God 'accepts decisions of man'?

Maybe neither - maybe both depending on the issue. Denominations are Human organizational inventions and there are many denominations (which aren't called "denominations") in Catholicism.
So you also follow men as you claim we do. Now there might be 23 different denominations in the Catholic faith, but every one of them has the same doctrine and the Bishop of Rome is Bishop of them all. The only difference exists in their respective liturgies of worship. Any other sect that claims to be "Catholic" isn't.

As you've been trained to - Catachism / Magisterium / Tradition first, and everything else second.
And all with the scriptures as the guide.

But it IS the HUMAN WAY of handling "Religion". Look at the MESS you've got on your hands with the present "Pope" thing.
I can't argue with you there. I knew we were in big trouble when a Jesuit was elected Bishop.

What does a Catholic even KNOW about the "Scriptures"?????
They are part of what guides us as a Church, and taken equally with the Magisterium and Sacred Tradition.
 
Nope....the link I gave debunked Barretts nonsense.....try reading it this time...

In an article entitled "30,000 Protestant Denominations?", Evangelical apologist Eric Svendsen exposes the falsehood of this fabrication. Briefly:​

  • Svendsen shows that the source of this figure is the World Christian Encyclopedia (David A. Barrett; Oxford University Press, 1982).​
  • Barrett cites a figure of 20,780 denominations. However not all of them are Protestants. According to Barrett, Protestants account for 8,196 (and incidentally, Roman Catholics account for 223).
  • However, even this figure of eight thousand Protestant denominations is misleading, for Barrett defines "distinct denominations" as any group that might have a slightly different emphasis than another group. The distinction is made on the basis of jurisdiction, rather than differing beliefs and practices.
  • Barrett breaks down the Protestant bloc into twenty-one major "traditions" which are much closer to what we usually mean by the word "denominations." It is interesting that Roman Catholics are subdivided into sixteen such "traditions."​
  • Svendsen concludes, "In short, Roman Catholic apologists have hurriedly, carelessly - and, as a result, irresponsibly - glanced at Barrett's work, found a large number (22,189), and arrived at all sorts of absurdities that Barrett never concluded."

The Lie of 30000 Protestant Denominations
A good reply from you no doubt. Yes, I should have read what you posted earlier in it's entirety. I did click on it and read a few sentences, my bad. Now, here's something from the National Catholic Register written by Stephen Beale under the title "How Many Protestant Denominations Are There"? I will post some of the more salient paragraphs and you can then tell me what you think.

He wrote: "The commonly cited figure of 33,000 has apparently been thoroughly debunked (see here and here). But this only raises the question: How many Protestant denominations are there really"?

"The figure cited above came from an authoritative source, the World Christian Encyclopedia. One reason the number is considered too high by critics is because it counts same denomination as separate if they are in different countries"

Okay, he admits the lack of veracity in the study, so far he's on par with you. I also am on board here.

"One starting point is the Pew Research Center. For their 2015 report on changing religious affiliation they include an index of major Protestant denominations. But once you start going through it, it becomes clear the list needs some trimming. The list is essentially a menu of survey responses which includes such categories as “Baptist, not further specified.” That won’t do when there are several Baptist denominations. Once I stripped out non-responsive categories and others that won’t help—such as non-denominational Protestants—I came up with 180 denominations".

"The Pew list has its limitations. A potentially better source is the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA). However, the only list that was readily accessible on their site enumerated every single religious group they track—which includes Judaism, Hinduism and Muslims. So once again, the list has to be whittled down to just Protestant denominations. Once that was done the tally was 188".

"So, it seems we are safe in saying there are at least nearly 200 major Protestant denominations or denominational categories in the United States. The real number is likely higher, but the ARDA list covers at least the major ones

Edit link violation
 
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A good reply from you no doubt. Yes, I should have read what you posted earlier in it's entirety. I did click on it and read a few sentences, my bad. Now, here's something from the National Catholic Register written by Stephen Beale under the title "How Many Protestant Denominations Are There"? I will post some of the more salient paragraphs and you can then tell me what you think.

He wrote: "The commonly cited figure of 33,000 has apparently been thoroughly debunked (see here and here). But this only raises the question: How many Protestant denominations are there really"?

"The figure cited above came from an authoritative source, the World Christian Encyclopedia. One reason the number is considered too high by critics is because it counts same denomination as separate if they are in different countries"

Okay, he admits the lack of veracity in the study, so far he's on par with you. I also am on board here.

"One starting point is the Pew Research Center. For their 2015 report on changing religious affiliation they include an index of major Protestant denominations. But once you start going through it, it becomes clear the list needs some trimming. The list is essentially a menu of survey responses which includes such categories as “Baptist, not further specified.” That won’t do when there are several Baptist denominations. Once I stripped out non-responsive categories and others that won’t help—such as non-denominational Protestants—I came up with 180 denominations".

"The Pew list has its limitations. A potentially better source is the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA). However, the only list that was readily accessible on their site enumerated every single religious group they track—which includes Judaism, Hinduism and Muslims. So once again, the list has to be whittled down to just Protestant denominations. Once that was done the tally was 188".

"So, it seems we are safe in saying there are at least nearly 200 major Protestant denominations or denominational categories in the United States. The real number is likely higher, but the ARDA list covers at least the major ones

Edit link violation
You aren’t posting anything new on this board.
The lie of 30k denominations is just that…a lie.
 
The church is guided by the Holy Spirit. What the church decides on is from the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Pope is given the grace of infallibly to insure that what the church teaches is correct.
This is pure nonsensical crap. Are you seriously trying to say that Jesus/Holy Spirit approved of the cover up of JPII and Benny 16 to hide the egregious, outrageous actions of child sexual abuse. Then there was Formoso, The Borgia Popes. These evil men aren't capable of even everyday common sense. Let alone infallibility.

Was it Pope Leo X, who robbed his own people and threatened them with eternal hell? Was if Pope Stephen VI who had a love affair with rotting human flesh? Was it Pope Benedict IX who sold the papacy more than twice? Is that the authority that Jesus bestowed upon this self-centered mockery? Was it Pope Sergius III who ordered the murder of another Pope, and far worse so he gets the reward for filthy living. He has been shown to have begun the "Pornacracy". Doesn't that make Catholics proud? Did Jesus provide him with authority to murder and engage in shameful pornography? Just askin' Was it Pope John XII when he allowed the church to become a brothel. He was accused of raping pilgrims and invoking pagan gods. I don't believe Jesus gave him ANY AUTHORITY.

I have only scratched the surface. John Paul II, Benedict the XVI covered up for Marcial Maciel who was a depraved man who raped his own son. But Maciel was a big money maker, so these popes looked the other way. Did Jesus give those two a conscience? Jesus Christ would have never supported this outrage.

Don't even get me started on the papamamma idol worshipper, who supports what God has said is an abomination. Jesus hasn't given him authority to contradict Him.

Your church has utterly failed at common decency.

Source, the Bad Popes at Wiki
 
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This is pure nonsensical crap. Are you seriously trying to say that Jesus/Holy Spirit approved of the cover up of JPII and Benny 16 to hide the egregious, outrageous actions of child sexual abuse. Then there was Formoso, The Borgia Popes. These evil men aren't capable of even everyday common sense. Let alone infallibility.

Was it Pope Leo X, who robbed his own people and threatened them with eternal hell? Was if Pope Stephen VI who had a love affair with rotting human flesh? Was it Pope Benedict IX who sold the papacy more than twice? Is that the authority that Jesus bestowed upon this self-centered mockery? Was it Pope Sergius III who ordered the murder of another Pope, and far worse so he gets the reward for filthy living. He has been shown to have begun the "Pornacracy". Doesn't that make Catholics proud? Did Jesus provide him with authority to murder and engage in shameful pornography? Just askin' Was it Pope John XII when he allowed the church to become a brothel. He was accused of raping pilgrims and invoking pagan gods. I don't believe Jesus gave him ANY AUTHORITY.

I have only scratched the surface. John Paul II, Benedict the XVI covered up for Marcial Maciel who was a depraved man who raped his own son. But Maciel was a big money maker, so these popes looked the other way. Did Jesus give those two a conscience? Jesus Christ would have never supported this outrage.

Don't even get me started on the papamamma idol worshipper, who supports what God has said is an abomination. Jesus hasn't given him authority to contradict Him.

Your church has utterly failed at common decency.
😢 They follow their father. (John 8) 😭

--Rich
"Esse quam videri"
 
All agree on the basics of Catholic teachings. Some are not as well catechized as others I will agree, but we are not going out and starting new churches over these things.

The Church teaches the Apostolic Succession, that all the clergy have received ordination right down from one of the Apostles. Along with that, the Church has the authority from Jesus Christ to "bind and loose". It has real power and real authority.
No, it is people disagreeing with each other about doctrines and dogmas and off they go, using their free will to start a new religious organization.

No, people themselves jumbling all up in different places. This is an abomination before the Lord who stresses the unity of believers.

Probably a lot more. Your "evidence" is not much of an unbiased source now, is it?

Now let me list a few. 1. The Temple of God. 2. The Temple of God in Christ. 3. Temple Tabernacle of God. 4. Cathedral of Love. 5. First Baptist Church. 6. Holiness Baptist Church. 7. Main Street Baptist Church. 8. Church of Jesus Christ. 9.Holiness Christ Church. 10. Church of Christ. 11. Jehovah's Witnesses. 12 Seventh Day Adventist Church. And on and on I could go, filling up this page and a hundred others, but hopefully you get the picture.
Now let me list a few. 1. The Temple of God. 2. The Temple of God in Christ. 3. Temple Tabernacle of God. 4. Cathedral of Love. 5. First Baptist Church. 6. Holiness Baptist Church. 7. Main Street Baptist Church. 8. Church of Jesus Christ. 9.Holiness Christ Church. 10. Church of Christ. 11. Jehovah's Witnesses. 12 Seventh Day Adventist Church. And on and on I could go, filling up this page and a hundred others, but hopefully you get the picture.
which of those would you call a Christian church? do you know if #s 1-3 are the same denom or not? how about 5-7? what do each of them teach/believe that is different from the others? What makes a 'church' Christian or not? you have no idea, nor do you care. you just parrot what you're taught by the rcc.

I could go on asking lots of more questions - but you'd have no knowledgeable or valid answers for any of them.
 
I don't know why I expected a fair response on your part, but I did. I was clearly mistaken.

Nothing unfair about what I posted. Newbies come here thinking they're putting out info that no one has ever seen. There isn't ANYTHING you can post that hasn't been posted and or debated ad nauseum on these boards that I've been on for over 20 years.
The 30K lie has been being put out there for just as long.
 
God does hear and answer but there is a provision.

1 John 5;14+

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

God only listens when it accords with HIS WILL.
 
The church is guided by the Holy Spirit. What the church decides on is from the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Pope is given the grace of infallibly to insure that what the church teaches is correct.
If 'the church'/rcc was guided by the HS, then it would have no need of this made up grace of infallibly to insure that what 'the church'/rcc teaches is correct.

can you give some examples of how the HS guides people?
 
God does hear and answer but there is a provision.

1 John 5;14+

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

God only listens when it accords with HIS WILL.
catholics sure don't do that! they also don't seem to know what happens in scripture to those who refuse to follow Him / do His will. that shows more scripture that isn't taught by the rcc.
 
And denying it doesn't make it false.

The RCC is led by the self-appointed ecclesiastical authorities who claim the CC is the only true representative of God on earth. This is not being led by the Holy Spirit. This is being led by men. The pope. The bishops. The clergy. The traditions. The false theology such as the IC, the ever-virginity of Mary, creating from whole cloth her as "Queen of Heaven" and "mother of God". Heresies one and all. So, this is what the CC is known for. Not following God, teaching from the Bible, depending on Grace alone, but also known for work-based salvation, absolution by man not God's forgiveness. I could go on but then it wouldn't do any good as you will accept most of what I have written because your church tells you they're true, even when they fly in the face of Scriptural truth. And yet we will continue to speak truth to you, in love because we care for your eternal soul and where you will spend eternity my friend.
 
God does hear and answer but there is a provision.

1 John 5;14+

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

God only listens when it accords with HIS WILL.

You are absolutely right. My 39 year old daughter is terminal with metastatic cancer. She may have a few months left. We have prayed God would heal her. My church has prayed she would be healed. But that said, she has been God's even while she was forming in her mothers womb. God's will will be done. If He takes her home then that is His will and I will be fine with that because I am not asked to understand His will but to just believe His will is perfect. This doesn't mean I don't suffer, even now, because I do but my faith in His will is firm.
 
You are absolutely right. My 39 year old daughter is terminal with metastatic cancer. She may have a few months left. We have prayed God would heal her. My church has prayed she would be healed. But that said, she has been God's even while she was forming in her mothers womb. God's will will be done. If He takes her home then that is His will and I will be fine with that because I am not asked to understand His will but to just believe His will is perfect. This doesn't mean I don't suffer, even now, because I do but my faith in His will is firm.
So sorry to hear about your daughter. Prayers for your family. 🙏
 
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