Posted on 03/06/2006 7:53:22 AM PST by Griff55
AMERICAN CHURCH OFFICIALS pleaded for forgiveness for the sins of the United States last week--from the Iraq War, to Bush's rejection of the Kyoto Accord, to the racism exposed by Hurricane Katrina, to economic exploitation, and for the more general American sin of idolatry.
The clerics were representing 34 Protestant and Orthodox denominations in America at the Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) meeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
"Our leaders turned a deaf ear to the voices of church leaders throughout our nation and the world, entering into imperial projects that seek to dominate and control for the sake of our own national interests," lamented the apologetic Americans. "Nations have been demonized and God has been enlisted in national agendas that are nothing short of idolatrous."
The Geneva-based WCC, which includes 340 churches totaling 550 million members, has been governed by leftists for decades. About 25 percent of the world's Christians belong to Protestant or Orthodox communions in the WCC. Thanks largely to leadership by leftist Europeans, the WCC long ago abandoned traditional Christian notions of ecumenism and evangelism in favor of radical liberation theologies that demonized the West, capitalism, and even Christianity. (Perhaps most famously, the WCC grudgingly refused to criticize the Soviet bloc during the final decades of the Cold War, while supporting and sometimes actually funding Soviet backed insurgencies.)
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
Strange response? If these guys are your God-ordained leaders, you owe it to God to support his work. If your denomination does not have God-ordained leadership, why would you remain in it for even one more day?
I got out of Anglicanism for this and other silly things. The WCC are the UN in frocks. They all seem to think (like the Archbish of Canterbury) that if you close Gitmo the problems of the world will be solved. They are simplistic, foolish and dangerous in thier nievity.
Kind regards
You're always welcome to visit and join a Catholic church. We'd be happy to have you (and you'll note that we're not on the membership list).
The WCC and the NCC seem to be about the same organization.
First, I like being a Methodist so I'd rather give the UMC time to leave.
Thanks for the invite to Catholicism. Might make the annual trip to Rome more meaningful.
Guess if I have to leave it will be the Catholics or the Baptists. What excellent choices!!
I found your responses interesting. I was just curious about something. According to the Bible, what are our "choices" when it comes to joining the church of Christ?
I believe we each have the freedom to choose the group of Believers to which we belong. Another part of His Grace and our free will.
I don't find anything in the Word which requires anything other than to have Jesus as the only center of the Church. All other things are interpretation.
The Bible teaches that God adds us to His body (Acts 2:47), we don't join. Would you agree?
We are all joined to His Body when we choose to accept His gift of salvation. Then we are to join together with our brothers and sisters for worship, praise and the strength we get from fellowship. Everybody bring a covered dish and have a great time!
How many churches are there in the New Testament?
Griff55 - My understanding is that only two conferences of the UMC, New England and Virginia, have voted to go along with the divestment.
The remaining conferences and the national investing groups have not yet gotten on board.
There was only one NT Church. Just the same as today except for all the denominations thing.
If the rest of the UMC does not divest I'm going back to the Baptists.
Is Griff under cross-examination here? Geez, take the guy's answer for face value.
I was merely asking a question. I see he answered it in his response to Deut28. There was, and is, only one New Testament church. I totally agree. If that is the case, then why are denominations today okay, when they did not exist in the Bible?
No one said they are "okay," but maybe if the Western Church hadn't excommunicated a certain well-known reformer in 1521, there would be fewer denominations today. Even before that, one had had to choose between East and West since 1054, although that choice was largely determined by geography.
Fortunately, the path to salvation is clearly articulated and there are no "trick questions" at the pearly gates. "So, did you get here by double-predestination or did you at one point exercise moral free agency? I need a correct answer in 30 seconds. You get one phone-a-friend lifeline call."
There is only one choice as to which church to be affiliated with, and that is the church founded by our Lord Jesus Christ. There was only one church in the New Testament, and there is only one church today.
I completely agree that the path to salvation is clearly articulated in God's Word. However, the multitude of denominations in this world clearly shows that there are many disagreements on this path, which is very sad.
If we hear the Word, believe on it, repent of our sins, confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, are baptized for the remission of our sins, and live a faithful life (not a perfect one, which is impossible, but one that is continually seeking God's will and doing as he has commanded), then we will have our home in Heaven.
And to that I'll say Amen.
Amen and preach on. Somneone once said the only problem with Christianity is Christians. We too often allow the supremacy of doctrinal authority in the modern church without seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Every time we look to our denomination for guidance we take our eyes off our First Love. The modern church should follow the dictate of Paul when he wrote I Cor 2.2. Let come to the world with the message of Jesus and Him crucified. There is no greater love.
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