It is a peculiarity of our Western society’s development that so much emphasis is now placed on the individual; this is something relatively new. For most of history, and for many societies still, it is the family unit, or someother social unit such as the tribe, which has mattered, and where the individual had found his or her place. That is not to say that the individual has not mattered, he or she always has, but it is to say that the individual has usually been seen as part of a wider whole. What does this have to do with religion? Quite a lot, I think.
We did not get the Bible from any one individual, nor do we, in our age, get to decide what is scripture. It may be significant in this respect that nowadays, as well as trying to interpret Scripture by the light of our individual reasoning, there is also a tendency afoot to ‘add’ to Scripture in the form of ‘gospels’ rejected by the Church more than 1500 years ago. The called-out community – the Church – received books from their ancestors – who were part of the group. These books were not designed to be studied by individuals, they were designed to be read in Church, as part of a cllective act of worship. So, we owe the BIble to the community of the Church. That modern man can say otherwise, simply reflects the process of egotism so common in our world; no one knows the Bible except through the tradition of the Church. There are no verses in the Bible which tell us the books of the Bible.
Similarly, where the family or the tribal unit is concerned, worship is a collective act; one might indeed, as the Lord suggested, withdraw to a quiet place to pray by oneself, but it was the public acts of worship around which the Church was constructed; the Eucharist is a shared act in which we gather to offer worship to God and to receive the body and blood of the Lord. The priest is no more than the leader of the gathered community who makes the sacrifice for us – he stands in Christ’s place, not in any right of his own; he is the servant of the servants of God. In such a world there is no place for the ‘rock star’ priest. It is the collective – the Church – which serves and is fed.
Again, in such units, there is no question about the value of children. One of the things which singled out the early Christians from their fellows in the Roman Empire was that they did not resort to abortion, exposing new-born children to the elements to kill them, or other means of contraception. Every child was a gift from God, every child was ‘meant to be’. The notion of putting one’s selfish interests first was clearly abroad – as shown by the use of abortificents – but Christians formed a commuity where the interests of God’s will predominated.
The use, by the Church, of the language of family is not accidental. It comes from jesus himself. If our society loses sight of the unique role played by fathers, it will be badly placed to understand why Jesus refers to ‘the Father’ and not just ‘the parent’. Attempts, in the cause of the western ideology of ‘gender equality’ to pretend that men and women have interchangeable functions in all things, a re all directed to the role of the individual, perhaps because the ideologues do not see the value of families – or see in them an obstacle to their own objectives.
We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Our ancestors get a vote. We are not the first Christians, and gloom-mongers and ‘the end is nigh’ merchants apart – we shall not be the last. We need to situate ourselves as part of this larger and wider family. The voices of others remind us that we are not alone.
All Along the Watchtower 
It is very complicated and I get the point of traditional Catholics saying “If other denominations go to heaven, then what is the point of the one Church.” However, I think the Church has fully answered this through Vatican II, and yes, it was a legit pastoral council. The Church does have the full revelation of truth, so in regards to Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus, The Catechism teaches that the Church is focused on Christ being the head. It also teaches that through no fault of their own by being born in a culture of Protestantism, they can still achieve salvation.
After all, I can tell all of my Protestant Brothers and Sisters in Christ that the Catholic Church is the true Church founded by Christ, however, we must realize that there is a real psychological barrier when someone has been told from such an early age that these beliefs are true, but suddenly they’re not. CCC 818
My wife and I have had several discussions, I see in her eyes the comfort of Sola Fide, it gives her such peace. It gives her peace for knowing that her Father who has passed on has found his reward. She’s perplexed that I find hanging in the balance peaceful, trusting fully in the judgment of God. In many ways, I think to myself, would it be unjust for me to take away such peace? So, I just pray to the Holy Spirit.
Regardless, I say to some of my traditional Brothers and Sisters, call me what you will, I do defend traditional liturgies and their right to profess the faith in the old manner. However, I do see and call other Christians the Church. I do so because I understand and attempt to answer the call of Jesus’ priestly prayer in John 17 for the unity of all who believe in him in future generations.
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I agree Philip
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An interesting counter-point to this excellent post is the Last Judgement. No-one can answer for us before the throne of God (save Christ, if we wish to have Him as our advocate). Those who have capacity are responsible for their choices, be they doctrinal or practical. It was this concept of personal (individual) responsibility that drove the pious, Catholic and Protestant alike, to seek answers to their burning questions in the days of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. “Salvation panic”, as it was called by Weber and subsequent sociologists, is not a phenomenon unique to Calvinists, though it must take on different nuances in other contexts.
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There is a balance to be struck between individuality and group cohesion, yes.
The Catholic Church takes a dim view of individuality because it may lead some to independent thinking. Independent thinking may lead some to question the Church’s legalistic and authoritarian approach to salvation and proper living.
Group cohesion is important but we ought not let such loyalty and cohesion stifle individual creativity and freedom. We must be careful here, too. The Church is not comfortable with the word freedom and often interprets this to mean licentiousness. But, true freedom or liberty requires personal responsibility, and is not necessarily a bad thing (notwithstanding the Catholic Church’s pessimism).
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Yes, the catholic church has the fullness of the gospels. Pure and white. Its been a blessing for mankind for 1700 yrs. I wonder where they hide this fullness of the gospel. The Holy Office, oh wait….they changed the name of that office because of its bloody and barbaric past…..I believe its called…Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith now.
Vatican police have broken up a gay orgy at the home of the secretary to one of Pope Francis’s key advisers, it has been reported.
The flat belonged to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is in charge of tackling clerical sexual abuse.
When police showed up, they found drugs and a group of men engaged in sexual activity, local reports state.
Reports in Italy claim the occupant of the apartment is allegedly the secretary to Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio a key aide to the 80-year-old Pope.
It is the latest scandal to hit the Vatican and comes after its finance chief Cardinal George Pell was charged with historical sexual offenses.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4667098/Vatican-police-break-gay-orgy-apartment.html
Good brother Chalcedon, ever the chamion of the catholic cult of personality, will be the first to claim that its just a small minority of out of control gay priests. Just days befor this was another gay priest orgy in Italy somewhere. these are just the ones that come to light. Tip of iceberg one might say.
Poor catholics, they are left to defend this crime gay syndicate the call a religion.
Oh, its only a few priests…..the Pope has it under control. The congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is cleaning up everything. The Holy Father told them to do it.
What the Holy Father told them was to stop getting freakin caught.
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The newspaper also claimed that the priest in question was put on leave and placed at a convent in Italy, and claimed that the Pope himself was “infuriated” by the news of the orgy and the priest’s subsequent arrest for drugs.
The newspaper claims that Coccopalmerio’s retirement may be sooner rather than later as a result of his aide’s drug-fueled orgy.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/07/06/vatican-police-bust-gay-drug-orgy-at-the-home-of-a-top-priest/
The Holy Father told the priests a hundred times….don’t play the music so loud at their drug feuled homosexual orgies. its bad for business. It scares the straights.
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ROME—It all started with the usual complaints from disgruntled neighbors: funny smells, slamming doors, loud music, the sound of squeaky beds and laughter late into the night.
But this particular dispute occurred in one of the most prestigious addresses in Rome, the so-called Ex Sant’Uffizio Palace, in the very apartment owned by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith where Joseph Ratzinger lived for decades before becoming Pope Benedict XVI
The palatial ochre-colored building is home to dozens of high-ranking cardinals who live within walking distance of their jobs at the Roman Curia in Vatican City next door.
The fed-up neighbors were simply sick of what they described as a “steady stream of young men” who frequented Ratzinger’s former apartment, which had been given to Monsignor Luigi Capozzi, the secretary for Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, who heads the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts
The Vatican police showed up to find an orgy in progress, with an untold number of naked men allegedly writhing around the floor with Capozzi and his cohorts, who were apparently under the influence of hard drugs according to the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano
http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-vaticans-swiss-guards-break-up-a-drug-fueled-gay-orgy-in-pope-francis-backyard
only a fool could think that these are secrets that no one knows about.
Every man jack in the Vaticanus Haunted Hill knows whats going on…because they all do it too. Good plausible denial…..they are a religion.
No they aren’t. Its a money making business run by thugs, pedophiles homos and drug runners.
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There you go again, no one denies there are such people in the Church, they resist everywhere. Is there a point, or are you hiding something with this obsession of yours. You know what they say about those who claim to be hetero but are obsessed with this sort of thing?
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Yeah….they are called News Agencies.
I was wondering if you were gonna pop up and say something. I knew the excuses would be hard to find.
This is proof positive that the CC is not the church Christ founded. This claim is made every 30 seconds on this blog alone. You all keep repeating it like a mogul calling the faithful to prayer. if 1700 yrs of torture and killing doesn’t convince anyone, this should do the trick.
The saved are still humans and sinners by nature, but the holy ghost convicts them and corrects them like a father would. Christs body doesn’t have a name or a bank or a headquarters of a priestcraft replete with colorful costumes who stage drug fueled homo orgies. The born again know they were delivered from the urge to be sinful. Now they have the urge to be more like Christ. They can stumble, but they know to cry Abba.
My brothers need to take a second look at what is across the Tiber, as you all say. This is what awaits those who swim the polluted Tiber.
Swim the Tiber is the call word for Mary worshipers.
Jesus says He stands at you door and knocks…open and He will come in. Those are the call words of Christ.
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I cant hang around and jibber this hot morning(we are in record breaking heat wave in so calif) . Ive been preparing for chess tournament that starts in 2 hrs. Eating rite and going to bed early and a modicum of study. Im looking forward to 9 solid hrs of intense mental concentration.
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