After reading this back and forth, it is easy to understand why the 1980 census recorded over 25,000+ different denominations of Christianity worldwide.
The blind leading the blind.
Only humility will teach Roman Catholics and Protestants how to get along (and this will have to come long before scripture will ever be revealed [even though both believe by pride they do]).
Rome has a pope for the masses, and the masses (Protestants) have all become popes. The former interprets scripture alone, tells others what to do, and excommunicates all those that disagree. The latter interprets scripture alone, lives according to that interpretation, and considers all others outside that belief as unsaved (same as excommunicated).
49 a.d. The Apostolic Council in Jerusalem. There was no Pope, only believers coming together in an Ecumenical sense and coming to agreement on issues as guided by the Holy Spirit. No individual was a Pope, and no Pope oversaw over all in Jerusalem. For the first 1000 years of the church this was the way it was done. Ecumenical Councils that came together, passionately, lead by the Holy Spirit, yet each person in humility, knowing that their sins clouded their interpretation.
There needs to be a revival of humility and unity that was lost after 1054 a.d. This was the year the Bishop of Rome excommunicated the other four existing Bishops of the time. These Bishops (now know as Eastern Orthodoxy) were excommunicated when they informed the Roman Bishop that he could not change scripture. There were other issues as well that I won’t go into.
Since that period of time, based on the many erroneous reasons for that action, those actions introduced theological errors in Rome that snowballed into complete disunity within the west (Rome and all the following Protestant schisms). Martin Luther dissented, and within his lifetime, hundreds of others followed suit either away from Roman Catholicism or away from their own temporal schisms, many times in prideful bloody wars. But today, most Protestant denomination can find its roots down this tree of 25,000+ branches to 1054 a.d. when the church was One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Others have even deeper roots down to a period of time prior to 1054 a.d. when the Church spoke with one voice to defend the faith against all heresies.
Interestingly enough, even Martin Luther wrote the Patriarch of Constantinople after separating from Rome and wanted to return to Christianities roots, however, Roman Doctrine was still deeply ingrained in the many generations separated from the Orthodoxy that some of the concepts were difficult to understand through the bias of his life’s experiences. Most of these difference where small, but from an outsiders perspective, insurmountable. For example: Was the Patriarch of Constantinople just another Pope with a different name? (the answer of which is no).
Today, Eastern Orthodox maintains that the whole of the Church is in schism, and that we are all brothers and sisters in schism, lacking the humility to seek unity and reconciliation. For this reason, and until the church is united again, the Eastern Orthodox Church does not recognize any Ecumenical Councils (nor has it held any of it own) after 1054 a.d. since it does not represent the whole body of Christ (and believes that no one man can speak for the whole Church [and equally that no one man can through their own sinful understandings know the meaning of scripture]), yet it maintains at the same time the true faith as handed down from Christ to the Apostles and to the Church (as understood through the Ecumenical Councils held by the entire body of Christ).
What is truly interesting for those that have any understanding of scripture, is that the critical text of the virgin birth of Christ is only found in the LXX (I’m talking about from a universe of manuscripts that most modern translations are created from [for those that think ancient is reformation, or even Vulgate, you need to step back a few more centuries]). Even the Apostles quoted in the NT from the LXX. What is interesting is the LXX is recognized only by the Orthodox Church as the authoritative translation of the OT. Without the LXX, much of Christian theology fails.
This Posting concerning adoption is only an eventual symptom of a far greater problem introduced in the Great Schism of 1045 a.d. Until Christians truly return to unity, which will require humility (not reformation or modernization), we will only mimic the world of discord and be lukewarm (no matter how hot or cold we think we are).
I understand your point & have seen what you mean. The essence of the Western faiths are not as you say they are, though I understand why you would draw the conclusion you have drawn. We're not very good at following the teachings.
The former interprets scripture alone, tells others what to do, and excommunicates all those that disagree.
Excommunication is not about excluding people. It is an instructional action, to get the individual to repent & to return to the fold.
The latter interprets scripture alone, lives according to that interpretation, and considers all others outside that belief as unsaved (same as excommunicated).
Determination about whether or not another is saved is beyond our reach. It is not our place to even try to determine that, for that is within God's power, not man's.