Are there differences among Christians?

[duskiness]

two Protestant made there point - and I (Catholic..not the best one, but still...) agree - division in Christianity is mainly about authority. That is were we can't agree, the rest is just an effect of this basic disagreement

you see Woodrow - sometimes we can find a common point and I don't care that much were Grace Seeker or Keltoi find their source for authority. In the end they are just my brothers in Christ. If I start to think about them in any other way, then it is my mistake.

 

[Woodrow]

two Protestant made there point - and I (Catholic..not the best one, but still...) agree - division in Christianity is mainly about authority. That is were we can't agree, the rest is just an effect of this basic disagreement

you see Woodrow - sometimes we can find a common point and I don't care that much were Grace Seeker or Keltoi find their source for authority. In the end they are just my brothers in Christ. If I start to think about them in any other way, then it is my mistake.

Is your common point sufficient where you would invite them to your church to participate in Communion, knowing that they do not believe in the actual presence?

 

[Keltoi]

I don't see Catholics to be any less "Christian" than me or any other Protestant. Hopefully most Catholics feel the same way about Protestants. We all follow the Word of Christ, whether we believe certain rituals to be important or not.

 

[duskiness]

Is your common point sufficient where you would invite them to your church to participate in Communion, knowing that they do not believe in the actual presence?

good question
I would like to see them participating in it, even if they understand it differently. But as a Catholic I also accept the fact that I'm bounded by law and decision of my Church, although i don't agree with them.
Once again it comes down to authority.
So no, I wouldn't ask them, i wouldn't participate in Communion in other church. I do feel bad about it and it is hard to hide that, I disagree with ruling of my church.
Nobody said it's gone be easy...

 

[Woodrow]

Before I hijack this thread and get it sidetracked into doctrinal differences among different Christiasn denominations.

I think I better remind myself, that the purpose of this thread is to show that because a person says he is Christian, does not necessarily mean that he believes the same things as somebody else who says he is Christian. I think it can be thought that most Christians are different flavors of ice cream, but there are a few that are not ice cream.

 

[Keltoi]

Before I hijack this thread and get it sidetracked into doctrinal differences among different Christiasn denominations.

I think I better remind myself, that the purpose of this thread is to show that because a person says he is Christian, does not necessarily mean that he believes the same things as somebody else who says he is Christian. I think it can be thought that most Christians are different flavors of ice cream, but there are a few that are not ice cream.

That would be a sufficient analogy.

 

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace be with you duskiness, its nice to see you back, I hope you are well.

I am a Catholic and as a job I support people with a learning disability, on occasions I support a couple to go to a Baptist Church and when they offer communion I share it with them, the minister knows that I am a Catholic. I feel it would be a greater sin to turn away Christ.

On occasions I support a gentleman going to an Anglican Church and I share communion with them there, the minister also knows that I am a Catholic.

This is a personal feeling that I have and I would not ask anyone else to do the same, but my conscience tells me this is the right thing to do. I might be committing spiritual suicide by going against the rulings of the church, but my intentions are to strive for greater relationships between our churches.

In the spirit of growing together in Christ

Eric

 

[Grace Seeker]

Before I hijack this thread and get it sidetracked into doctrinal differences among different Christiasn denominations.

I started the thread and find the tangent still a part of the same conversation, so no problem with me.

I think I better remind myself, that the purpose of this thread is to show that because a person says he is Christian, does not necessarily mean that he believes the same things as somebody else who says he is Christian. I think it can be thought that most Christians are different flavors of ice cream, but there are a few that are not ice cream.

I like the different flavors analogy, and would agree if you mean that perhaps not all are ice cream because they are soft serve frozen custard rather than the type of ice cream you dip.

As to taking communion, I, a protestant pastor, have actually been invited by a Catholic priest, with the permission of his bishop, to serve communion alongside him in a community service. I'm sure that some would say this is against the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, but it was done with permission and everyone of all faiths participated, so it can be and is being done.

 

[Abdul Fattah]

Steve, as to the Wikipedia chart, yes I've seen it and I think the drawing is fairly accurate. These fundamentalist groups that Woodrow speaks of would classify themselves in the Protestant lineage. But they are fiercely independent. Some examples include the Independent Christian churches, and many of the so-called non-denominational fellowships. Those that the chart refers to as Restorationists are, in my understanding, other groups that have sprung up originally within Christian circles but have since disassociated themselves from the rest of Christiantiy, some such as the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witness even reject the doctrines of pretty much all other Christian churches and have sought to establish themselves as the only true Christians (at least in their own minds). Other groups may not have rejected traditional Christian doctrines, but they think that they are the only ones that properly understand them. These restorationists groups are certainly not protestant, and there are some of them that I personally would not even classify as Christian -- but then those groups would not classify me as Christian either, so I guess we are even.

Thanks for your answer, the reason I asked is because I never understood the protestants. I mean one one hand they distrust the catholic church for their interpretations and rituals and so on, yet on the other hand they do trust them for their source, because they use a bible who has been passed on (and many claim changed) over the years by catholisism. It seems contradicting to at one hand trust them but at another hand distrust them. Unless of course there are claims of a separate lineage as suggested in the image with restorationism.

 

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace be with you Grace Seeker;

As to taking communion, I, a protestant pastor, have actually been invited by a Catholic priest, with the permission of his bishop, to serve communion alongside him in a community service.

Gradually we are starting to brake down barriers, I believe that the Catholic Church has the greater problems when it comes to unity.

In the spirit of praying for Christian Unity and interfaith friendships,

Eric

 

[Alexius]

I don't participate in Protestant communion, because I feel it is disrespectful to those churches. I do not agree with them, so it is not proper for me to become "one" with them. Just my thoughts...

Prayers and petitions,
Alexius:shade: