Is Catholicism just an institution, is it a religion, or is it both?

[Boojatta]

If it's a religion, then how many different versions have there been? Does Vatican Christianity 7.0 have fewer bugs than Internet Explorer 7.0?

[saltpoint]

1. I like Francis of Assissi a lot better than the standard autocratic Pope.

Almost any religious idea undergoes transformation and fluctuation, and within each there is disagreement and variance.

[MUAD_DIB]

2. It is both a particle and a wave...

[papau]

3. Great answer! :-) n/t

n/t

[Boojatta]

4. Is there anyone who has authority to speak on behalf of the Vatican

and who has time to give an official Vatican answer to questions about interpreting verses in the New Testament?

Is the New Testament an important part of Vatican Christianity 7.0?

If the New Testament to be considered holy as a sequence of marks on paper, then does it play a role in Vatican Christianity 7.0 comparable to the role of the mineral rock in Mecca?

Is the New Testament to be considered holy as an attempt to express ideas that can be understood by people alive today who are neither scholars of ancient languages nor residents of the town Malula near Damascus?

[Vexatious Ape]

5. Memeplex maybe?

How about cult?

[rug]

6. Both. One. Yes, but so do the Mormons.

[Boojatta]

7. Is over 50% of the population of Rwanda still Catholic or have there been

lots of excommunications since the genocide in Rwanda?

[valerief]

8. It's a business, isn't it? I mean, it owns tons of businesses and real

estate and other properties, doesn't it?

[Igel]

9. It's evolved.

And it's a religion. The institution are the members and the priests (etc.). As such, the organization has its own goals and ways of doing things, and sometimes those are at odds with the "flock". Just as the Episcopalian Church has shown us, the priesthood may be there for the people and ready to give themselves for their flock, but as soon as property and money are threatened it's off to take fellow believers to court before non-believers.

Episcopalians never did have much use for Paul.

[JerseygirlCT]

10. Hmmm... I wonder what gave you that last idea?

That seems a strange thing to say, to me.

And I don't think the few people causing a fuss in TEC are fussing entirely about property and money. Bottom line, I think their hissy fits are about power. They want more of it, and are uncomfortable in the democratic way TEC has always been organized.