[CamB]

Come on Mul - isn't it better to direct the attention at converting non-believers?

FWIW, I (and the majority of my Catholic friends - I am actually very involved in the Church) would not believe that a priest is needed to absolve sins, we don't worship images or pray to dead persons.

It may appear we do the things in bold, but I can assure we don't.

I have been known to chant though. And I do think the Pope is a holy guy, and respect his leadership role. I don't feel that I elevate him in any way which interrupts my relationship to God.

Most of all, you need to understand that the Catholic Church has, for the last coupla thousand years, been assisting its people to interpret the Bible. IMHO, it would be just as dangerous to interpret the Bible personally, in a vacuum, as it would be to solely rely on what the Catholic Church teaches without reading the Bible. This thread alone shows the difference in interpretation of the same book (amongst non-Catholics as well as Catholics) - how can you be sure that your own interpretations are correct?

I'm done for the day - this clearly winds me up in a way that the political crap doesn't. I'm not gonna work this afternoon, so lucky me. It's lunch and coffee time...