Christians, how do you feel about the ecumenical movement?

Question

I happen to be a firm believer in NOT attending a church with wrong doctrinal beliefs. I don't believe in embracing error and singing Kumbaya and all the while closing my eyes to the Truth of God's Word. Am I talking about shunning and any such nonsense? NO! But I believe in strictly adhering to the Word of God and attending a church that does so as well. What are your thoughts on ecumenicalism? Do you feel it's setting the stage for the "One World Religion" spoken of in Revelation?

TISHS

According to the Dictionary definition :ec·u·men·i·cal

a. Of or relating to the worldwide Christian church.

It's obvious that a worldwide church is at it's roots. It's all Bible prophecy coming into fruition, my friend.

small but fierce

I'm Sure you must understand what doctrine is?
Man's lost condition
The virgin Birth of Jesus Christ
Jesus being God incarnate
His sinless life
His substitutionary death on the Cross for the sins of man-kind
His Blood alone atoning for sins
His death burial and resurrection from the grave, etc...need I go ON? That's all DOCTRINE, DARLI'N ! IT'S BIBLE TOO!

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (2 Timothy 4:2)

1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: (Titus Chapter 2)

Doug Lawrence and brianinchina2003

I will answer you both together since you are both advocates of the catholic church.
As long as you both feel comfortable breaking these serious commandments that God gave to us, then we have nothing further to say on the subject.
(Exo 20:4 KJV) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

(Lev 26:1 KJV) Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

(Deu 4:16 KJV) Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Those verses you quoted, Doug, were given to those who would come to believe in JESUS, not in religion. BIG DIFFERENCE.

[22] By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
[23] And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
[24] But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
[25] Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
[26] For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
[27] Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

Jesus is NOT to be resacrificed daily through the 'mass', He died once for ALL..His last Words? "IT IS FINISHED".

True unity does NOT come about through anything but TRUTH! That's what's wrong with ecumenicalism.

The Word of God is Truth.

Jesus, also is not to be continually sacrificed in a daily "mass". You realize when He said "IT IS FINISHED" He completed the necessary transaction between man and God to save mankind from sin? LET Go of religion, and embrace Jesus!
[22] By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
[23] And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
[24] But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
[25] Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
[26] For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
[27] Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

Answer 1

I think it's a clever move of satan to do just what you are suggesting, try to frighten and/or intimidate people into moving away from the truth of the bible. No one wants to be called "narrow minded" or a "bigot", or worse. And that is what is going to be happening more and more to those who simply will not compromise that the bible is God's true word.

Answer 2

That's a good question and I agree in part.I don't believe we should have open communion.That should be a time were there is complete unity where the body moves forward as one.Yet when we say we hold the truth and everyone else is wrong .That puts God in a box because He is bigger than any church or denomination.We are all different in one way or another.You might be able to share Christ with someone who wouldn't even give me the time of day and vise versa.However there must remain basic doctrine for any church to be a part of the Bride of Christ.It is to be without spot and blemish.It is to be washed in the Blood and to have repented of sin.It is to be a light to those who are lost.God does not put a band-aid on an infected wound and neither should the church.It's members should be healed.Sin should no longer have dominion over them.

Answer 3

It's an interesting concept, but I can't see it working. Largely for the same reasons I can't see communism working. People will NOT do what is required.

It's HARD enough following your own belief system, now try and coordiante it among different systems.

To the scientist, this is, basically, known as the Unified Field Theory, something that has elluded man for a century. Even Einstein couldn't lick it.

The closest we can come is agreeing that Jesus was a great man and great Prophet and so was Moses.

That's about all we can achieve.

The problem is poltics.

The Jews and Muslims won't accept Jesus as the Son Of God.

I won't Accept Muhammad as a great man based on Aishah and I don't think a lot of others will either.

Islam won't let them re-write the Quran or disbeleive.

It's not a workable system.

LArgely because of the fundamentalists who will not bend.

When you have Christians who say the whole country or whole world is evil because they believe a certain way.

When you have Islamics who say there just be Jihad against those who disobey, leave the fold, modify things or are otherwise Infidels.

It can't work.

The generic Christian Movement is the closest. Christians accept all the WORDS of the Jewish or Old Testiment, but not the rituals, food laws and laws of Moses as being ABSOLUTES.

That makes Christians being almost REFORMIST JEWISH PEOPLE WHO HAPPENED TO BELEIVE IN JESUS AS THE MESSAIH OR SON OF GOD.

That's the closest we'll get.

Answer 4

The points you define as doctrine ars shared by all genuine Christian churches.

I believe there is a paranoia among fundamentalist Protestants about the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church, dating back to the religious persecutions and wars in England, Scotland and Ireland from the 16th century onwards. As long as some Protestants like to label the Pope, the Vatican or the RC Church as the antiChrist, Christians will be divided and Satan is laughing.

I'm not advocating one worldwide Church organisation at all. But the true Church, consisting of all true believers, is already united in spirit and we should reflect that on earth by our attitude to one another.

Jesus prayed at length for unity among His disciples, including those to come later (us), at the last supper (see John's gospel). The point is, how do you see this prayer as being answered?

Answer 5

While the idea of ecumenism seems like a lofty goal, in practice it cannot help but fail, at least initially. Ecumenism in practice doesn't mean "respecting one another's beliefs." It ends up meaning "embracing one another's beliefs." At that point it becomes a lowest common denominator, fluffy, feel-good exercise that has no standards other that a belief in a "higher power," regardless of its name. It requires abandoning your faith in the name of "tolerance." But truth is not relative, contrary to political correctness doctrine. Either Jesus is who He says He is, and did what He said He was going to do, or He died for nothing. Because He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Answer 6

Joh 17:19 And for them do I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
Joh 17:20 And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in me.
Joh 17:21 That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them: that, they may be one, as we also are one.
Joh 17:23 I in them, and thou in me: that they may be made perfect in one: and the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them, as thou hast also loved me.

You speak of the plain and clear desire of Christ as though it is something to be avoided.

Today's 31,000 different Bible believing churches are the modern day equivalent of the tower of babel.

They all claim to know what God's word says, by the power of the Holy Spirit, yet the message comes out in 31,000 different variations, with no consensus on many key articles of faith.

With this kind of a situation, the chances of any true ecumenical movement ever gaining critical mass, is slim to none.

One true church. One true creed. One true God. That's ecumenical.

Answer 7

i think that is not the purpose of ecumenism, not one religion but rather a tolerance towards others or more or less a principle of co-existence, respect towards one another beliefs and understandings ones' religious teaching and practices.

Answer 8

I agree with you.There shouldn't be any compromise of God's Word in churches.

Answer 9

You better read that book before you commit to strict adherance. I'd hate to see you arrested for stoning Walmart employees on Sunday afternoon.

Answer 10

The Tower of Babel was a good/bad example of what not to do !!!