admit there is always more I could learn. I'll say there is nothing that I could learn that would lead me to Rome because it isn't a knowledge issue but a gospel issue.

Again, I thank you for the offer and receive it with the sincerity in which it was offered

And those same councils have made heretical decisions themselves over the years. I guess the Lord will deal with me at the end of time because I won’t bend to the pope