Atheists as members?

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by MysticCat81

Right. Luther, Calvin and other of their generation were hoping to reform the church, not start a new one. I sometimes wonder whether, if they were alive after Vatican II, they would still see as strong a need for Reformation.

I think we're over-analyizing this, not too mention doing some considerable high-jacking (plus having a fun discussion, imo). My only point in my first post (that started the high-jack) was that some Eastern Orthodox might take issue with the unqualified statement that prior to Reformation the Roman Catholic Church was "considered the universal church." If the statement to which I was responding had been phrased that in Western Europe or in the West, the Roman Catholic Church was considered the universal church prior to the Reformation, then I think there'd be little room for argument. But without that qualification, I think a simple and accurate response is "Not in Greece, it wasn't." That's all I was saying.

Excellent point.