David CO

The OP stated that the new pastor had never interacted with the unit or met the unit's leadership. Based on this, I think it might be fair to speculate that the pastor is acting on third party information. However, the OP asked for help, not speculation. Unfortunately, I have little help to offer. The CO owns the unit, and has every right to choose the leadership. Sorry.

You said that the morals and values of your previous unit did not align with your own. That's why you started the new unit. Is it possible that the leadership of your previous unit has harbored hard feelings over your having started a new unit, and has poisoned the well for you at your new merged church? If you are going to be a member of the merged church, then I would suggest that you try to work things out with the pastor. If you are not, than I suggest that you quietly move on.

You already know the answer to your question.

Where does the Chartered Organization fit into this?

Once again, Catholic theology is not solely based on text. Exegetical traditions are based on text. This notion that all theology must be based on text, the Scriptures, is not something that we Catholics believe. If, after taking classes at a Catholic seminary, you emerged without understanding that Catholic theology is not solely based on text, than you wasted your time and money. All the dictionaries and Venn diagrams in the world cannot change the fact that we are different religions.

What? Did Stosh just say that he holds "no membership in any church?" How can one be a minister in a church without being a member of that church? I have no idea what that makes him.

No, that is not all you are doing. You are insisting that our most sacred Sacrament is just a tradition. You have stated so on numerous posts. One does not refer to a real event as a tradition. A solar eclipse is not a tradition. It is a real event. One would not call a solar eclipse a tradition. One can have ceremonies and traditions to celebrate a real event, but the event itself is real, not a tradition. I absolutely hate playing these stupid word games with you. I don't enjoy it at all. I don't agree with Beavah. I don't think you are confused. I think you know exactly what you are doing. You are entertaining yourself by trivializing our most sacred Sacrament.

No Fred, I must disagree with you. These are not very very small differences. It's the difference between our most sacred Sacrament being real or not real.

Catholics believe in transubstantiation. This means we believe the bread and wine physically changes into the Body and Blood of Jesus. We don't believe this is just symbolism. We believe a real change takes place. Stosh is deliberately trying to be provocative by insisting that our most sacred Sacrament, which we believe is real, is merely tradition.

Apparently, Israel isn't the only place where one can get unsolicited disagreements.

My brother is a professor at Wesleyan, and he tells me the same thing. The school has a large Catholic population who feel right at home among the United Methodists. That's why I said most Protestants. I didn't respond to Stosh's correction because I don't feel it is my place, as a Catholic, to instruct him on such things. I also didn't want to offend any United Methodists who might feel that I was mischaracterizing their religion.

We are not theologically the same. Not even close. Theology is God's Word. I understand that you believe God's Word can only be found in Scripture. Having the same Scriptures, you believe that we must have the same theology. Catholics don't believe that. I will not presume to lecture you about your religion. Nor will I attempt to change your mind. My only concern is for other Catholics who might be confused by your posts and misled into making grave errors. You are not Catholic. Your opinions are not Catholic. Your theology is not Catholic.

I hadn't thought about this before, but I wonder if there is any correlation between a scouter's religion and his propensity to quote and strictly adhere to BSA guidelines? Are scouters who believe that Scripture is not the only source of Divine Revelation more likely to look beyond BSA guidelines to find the "truth" in scouting? Do we quote BSA guidelines less frequently? Does our religious upbringing hard-wire us in our approach to scouting?

Catholics don't believe that Scripture is the only source of Divine Revelation. This is also a biggie.

I disagree. Catholics believe in Transubstantiation. My understanding is that Lutherans and most Protestants do not. This is a biggie. This is a big, big, biggie.

I don't think Christian is a religion, either, but I recognize that this may be a distinctly Catholic point of view.

Hedgehog, I disagree with both your inference and your logic. However, you finished with two honest questions, so I'll answer them. Do you think Catholic doctrine teaches that Catholics are not Christians? No. But Catholics don't use the word "Christian" the same way most Protestants use it. Catholic doctrine states that Christ's Church on earth "subsists in the Catholic Church." In this sense, we are clearly Christian. Catholics believe that there is only one Church, as stated in the Four Marks of the Church, and that this Church subsists in the Catholic Church. It is contrary to Catholic dogma to state that the Catholic Church is a subset or a denomination. Do you think Catholic doctrine teaches that Protestants are not Christians? No. Catholic doctrine teaches that people of other religions, as well as unaffiliated persons, can be Christian. But again, Catholics don't use the word "Christian" the same way that most Protestants use it. Catholics do not use the word "Christian" to denote any religious affiliation.

Hedgehog, I never said that. If you have any honest questions about something I have actually said, I would be happy to respond. I am not, however, interested in playing any more word games. So please, do not put words into my mouth and then ask me to defend them.

There it is. Stosh's mother-in-law was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. I knew it had to be something like that. When someone shows this degree of vitriol against the Catholic Church, 99 times out of a hundred, it turns out that they, or someone close to them, had been kicked out for violating our canon laws.

Anyone who is interested in learning the real Catholic teachings on this issue can google "lumen gentium" and read chapter 1. No, Stosh. I don't want to play a word game. I'm finished discussing this with you.

Christian theologians of other religions can deal with the issue any way they please. It is no concern of mine. Catholic dogma, affirmed by Vatican II, says something quite different. Stosh is apparently aware of this since it was clearly stated in the link he put up on his previous post. So what is his point? Is he saying that Catholicism is a bigoted religion?

Catholics are not looking for you to "justify" our religion. You practice your religion and I'll practice mine.

I prefer to encourage and celebrate diversity. Having things in common won't necessarily unite us, and having stark differences won't necessarily divide us. It's not a choice of one or the other.

After making a ridiculous statement like that, I might not pay any attention to him either. There are huge theological differences between Catholics and Protestants. They are two totally different religions.

I would agree that "Who is your Chartered Organization?" should be question number 1.