Mag: Refute the quotes from St. Paul that I put before you or move on with your apostasy. If you can't refute them then you indeed are worshiping yourself and attacking Christ. Not to mention the modern paganism of believing in yourself. Same sin as lucifer.

Ed: Your landslide of institutionalized accusations is very cute. Of course you won't like my interpretation of these scriptures, but in a nutshell, I believe the catholic church is an excellent example of what Paul is warning against, not encouraging towards. You would naturally interpret his exhortation to follow in the traditions he taught as being the same as following in the traditions of the catholic church?

How easy it is for so many people to become institutionalized/indoctrinated into conformity and to so deeply compromise their own personal relationship with Lord Jesus in the process, trading in (at least partially) being HIS sheep, hearing and following HIS Living Voice for being the sheep of an institution, hearing the institution's voice and following it instead. Being thoroughly convinced by an institution that they can not follow Lord Jesus directly for themselves, connected to His heart in love as Lord Jesus taught people to do.

The Lord's true church consists of those who have given Him their hearts, who believe on Him, who have received His Spirit and who abide in Him, not those who have joined a highly corrupt institution. Thankfully, though many people can be distracted by institution membership - and even what is essentially worship of an institution to one extent or another - some of these are still His sheep and i do believe that many catholics are indeed His sheep in spite of their membership in a false and corrupt controlling organization.

Mag: The Catholic Church is the only True Church.

Ed: Propaganda/indoctrination/brain washing/Lies. The Lord's true church consists of those who have truly invited Him into their hearts and chosen Him as Savior and Lord.

Mag: As for having an independent relationship with God outside the church... Have you ever even read the Bible?

Ed: Independent relationship with God apart from the institutionalized church system is what Lord Jesus had as well as John the Baptist and every OT prophet. None were submitted under or controlled by the system of church, rather they all stood against its abuses. God was their Lord, the church system was not and there was no confusion about this.

Mag: The church is the mystical body of Christ. You can't be a Christian without being a part of the church.

Ed: When you belong to Lord Jesus, you are a part of His true church, His true body of believers, something that is not perfectly represented by any system in the natural realm and certainly not by the institution of the Catholic church. The Lord's church is a spiritual realm distinction. Was the thief on the cross a member of the catholic church institution? The Lord's true church is not a building or a corrupt and opulent institution led by men with pointy hats. His true church is not to be confused with religion of man.

Catholicism usurped power and at one time monopolized "christian" religion in the natural realm, but not in the spiritual. In so many ways it is very similar to the pharisee system. I say all of this against this corrupt institution of man, while recognizing that there are true followers of Lord Jesus within that highly corrupt and dysfunctional system.

Mag: All heresies and apostasies eventually are crushed.

Ed: You are right that many have been burned at the stake or stretched out on racks in the name of catholicism. But thanks be to God that their power and influence to murder those who follow Jesus apart from their system of control has been greatly diminished. Of course many such as yourself are still deeply under their control, though it is through a more subtle false authority and spiritual abuse rather than a direct threat against your lives.

Mag: Yet the Catholic Church having faced death numerous times always comes back stronger and more powerful each time. The trials it is in today is nothing new.

Ed: Someone is in denial. If they were more powerful than ever, then they would still be murdering those they see as apostate. They have lost hold of the religious monopoly they once had over "christianity" along with their power to legally murder those who would dare seek to follow Lord Jesus apart from their system of control.

I know that institutionalized brain washing is very powerful and most likely all of this will fall upon blind eyes and deaf ears, but i pray the Lord will do something wonderful with this and the scales will fall from your eyes :).

Best wishes.