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

[Fidei Defensor]

Another concern I have is this. If we insist on division and not trying to at least have cordial and kind relationship with those we disagree with in the Church, will not we be so divided and easy pickings for the Antichrist's malice?, " And the beast was allowed to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation," (Revelation 13:7) and "This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus." (Revelation 14:12). How is it good to be so bitterly divided become Antichrist's rises? Worse, how can we focus on enduring in Christ if we fighting with other Christians? The Ottoman Turks almost invaded all Christian lands because everyone was fighting and splintering among themselves during Reformation (I am glad for good fruit of Reformation, The Scriptures, but the endless splintering is going to be difficult).

it is easy to disagree and be full of vehemence towards each other now, but what of when Persecution comes? Notice Syrian Christians and those being attacked by ISIS aren't squabbling over doctrine, they are trying to survive. The Armenians during their dark hour of being subjected to Genocide sought Protestant aid (see the movie The Promise 2017, starring Christian Bale).
 

[Wolf Bridges]

Shouldn't the greatest commandment Jesus gave us be paramount when we are among one another? 

[warrior12]

2 hours ago, Fidei Defensor said:

Another concern I have is this. If we insist on division and not trying to at least have cordial and kind relationship with those we disagree with in the Church, will not we be so divided and easy pickings for the Antichrist's malice?, " And the beast was allowed to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation," (Revelation 13:7) and "This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus." (Revelation 14:12). How is it good to be so bitterly divided become Antichrist's rises? Worse, how can we focus on enduring in Christ if we fighting with other Christians? The Ottoman Turks almost invaded all Christian lands because everyone was fighting and splintering among themselves during Reformation (I am glad for good fruit of Reformation, The Scriptures, but the endless splintering is going to be difficult).

it is easy to disagree and be full of vehemence towards each other now, but what of when Persecution comes? Notice Syrian Christians and those being attacked by ISIS aren't squabbling over doctrine, they are trying to survive. The Armenians during their dark hour of being subjected to Genocide sought Protestant aid (see the movie The Promise 2017, starring Christian Bale).
 

The spirit of the Lord has to convict a man of his walk on this Christian life.  He is born again, then spiritual truths will convict him of the type of worship and he will examine his life  if it lines up with scripture. I don't think protestant hate Catholics as many are portraying it to be.  Doctrinal truths must be upheld and protestants would not be entangled in extra biblical doctrines.   Straight and narrow is the gate that leads to life and we must enter it by this pathway.  I see nothing wrong in having conversations with people of other faiths, i do.  You live in a multicultural city as i do, then you don't have a choice and we have to work, live and play and we get along fine.  But a man's spiritual life is his sacred  journey that he has come to accept as the truth of the Bible and not other figures that rules over and dictates how he worship, no it is a private and personal relationship that is not to be compromised by anything that seeks to bring in falseness. 

We are in a war, a war  that is not of flesh and blood, but of spiritual dimensions that are unseen.  The arch enemy is the one that divides and puts brother against brother.  His schemes are witty and as Mr. Brooks said, satan shows the bait but hides the hook...   Many are seeking for unity, and brotherly unity is a commendable thing that should be encouraged.  We cannot forget how man fell from grace, it was by the beguiling of  the serpent.  It is the Holy Spirit that will speak to a man's heart to come out from among her.  

Are you an apologist for the Ecumenism movement. Then so be it.  There are lots of heated debates here within protestants that is  tempered, e.g OSAS, and the rapture.  I am not falling for all this oneness and so called unity when the Bible states clearly.  

2 Corinthians 6      King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷ Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

¹⁸ And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

May i add, i am not being divisive, but being cautious.  There are a few here who was in other faiths and have had bad experiences and i guess lash out instead of a reasonable reply.  They are but a few and we cannot bunch the whole lot with them.  Worship is serious business and it is what i stand for. 

Edited May 13, 2017 by warrior12

[simplejeff]

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[Fidei Defensor]

1 hour ago, Davida said:

Glad they are reading the bible they need to as anyone who wants a relationship with God, & to know Jesus Christ, maybe it will make a difference to them. This post seems a deliberate attempt to manipulate and I for one am not moved by manipulation, nor inferred accusations, nor someone imposing their own emotional projections or any attempts at dramatization or catastrophizing .

I have said anyone may come and discuss, but you and others have made it a deliberate point to attack my claims and the point of this thread: to be a place for dialogue for different denominations. Which by way is against Worthy Christian Forums rules, you aren't suppose to derail a thread and keep condemning the point of thread. If say I didn't agree with say "Holy Laughter" and "Slain in Spirit" and kept attacking purpose of thread and demeaning the person who started it, I would be for one derailing and being an obstruction to people who want to talk about subject. By the way, no one can manipulate you on forums, you have the right to opine or refrain from joining in. No one forced you here.

Hey anyone realize we are people here? Not bots. You may say you don't agree with Ecumensim. But to keep going at it and telling me what I think, am saying, and so forth isn't only violation of ethics, I being certified Christian counselor can tell you its wrong to tell anyone what they think, feell, or mean by their statements, especially if they have tried to clarify.

[Fidei Defensor]

38 minutes ago, Davida said:

The amount of lecturing this thread is pretty amazing.

It's called making my case, making an argument using Socratic method. The Apostle Paul used it all the time. So you can say what you want and its opinion, and what I say is a lecture? Double standard.

This is the exact reason Christendom is fracturing apart, and why I think Jesus said, "tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?" (Luke 18:8). Because in my opinion, the kind of behavior being exhibited towards my thread, and comments is exactly what frightens people way from the Church.

For the record I am not with RCC or EOC, or even Roman Catholic Church. I have clarified many times, and so I will again:

"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." (Wikipeida).

 

[Fidei Defensor]

5 hours ago, Wolf Bridges said:

Shouldn't the greatest commandment Jesus gave us be paramount when we are among one another? 

He gave three, which are you referring to?

[Fidei Defensor]

7 hours ago, BacKaran said:

Take the Roman out of Catholic Church, put God and Jesus back in, we may get to talking...

Actually the Roman Church is in the Book of Romans, an epistle by Paul. It developed into its own homogeneous church from 300-1054 A.D. Just like there were the Greek Christians, Jewish Christians (Galatians 1 and 2, and Acts 15). Roman refers to culture, which Paul often talks about being apostle to Gentiles, to the Greek Churches, should we amend the Holy Bible?

[appy]

People get the views of other groups, but they don't have to agree with or practice opposing doctrines to be sociable.

As soon as someone says. . . I don't agree with X,Y, and Z someone else will jump in with a very defensive attitude defending X,Y, and Z. And they don't stop until the other person says “yes, I see what you mean and that's so wonderful” or the opposing joins the other group. And so far, this thread is proving that point.

Not all religious groups that call themselves Christians believe and except what the bible says who Jesus is. Many worship a false Jesus even though they use similar vocabulary of Christians. Their meanings and definitions are totally different. Ecumenism is about getting people to move over to one single point of religious view unreservedly without question,. even if that religious view is very wrong and unbiblical. It calls for people to change their minds and except, honor and applaud something they don't agree with.

[Fidei Defensor]

2 minutes ago, giggling appy said:

People get the views of other groups, but they don't have to agree with or practice opposing doctrines to be sociable.

As soon as someone says. . . I don't agree with X,Y, and Z someone else will jump in with a very defensive attitude defending X,Y, and Z. And they don't stop until the other person says “yes, I see what you mean and that's so wonderful” or the opposing joins the other group. And so far, this thread is proving that point.

Not all religious groups that call themselves Christians believe and except what the bible says who Jesus is. Many worship a false Jesus even though they use similar vocabulary of Christians. Their meanings and definitions are totally different. Ecumenism is about getting people to move over to one single point of religious view unreservedly without question,. even if that religious view is very wrong and unbiblical. It calls for people to change their minds and except, honor and applaud something they don't agree with.

But you agree only Jesus knows if someone really knows him right? I mean, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness;" (Matthew 7:21-23). If we start judging who knows Jesus, are we not now the Spiritual Gestapo? Only Jesus knows who Know him, and frankly I think anyone seeking Him, even if they are in cult or wrongful view of Jesus, Jesus will reveal Himself to that person. I have meet ex-Jehovah Witnesses who got free from the Watch Tower, and now are Bible Believing Christians.

Only God can see the heart, "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve." (Jeremiah 17:10), and "Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, "Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?" (Mark 2:8).