HotRod said:
So priests bang on about homosexuality being a sinful act, yet have no problem molesting young boys.
Fucking hypocrites.
Yes I don't think you'll find too many people who disagree with you there.
Ric2, thanks for the article, particularly the Petrine Primacy section (the only part I read, as per your recommendation). His point regarding everyone sitting down and listening to Peter certainly indicates they respect him, and he wants to end the bickering and move things along, but not Primacy. The difference between Peter's language and James's language, where Peter talks about God doing this and God doing that, while James is all about his opinion, follows from Peter talking about things God has done, while James is stating his judgment on what should happen next, in a way that will be acceptable to those gathered. While Peter lays it out as a fact ("Why are you putting God to the test?"), James's statements are intended to be a closure, offering something on which they can consider coming to agreement, and are thus phrased in a more inviting manner (Peter is, as usual, a little brusque?). The matter is not settled when Peter speaks, as they still have to hear Paul & Barnabas's testimony, and the text is not clear as to whether the agreement in v22 is just on James's implementation, or the whole matter.
The article asks, at the end
Carl Olson said:
If James was the leader of the early Church, or even the first pope, why aren’t his successors the head of the universal Church?
and that's not helping his point. Readers who don't think Acts 15 demonstrates Petrine Primacy probably aren't going to think the Papal claim to Petrine Succession is important.
As for Catholic-Orthodox relations, I agree that the two are more reconciled today than they have been in a very long time (while we Protestants are...all over the place), but I did mean unity.
Jesus said:
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
and I've never understood how that fits with schisms. And yes, I say that despite being a Protestant.