The RCC doesn't follow the Scriptures

Mr. S writes: I HAVE MANY ISSUES WITH THE RCC BUT I THINK THEY ALL PROBABLY STEM FROM ONE- THE RCC DOESN'T FOLLOW THE SCRIPTURES (EXAMPLE CALLING PRIESTS 'FATHER' WHEN SCRIPTURE CLEARLY FORBIDS IT). ALL THE PROPHETS WERE CHOSEN BY GOD TO WRITE DOWN WHAT GOD WANTED WRITTEN DOWN FOR US, CHRISTIANS. WITHOUT SCRIPTURE, WE WOULD BE LOST--THE CHURCH IS NOT RELIABLE IN THE LEAST BECAUSE IT PUTS ITS TRADITIONS ABOVE GODS WORD AND THINKS IT HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO SO.

My response: I, as you probably expected, disagree with your views. First let me say, that the Catholic Church is reliable in teaching the faith because Jesus Christ created her to do so and promised that the "gates of hell" would not prevail against it. That is God's Word and you can trust in it. Now to what you view is the "stem" of all the issues you have with the Catholic Church: the Catholic Church isn't "sola scriptura", which from your comments I assume you are (my apologies if my assumption is incorrect). I too used to be "sola scriptura" or "scripture alone!". The problem with that is, God didn't drop bibles from Heaven nor did Jesus hand them out before he ascended. Jesus never even told believers to "listen to your bibles", in fact Jesus said to listen to the teachings of his Apostles (Mt.10) whom he left to run his Church on earth when He ascended. Let me ask you (general "you" to any one who's sola scriptura) to do something. Using your bible alone- no other source- tell me which books belong in your bibles and by what authority you have determined that. Have you come up with anything yet? Don't sweat it, you can't and neither could I. You know why? Because the bible doesn't tell you what books or verses belong in it, Church authority tells you that. The bible was never meant to be your authority or interpret its self. Jesus left a Church with authority to do that. The bible is not your authority, because it can't even determine what belongs in it nor can it interpret it's self to tell you what it's saying (I think you can agree that there are numerous differing- and bickering- interpretations of the scriptures among Christians). The bible is a tool for teaching but it isn't a better "tool" than Tradition. Sacred Scripture and Tradition are equal. Neither one more important than the other. They are equally important. What does scripture say about Tradition? 2 Thess. 2:15 "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter." The "we" is the Church. The "word of mouth" is Tradition and the "by letter" is our written scriptures. The bible tells us that BOTH are equal and if someone claims to be "sola scriptura" how can they get around this scripture to deny Tradition? Notice the "we" again. It does NOT say "stand firm and hold to the teachings you interpret from the bible" it says "stand firm and hold to the teaching WE passed on..." both "by word of mouth" (Tradition) "and by letter" (Scriptures). This completely defeats any notion of "sola scriptura". It shows Church authority and that Tradition and Scripture go hand in hand, together equally. The bible proves there is no such thing as "sola scriptura". It's right there for anyone willing to look for it honestly.
Now to your other comment about "call no man father". This is terribly misunderstood and leaves many confused. Are we forbidden from calling our biological and stepfathers "father"? Of course not. Was it a sin for Jesus to call Abraham "Father Abraham"? Of course not. Are we forbidden from calling priests "father"? Of course not as Saint Paul himself shows in scripture that he became a "father" to believers.
1 Cor. 4:15 "Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel."
Jesus says to "honor your father and mother", now if it was wrong to call a man "father" why would Jesus do so? Jesus also refers to Abraham as "Father Abraham", now if this was wrong why would Jesus do so? There are numerous occasions when "father" is used in scripture by Jesus and others. What Jesus meant by "call no man father" is we are not to ever elevate anyone to the level of our Father in Heaven, God. There is no way God is ever offended by us using the term "father" when we do not elevate any man to the level of God. We know this because of scripture it's self, as I've shown above.
You make one last comment about "authority" and your view that the Catholic Church does not have authority. No one has the authority (or power) over God. But Jesus did give His Church authority and you can see that in scripture.
Matt. 18:18 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
John 20:23 "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."
Acts 16:4 "As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for people to obey."
Note the "decisions reached by the apostles and elders"..."to obey". This IS Church authority in action shown in Sacred Scriptures. This is not people reaching their own decisions by reading a bible. The people are listening to the teachings of the Church because of Church authority. I know its very difficult for Protestants to see this because they are not taught to see it. These verses are often skipped right over and ignored because to address them would bring up questions that can not be supported by Protestantism. As a convert to the Catholic faith, I know this because I went thru it myself. It's eye opening and it rocks the boat of Protestant theology.
In Matt. 7:24-27 Jesus talks about building a house on a rock because when the storm comes such a house will prevail and still be standing. He also goes on to talk about builders who build a house on sand and that when the rain comes and wind blows the house can not stand because it's foundation is not solid. It collapses. Later in Matt. 16 Jesus changes Simon's name to "Rock" (Peter) and he says in verse 18 "And I tell you that you are Peter [Rock], and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

Here is the Catholic Church and two thousand plus years later she is still standing strong against the storms because her foundation is the rock. The gates of Hades will not prevail against her. Jesus promised us this and He keeps His Word. The Catholic Church is the church that Jesus Christ created in Scripture and He gave it authority on earth and in Heaven (Mt.18:18). That is what scripture says and I believe it.

Your church- it's really a CULT

someone writes: Your church--it's really a CULT--was founded by the last pagan Pontiff and the first "Christian" (yeah, right!) Pontiff, Constantine in 312 AD.
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My response: My Church, the Holy Catholic Church is not a "cult" and it was not founded by a pagan Pontiff Constantine in 312 AD. The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ and the record of this can be found in scripture when Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter (meaning "rock") and told him he was going to build a church on him the 'rock'. This is the significance of Jesus changing Simon's name to "Peter" [rock]. To mark his position.
Matt.16:17-19 "Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter [rock], and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." There are a few significant words used here, first as noted is Simon's name changed to Peter [Rock]. The second is Christ telling Simon Peter that he is going to create a church on Peter the rock. And third, Jesus handing the "keys" to Peter. Keys show an authoritative position held and Jesus giving the keys to Simon Peter clearly show him as set apart from the other disciples. Finally, Jesus gives Simon Peter the power and authority to "bind and loose" on earth and in heaven. In the last chapter of John, Jesus singles Peter out again from all the other disciples and reinforces the place of authority he has placed him in (John 21:15-19).
Early Christian writings clearly document that the Catholic Church existed long before Constantine was a twinkle in his mother's eye. Here are a few for you to consider and please note the dates and words used like "Catholic" and "Eucharist" which identify that the Early Church was the Catholic Church as it is even today, because Christ said 'the gates of Hades will not overcome it'. And so the Catholic Church has existed and grown since Jesus founded her on the 'rock' in the scriptures.

Ignatius of Antioch"Let no one do anything of concern to the Church without the bishop. Let that be considered a valid Eucharist which is celebrated by the bishop or by one whom he ordains [i.e., a presbyter]. Wherever the bishop appears, let the people be there; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church" (Letter to the Smyrneans 8:2 [A.D. 110]).

The Martyrdom of Polycarp"And of the elect, he was one indeed, the wonderful martyr Polycarp, who in our days was an apostolic and prophetic teacher, bishop of the Catholic Church in Smyrna. For every word which came forth from his mouth was fulfilled and will be fulfilled" (Martyrdom of Polycarp 16:2 [A.D. 155]).

The Muratorian Canon"Besides these [letters of Paul] there is one to Philemon, and one to Titus, and two to Timothy, in affection and love, but nevertheless regarded as holy in the Catholic Church, in the ordering of churchly discipline. There is also one [letter] to the Laodiceans and another to the Alexandrians, forged under the name of Paul, in regard to the heresy of Marcion, and there are several others which cannot be received by the Church, for it is not suitable that gall be mixed with honey. The epistle of Jude, indeed, and the two ascribed to John are received by the Catholic Church (Muratorian fragment [A.D. 177]).

Tertullian"Where was [the heretic] Marcion, that shipmaster of Pontus, the zealous student of Stoicism? Where was Valentinus, the disciple of Platonism? For it is evident that those men lived not so long ago—in the reign of Antonius for the most part—and that they at first were believers in the doctrine of the Catholic Church, in the church of Rome under the episcopate of the blessed Eleutherius, until on account of their ever restless curiosity, with which they even infected the brethren, they were more than once expelled" (Demurrer Against the Heretics 30 [A.D. 200]).

And Constantine was never "pontiff" of the Catholic Church. He converted to the Catholic faith on his death bed and soon died afterwards. I hope this has dispelled your previously held misconceptions of the origin of the Catholic Church and Constantine's relationship to the Catholic Church.