One Church?

[QuestioningK]

I want to know the answers to these questions. Sorry if they are random.

Why should we all believe one thing? Why can’t we just believe in fundamental things like in Jesus? Why can’t Christ be capable of overcoming all our differences? Since we weren’t there, Christ’s message might have been interpreted differently by different people - but they all believed in him and isn’t that what matters? Isn’t it like just different parts of a body - we aren’t all the same, but belief in Christ makes us one?

 

[LilyM]

I want to know the answers to these questions. Sorry if they are random.

Why should we all believe one thing? Why can’t we just believe in fundamental things like in Jesus? Why can’t Christ be capable of overcoming all our differences? Since we weren’t there, Christ’s message might have been interpreted differently by different people - but they all believed in him and isn’t that what matters? Isn’t it like just different parts of a body - we aren’t all the same, but belief in Christ makes us one?

We should all believe one thing because usually only one thing out of any set of alternatives is true, and Jesus is Truth personified and came to teach that one truth to us.

‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free’. ‘Whoever knows the truth hears My voice’.

He wants us to know the truth, and that which speaks the truth speaks with His voice. So we can and must seek out the one truth. Otherwise His promises in the verses above are a lie, and Jesus was not a liar!

Consider the hugely different beliefs Christians have:

Exhibit a) - either Mary was really and literally a virgin or not. You can’t have it both ways - one of those statements is true and the other false.

If you believe the option which is false one, you are not hearing Jesus’ voice, are not free but enslaved (since falsehood IS bondage and truth IS freedom), and are not properly part of Him who is Truth personified.

Exhibit b) - either the Eucharist is really and literally Jesus’ Body and Blood, or it is only a symbol. Again, both statements cannot be true. If you believe a falsehood, again you are not hearing Jesus’ voice, and you are not part of Him.

Exhibit c) - either Jesus established ONE church, founded (after Himself) upon the Apostle Peter and his successors (the Catholic Popes), which He promised would stand till the end against even the gates of Hell, and which church is the same thing as the Catholic Church of today, OR He did not and it is not. You know the rest.

 

[Spirithound]

I want to know the answers to these questions. Sorry if they are random.

Why should we all believe one thing? Why can’t we just believe in fundamental things like in Jesus? Why can’t Christ be capable of overcoming all our differences? Since we weren’t there, Christ’s message might have been interpreted differently by different people - but they all believed in him and isn’t that what matters? Isn’t it like just different parts of a body - we aren’t all the same, but belief in Christ makes us one?

The only good reason to believe something is because it’s true. I would advance even to say that if something is true, then it should be believed, do you agree?

I think you’ve answered your own second question; why can’t we just believe in fundamental things like in Jesus? Why “just” in fundamental things? If we can go deeper, why not? If Jesus did indeed establish a living, growing, teaching, authoritative Church, shouldn’t we be a part of it?

But here’s the crux of your questioning: How can we know? To answer that, my new friend, I am going to ask you to do a search on these forums. There are a plethora of threads discussing that very matter. I look forward to seeing you on one of them.
Peace

 

[MarcoPolo]

I want to know the answers to these questions. Sorry if they are random.

Why should we all believe one thing? Why can’t we just believe in fundamental things like in Jesus? Why can’t Christ be capable of overcoming all our differences? Since we weren’t there, Christ’s message might have been interpreted differently by different people - but they all believed in him and isn’t that what matters? Isn’t it like just different parts of a body - we aren’t all the same, but belief in Christ makes us one?

Believing in all that the Church proposes IS believing in Christ. He is not reducible to a man in history. All Truth is Christ Himself (Jn 14:6). St. Paul taught that we must strive for sound doctrine numerous times. God will explain all that was revealed through His Church, through whom He said, “Whoever hears you, hears me.” This is all part of God relationship with mankind. We cannot reject the pursuit of sound doctrine for the sake of “unity”. That unity would then be based on a rejection of what God is teaching!

 

[elvisman]

I want to know the answers to these questions. Sorry if they are random.

Why should we all believe one thing? Why can’t we just believe in fundamental things like in Jesus? Why can’t Christ be capable of overcoming all our differences? Since we weren’t there, Christ’s message might have been interpreted differently by different people - but they all believed in him and isn’t that what matters? Isn’t it like just different parts of a body - we aren’t all the same, but belief in Christ makes us one?

Jesus’ prayer to the Father for unity in John 17 should be enough to answer this question. This is what Jesus wanted:

John 17:11
“And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so*** that they may be one just as we are.”*

John 17:20-23
***"I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ***
***so ******that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. ***
***And I have given them the glory you gave me, so ***that they may be one, as we are one,
***I in them and you in me, that ***they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.”

 

[broski234]

I want to know the answers to these questions. Sorry if they are random.

Why should we all believe one thing? Why can’t we just believe in fundamental things like in Jesus? Why can’t Christ be capable of overcoming all our differences? Since we weren’t there, Christ’s message might have been interpreted differently by different people - but they all believed in him and isn’t that what matters? Isn’t it like just different parts of a body - we aren’t all the same, but belief in Christ makes us one?

Hello QuestioningK,
We should all believe in One True Church founded by Jesus Christ. Jesus desired us to be one, as He and the Father are one. His Church is His body and He is the head. Can the body be seperated from the head and still have life? No. By not believing in "one thing", we are forced to have different doctrines. If Jesus desires us to be one as He and the Father are one, we can't have different doctrine. The bible doesn't support this. Do you think Jesus and the Father disagree on any doctrine. Of course not. Therefore, we shouldn't either.

 

[paul_c]

I want to know the answers to these questions. Sorry if they are random.

Why should we all believe one thing? Why can’t we just believe in fundamental things like in Jesus? Why can’t Christ be capable of overcoming all our differences? Since we weren’t there, Christ’s message might have been interpreted differently by different people - but they all believed in him and isn’t that what matters? Isn’t it like just different parts of a body - we aren’t all the same, but belief in Christ makes us one?

We should all believe in one thing because its the truth.

To know the whole truth is to know Jesus. To know only part of the truth, or to believe things that are untrue, give you a distorted vision of who Jesus is.

Believing in Jesus is important but not all that is important. We need also to do his will in order to be saved and we therefore need to know him well to understand his will. This is hard, if not impossible to do through personal interpretation of the bible. That is why the Catholic Church exists: to bring the faithful to Jesus.

 

[CentralFLJames]

I want to know the answers to these questions. Sorry if they are random.

Why should we all believe one thing? Why can’t we just believe in fundamental things like in Jesus? Why can’t Christ be capable of overcoming all our differences? Since we weren’t there, Christ’s message might have been interpreted differently by different people - but they all believed in him and isn’t that what matters? Isn’t it like just different parts of a body - we aren’t all the same, but belief in Christ makes us one?

Why should we believe in thing?
Because there can only be one truth. How we truly believe also shapes how we act and behave. To believe in lies or partial truths implies that one will be erratic and act in non-rational and inconsistent way. This is to be held hostage to error (a form of slavery) and to evil influence that will control our lives and lead to to chaos, conflicts and ultimately to progressively more evil as it feeds on itself. It will also result in somone not attaining the promises of absolute truth - in this case missing eternal life.

Why can’t Christ be capable of overcoming all our differences?

He is capable of overcoming our differences if we obey his teachings. His teachings require our consent and active cooperation. God was justified in obliterating the entire human race when it originally disobeyed Him - our offense was eternal and infinite (since He is infinite above us and eternal). But God chose to show mercy while respecting our decision to accept his terms or to reject them. God does not want robots but those who will come to him out of respect and sincere regret so we may be forgiven. Jesus being divine paid the full price for our grave offense but he wants us to not only believe that but to repent from our sins and permit His grace to transform us into His eternal and incorruptible nature. That requires cooperation and commitment.

**Since we weren’t there, Christ’s message might have been interpreted differently by different people - but they all believed in him and isn’t that what matters? **

It is possible that one might hear the message slightly wrong but those who truly trust in Christ and cooperate with His grace will be corrected over their lives and brought to the true faith (which is the Catholic faith). But it takes more than just belief - it requires cooperating and acting on that belief. If one “just believes” but does not actually repent and radically change their lives then lacking any action can it be said they ever really believed?

Isn’t it like just different parts of a body - we aren’t all the same, but belief in Christ makes us one?

Yes - but of one mind and heart - Christ’s mind and heart. There is no room for a schizophrenic sort of wishy-washy belief system that is divided against itself since that would be an irrational faith and be the embodiment of evil - which is the body of Satan not the Body of Christ - The Church.

James