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To: Alamo-Girl; kosta50; blue-duncan; Mad Dawg; betty boop; Buggman; Kolokotronis
differences in doctrine are a good thing

Christ prays for our unity, and St. Paul cries out "Is Christ divided?" I doubt they would agree with you.

However, there is a divine providence in that. If the Orthodox did not separate in 1054 we would not have their powerful witness to the Church of the Seven Councils today. If Luther did not leave the Church, we would not have a warning in front of us on how not to do Church.

4,678 posted on 01/09/2007 12:44:11 PM PST by annalex
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To: annalex; Alamo-Girl; kosta50; blue-duncan; Mad Dawg; Buggman; Kolokotronis
However, there is a divine providence in that.

Hi annalex! I think that's exactly what A-G was saying.

I imagine that when Christ prays for our unity, His prayer is not a prayer that we should all be exactly the same. To resort to an analogy: Different parts of the human body have different functions, etc., but all parts/functions are necessary to the well-being of the total living body (which in this case analogizes to the Body of Christ).

And so the answer to St. Paul's question, "Is Christ divided?" is: NO. Not any more than a brain is "divided" from the heart, or a kidney, or a lung, or the liver or pancreas, etc., etc. All are necessary for the vital functioning of the living whole.

Just a thought -- my two cents, FWIW. Thanks for the ping, annalex!

4,689 posted on 01/09/2007 1:18:21 PM PST by betty boop (Beautiful are the things we see...Much the most beautiful those we do not comprehend. -- N. Steensen)
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