Observation: It shows the difference between Protestants/Evangelicals and Catholics: For the most part your comments could be summed up: "to learn about the church and traditions" whereas the Protestant/Evangelical answer is "to get to know and love God" as of paramount importance.
If my observation is correct, the comments are on the difference. -Lon
Thanks for pointing it out. I guess it's really easy to forget that our basic difference is that you all think we're superstitious for believing in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It'd be like one faction of Hindus who don't believe in the Hindu polytheism, trying to get along with a more traditional Hindu who does. The group who rejects the older polytheism takes the ethical guidance from Hinduism, but lives their lives basically 'under advisement' of what they've come to see as an anachronistic version of Hinduism as compared with their more enlightened form, while the more traditional Hindus are actually practicing Hindus, just like all throughout history.
This modern Christian, who doesn't believe in the Blessed Sacrament, who doesn't believe in Christian chastity, and who doesn't believe in attending church worship services every week, is an enigma to me, but you've helped sharpen my thoughts on the matter with your comment here, so again thank you for it.
Note that I take the Bible more literally than you and all Protestants do. It's what ultimately was used by the Spirit of truth to lead me into the truth of Jesus's Church. I don't have to argue here for Catholicism, since both Catholicism and Orthodoxy, the two oldest, ancientest Christian ecclesial communities, both fully and fervently believe in the Real Presence. "Wherever two or three are gathered in my name", "This is my body", John chapter six, plus Ignatius scolding the heretics who denied that the Lord came in the flesh, is all powerful evidence entirely consistent with the Catholic and Orthodox belief and teaching in the Real Presence, which is very powerful evidence that's also consistent with the idea that the Apostles themselves believed in and taught the Real Presence.
And we all know their 'marching orders'. Matthew 28:20, 'comes right after that famous verse consistent with the idea that the Apostles also taught the Trinity, Matthew 28:19, says that the Lord instructed them all to teach to obey everything that He commanded them.
