I say justifying because the cause of division is the flesh. Doctrine is only a justification for giving into our flesh and forming schisms.

However, staying in fellowship with a church that is worldly and whose basis has very little to do with the Gospel is foolish. Even if I don't believe in SOLA Scriptura, I certainly believe in living by the Scriptures and saying what they say. Luther and Calvin tried to do so, and they were kicked out of the Catholic Church. Roman Catholics today keep talking like Luther and Calvin formed schisms on purpose. No, they didn't. They simply tried to teach the Scriptures, and the extremely corrupt, worldly, and money-loving Roman Catholic Church excommunicated them.

The actions of the Catholic Church were so bad, and their rejection of these men so wrong, that whole provinces stood with them.

That's what happened. If the result later was that the Protestants have some false doctrines, that certainly doesn't mean that I, living in Selmer, TN and Auburn, CA, should go back to an organization famous for persecuting Christians, for opposing the availability of the Scriptures, for loving money, and for rampant corruption. Instead, it means that I should reject those false doctrines and return to the apostolic basis for a church, the only church the New Testament knows about, which is the local saints, gathered together as one family.

So that's what I'm doing.

im sure you wont approve my comment either

but who am i but a 21 year old catholic who once questioned his faith too

you know the holy spirit isnt confused but protestants seem to like it that way considering they cant agree on anything yet they boast that they are lead by it.

I have nothing but love for you all

I myself still play with the praise and worship band i did previously

but the truth is out there we just have to submit to it just like the gospel says

We don't exclude people based on doctrine, as true-hearted people eventually get what they need. We exclude people who claim to be disciples of Christ who don't look like him, and refuse to admit it and turn to God to be saved.

We actually have some friends who obviously love God and are doing their best to follow him in the RCC.

They are by far the exception.

In the early church of the apostles dedicated loving followers were the rule, and those that were not were asked to repent, or leave and quit pretending to be set apart for God.

Both the teaching of the RCC, and the overall lifestyle of the vast majority of the followers of Rome have changed so drastically that those simple, holy men of old would not recognize the modern RCC as anything remotely related to them.

Their message (Paul's, Peter's, John's, and the others') would clearly be, "Repent!"

I'm actually in California trying to help people be founded in that fellowship you describe. So many people have no idea that Christ is not first in their life, and they're stunned to find out what they are putting in front of serving Christ and building his church.

I realize that there is still an elect, and that there are brethren spread throughout the world, let alone America. In fact, I have gone to some pretty awful churches who have obviously wrong doctrine, and are caked in complacence, but I go to one of their bible studies. I swear, the most grace I have ever seen has been mostly in bible studies of like minded people wrangling and analyzing scripture. The problem so much today is that so many folks put their trust in the man in the pulpit and don't even read their bibles that much. They don't test the preacher, they just accept what he says at face value and then go home and live the lives unchanged by God's Holy spirit. The grace of God is many times suppressed in this way. This church leader-ism has a place once in a while, but today, I believe that we need to reform the church and start back over with the people of the church being the main focus. We don't all need to be theologians or scholars, but we need to have true fellowship with one another (and not this manufactured Sunday churchism compartmental fellowship). We need to gather together and worship God. A part of a Spurgeon sermon comes to memory:

"Oh for the days when Whitfields would preach on tubs once more, when their pulpits should be on Kennington Common, and their roofs the ceiling of God's sky. Oh for the time when we might preach in barns again, or in catacombs either, if we might but have the life of God that once they had in such places."

We need to realize that the Lord can raise up anybody to preach His gospel, and that He truly gives gifts as He will. He can raise up a person with downs syndrome and endow them with the the spirit of the prophet Elijah if He so choses. The Holy spirit is our true teacher, and not any man.