Posted on 07/10/2014 2:24:31 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
What does it take to produce the first-ever papal high-five? A meeting with American televangelists, apparently.
The gesture came during a three-hour meeting of Pope Francis and Texas televangelists Kenneth Copeland and James Robison, just weeks after the pontiff met with televangelist Joel Osteen and other religious leaders. At the June 24 meeting, Robison said he was so moved by Pope Francis’ message of the gospel that he asked the translator to ask Francis for a high-five. The pope obliged, raised his arm and the two men smacked hands.
The televangelists are among some wealthier U.S. evangelicals who have recently met with Francis, who has called for a focus on the poor and a simple lifestyle for clergy. In March, the pope met with members of the Green family, the Oklahoma billionaires whose company, Hobby Lobby, won their challenge to President Obama’s contraception coverage mandate at the Supreme Court last week.
Copeland and Osteen have been criticized by some as teaching “health and wealth” prosperity theology, the belief that faith can increase one’s wealth. But from his humble shoes to his simple Fiat, Francis has set a decidedly un-extravagant example.
“The prosperity gospel seems to be fundamentally opposed to the message that Francis has been spreading. But he has shown that he’s willing to meet with just about anyone,” said Michael Peppard, a professor of theology at Fordham University.
“Joel Osteen seems to have a charismatic authority among a large amount of people. Maybe Francis is channeling Jesus: If you disagree with someone, meet with them.”
(Excerpt) Read more at religionnews.com ...
The uncomfortable truth is that even believers are not entirely square with Christ in the way they live in this world.
Other than elucidating a very sharp line between believer and unbeliever, which is based upon an atomic action, not upon some average of conduct, we believers have no business being occupied with who is a worse enemy of Christ. Because we might find ourselves doing something dastardly and bastardly too.
Check out the plank in your eye with the name calling.
She’s saying she doesn’t care for weak, wimpy anything-goes Christians, as I read it.
Jesus said something similar. He wished that Laodicea was hot or cold. It wasn’t either one. It was lukewarm and it was about to get the divine barf treatment.
Better to be wrong, but to be wrong because you really care about God, than to be a mush.
Thank you.
“How about hijacked by a man or men...”
Well, I suppose man-made sects (all Protestant sects are) can be quite often “hijacked” but what’s the difference if it was already man-made rather than Christ-made?
Ever since the church accepted Rome on a silver platter its attitude has had a lot of man made problems.
Believers are Christ-made one by one.
The church ran into institutional problems when it presumed it could take stewardship of a land of unbelievers.
Some Catholics on here post much worse about Protestants. Some seem to show a lot of hatred.
“Ever since the church accepted Rome on a silver platter its attitude has had a lot of man made problems.”
Sorry, your comment makes no sense. I have no idea what you mean.
“Believers are Christ-made one by one.”
Yes - but that only fully happens in the Church. That’s the whole point.
“The church ran into institutional problems when it presumed it could take stewardship of a land of unbelievers.”
No, actually your comment makes no sense.
Very true words.
...we believers have no business being occupied with who is a worse enemy of Christ.
We shouldn't look upon our brothers or sisters as "enemies". We are suppose to point out areas for improvement while understanding that we too fail. How people perceive us in telling the truth to them is between them and God.
Gal_4:16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?
Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same;
Objectively they are heretics. Therefore, using the word is certainly valid and in no need for correction.
And you have put the cart of the church before the horse of Christ.
It is hard though not impossible to do this, because stumbling blocks of ego and pride await. It ought (and sometimes we fail) to be in the tone of “Here is a better way to do this” rather than “I berate you, you SOB.”
And I still say that earthly worship congregations are too often full of themselves. Any claim to be an earthly organizationally unified body was dropped at the point of the Roman/Orthodox split. And the two sides of that split have mutual sentiments towards one another — that the other is the lesser and needs the one that is the essential which of CO-OURSE is themselves. The appearance of Protestants has given both of those something to sneer at, and they do (though Roman Catholics tend to sneer less).
The most genuinely pious of any Christian faith community scarcely bother themselves with these questions — it is mediocre churchmen in need of bolstered egos that do.
You’re entitled to your opinion....albeit false.
And certainly you are free to believe your own opinion — albeit false! It shows every single hallmark of being full of man, of being full of self. The tone has changed from biblical times.
You are not free from the consequences, however.
lol..whatever.
Go ahead and lol your way to a hell on earth if not in eternity. You can go ahead and be full of man while I pursue pure Christ, and let’s compare notes at the end.
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