We Baptists are not really concerned with what our RC friends are doing, re doctrine.
I'm a born-again Southern Baptist as well and I agree. The pope is a man and is
fallible just like all other men.
Unfortunately, I believe most Catholics are more caught up in the RC and the "pope" than they are at discerning the true word of God. Please don't take offense as I believe there are many good and godly catholics; however, like any other church (including Baptist) not all members are truly born-again.
For the record, I consider everyone (Catholics, Baptist, Methodist, etc.) who is TRULY born-again to be my brother in Christ.
I don't need the pope, I don't need a cardinal, I don't need a priest to have a personal relationship with God. Matter of fact that would prevent me from having a personal relationship with my God. God does not command us to have a brokered relationship with Him. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" says a lot. Confessing sins to another human being is futile. None of the officers of the Catholic church have any more sway with God than do I or any other believer and it is detrimental to a personal relationship with God to believe they do. The officers of the Catholic church cannot forgive sin.
Romans 10
8But what does it say? �The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,� that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9If you declare with your mouth, �Jesus is Lord,� and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11As Scripture says, �Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.�e 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile�the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, �Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.�
I do not say these things in a hateful manner. Spirituality is truly an individual experience. However to place such faith as is placed on the pope's ability to define what is acceptable or unacceptable in the worship of our God or in the obedience of Jesus' teachings is misplaced.
