Christian Unity

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EvangelCatholic said:
The Christian’s responsibility to seek unity in the Body of Christ per the holy apostle Paul: “You are God’s chosen people, dedicated and dear to Him. You must therefore clothe yourselves in compassion, in kindness, in humility, in gentleness, in patience”.

At risk for tooting a horn but it is very encouraging that Lutherans and Anglicans in Europe & north America recognize/ share resources/ validate Apostolic Succession. Additionally the ELCA has reached out to those who profess the Apostles/ Nicene creed [Reformed/ Presbyterian/ Methodist/ Moravian].
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I am a Catholic (not nominal either) and I am reaching out to all Christians as well, thank you for sharing. 🙂
 
Nine_Two said:
Didn’t I read here the other day that the ELCA has Churches which worship the Holy Mother Goddess?
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I don’t know whether I should :rotfl: or :nope: all I know is that we need more of this :grouphug:
 
J_the_Centrist said:
Think it is weird all you want, but it is totally true. Where do you live? Do you know anything about the assault on decency and our common values that is taking place?

By the way, there are “educators” who are teaching CHILDREN (7-10 YEARS OLD) to put condoms on cucumbers, WAKE UP!!!

UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL, GO AHEAD KEEP THINKING OF FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST AS “OUTSIDERS” AND LIVE IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY, I PREFER THE 21ST. :banghead:
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It is strange to me that someone describing themselves as a centrist uses caps so often. Hmm.

Anyway, I don’t think it’s weird because I deny that it’s going on (it is going on, at least in some places). I think it’s weird because Christian unity has nothing to do with putting condoms or not putting condoms on vegetables. I don’t see the connection. I wish that were all we have to face as Christians. I really do. But opposing excesses in education is not central to Christian unity, so…yeah, I don’t understand this.
 
BTW, when I posted initially, what I meant by unity was not that everyone would have to abandon their denominational allegiances and unite under a single denomination. Rather I meant that we should respect and acknowledge each other as being brothers and sisters in Christ and come to each others defense when necessary. For example, when Evangelicals are insulted by Bill Maher and the like, I take it as an insult, knowing full well that an insult against them is extremely likely to trickle down to Catholics like me. I just thought that I’d clear that up. Peace!!!
 
dzheremi said:
It is strange to me that someone describing themselves as a centrist uses caps so often. Hmm.

Anyway, I don’t think it’s weird because I deny that it’s going on (it is going on, at least in some places). I think it’s weird because Christian unity has nothing to do with putting condoms or not putting condoms on vegetables. I don’t see the connection. I wish that were all we have to face as Christians. I really do. But opposing excesses in education is not central to Christian unity, so…yeah, I don’t understand this.
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Sorry for the caps, that was for emphasis and not intended to be for screaming :p. I only used that as an example and you are right, absolutely right, that is not our only issue. I just posted something that should clear things up, where I essentially say that an insult to another denomination should be taken as such by all Christians.
 
J_the_Centrist said:
BTW, when I posted initially, what I meant by unity was not that everyone would have to abandon their denominational allegiances and unite under a single denomination. Rather I meant that **we should respect and acknowledge each other as being brothers and sisters in Christ **and come to each others defense when necessary. For example, when Evangelicals are insulted by Bill Maher and the like, I take it as an insult, knowing full well that an insult against them is extremely likely to trickle down to Catholics like me. I just thought that I’d clear that up. Peace!!!
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👍
 
J_the_Centrist said:
BTW, when I posted initially, what I meant by unity was not that everyone would have to abandon their denominational allegiances and unite under a single denomination. Rather I meant that we should respect and acknowledge each other as being brothers and sisters in Christ and come to each others defense when necessary. For example, when Evangelicals are insulted by Bill Maher and the like, I take it as an insult, knowing full well that an insult against them is extremely likely to trickle down to Catholics like me. I just thought that I’d clear that up. Peace!!!
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For some people, Christianity has little meaning outside of the Sunday Liturgy.
 
From your clarification, J, it seems that a more accurate word for what you’re looking for could be “sympathy” or “empathy”, rather than “unity”.
 
dzheremi said:
…For our Eastern Orthodox friends, the EOTC situation can be somewhat basically/imperfectly compared to the situation with ROCOR vis-a-vis the Russian Orthodox Church (though the EOTC one has not lasted nearly as long as the ROCOR situation, so we still have hope it could be solved, just as ROCOR is now in full union with the EO), in so far as the synod in exile was formed in opposition to the Church at home, which is perceived (rightly or wrongly; obviously the article you’ve linked has its own bias, as well) as being politically influenced in its decisions. This does not, however, impede our unity with the EOTC. It is rather an internal EOTC matter. We still commemorate the recently-enthroned Abune Matteous. An even worse situation exists in Eritrea, where the sitting “Patriarch” of the Church there, one Abune Dioskoros, was installed by what can only be called a puppet synod. The Coptic Church, for its part, refuses to recognize Abune Diskoros, and instead commemorates the proper Patriarch, Abune Antonios, who has been detained by the government for years now. Does this likewise mean that we are in schism from the Eritreans? Of course not. We are not obliged to recognize anyone who happens to call himself a patriarch.

We are still just as united as we ever were, though of course there are many people who do not like the current situation. I agree with them (schism is never a good thing), but we still know who the actual patriarch is (when HH Abune Paulos was alive, we commemorated him and not Abune Merkorios of the North American synod). There are always people who are unhappy with whatever choices is made. That doesn’t mean the Church is not united any more than various sedecavantists somehow “proving” that the Roman Church is not united.

What Egyptian dispute are you referring to? Deir el-Sultan in Jerusalem? That is essentially a land/property dispute involving the EOTC monks and Coptic monks and the Israeli state. The nature of the dispute is that some say that the monastery in question belongs to the Copts, and was essentially given illegally to the Ethipians by the Israeli authorities. Not being Coptic, Ethiopian, or Israeli myself, I just shake my head at the whole thing. We’re one church, after all…let’s stop this stupidity. This is the view of pretty much every Copt I’ve ever personally talked to about it. Some have even noted that this has hardened the Patriarchal line against Coptic visits to Jerusalem, which does indeed hurt us all, so it should be solved. It’s stupid that this kind of stuff continues, but realistically all kinds of stupid things happen among the churches in the Holy Land, such as the annual fights between the Armenians and the Greeks at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre)…
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I’ll remember all of these various issues in my prayers. Thank you for sharing.
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dzheremi:
…Again, none of this rises to the level of disunity in the communion. The Copts and the Ethiopians are very much still in communion despite these essentially political squabbles, as sad and reproachable as they are.
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I understand. There are different levels of disunity within the Church.
 
dzheremi said:
From your clarification, J, it seems that a more accurate word for what you’re looking for could be “sympathy” or “empathy”, rather than “unity”.
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No, I mean unity, if one denomination is attacked or belittled by non-Christians, all the others should come to their defense. If there is a feud between denominations, as there often is in places like Jerusalem (so I hear) for example, all attempts should be made to end the feud by all denominations and to direct any negative energy elsewhere. Yes, I meant unity, we are all a part of Christ’s body and should act to keep it healthy, instead of giving it cancer. Ok, that was in bad taste, but you know what I mean.
 
J_the_Centrist said:
…we are all a part of Christ’s body and should act to keep it healthy, instead of giving it cancer…
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This can be a touchy thing to define. Are all who profess to follow Christ actually Christian and therefore part of the Christ’s body?

We all need to love our neighbor as ourself, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we are all part of Christ’s body.

For example, there are those who profess to be Christian yet worship Mary as a Goddess. Those who do so are not Christian even if they profess themselves to be as such.
 
Stylteralmaldo said:
This can be a touchy thing to define. Are all who profess to follow Christ actually Christian and therefore part of the Christ’s body?

We all need to love our neighbor as ourself, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we are all part of Christ’s body.

For example, there are those who profess to be Christian yet worship Mary as a Goddess. Those who do so are not Christian even if they profess themselves to be as such.
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You are right and I will respond with Matthew 7:14-16, we will recognize them by their fruits. I realize that it is not easy and clean cut, but most Christians in the world adhere to a very similar theology. As for those who see Mary as a goddess and the “Christians” on websites like the Huffington Post who constantly complain and apologize for their faith in the hopes that the Secular Repressive community will accept them, I suggest Matthew 18:17. We should treat them as “pagans and tax collectors” or as non-Christians, I think that should clear things up! :harp:
 
J_the_Centrist said:
No, I mean unity, if one denomination is attacked or belittled by non-Christians, all the others should come to their defense. If there is a feud between denominations, as there often is in places like Jerusalem (so I hear) for example, all attempts should be made to end the feud by all denominations and to direct any negative energy elsewhere. Yes, I meant unity, we are all a part of Christ’s body and should act to keep it healthy, instead of giving it cancer. Ok, that was in bad taste, but you know what I mean.
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Are you sure you’re not a Lutheran? 😃
 
J_the_Centrist said:
No, I mean unity, if one denomination is attacked or belittled by non-Christians, all the others should come to their defense. If there is a feud between denominations, as there often is in places like Jerusalem (so I hear) for example, all attempts should be made to end the feud by all denominations and to direct any negative energy elsewhere.
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I haven’t been involved to much with this thread; but I’ll chime in that I don’t object to you calling that “unity”, but it might confuse some since “unity” and “union” are often used interchangeably.
 
Peter_J said:
I haven’t been involved to much with this thread; but I’ll chime in that I don’t object to you calling that “unity”, but it might confuse some since “unity” and “union” are often used interchangeably.
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No, I didn’t mean it that way at all! A few posts back I suggested my true intentions of the post. I understand and appreciate your concern, thanks.
 
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