>>87
I want to make a post about sola ecclesia v. sola scriptura. If you are a Roman Catholic please don't feel unwelcome here. I want some open dialogue, and understand as a young guy who was appalled by the world and my sin, I sought a savior. Jesus Christ was my savior, and started off looking into Roman Catholicism but research and prayer led me to Reformed Protestantism.
But to get back to your original post.
> Like, no matter how much Catholics and Orthodox talk about gay marriage and abortion, their church and the authorities in their church
If you dug into church history you would realize that the teachings of the Roman Catholic church and early bishops (not bishop) of Rome is completely different.
The introduction of papal infallibility, purgatory, celibacy in the priesthood, absolution, Mary's co-redemptrix amongst a few.
Conservative Catholicism is uncommon, the liberal Catholics are already making headway. Inclusivism is pretty common among high ranking cardinals and bishops in Rome.
The big Protestant churches fall because they succumb to liberalism, likewise so do the Catholic churches. Liberalism is a fad that kills anything. You get that initial surge but it falls quickly.
> Because large-scale Protestantism is constantly struggling
Only if you deny that there isn't any struggle in Roman Catholicism.
> Mega-churches bend over all the time and just look at the Episcopalians
As Protestants we have the Bible, the teachings of the apostles and the fathers to back up our beliefs. Where Episcopalians stray is with the liberal biblical scholarship and low regard for scripture. Their disdain for biblical Christianity leads them to adopt more liberal views. It's is literally leftist bringing in their views rather than Protestantism as a theology causing this.
In fact if the Catholic church were to decide on some heretical belief (which it has - i.e. purgatory) the Pope will dogmatize it as he speaks ex cathedra, and you being a Roman Catholic must believe it de fide. Where as a Protestant I simply don't attend, and if I am a bishop in a church I break off.
You mentioned the Episcopalians, look at the Reformed Anglican church of North America which returned back its apostolic teachings and embraced an orthodox liturgy.
Sola scriptura, which is by scripture alone, in others everything whether it be a catechism, creed or confession must not contradict the Bible trumps sola ecclesia which is what Rome has.
Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:15-17), whereas man's tradition is fallible. You as a Roman Catholic can't claim to hold scripture to equal authority since the church (ecclesia) interprets what it wants scripture to mean, and depending on the Roman Catholic apologist some will some Rome has not dogmatically defined a single verse, some a few and others around ten, point in case any effect scripture could of had in terms of its authority is diminished if not gone completely when you bring in things like papal infallibility.
You really have to step out of the circular logic Rome has you in.
If you exegete scripture properly, and this is verified by how well you are able to hold your weight in a hermeneutical debate, you get the Protestant doctrines. Liberalism is a side effect of secularism. Don't tell me there aren't Roman Catholic bishops who push for LGBT inclusivism, female ordination and whatnot. It's not an issue of theology since both sides suffer from it. See Boston College which is a cesspit for liberal Roman Catholicism to flourish.
Go in the other thread titled "Confused". God bless you Anon!