The kingdom of God being within you and where two or more are gathered together in my name I am there, can both be true at the same time.
I'm not a big pusher of the Catholic "one true faith" stuff because I recognize Orthodox Christianity as just as valid...and further I don't go after Protestants because denomination wars are dumb and they are also brothers in Christ.
But if you go to a Catholic Church looking for Jesus, chances are you are NOT going to be disappointed. Also, the Bible is a Catholic book, and that's the best place to start.
Your first comment it seems to me misses the point. Gathering together ≠ church.
I am not unacquainted with the Catholic Church. Quite the contrary. I was raised a Roman Catholic. I have family members in it, some who have dedicated their lives to it.
It is an evil organization that stands between you and God. Presuming to be your intercessor. One could say that the Jesuits are the worst of them, but there are plenty others that qualify as "worst".
No intercessor is needed. Especially one involved in grift, graft, human trafficking, pedophilia, and God-knows-what-else.
I'm not going to play Catholic apologist, Satan has done a fairly good job lately, though I do agree with you that while there is evil in the Catholic Church, it is not evil in total. The same can be said of most large organizations, for that matter. But the part is not greater than the whole.
The church doesn't presume to stand between you and God, it acts in the person of God when it gives sacraments. That's a fundamental misunderstanding you've got there.
Jesus also said, "whenever two or more are gathered together in my name, I will be there."
Right there in the Bible - kind of sounds like Jesus is trying to tell you churches are a good thing.
That first quote was about hypocrisy, not communal worship. He took a whip the the money changers at the Temple, not the worshipers.
Jesus is telling you that churches are not needed. In my opinion, of course.
"The Kingdom of God is within you."
If you go to the Catholic Religion looking for YHWH, Yeshua/Jesus, and salvation, you are most likely going to be disappointed.
The kingdom of God being within you and where two or more are gathered together in my name I am there, can both be true at the same time.
I'm not a big pusher of the Catholic "one true faith" stuff because I recognize Orthodox Christianity as just as valid...and further I don't go after Protestants because denomination wars are dumb and they are also brothers in Christ.
But if you go to a Catholic Church looking for Jesus, chances are you are NOT going to be disappointed. Also, the Bible is a Catholic book, and that's the best place to start.
Your first comment it seems to me misses the point. Gathering together ≠ church.
I am not unacquainted with the Catholic Church. Quite the contrary. I was raised a Roman Catholic. I have family members in it, some who have dedicated their lives to it.
It is an evil organization that stands between you and God. Presuming to be your intercessor. One could say that the Jesuits are the worst of them, but there are plenty others that qualify as "worst".
No intercessor is needed. Especially one involved in grift, graft, human trafficking, pedophilia, and God-knows-what-else.
I'm not going to play Catholic apologist, Satan has done a fairly good job lately, though I do agree with you that while there is evil in the Catholic Church, it is not evil in total. The same can be said of most large organizations, for that matter. But the part is not greater than the whole.
The church doesn't presume to stand between you and God, it acts in the person of God when it gives sacraments. That's a fundamental misunderstanding you've got there.