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


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A great Ecumenical saying is “in the essentials unity, in the non-essentials liberty, and in all things love.” 

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One of the most successful Ecumenical leaders was Count Nicklaus Von Zinzendorf:

Nikolaus Ludwig, count von Zinzendorf, (born 1700, DresdenSaxony [Germany]—died May 9, 1760, Herrnhut), religious and social reformer of the German Pietist movement who, as leader of the Moravian church(Unitas Fratrum), sought to create an ecumenical Protestant movement. 

 

The very success of Herrnhut in attracting new members intensified the antagonism of the establishment—the aristocracy, the town guilds, and the Lutheran church. Zinzendorf had sought to placate those who saw him as a sectarian and who doubted his allegiance to the Augsburg Confessionby having himself ordained in 1734 as an orthodox Lutheran pastor. Nevertheless, two years later, he was banished from his estate by order of the Saxon government. In exile the count, in order to represent the missionary interests of the Moravians abroad more authoritatively, was consecrated a bishop of the Unitas Fratrum (1773). After establishing Moravian settlements at Herrnhaag and Marienborn in Wetteravia and forming new congregations in the Netherlands and the Baltics, he spent time in the West Indies and, subsequently, laid the groundwork for Moravian congregations in England. From 1741 to 1743 he traveled in America, setting up Moravian congregations in New York and Pennsylvania (including the major settlement of Bethlehem, Pa.).

On his return to Europe, Zinzendorf’s ecumenical passion led him to develop the idea of Tropen (methods of training), according to which the different Protestant churches each represented valid concrete expressions of the one true church of Christ, differing only in their modes of apprehending and communicating a shared set of religious truths. In 1747 the Saxon authorities rescinded the count’s banishment; two years later they formally recognized the Church of the Unity of the Brethren. The English Parliament bestowed a similar recognition in 1749. But the excesses of the Sifting Time (1740s), a period in which the antirational, emotional, and sensuous elements inherent in Zinzendorfian theology were greatly intensified and which led, particularly in Herrnhaag, to an erotically tinged preoccupation with Christ’s wounds, provided new ammunition to his opponents. The last decade of his life was trouble-laden. Debts incurred in pursuit of his worldwide missionary program continued to mount; his son Christian Renatus, whom he hoped would succeed him as leader of the Moravian church, succumbed to a lung ailment at the age of 25; and his wife, Erdmuthe, died in 1756. In the following year he married his lifelong collaborator Anna Nitschmann, who had formerly headed the Single Sisters’ Choir in Bethlehem. Three years later, in 1760, Zinzendorf died in Herrnhut and was buried there.“ (Enclyopedia Britannica). 

Edited by Fidei Defensor
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Ecumenical Count: 

“Our method of proclaiming salvation is this: to point out to every heart the loving Lamb, who died for us, and although He was the Son of God, offered Himself for our sins ... by the preaching of His blood, and of His love unto death, even the death of the cross.” Nicolaus Zinzendorf

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“Missions, after all, is simply this: Every heart with Christ is a missionary, every heart without Christ is a mission field." -Count Zinzendorf, Ecumenical Priest 

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God clearly says throughout His Word, and Jesus likewise says,  love not the world nor the things of the world.

Thus,  nothing in common with "-isms",   especially those "-isms" that include loving the world's ways without rightly seeing the truth about those ways.

Thus,  that's why Ekklesia ,  those set apart from the world, called out of the world,  cannot be friends with so-called ecu .. "-ism" .....    there's a completely different spirit, and completely different gospel !

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On 5/10/2017 at 6:55 PM, Fidei Defensor said:

The debates are fierce between denominatuons. We each have our unique views, but Jesus wanted us to be One, “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 themeven as you have loved me.” (John 17:20-23). Christ's prayer was not for Apostles alone, but all who believe in their message (John 17:19-21). I have started this thread for commonality, unity, and to delight in our differences, to share them without fear of malice, judgement, and severity.

This is a safe space for all Trinitarian denominations. If you are non-Trinitarian you may share, but please lets not turn this thread into a debate center, instead here we practice civility, examples of eticate "Interesting perpective, I respectfully hold to a different view," or "Since you have shared that view, I have this question about that doctrine," instead of "your wrong! See the light." 

Here the goal is to be loving and share views without the heated rhetoric of debate threads (if you want robust and loud debate go elsewhere please).

Here we celebrate our simarities and show respect for differences (liturgy or no liturgy, hymns vs worship songs, communion differences) and even desire to inderstand them and celebrate them, rather than fight over Eucharist views, we share them without judgement and enjoy the conversation over the different views.   

Addendum:

To clarify the goal of this thread I want to share the many types of Ecumenism and which specific version is what this thread is about:

"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.

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)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ecumenism as definition varies dramatically.

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

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

 

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I think a fight is when a person trys to overpower another person by hurting them to win and dominate them and way too many Christians play the victim or virtue signal.

There is nothing wrong with debating your position and for people minds to change about their own positions. It's what the diciples did. We even had a scriptural record of one disagreement and how they handled it.

If disagreement on doctrine keeps you from loving people and if anyone thinks they must force their argument to a place of destroying a person that challenges their perspective. It's just all flesh against flesh and probably a Jezabel spirit involved which we are told not to tolerate anyway.

When Christ is exalted he saves. Just like when Mosses lifted up that thing God told him to. People were healed when they looked at it.

People should stop exalting their doctrine and themselves and exalt Christ and scripture in context and people will be saved.

Edited by Reinitin
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On 7/3/2019 at 9:21 AM, Reinitin said:

I think a fight is when a person trys to overpower another person by hurting them to win and dominate them and way too many Christians play the victim or virtue signal.

There is nothing wrong with debating your position and for people minds to change about their own positions. It's what the diciples did. We even had a scriptural record of one disagreement and how they handled it.

If disagreement on doctrine keeps you from loving people and if anyone thinks they must force their argument to a place of destroying a person that challenges their perspective. It's just all flesh against flesh and probably a Jezabel spirit involved which we are told not to tolerate anyway.

When Christ is exalted he saves. Just like when Mosses lifted up that thing God told him to. People were healed when they looked at it.

People should stop exalting their doctrine and themselves and exalt Christ and scripture in context and people will be saved.

That’s well said and what my hope and aim was for this thread. To open dislouges across denominational lines and discuss our different views and come to understand one another (maybe not agree, but at least see a different perspective). 

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Every denomination has its own doctrines and ideas.    It seems wrong to me though, to try to wall off our own denomination from all the others.  I might not agree with you on everything, but if you have put your faith in Jesus, and seek to follow him, you are my brother or sister in Christ.

I'd be happy to argue with you, but I will not deny your faith in Him.

We should never deny anything that is good or holy in the faith of other denominations.

 

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Given that many have already posted I have not taken  time to read all the answers. If I post I am just speaking my mind. Forgive me if post to what someone else has already posted.

Can we be  in fellowship with Catholicism. I have to say no. The ecumenical movement is to make the pope the umbrella earthly head of all Christianity. this the intent to be as it was before. Its a kind of mind game to turn you  back where the pope is  the helm of the church. Its it's ambition to be the church of the world.

This is not to  say   Protestantism is right if it looks to the order of the church rather than letting Christ be their guide personally. It must be about becoming more like Christ in the Spirit. His spirit in you

Just speaking my mind not want to offend another's post.  

Disclaimer   This is not to say Catholics can't be saved. Its a matter of the heart. Therefore there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus  

Edited by Mike Mclees
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On 12/11/2019 at 3:41 PM, The Barbarian said:

Every denomination has its own doctrines and ideas.    It seems wrong to me though, to try to wall off our own denomination from all the others.  I might not agree with you on everything, but if you have put your faith in Jesus, and seek to follow him, you are my brother or sister in Christ.

I'd be happy to argue with you, but I will not deny your faith in Him.

We should never deny anything that is good or holy in the faith of other denominations.

 

Well said. I love debating with people of different denominations, hence why I chose to be Christian theologian. Its fun to discuss points of difference, and commonality. . 

On 12/11/2019 at 5:40 PM, Mike Mclees said:

Given that many have already posted I have not taken  time to read all the answers. If I post I am just speaking my mind. Forgive me if post to what someone else has already posted.

Can we be  in fellowship with Catholicism. I have to say no. The ecumenical movement is to make the pope the umbrella earthly head of all Christianity. this the intent to be as it was before. Its a kind of mind game to turn you  back where the pope is  the helm of the church. Its it's ambition to be the church of the world.

This is not to  say   Protestantism is right if it looks to the order of the church rather than letting Christ be their guide personally. It must be about becoming more like Christ in the Spirit. His spirit in you

Just speaking my mind not want to offend another's post.  

Disclaimer   This is not to say Catholics can't be saved. Its a matter of the heart. Therefore there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus  

You raise a good points, Catholicism and Protestantism are vastly different. 

Catholicism: Prima Scriptura (Tradition and Scrilptue are equal) This means councis, and manmade traditions can equal Scripture in dogma. 

Protestantism: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone is the authority for theology, doctrine, belief and Christian Life). 

Jesus said of tradition: “

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

They worship me in vain;their teachings are merely human rules.’

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[c] your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[d] and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’

 11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13 

Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” (Mark 7:6-13).

That’s only one major difference, there are others on soteriology, Virgin Mary, prayers for the dead, authority and etc. 

I myself am a Sola Scriptura and Spirit Filled Protestant. But I have Catholic friends and Eastern Orthodox friends. I try to gentle, but stand firm on my beliefs. 

Edited by Fidei Defensor
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