I need a brief of summary of everything the Catholic Church messed up on

[Terra Nullius]

Mmm,.. goats.

Everyone needs more goat.

[Straybow]

Thanks, Terra Nullius, for clarifying the RC position. Most of everything cited above is where the RC church went wrong. Claims of infallability are a perfect example of hubris. Nowhere does Jesus say He will preserve church doctrine from error. He only says the gates of hell will not prevail againt the church.

In fact, Jesus takes a real dim view of "rules lawyers" who miss the whole point of loving and serving God. He says they make their followers "twice the son of hell" they are themselves. He says not to call anyone "Father" except God. No elder, no priest, no bishop, no "Papa." Those who demand such reverence are usurping the place of God. Mighty stern words that Jesus spoke, but they aren't taken seriously in the Vatican.

Also note that Vatican II recognised that teachings must be interpreted according to the cultural and historical context in which they were originally given.

Too bad they don't use that guideline when interpreting scripture. The binding and loosing supposed to confer infallability is instead a reference to Jewish tradition of applying the law on a case by case basis within the community. It is not making up new rules or setting inviolable precedence from on high. The church is to be a community of equals, not a hierarchy with a ruling class who hold themselves above criticism, debate, and indeed above the law.

BUT... trying to make such points to the RC or Orthodox adherent is largely futile. They are more interested in a belief structure that provides an intangible security. They say the right things, do the prescribed and avoid the proscribed. Leave the heavy lifting to the priesthood. These are the traditions of a hundred generations.

No need to pick on RCs/Orthos on that. Many denoms are little different, substituting the doctrines of their founders instead of the Vatican.