Oh, that's such a sweet dig. I'd've been disappointed if you didn't bring the old pony out for another ride.

Guess the thumb-wrestling match moves to whoever owns the definition of "early Catholic Church".

The whole notion of "keep it small" is right there in the New Testament.
It's not Catholics or even the Church; I'm just not on about large organizations.

Oh, sure. I'm actually *not* a disagreeable sort of fellow. Things get testy on here with a couple of chaps, but that's really only due to having cycled the same set of arguments over years.

It happens. Would that it were more often.

So you're saying Ted Cruz is Herod, and Her Majesty is Pilate? I think you're crediting Cruz (and the rest of the GOP hopefuls) way, way, way too much. JEB is the closest to Hillary. And maybe he _is_ as diabolical. I want to doubt that, but set personal bias aside: he could be as ruthless under pressure, sure.
Note that JEB made a show of publishing emails ahead of Her Majesty's announcement about The Royal Server. There is quite a bit of behind-the-scenes crap going on. And, if there is ever to be anything different (and I think I'm less pessimistic than you on the point) minimizing the behind-the-scenes crap is essential.

Get back "to" you; get back "at" you: what's in a preposition?

Sure, the theological argument of "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." I get what you're saying. But to argue that Simon Peter is Judas Iscariot is specious.

I love you, man, but, as a sola scritptura fundamentalist, that tradition adds nothing to my infinite admiration for Christ, and knowledge of my utter, sinful failure.
Across the varied tapestry of Christianity, there's an awful lot that has me shrugging.
In defense of Roman Catholicism/Eastern Orthodoxy, I'll take the hit that the Evangelical "tradition" is drab and has just as many challenges as the "high" churches, albeit different ones.
Not out to offend you. In any case, we've nothing mutual to prove. Our only judge is the Savior.

So, you're arguing that the common cold is stage 5 cancer?

No. I'll give you kind, but not degree. Her Majesty is major league, compared to the T-ball players around her. Irrespective of party.

You sure know how to roll a nightmare scenario. As for the Second Coming, I figure He's en route; just that His watch runs at an extemporal rate. And Mary certainly holds a blessed place in human history, but the Muslim argument about Christians over-achieving has a certain cogency with respect to her.

Less is more where deadly force is concerned.

I like that definition, except that anymore, "bigot" is tossed at anyone who commits ThoughtCrime.
While there are quite a few ideas that I just can't fathom, I only get anywhere near nasty (at least, from my perspective) when somebody is attacking my integrity.

Just go to bed, man. You've lost it.