Ecumenism: "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

[simplejeff]

1 minute ago, Spock said:

I just noticed this thread today for the first time. I see there are over 100 posts!  Yikes, look at what I have missed. 

Really not much.

[Spock]

13 minutes ago, simplejeff said:

Really not much.

Lol!  I don't know....the two pages I read were pretty good read. 

When I read these words from Fedei's OP, I said to myself....."Uh ohhhh, I don't think so!"

Here are the words I'm alluding to: "I have started this thread for commonality, unity, and to DELIGHT in our differences, to share them without fear of malice, judgement, and severity."

Delight in our differences!!!!!!!!  I think Fedei would have been better off to have omitted this because quite frankly, I believe you are asking for too much to think we all should DELIGHT in doctrines or beliefs some some have that we strongly believe is opposed to the word of God. How do you DELIGHT in that?  

For example, I believe JWs believe Jesus was first Michael the Archangel before he became Jesus and was created, not always present.  How do you DELIGHT IN THAT?  Therefore, I do believe this terminology added stress especially to some,of my brothers here - Yowm and Churchmouse (I love that name) stand out to me. 

But........I still believe we can find one thread where we can call a truce and relate to one another to find commonality and leave our differences to the many other threads out there or ready to be born. 

Edited May 13, 2017 by Spock

[simplejeff]

1 minute ago, Spock said:

But........I still believe we can find one thread where we can call a truce and relate to one another without to find commonality and leave our differences to the many other threads out there or ready to be born. 

To me that sounds like asking those in prison convicted 25 years ago of violent malicious crimes and given life sentences , who have not repented nor recovered nor shown likelihood to

to a friendly church social (with young children present in large number)

with a 3 day weekend pass from the wardon, 

as long as no one talks about their crimes....

[Spock]

On 5/11/2017 at 11:08 AM, Giller said:

Eph 2:8-9
(8)  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
(9)  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
 

Of course it is by grace through faith, in the finished work of the cross, you are saved, but in being saved, God leads you to obedience to his word, and it says that we are sanctified by his word, and being changed by his word.

Eph 5:26-27
(26)  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
(27)  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
 

And of course we get built up by the word.

Rom 10:17
(17)  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
 

And it says to continue in his word.

Joh 8:31
(31)  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

And of course Jesus is the word.

Now in saying this, the gospel has absolutely nothing to do, with any denomination, and even though there are some that are saved in denominational circles, denominations was never God's intent, the forming of a body was always God's intent.

Catholicism is the whore of Revelation, and God says absolutely nothing good about the whore, so why would I join myself to a spiritual whore?

I know these might be strong words, but it is true.

And God does not want us to build upon something that is man made, all denominations are man made, whether it be Brethren , Pentecostal, Baptist etc.

It is not about reviving something God wants dead, it is not about elevating man made things, it is about elevating God to his rightful position, the gospel is not about man, it is about God , the one who can save man.

God wants a body, and he wants this or that body to build themselves on the foundation which is Christ Jesus, and he wants no other foundation laid.
 

I do not believe the RCC is the whore of Revelation.  I know Hal Lindsey and Dave Hunt and people like that were pushing that thinking in the 70s and 80s, but I really believe they are wrong on that one. 

Unfortunately, this has put a Bullzeye on the head of every RCC out there because of this line of thinking. 

(Hint: the real enemy of God and our Lord is fundamental Islam. I'd worry more about Mohammed and his minions than I would about some Pope.)

 

[Spock]

On 5/11/2017 at 1:30 PM, Judas Machabeus said:

Lol, every time I see a Protestant use that term I crack a smile. I think the same way. 

Funny story:

my fiancé was Protestant, and during that time when ever we fought I would go to confession and repent. Sometimes my penance would be to make her a special dinner along with some prayer and scriputre reading. 

So one time during a fight she says to me "You better go talk to Father about this, I'm likely to get another dinner"

I quickly retorted "Hey!! I think there's canon law against Protestants using Priests against us!!" 

Needles to say the fight ended right there and we had a good chuckle.

 

Just curious....Was your penance from your own thoughts or were they from the priest?  

Back in my day, penance was one of two prayers. I'm curious here....have things changed? 

Great story by the way.

 

[Spock]

On 5/12/2017 at 8:17 AM, shiloh357 said:

Ecumenicism isn't about uniting denominations and getting alone despite our doctrinal differences.   Ecumenicism is an erasure of our doctrinal differences and coming under one banner which means conforming to the collective.  Ecumenicism is about creating a one-world religion.  It is driven primarily by the Catholic Church which is trying to bring everyone back under the RCC umbrella.

Reminds me of the Borg. (You would know if you watched Star Trek.) 

[Guest shiloh357]

5 minutes ago, Spock said:

Reminds me of the Borg. (You would know if you watched Star Trek.) 

 

"We are the Catholics; Protestantism is futile.  You will be baptized."

[simplejeff]

Oy,  @Shiloh357,  can you edit out that IMAGE ?   thx.....

(my grandparents in Lithuania, and a lot of their relatives, were slaughtered by such a one....)

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

28 minutes ago, Spock said:

Just curious....Was your penance from your own thoughts or were they from the priest?  

Back in my day, penance was one of two prayers. I'm curious here....have things changed? 

Great story by the way.

 

Penance comes from the Priest. It's at his discretion. Generally it'll be a psalm or or scriputre that is relevant to what you confessed. Having a regular confessor is good because they can customize it more to your faith walk. 

Like preachers, some are better than others. I've had the "Say 3 our fathers and 3 Hail Mary's"

What the penance is, is less important than humbling yourself before God, asking for forgiveness and his mercy. We ourselves can never atone for what we've done. But we see in scripture when the prophet Nathan goes to David because of what he did with Bethsheba ( forgive spelling). We see David repent and Nathan telling him that he's forgiven.  But than something else happens. There is a consequence for his sin, he's told that his son will die. Thank goodness penance today is not that severe. 

You may know this, but for those that were not brought up Catholic. Forgiveness is NOT depandant upon penance. Your sins are forgiven BEFORE penance is given. 

[simplejeff]

3 minutes ago, Judas Machabeus said:

You may know this, but for those that were not brought up Catholic. Forgiveness is NOT depandant upon penance. Your sins are forgiven BEFORE penance is given. 

You man may know this,  but penance is man's tradition opposed to YHWH'S WORD (SCRIPTURE).