Posted on 01/04/2018 10:53:07 PM PST by JockoManning
Nevertheless, that's not the topic of this thread.
Agreed. But that’s not the topic of this thread.
The Maryknoll Sister Qx lived next door to in China often fellowshipped with the Protestant folks on the floor--and even shared Communion with them "as a "rememberance" --not as The Lord's Supper. They often prayed together and encouraged one another in The Lord.
Qx grinned at seeing your post--Good old Elsie--always at the ready!
Nevertheless, there are folks who put love of Christ above ALL institutional garbage. And we choose to fellowship with them, regardless of their labels.
There is that. LOL.
Elsie, how about starting your own thread. That would be thread #100,001?
Politics tends to carry more weight than Holy Spirit in most groups. The RCC does not have a corner on such flesh-driven factors.
But that's not the topic of this thread.
It is beginning to look like my hope for the thread was ill-founded to the point of being absurdly silly and naive.
Sad, that.
Will He find faith on the earth, indeed.
Or will he find those called by His name so busy throwing brick bats at one another that they throw virtually none at satan and his works.
I suspect few RC's see it that way.
However, NOT when/if the Pope is actively working overtly and covertly to help install Islam more comprehensively around the world as a strategy to move toward the Biblically predicted End Times One World Religion.
I only pick the ripest cherries.
Have a double Masters in theology. I can give you a 300pp treatise. But I won’t.
How about responding to the cherries I picked. You are welcome to pick your own.
Perhaps you could make your conditions more specific. I honestly thought i was responding appropriately.
I'd hoped that we could lay aside the obvious and relentlessly pontificated major distinctives between the RCC and Protestants--and focus for a change on how we could come together as those who love Jesus in mutual dialogue and support of HIS goals between us--particularly in the topic area of the Pope who seems to be so troubling and problematic to his own group, the RCC.
I don't know that I could have been a LOT clearer about that. Sorry it was too fuzzy for you.
Thanks for your kind tone. God's best to you and those you love.
However, I think this thread was a delusional fantasy or brain fart. It was doomed to failure before it started.
It appears that there are far too many congregants on both sides who belong FIRST AND FOREMOST to
THE CHURCH OF THE PASSIONATE FLYING BROTHERLY BRICK-BATS!
Somehow it reminds me of a youtube by Dr Jordan Peterson wherein he notes that
IF YOU ARE: .................THEN YOU WANT
Extroverted ..............Friends
Agreeable ................Intimate relationships
Disagreeable..............To WIN competitions
Open .....................Engage in creative acts
Highly neurotic ..........Security
The religion forum seems to routinely bend over backwards demonstrating that it is well populated with very disagreeable folks needing desperately to win religious arguments--of the sort that Christ exhorted us to avoid.
The problem becomes is how we define the proper understanding of Jesus and how we come to have eternal life in Him. There is a vast gulf between Evangelicals and Roman Catholics on this most important of all topics.
On social issues such as abortion, homosexuality there is common ground between Evangelicals and most Roman Catholics.
If we look at the opinion polls on the various issues though, they reflect a closer adherence on these issues as they relate to the Bible among Evangelicals than Roman Catholics.
I ping daniel1212 as he has an excellent montage of polls on this topic.
If we look at presidential voting patterns dating back to the fifties Roman Catholics have more often than not supported the democratic candidate; IIRC in all but three elections.
And, peace at any price is not peace and not worth the price.
Nevertheless, Jesus Himself said Blessed are the peace makers. It is Christian to try, when and however Biblically fitting may be the case.
Qx has a common statement that I agree with:
God is Holy--He is not prissy
He also majors in majors and minors in minors.
Yes, many of the distinctives the two sides are at 180 degree loggerheads over are vital, crucial major issues. And, we believe that God will be bringing folks together around The Cross in Christ's Blood and Spirit regardless of all such conflicts and issues--for those who earnestly seek to follow CHRIST & HIM CRUCIFIED above all else; who seek to be led of His Holy Spirit in more or less all they do.
We believe that only the enemy and his priorities profit when authentic believers get locked into reflexive p*ssing contests that are fruitless, distracting and extremely damaging to the participants, to The Kingom and to pagans watching from the sidelines.
Christ did NOT say:
'By this shall all men know that you are my disciples--that you throw the biggest brick-bats at your Christian brothers.'
Yes, part of Loving one another is speaking truth to one another.
Nevertheless, when one's speaking the truth to a given authentic Believer in Salvation-in-Christ's-Blood, chronically emphasizes prickly, brittle, sharp attacks vs hearing and coming together in HIS Spirit and Blood, then something is amiss with the priorities concerned.
Yes, we have a role to play in exhorting one another and in judging whether a close brother is walking remotely consistently with Biblical values, priorities and principles, or not. And then in relationship bounded love and kindness steer the brother back to the center of the narrow way.
However, that does not equal chronic critical prissy judgmentalism from a haughty, long-finger-wagging perch on the part of a self-righteous, usually control-freak laden pharisee.
We have grown to believe somewhat more that exhortations of others are a lot like discipline of children. Discipline without sufficient relationship connection, intimacy, will virtually always result in rebellion.
In terms of not that well connected believers exhorting one another, the exhortations rarely result in greater Christian love and mutual respect and yoke-fellow behaviors. Instead, they tend to result in more hostility, animosity, resentment, anger, disgust ... and the watching world even more intensely wanting nothing to do with ANY flavor of Christianity.
The Mormons claim they follow Christ. But it is not Christ as revealed in the New Testament.
Jehovah Witnesses claim to follow Christ. But it is not Christ as revealed in the New Testament.
So no...I disagree with your statement.
Christ did NOT say: 'By this shall all men know that you are my disciples--that you throw the biggest brick-bats at your Christian brothers.'
Jesus was pretty clear on drawing the line in the sand.
30“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.Matt 12:30 NASB
33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34“You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 35“The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. 36“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matt 12:33-37 NASB
The key is understanding Who Christ is. We can only do that by studying the Word and prayer as the Spirit guides us.
We seem to agree theologically.
RC's who know us well know our stances on all the major points of disagreement. We have no need to constantly beat them about the head and shoulders with our views and convictions.
At times, if not lots, it's fitting to give it a rest.
Good thing Paul didn't have that approach.
I heard my name mentioned having to do with poll surveys ? The sad thing is not simply Catholics and mainstream Prots listing to port, but that the stats for evangelicals are not 100% to starboard!
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