Will The Catholic and Protestant Churches Ever Unite?

Question

It seems to me that there is a hypocrisy at the heart of christianity in that the Church of Christ which was designed to bring about a brotherhood of man has been broken into competing factions.

Will all christians eventually be reunited into one church?

Answer 1

all Christians will be united... but not all protestants and not all catholics are Christian... you cannot 'inherit' your faith, it must be a decision to follow the Lord.... i've been both a religious heretic and a Christian. I was ashamed at what 'men' had turned Christianity into once i realized what the Truth was.

will 'catholic' and 'protestant' be reunited? no. their basic practices of faith are too far removed from one another

Answer 2

Hello,

They most likely will work together and co-operate more but not unite, The dictatorship of the pope is not liked by protestant denominations and it isn't easy for Catholics at times but there is some cohesion and guidance which has kept the church in first place with regards to numbers and steadfastness.

The protestant churches on the other hand have split into 350 plus denominations some of which have had lunatic leaders from Jim Jones to that over make up plastered hussy, Tammy Fay who make the pope look saintly. In short a lack of iron hand leadership and discipline have made them divide and continually split so basic doctrines are distorted and bastardized. I find it amusing to condemn the Catholic church for too many statues or the rosary whilst some of them are allowing same sex marriage or preaching great material gain for accepting Christ as your savior etc.

Michael

Answer 3

No because 1) the Protestants left because of questions of dogma (see Calvin and Luther) and because Henry VIII wanted a divorce which the Pope would not grant and 2) because the Catholic Church is saying that, hey, we've been successfull for over 2000 years so why bother to change anything?

Answer 4

Rev 13:sixteen And he causeth all, the two small and massive, prosperous and unfavorable, loose and bond, to acquire a mark of their suited hand, or of their foreheads: Rev 13:17 And that no guy would purchase or sell, save he that had the mark, or the call of the beast, or the sort of his call. The IMF would choose to o.ok. make this a fact. If each and each economic gadget in the international is tied to the IMF whoever is in value of it might choose to o.ok. have the potential to make this take place. All they might % is a large danger. we've already witnessed that easily anybody looks arranged to furnish up their freedoms each and every time somebody tells them there's a disater. Our economic gadget is not any the placement close to to as undesirable because of the fact it became into interior the 1980's no longer to tutor the large melancholy and seem at what we enable our government to flee with for this "economic danger". think of of what it truly is going to be like on a similar time because it truly is as undesirable as A degree of wheat for a penny, and 3 measures of barley for a penny; it truly is large that our believe is our Lord and Savior and not the IMF. I agree that Virginia would choose to get maximum suited answer. She did get it suited.

Answer 5

The many denominations should not exist.

Notice what 1 Corinthians 1:10 says;"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

Jesus prayed for such unity in John 17:20-21.

Why do we have so many divisions? Men are not satisfied to all speak the same thing. Men are not satisfied to teach only the word of God. Men are not satisfied to only speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent. Men are not content to do Bible things in Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names. Too many wish to add their own desires and teach their own doctrine.

Notice 2 Timothy 4:2-4.
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

We should return to the Bible as our authority and only guide book. We should have a "thus saith the Lord" for everything we teach and do as a church.

The Bible teaches that the church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23) and that there is only "one body" (Eph 4:4).When the church first began, there were no denominations.

In Acts 2, we see that about 3000 all heard the same message, all understood it the same way, all believed it the same way and all obeyed it the same way. The result was they became Christians - nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. At this point, God added them to His church (Acts 2:47).

There is no authorization for Christians to "join the church of your choice", but they were added to the church Christ built and purchased! (Matt. 16:18, Acts 20:27)

After they became Christians they continued in one accord in fellowship and together in the apostles doctrine. (Acts 2:42-47) They had the type of unity Christians should have.

Today, if we read and understand what they understood, believe what they believed, and do only what they did, without adding any man-made doctrine, we will become only what they became - Christians!

This is the goal and plea of those who meet together under the name "church of Christ" today. We only want to be the church you can read about in the Bible.

Christ is the head of the church, therefore we have no "headquarters" on Earth that oversees the local congregation, but each congregation goes directly to the Bible to see what should be taught and practiced.

A denomination is larger than the local congregation, but smaller than the universal church. Since the church of Christ congregations are autonomous, only governed by local congregations, with no regional, national, or world-wide "headquatrers", they are not a denomination. There is no man-made organization in between the local congregation (which is not a denomination) and the church as a whole (which is not a denomination).

We only want to follow God's word in our name (Rom. 16:16), method of worship, organization, and teaching (doctrine). The word of God is sufficient for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction. Using it in this way, we can be completely furnished with everything we need, and there is no need to add any man-made doctrine. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

Those who teach as doctrine the commandments of men have form of worship that is vain. (Matt 15:9)

I invite you to examine the Church of Christ by a comparison with the scriptures! If the things we teach are scriptural, found in the Scriptures, then accept them. If the things we teach contradict the Bible, then reject them!

Any church that claims to follow the Bible should not object to such a comparison to scriptures. In fact, they should encourage it!

Answer 6

The Church has always been one, and will continue so till the end of time. Unfortunately, we humans have found occasion to divide and split... more so due to false Christians (Christians who are not christians).

I pray that all true followers of Jesus may be united even on earth, that the wolves in sheep clothing may be unmasked and perhaps to this purpose the Lord my God has sent me.

Andrew

Answer 7

My hope and prayer is for absolute unity, but I'm afraid that as long as the concept of protesting Church authority and going down the road a piece to open up your own church is considered acceptable, it's not going to happen any time soon.

Answer 8

If it is the Will of God then it will happen.

"The Catholic Church embraces with hope the commitment to ecumenism as a duty of the Christian conscience enlightened by faith and guided by love…Jesus himself, at the hour of his Passion, prayed 'that they may all be one' (John 17:21)." -- Pope John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint, May 25, 1995.

The Catholic Church in the United States already has the following open dialogs with her sister Churches:

- The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation
- The Joint Committee of Orthodox and Catholic Bishops
- The Oriental Orthodox-Roman Catholic Consultation
- The Polish National Catholic-Roman Catholic Dialogue
- The Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation USA
- The Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue
- Roman Catholic-Reformed Consultation
- The United Methodist-Catholic Dialogue
- Southern Baptist Convention-Catholic Dialogue
- The Evangelical-Catholic Dialogue
- Faith and Order Commission, National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA
- Consultation with the National Council of Synagogues
- Consultation with the Orthodox Union and the Rabbinical Council of America
- Midwest Dialogue of Catholics and Muslims
- Mid-Atlantic Dialogue of Catholics and Muslims
- West Coast Dialogue of Catholics and Muslims

Here is the joint declaration of justification by Catholics (1999), Lutherans (1999), and Methodists (2006):

By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping us and calling us to good works.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_31101999_cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html

http://www.usccb.org/seia/officialdialogues.shtml

With love in Christ.

Answer 9

From a Catholic:

We are not competing factions. I don't dislike my protestant friends and neighbors and the do not dislike me. I do not think that I am better than my protestant friends and neighbors and visa versa. We have different beliefs about certain areas of the Eucharist,Christ, and other core beliefs that keep us from being one church. I do not think they will ever unite and I don't think it's a bad thing.

Answer 10

I cannot see that happening but I do know of Catholic and Protestant faiths sharing the same building and each respecting the other faith. But to join and become one, not unless Protestants accept the Pope as the head of the church and I just do not see that happening. Tolerance of other faiths though I applaud.

Answer 11

The Church of Jesus Christ was never designed to bring about a "brotherhood of man".

Jesus message is that men are sinners who need to be saved from their sins and that Jesus died on the cross to pay that sin debt.

There are some who still preach that simple message and there are some who make it complicated and insert all sort of man made rules and doctrines.

I prefer to stick with the Bible.

There are a group of about 50 denominations who have united, groups which agree that everything we need is in the Bible. See the links below:

Pastor Art