If someone says you have 7 fingers and another says 8, is that enough to make you doubt the understanding God gave you?

That's sophistry and false equivalence. Do you mean to tell me that complex, multilayered contex-dependent scriptural text, that is the result of thousands of years of tradition is in the same category as looking at how many fingers are there? I know you're not that stupid to believe this but you're being dishonest instead of admitting interpretation is a thing.

Is the Holy Spirit so inconsequential to you that He can't provide correct interpretation to a mind searching out for truth?

So God provided you personally with the correct interpretation? What about the other millions of Christians who believe in God, search the truth and hold believes that are contradictory to yours? Did the Holy Spirit gave them a separate contradictory revelation? How many truths are there? What makes you believe you are special in your apprehension of the truth if everyone else also claims to be enlightened through the Holy Spirit?

In fact, how were you able to carry on this conversation without first consulting with a Pope or high priest? How can you conserve with family members without a priestly intermediary analyzing the meaning of every sentence?

You have no understanding of what you're criticizing. Of course I have a spiritual father who serves as an authority and who got his authority through the apostolic succession within the Church. I also read the Church fathers and the saints who provide me with the correct interpretation. Is it a bad thing that I don't put all my trust in my fallen and limited mind, that is susceptible to delusion and error and seek the teachings of the Church that is guided by the Spirit and that will keep the faith to the end of time?

If someone says you have 7 fingers and another says 8, is that enough to make you doubt the understanding God gave you?

That's sophistry and false equivalence. Do you mean to tell me that complex, multilayered contex-dependent scriptural text, that is the result of thousands of years of tradition is in the same category as looking at how many fingers are there? I know you're not that stupid to believe this but you're being dishonest instead of admitting interpretation is a thing.

Is the Holy Spirit so inconsequential to you that He can't provide correct interpretation to a mind searching out for truth?

So God provided you with the correct interpretation? What about the other millions of Christians who believe in God, search the truth and hold believes that are contradictory to yours? Did the Holy Spirit gave them a separate contradictory revelation? How many truths are there? What makes you believe you are special in your apprehension of the truth if everyone else also claims to be enlightened through the Holy Spirit?

In fact, how were you able to carry on this conversation without first consulting with a Pope or high priest? How can you conserve with family members without a priestly intermediary analyzing the meaning of every sentence?

You have no understanding of what you're criticizing. Of course I have a spiritual father who serves as an authority and who got his authority through the apostolic succession within the Church. I also read the Church fathers and the saints who provide me with the correct interpretation. Is it a bad thing that I don't put all my trust in my fallen and limited mind, that is susceptible to delusion and error and seek the teachings of the Church that is guided by the Spirit and that will keep the faith to the end of time?

If someone says you have 7 fingers and another says 8, is that enough to make you doubt the understanding God gave you?

That's sophistry and false equivalence. Do you mean to tell me that complex, multilayered contex-dependent scriptural text, that is the result of thousands of years of tradition is in the same category as looking at how many fingers are there? I know you're not that stupid to believe this but you're being dishonest instead of admitting interpretation is a thing.

Is the Holy Spirit so inconsequential to you that He can't provide correct interpretation to a mind searching out for truth?

So God provided you with the correct interpretation? What about the other millions of Christians who believe in God, search the truth and hold believes that are contradictory to yours? Did the Holy Spirit gave them a separate contradictory revelation? How many truths are there?

In fact, how were you able to carry on this conversation without first consulting with a Pope or high priest? How can you conserve with family members without a priestly intermediary analyzing the meaning of every sentence?

You have no understanding of what you're criticizing. Of course I have a spiritual father who serves as an authority and who got his authority through the apostolic succession within the Church. I also read the Church fathers and the saints who provide me with the correct interpretation. Is it a bad thing that I don't put all my trust in my fallen and limited mind, that is susceptible to delusion and error and seek the teachings of the Church that is guided by the Spirit and that will keep the faith to the end of time?