Pope: Other Christians not true churches

[Friend]

[Friend]

[AllanS]

[tocaat]

[Pilgrim]

[Karen]

[tocaat]

[Karen]

[rusmeister]

[Friend]

[Friend]

[/quote]
When cells divide to form a body, you get differentiation in the daughter cells. They maintain unity while displaying diversity.

The church is united because it shares one spirit, not because it shares the one political structure or has one pope. To complain that the world sees disunity is to ignore Jesus warning that the enemy would indeed sow weeds amongst the wheat. Of course the church on earth is disunited. There are wolves amongst the sheep, scattering them, and they have been doing so from the very first. The sheep, however, remain the sheep.[/quote]

I do agree in the symbol of the flock, we are all still the sheep.

But in the cell symbol, I still dont think you got my argument. In the beginning you talked about one cell spliting into two and asked which one was the original. What you explain now it helps me out to explain to you the analogy. If you have a body and latter on daughter cells, which one is the original?

[mitchellmckain]

[rusmeister]

Yeah, I once thought that, too. I was raised Baptist.

It's no good trying to convince Catholics or others that you are correct here. They have (at least) equally solid reasons and statements as to why they are right and you are wrong. They can quote Scripture that counters your Scripture quotes and backs their positions. Then you'll say they are interpreting it wrong, and they'll say the same about you. Then everyone will walk away feeling irritated.

Everyone who's ever felt like that, raise your hand!

People don't generally change their beliefs unless/until they are dissatisfied with their current ones.

Just one little observation - if you trace the history of your own church, you'll find that it has its origins in organized religion (likely leading back to the Reformation). That's precisely what Christianity was in the first century - if you believe all of Paul's talk about bishops, presbyters and deacons (sounds organized to me). One thing that tipped me off was the big blank spot that was my Baptist-formed knowledge of church history from the end of the book of Acts to the 16th century.

[Karen]

[Rosie Cotton]