Ecumenical Dialogue

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Michael16

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I had an interesting thought and I’m starting a thread on that.

The thought being: Are we actually being ecumenical in arguing over our differences and disputing, at times meanly; the various positions? I feel like we’re just going round and round and going nowhere.

So: Let’s lift our heads out of the theological trenches and take a frank look at two things:
  1. What we can agree on.
  2. How can we support each other in an increasingly paganized world that’s hostile to Christianity?
Something I remembered: The Holy Father Pope Francis went to his old bishopric Buenos Aires on an ecumenical visit to a Protestant church. During the visit, the Holy Father asked the pastor to pray for him. Which blew my mind in a good way and led me to a greater respect for the man.

I also remember hearing a priest say that you guys are experiencing a loss rate similar to that we are. That’s sad.
 
Michael16 said:
  • What we can agree on.
  • How can we support each other in an increasingly paganized world that’s hostile to Christianity?
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The danger is not just that the pagans will overcome us, but that we might gradually become pagans, without realizing it. That’s what happened with the majority of Protestantism. That’s what they want to share with us.

Here’s a better start point: find Christians who also believe in dogmas, even if they seem uninterested in Ecumenism. We have more potential with evangelicals than with those really into Ecumenism, as a goal in itself.

Then see who stands with us on abortion, and sacredness of marriage. Have conversations with them.
 
Thank you for your comment, commenter. What you said about the majority of Protestantism becoming pagan I think is a very good one. I find it sad that they went the way they did. How can a community call itself Christian when they officiate gay “ marriages. “
 
I don’t think the apostles were sent out to be ecumenical.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
(Mt 28:18-20)
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They were sent out to proclaim the teachings of Jesus and the Church He established, the Catholic Church.
 
You have a good point. I’m sorry. I’m just trying to do some good and break the cycle of endless back and forth war between us.
 
Michael, it says you on Catholic on your profile. What denomination or church are you suggesting a better dialogue with?

Deacon Christopher
 
I am Catholic, Deacon. I’m trying to reach out to the Protestant posters on our site. I’m not meaning to budge on the Faith. Just hoping to build bridges instead of fighting.
 
I love that the Church no longer has a hard liner approach to protestant churches. Often times they are much better evangelizers than Catholics. And they are sometimes much more formed than Catholics are because even if they don’t contain the whole deposit of faith, they do well with what they do have by studying the written Word. We should not be angry with them because they are in love with a Catholic book and they love Christ.

All that said, these discussions have their place here and this is a good format for it. Unfortunately things said on the internet seem so emotionless and it’s easy to misinterpret what the other guy is saying.

I believe there is no better place for the state of one’s soul than holy Mother Church. She will be consistent on her doctrinal teachings and will not fall off the cliff of immorality on her official teachings. And she needs well formed Catholics to represent her, not only here, but in this world we live in. I seem to sort of fail at this in my day to day life and hope to improve. When Non Catholics look at us they should see good Christians who live their faith and walk the walk.
 
Michael16 said:
Thank you for your comment, commenter. What you said about the majority of Protestantism becoming pagan I think is a very good one. I find it sad that they went the way they did. How can a community call itself Christian when they officiate gay “ marriages. “
Click to expand...
I was quite thrilled when I saw you had started this post. I found @commenter’s statement at first disturbing then intriguing when he suggested Evangelicals may have more in common with Catholic doctrine.

I think it is already unfortunate that the choice of words is so often what builds walls. I would suggest that to say the “majority” of “Protestants” have become pagan is already building a foundation to disagreement. Who has decided that the majority of non-Catholic Christians have become pagan? Do the majority of them officiate gay marriages? If those statements are indeed fact, they are statistics I was not aware of. Without substantiation it is like saying all Catholic priests are predators and it is unhelpful.
 
Michael16 said:
I had an interesting thought and I’m starting a thread on that.

The thought being: Are we actually being ecumenical in arguing over our differences and disputing, at times meanly; the various positions? I feel like we’re just going round and round and going nowhere.

So: Let’s lift our heads out of the theological trenches and take a frank look at two things:
  1. What we can agree on.
  2. How can we support each other in an increasingly paganized world that’s hostile to Christianity?
Something I remembered: The Holy Father Pope Francis went to his old bishopric Buenos Aires on an ecumenical visit to a Protestant church. During the visit, the Holy Father asked the pastor to pray for him. Which blew my mind in a good way and led me to a greater respect for the man.

I also remember hearing a priest say that you guys are experiencing a loss rate similar to that we are. That’s sad.
Click to expand...
I think mainline Protestants’ loss rate is quite a bit higher than Catholics and Evangelicals.

 
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Nobody said the majority of Protestants have become pagans. But the majority of denominational structures have adopted positions that their own predecessors would have called pagan.
 
Sounds like Taize. Not a fan. Not a fan of “dialogue” and ecumenism either. How about we go back to evangelization like Jesus commanded?

The apostasy is due to modernism. If the church is going to embrace the world then people will see no reason to stay in the church. If children grow up being taught in school 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, that sin is acceptable or even “strong and brave” then that is what they will embrace.
 
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I think dialogue between confessional (conservative) Lutherans would be a good start. We obviously have our differences, but we share much as well.
 
I wholeheartedly concur. If the Church compromises with the secular culture; we compromise with the devil.
 
The V2 document on Ecumenism is a good starting point. But keep in mind it was written at a time when all Protestantism was prolife. That’s who they had in mind.

So we can still apply it in 2019, but selectively. We don’t pretend we are still in the 1960s.
 
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