Why so many divisions in the body of Christ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter One_in_Christ_1
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
FAB said:
Any one who is baptised in the trinitine formula, Father, Son and Holy Spirit is part of the body of Christ. It’s the teaching of the Church. It is the reason why that person who comes to the Church from a Protestent faith, who baptizes in that formula is not re-baptized, they recieve the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist.

Peace,
FAB
Click to expand...
Or how many Protestant churches also don’t re-baptize a Catholic. The Disciples of Christ for instance practice immersion. However they do not re-baptize and accept other forms if one has already been baptized.
 
Theophorus said:
Is there not an element of pride here as well assuming that these groups could ‘succeed’ where they saw the Church failing. True reform comes from within not without.

A grievance yes, grievances successfully reformed at Trent, but maybe it was pride that made him say of the Bible when his translation was questioned by fellow protestants “It is my Testament and my translation, and it shall continue to be mine”
Click to expand...
I wonder if true reform always comes from within. Had there not been a reformation, I seriously doubt there would have been a Council of Trent. Yes, Martin Luther had his dose of pride, but who doesn’t? I think I can say, without fear of contradiction, that St. Paul had a healthy ego. I emphasize a healthy ego. He knew what he was about and he prosecuted our Lord’s command with vigor and dedication.

He had a personality. Likewise, St. Augustine, likewise Martin Luther.

Again, the “true reform” at Trent was from within, but spurred by an outside stimulus.

Many of the reforms of Vatican II can directly be traced to Protestant practices, especially the use of the vernacular.

Another thing to consider is that Christianity is just so big, and when it wasn’t so big, it was so widespread and dispersed. It is simply hard for anything that big to hold itself together, especially without armies. We don’t need armies.
 
CMatt25 said:
Or how many Protestant churches also don’t re-baptize a Catholic. The Disciples of Christ for instance practice immersion. However they do not re-baptize and accept other forms if one has already been baptized.
Click to expand...
Interesting point, how many baptism are there for the Christian but one. I grieves me that many Baptist Churches reject Christian infant baptisms. Christians are really united by truth defined by ecumenical creeds such as the Apostles Creed.
 
Usbek_de_Perse said:
I wonder if true reform always comes from within. Had there not been a reformation, I seriously doubt there would have been a Council of Trent. Yes, Martin Luther had his dose of pride, but who doesn’t? I think I can say, without fear of contradiction, that St. Paul had a healthy ego.
.
Click to expand...
good point and as likely did Peter 🙂
 
40.png
ralphy:
There are no divisions in the Body of Christ. Everyone in the Body of Christ have been saved by trusting in the finished work of Christ at Calvary, and are washed in His blood for the forgiveness of their sin, and are born again. Only those who belong to the Body of Christ will go to heaven. There are only two kinds of people on this earth: the saved and the unsaved. Ralph
 
One_in_Christ said:
I’m not sure it has anything to do with following the successor of Peter since there is division in the Catholic church too. I think sin and pride is caused by the fall of mankind, even though we have been redeemed… we are not complete in this life. So, it is my conclusion that sin and pride affects all Christian traditions. All Christians pick and choose due to incomplete knowledge together with sin and pride.
Click to expand...
Any division within the Catholic Church is still between those who obey the successor of Peter and those who oppose him in preference to their own opinions which because of pride they believe to be superior. And it is still a much smaller division that that between other groups of Christians who chose to follow different leaders and set up different communities to the one leader God has appointed over His people in the One Fold which is His.

You say we are united in truth but we cannot even agree what is truth without one shepherd to rule the one flock and lead it in one direction, just as Moses did with the Israelites.
 
Interestingly, the author of this book thinks that there is a cultural penchant in Western Christianity, because of the Roman intellectual milieu in which it first grew and put down roots, for overanalyzing doctrine and relying too much on reason as a guide to the mind of God, which is completely lacking, he asserts, in the East. He thinks that if we could adopt some of the Eastern approach to theology which emphasizes communion with God over rationalistic exposition and refinement of doctrine, there would be fewer divisions among Western Christians.
 
Advocatus_Fidei said:
Any division within the Catholic Church is still between those who obey the successor of Peter and those who oppose him in preference to their own opinions which because of pride they believe to be superior.
Click to expand...
:confused: The “successor of Peter” declares himself superior.
 
I have talked to many many protestants. Here is what I have learned.
  1. Some just feel Church is Church
  2. Some hate the CC for something someone in the Church did.
  3. Someone upset grandmal 100 years ago and they are still holding a grudge.
  4. The believe the lies they were fed about us.
  5. They think we think the Pope is God.
  6. They think we think the Blessed Mother is above or equal to God.
  7. They have family members who forbid them to enter the Church.
  8. They do not understand the Eucharist.
Better stop. I could go on for hours…😃
 
CMatt25 said:
:eek: Why can’t you if you believe in Jesus? 🤷 Jn 14:6 **Jesus saith **to him: **I am **the way, and **the truth **
Click to expand...
If you believe in Jesus why do you not obey His commandments?

“And why call you me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?” Luke 6:46

“And by this we know that we have known him, if we keep his commandments. He who saith that he knoweth him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1John 2:3-4
 
CMatt25 said:
Anyone human declaring himself infallible is declaring himself superior.
Click to expand...
It is God who has lifted the Popes up and made them so just as He made Moses before him and just as He made Peter. Infallibility is not granted to a man it is granted to the role of head of God’s people and only in certain matters it is not a guarantee of sainthood or even of salvation, it is a guarantee from God that He will not allow His people to be led astray.
 
One_in_Christ said:
Why so many divisions in the body of Christ? 🤷
Click to expand...
The divisions of course are divisions in organization.

I see no reason why the body of Christ can not exist in many organizations.

The issue of course is that the organizations are often in competition with each other and proclaim mutually exclusive doctrine.

I somehow doubt whether this is what Jesus had in mind when he designed the church.

But I can not do anything about the phenomenon of multiple, competing organizations.

All I can do is choose one organization in which I fuction locally while at the same time keeping my heart and mind open to Christians who choose other organizations.
 
[SIGN][/SIGN]
AmateurPianist said:
The divisions of course are divisions in organization.

I [SIGN]see no reason why the body of Christ can not exist in many organizations.[/SIGN]

The issue of course is that the organizations are often in competition with each other and proclaim mutually exclusive doctrine.

I somehow doubt whether this is what Jesus had in mind when he designed the church.

But I can not do anything about the phenomenon of multiple, competing organizations.

All I can do is choose one organization in which I fuction locally while at the same time keeping my heart and mind open to Christians who choose other organizations.
Click to expand...
Here is why. John 10:16 There shall be ONE fold, ONE Shepherd.

John 17:17-23 I pray that they may be ONE as we are ONE.

There is only ONE BODY of Christ, so there can be only ONE truth. If you divide the Body of CHrist into many folds you get different truths.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top