JL: Yes any of those who belong to Christ are part of this VISIBLE Catholic Church. Some visibly AND spiritually, some spiritually ONLY, those who are separated visibly from that ONE fellowship. We call them separated brethren. No one is saved outside the ark, as those in Noah’s day found out.
JL: There is no such thing as universal church made up of contradicting denominations. Can you show me in scripture this so called kingdom divided into thousands of contentious groups all claming to be led by the Holy Spirit in their teaching of scripture. Yet none can agree. I call that a spastic body working against itself, dividing and scattering people of faith. It is nothing more than a Tower of Babel, men trying to build a tower to heaven, it’s end is confusion for people of faith who no longer speak the same faith language, each going his own way, split after split.
There is a universal church or bride of Christ. It is made of those that love. We see it today. We see today members of any denomination giving their lives to Christ by caring fully for their fellow man. It is a reality and we see it. It is not a spastic body, as these people of different denominations put love first, and that is what matters. Differences can be overlooked or even celebrated.
JL: You have yet to show evidence in scripture of this invisible body.
“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” John 14:21
JL: You have described only the attributes of those who belong to the visible Body of Christ. You have not shown scripture evidence that Body of Christ is invisible. How do find and invisible Church? How can you hear and invisible Church? How did Paul write to an invisible Church?
On the contrary, it is a catastrophe and a triumph of the pride of man who prefers his own pet theologies and and philosophies to the truth that was once for all delivered to the saints. As I noted before, there is no precedent for 30,000 competing and conflicting denominations in the New Testament, the Early Church Fathers or at all until the Protestant Deformation 1600 years later.
and sad.
Yes they are the attributes of those that belong to the Body of Christ. I see them in every denomination, thus the scripture when it refers to the Body of Christ is refereing to the invisible universal church.
Hey no big deal if they ask, “which one”, tell them whichever one you like. We got lots of variety! Variety is good.On the contrary, it is a catastrophe and a triumph of the pride of man who prefers his own pet theologies and and philosophies to the truth that was once for all delivered to the saints. As I noted before, there is no precedent for 30,000 competing and conflicting denominations in the New Testament, the Early Church Fathers or at all until the Protestant Deformation 1600 years later.
And it is an embarassing scandal to those outside the christianity, When invited to join the Church, you can’t blame them for asking “Oh yeah? Which one? You guys can’t even agree among yourselves!”
The fact that Protestants find this to be all very normal is both ignorant
That makes sense, but the way we see it, receiving Communion implies unity of doctrine as well
the Church is not a worldly organization, it’s Christ’s Body. Having different denominations is not from God… because the Apostles told us to have the same faith, to be of one mind. I don’t believe that God is pleased when we all believe different things and then argue with one another. He gave us a Church, He gave us truth, passed down from the Apostles… we don’t have to use our own reasoning and try to figure out Scripture, we already have the correct interpretation in the Church. The Church is where Peter is, (the Pope) and where the Eucharist is… that’s how God holds it together in unity. Yes we should all love one another, and all people, but Christ is calling us to an even greater unity… love that includes obedience to the Church and its teachings
but there is only one truth
And that Truth is Love.
Christ’s body is made of those that love the Lord and these people come from all denominations.
so if we love, it doesn’t matter what we believe? what if a person loves but doesn’t believe in Christ? that is important… truth and love go together
I don’t want to argue. Christ’s Body is the Catholic Church. Non Catholic Christians are united to it through their baptism and faith but are not in perfect communion, without the Eucharist. The Church is visible, not only invisible.
JL: You may not be new age but you sure sound similar? Do Buddist not love, Do non-believers not love? Because you love are all to listen to you? What do you do when two people who both love disagree? How do you know without error when one really loves or is pretending? Does Christ have ONE BRIDE or a harem of thousands.
When one loves as a Christian or non-Christian one has God as God is love. When a non-Christian (as I once was) commits one’s life to God one finds that one can follow God in one’s heart, but there is no God in the physical world to serve. One’s motive is for God but one’s actions are not, as one’s actions are serving other things, as there is no God to serve in the physical realm.
I agree.
Christ has only one Bride. This bride is the body of Christ. It is made of those that obey God. God is love.
it’s true that love is from God, but God is calling everyone into visible unity in the Catholic Church. This is where we receive the most graces. Yes there are Catholics who reject these graces, but that doesn’t mean the Church isn’t real and isn’t true…it just means that these particular Catholics are separating themselves spiritually from it. (though not visibly).