Why should I become Catholic?

LittleLambofJesus said:

I won't aruge wit dat!

http://www.christianforums.com/t7516412/
Catholic versus catholic question

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I am sure you can guess that by the Catholic Church I do not mean the Roman communion.

You don't have to quote entire posts. You can split posts up with multiple quote tags. It's infinitely easier to read than using < and >, especially when you have large amounts of your own text.

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I was referring to others who quote the whole posts. I've got this down now though. Be patient with me!

christopherdombrowski said:

I am sure you can guess that by the Catholic Church I do not mean the Roman communion.

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This question of what, or who is the Catholic Church, is paramount to our discussion!

If we look in scripture we find the Church refered to as ,'The Church of God, which is at Corinth', or to the Churches of God at Galatia! In Britain, the small but active Church there was refered to as the British Church and interestingly the Church in Britain didn't usually refer to it self as the Catholic Church , but as a Communion of Catholics, or Believers, within Christ's, One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church! Members of Christ by Baptism and adoption, Children of God even, but to use the term Church was seen to be arrogance. In Italy the Catholics were known as the Suburbicarian Church of Rome or Italy and this Church existed from Rome down to the sea in the south and included the whole of the three Islands around the coast! The Bishop of Rome was the Metropolitan of this 'Suburbicarian Church'! The Catholic Church, the Body of Christ Church, seems to have considered itself a Federation of Churches organised under five Patriarchates, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome and Jerusalem, [The Holy City!] but later the Bishops decided to follow the organisation of the Roman Empire and chose to elevate the two political capitals of the Roman Empire, Old Rome and New Rome. Most historians put this down to their satisfaction with the rule of the Emperors!

What we have to realise, in my opinion, is that the Roman Church, while it is old and has the foundation of two Apostles, is just that, the Church of Rome. It was some 350 yrs after Christ before any outlandish claims were made on Rome's behalf, to reach the state it has haS TAKEN SOME TWO THOUSAND YEARS. If we look at recent History, we find that the Rome is the product of Trent! It is not the whole Church, it is a sect based on the principal of the Jurisdiction and Infallibilty of the Bishop of Rome!

later nonjuror said:

This question of what, or who is the Catholic Church, is paramount to our discussion!

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Indeed. But if you are to suggest that the Roman communion is part of the Catholic Church rather than the whole of it or apart from it, you must notice that this is contrary to the sentiment I posted at the beginning of this particular thread of the discussion in reply #59. The Body of Christ must be one confederation of churches which are in mutually recognized full communion with each other. Thus the Roman communion cannot be part of the Catholic Church. It must either be the whole of it or apart from it. I take the latter perspective.

later nonjuror said:

The Catholic Church, the Body of Christ Church, seems to have considered itself a Federation of Churches organised under five Patriarchates, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome and Jerusalem, [The Holy City!]

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No. That was quite a later innovation. The idea that the Pentarchy was an original institution of the Apostolic church is nonsense. The hierarchical nature of the church started out very minimal and local. Originally the highest authority in the Church was the city bishop, and no one bishop had more authority than his own city. Next the city bishops developed authority over the country bishops in their surrounding area. Then the bishops of the capitals of the Roman provinces (about 80 some), the Metropolitans, developed authority over the other city bishops in the province. Then the bishops of the capitals of the Roman dioceses (somewhere around a dozen), the Exarchs, developed authority over the Metropolitans in their diocese. The Pentarchy, the last stage of this development, did not even begin to develop until the 5th century and was not finalized until the 7th.

later nonjuror said:

while it is old and has the foundation of two Apostles,

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Actually, I don't think Rome was really founded by Saint Peter. So far as I can see, Saint Peter only spent about the last year of his life in Rome and then was martyred there. So Rome certainly has the honor of being the city of the martyrdom of the two chief Apostles. But it was really founded by Saint Paul.

later nonjuror said:

is just that, the Church of Rome.

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I do not believe that the current communion around the Pope is contiguous with the Church of Rome of the Undivided Church of Christ.

later nonjuror said:

it is a sect based on the principal of the Jurisdiction and Infallibilty of the Bishop of Rome!

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That much I can agree with.