Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: jhpb@granjon.garage.att.com Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: The Catholic Church (was the Rosary) Message-ID: Date: 1 Oct 90 01:27:03 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: AT&T Bell Labs (Liberty Corner) Lines: 29 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu And people wonder why Reformed theology affirms that the church is "reformed and ever reforming". Joe wants a change in the Catholic church, against the authority of the Bishops and the Pope and calls it a "return to tradition". What about the apostolic authority, Joe? Isn't it an essential point of Catholic doctrine that the church has an irreplaceable authority to decide just these things Joe want to return to the pre-Vatican II state of affairs? What is going on here, Joe? Does the church have the authority you claim or not??? The Church certainly has the authority, but don't forget Church history. The bulk of the bishops either did nothing during the Arian heresy, or were outright Arians themselves. We owe absolute obedience to God alone. Not only are there times when one is not obliged to obey human superiors, there are times when one is obliged to disobey them. As a whole, neither the Church nor the Papacy can fail. In the long run, things will straighten out. In the short term, however, the clergy is being very lax. A genuine reform is needed, and that means nothing more than a return to greater adherence to the traditional norms of faiths and morals. The preservation of these norms is what the Church is all about. Joe Buehler