>If discussion about Christianity is disturbing to you please do not read the following. I love to ask questions and can argue many sides on a variety of subjects. I have asked questions of others and have had people think I am a Protestant, some think I am a Catholic and others think I am a heathen! Well, I am a complex person and have a sense of humor. So here is a question that may be viewed as a question of Faith, history or logic. You may have your own interpretation of what it means to you.
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>Just remember you have been warned to not read the following if you are easily disturbed about issues concerning Christianity.
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>Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:17-19)
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>The first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church was a fisherman from Galilee. Married, and as detailed by Kirsch in “St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles”, perhaps a father, the Apostle Simon devoted his life to Christ. He was named by Christ as the head of His Church on earth, and called Peter, or rock. Kirsch also unravels some of the confusion in the English translations of Scripture. In Aramaic, Peter was called “Kipha” which translates to both “Peter” and “rock”. "Petros" is the Greek word for "rock".
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>For the purpose of “enlightenment” I enjoy asking this question. Based upon the preceding reference to Matthew 16:17-19 “why is it that any protestant groups exist”? Jesus told Peter to establish His Church. He did not tell Billy Bob to go buy a tent or rent a storefront and create his own church. However, all too often and throughout history we see a man creating a “Christian Church” in his own image. The word of a man is not the same as the word of Jesus!
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>Many of us know why there is a Protestant sect and I have wondered about its validity for many years. If you do not agree with your own church create your own. You simply use your own guidelines. Television is a great media for “getting out the word” and request for “donations”! Send me your money brethren so you will be saved! Protestants do not look upon the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church as the leader of Christianity. Each Protestant Church has it’s own leader.
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>I attended Catholic School and in Kindergarten the Sister drew a picture of a tree with huge roots. The tree had branches that began its extension from about 1/3 from the bottom of the tree to its top. The Sister explained that the Roman Catholic Church had deep roots and a long history. The branches represented later Christian Churches, which were still being created.
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>If you wish to answer this question “why is it that any protestant groups exist” it will be of interest to me. I will not argue with your viewpoint or stance. Rather I am interested in why you feel or think as you do. If you find my question offensive please send me a private post.
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>Tom

Interesting topics: History of the Christian Church, History of the Papacy.
My own study of the two topics led me to the conclusions that
a) no group in existance today can claim a direct physical link between any of the twelve apostles and their organization. (That is not the same as saying the "ecclasia" does not exist.)
b) the papacy began with events in the Roman church between 370-390AD,culminating with the Emporor Charlemagne, aslo called Charles the Great. The old Roman Empire had two rules, but both offices were in the same man. He was Emporer -- ruler of the state) and Potifex (Holy Father) -- ruler of the Pagan faith. Paganizm was strong in Rome, even after 376AD, when state support of it was withdrawn. Gibbon's states that the ruin of Paganism was between 378-395AD, and that in the exact proportion that paganism disappeared from without the Church of Rome it appeared within the Church of Rome.(http://www.infohistory.com/religion.html) Pagan dresses for the priests, Pagan festivals for the people, Pagan doctrines and ideas of all sorts, were everywhere in vogue. In fact, if you are to attend a Catholic Mass today, except for the language being sued, you would find little difference between what you observe now and what you would have observed in a Pagan temple 2000 years ago. Vestal Virgins? Nuns - even the same habit. Same incense, same litergy. Demigods? lessor gods through whom access to the Divine is granted - all 250 of them are now known as 'cannonized saints' to and through whom many now use as 'intercessors' or even as sources of miracles..(I Tim 2:5) The Beehive crown, the staff, the keys, the chair..... http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/1873/
JLK