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

[Spock]

1 hour ago, TheMatrixHasU71 said:

But I am afraid it does, though not directly. Ecumenism doesn't work when you have gross heresies amongst Christian denominations and I just happened to bring up how Ecumenism is doing its best to suppress the truth when Christian churches associate with non Christians just as an example.

You are preaching to the choir with me- I dropped out of all organized church and now worship the Lord in my home ON SATURDAYS I may add with a few like minded believers.  Lol.   

I don't really think FD's intent for this thread was for us to accept each other's bad doctrines.  I guess the word ECUMENISM scared everyone. 

 

[simplejeff]

On 5/15/2017 at 0:23 PM, Spock said:

 I guess the word ECUMENISM scared everyone. 

Does idolatry scare you?  Does adultery ?  Greed ?  ...... no,  hopefully,  and likewise hopefully there's not desire to sin....

Idolatry,  adultery (and much worse),  greed,  and ecumenism all goes together in this world..... oh, and deception, 

deceiving the whole world as it is written....

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

5 hours ago, simplejeff said:

Does idolatry scare you?  Does adultery ?  Greed ?  ...... no,  hopefully,  and likewise hopefully there's not desire to sin....

Idolatry,  adultery (and much worse),  greed,  and ecumenism all goes together in this world..... oh, and deception, 

deceiving the whole world as it is written....

I've kinda drifted from this thread. Jeff what does ecumenism mean to you?

[simplejeff]

Does idolatry scare you?  Does adultery ?  Greed ?  ...... no,  hopefully,  and likewise hopefully there's not desire to sin....

Idolatry,  adultery (and much worse),  greed,  and ecumenism all goes together in this world..... oh, and deception, 

deceiving the whole world as it is written....

[Fidei Defensor]

On ‎5‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 8:47 AM, TheMatrixHasU71 said:

But I am afraid it does, though not directly. Ecumenism doesn't work when you have gross heresies amongst Christian denominations and I just happened to bring up how Ecumenism is doing its best to suppress the truth when Christian churches associate with non Christians just as an example.

"Ecumenism refers to efforts by Christians of different church traditions to develop closer relationships and better understandings. The term is also often used to refer to efforts towards the visible and organic unity of different Christian churches in some form.

refers to efforts by Christians of different church traditions to develop closer relationships and better understandings

The terms ecumenism and ecumenical come from the Greek οἰκουμένη (oikoumene), which means "the whole inhabited world", and was historically used with specific reference to the Roman Empire.^[2] The ecumenical vision comprises both the search for the visible unity of the Church (Ephesians 4:3) and the "whole inhabited earth" (Matthew 24:14) as the concern of all Christians.

In Christianity the qualification ecumenical is originally (and still) used in terms such as "ecumenical council" and "Ecumenical Patriarch" in the meaning of pertaining to the totality of the larger Church (such as the Catholic Church or the Orthodox Church) rather than being restricted to one of its constituent local churches or dioceses. Used in this original sense, the term carries no connotation of re-uniting the historically separated Christian denominations, but presumes a unity of local congregations in a worldwide communion.

Historically, the word was originally used in the context of large ecumenical councils that were organized under the auspices of Roman Emperors to clarify matters of Christian theology and doctrine. These "Ecumenical Councils" brought together bishops from around the inhabited world (such as, οἰκουμένη) as they knew it at the time. There were a total of seven ecumenical councils accepted by both Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism held before the Great Schism. Thus, the modern meaning of the world ecumenical and ecumenism derives from this pre-modern sense of Christian unity, and the impulse to recreate this unity again.

There are a variety of different expectations of what that Christian unity looks like, how it is brought about, what ecumenical methods ought to be engaged, and what both short- and long-term objectives of the ecumenical movement should be. Ecumenism and nondenominational or postdenominational movements are not necessarily the same thing. While some of these can be ecumenical in intent, normally nondenominationalism seeks no common organizing principle nor works toward the unity of Christians." (Wikipedia)

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Ecumenism as definition varies dramatically.

This thread's aim was towards this kind of Ecumenism:

"refers to efforts by Christians of different church traditions to develop closer relationships and better understandings."

[Fidei Defensor]

A look at a ecumenist: 

https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/theologians/thomas-forsyth-tf-torrance.html 

[Fidei Defensor]

On 5/15/2017 at 8:47 AM, TheMatrixHasU71 said:

But I am afraid it does, though not directly. Ecumenism doesn't work when you have gross heresies amongst Christian denominations and I just happened to bring up how Ecumenism is doing its best to suppress the truth when Christian churches associate with non Christians just as an example.

What are the gross heresies? All 3 Million denominations of the Church visible claim to be the only church and true successor in apostolic succession. I wonder how grieved Jesus our Lord is by all the infighting, intercide, and incesssnt bickering. Jesus loves in all who confess and believe in Him as Son of God and Lord God who is One with FatwhecGod and Holy Spirit God (Romans 10:9-10, 1 John 4:15, John 6:40, 2 Peter 1:1, Matthew 28:19). 

I find it rather unsettling how brothers and sisters in Christ play God and try to judge a person’s salvation status. Sure if they deny the essentials publicly like Copts, LDS, Unitarians, Cathar, Nestorian, Arians, and etc; all of these however don’t confess the Biblical Jesus who is God Incarnate and One with Father and Holy Spirit (John 14:26, John 15:26) and are cults not denoms of the Church. 

[seeking the lost]

For many years I have worked toward this unity or ecumenism.  Many are afraid of being unequally yoked together with unbelievers.  Many are so afraid of the anti-christ church that they will not even be the church.

Jesus Prays for All Believers  John 17

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one,Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

The world will know the Father sent the Son when we can come into unity.

[Fidei Defensor]

5 hours ago, seeking the lost said:

For many years I have worked toward this unity or ecumenism.  Many are afraid of being unequally yoked together with unbelievers.  Many are so afraid of the anti-christ church that they will not even be the church.

Jesus Prays for All Believers  John 17

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one,Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

The world will know the Father sent the Son when we can come into unity.

It is a pleasure to finally meet someone who doesn’t have ecumenaphobia. I believe Unitas et Christus is possible, but it requires the diverse denominations to cease infighting and deciding each other isn’t saved. 

[Mike Mclees]

19 hours ago, Fidei Defensor said:

It is a pleasure to finally meet someone who doesn’t have ecumenaphobia. I believe Unitas et Christus is possible, but it requires the diverse denominations to cease infighting and deciding each other isn’t saved. 

Who would head up this united faith. How would all the denominations trash their names.