I'm confused. Not offended, but confused. How do you perceive Catholicism as an "ultimate ur-religion?" Or maybe what I should be asking is that I'm curious as to why you believe the public perceives Catholicism that way?
To the best of my understanding, there are a number of sects of Christianity that consider Catholics to be pagans or heretics of some kind, and that their form of Christianity is the true and real form, that the Catholics lost the path a long time ago. I've also been given to understand that other sects of Christianity consider themselves to be the true inheritors of "proper" Christianity, and the Popes and the Vatican have been lying about having the keys to the Kingdom of God for centuries now.
Catholics consider themselves to be the original form of Christianity, of course, with a line of spiritual descent stretching down from St. Peter himself. But I've been given to understand that, basically, they're the only form of Christianity who believe that.
Plus it's hard to consider Catholicism as an ur-religion, in my opinion, when it's very definitely split from Judaism, with a strong enough descent that the entire Torah was absorbed into the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.
(I grew up Catholic, received plenty of Catholic eduction, questioned a lot of it, decided I was some form of eclectic pagan, lapsed from that, and married a Jewish man, but never converted.)
Anyway, like I said, I am thoroughly not offended, but looking for clarification. Also, I really enjoy talking about stuff like this. :)
no subject
To the best of my understanding, there are a number of sects of Christianity that consider Catholics to be pagans or heretics of some kind, and that their form of Christianity is the true and real form, that the Catholics lost the path a long time ago. I've also been given to understand that other sects of Christianity consider themselves to be the true inheritors of "proper" Christianity, and the Popes and the Vatican have been lying about having the keys to the Kingdom of God for centuries now.
Catholics consider themselves to be the original form of Christianity, of course, with a line of spiritual descent stretching down from St. Peter himself. But I've been given to understand that, basically, they're the only form of Christianity who believe that.
Plus it's hard to consider Catholicism as an ur-religion, in my opinion, when it's very definitely split from Judaism, with a strong enough descent that the entire Torah was absorbed into the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.
(I grew up Catholic, received plenty of Catholic eduction, questioned a lot of it, decided I was some form of eclectic pagan, lapsed from that, and married a Jewish man, but never converted.)
Anyway, like I said, I am thoroughly not offended, but looking for clarification. Also, I really enjoy talking about stuff like this. :)