Does that have something to do with the Nicene Creed?
If so, I wholeheartedly support it! < g >
Posted on 04/13/2008 5:51:16 PM PDT by Edward Watson
Arguments about religion have constantly erupted on Free Republic. This internicene sniping frequently devolved into personal attacks against others just because of religious differences. We all need to step back from this conflict and look around at the world - yes, there's a religious war that's about to erupt but it isn't between Christians.
If we are to save our world from barbarism, if we are to save our nations and the best and most humanitarian societies the world has ever known; we must come together, as Christians, despite the differences of our denominations and branches. We need to hold each other's hands and join forces - no more exaggeration of differences. We must also stand together with anyone, regardless of belief or disbelief, as long as they want to preserve our freedom and way of life. United we stand; divided we fall.
For this end, I have devised a list of common Christian beliefs that all Catholics, Eastern Christians, Mormons, and around 95% of Protestants can wholeheartedly affirm. It is my belief that whoever affirms all 12 Declarations is a Christian, regardless of any unique beliefs that pertain only to his or her denomination. Feel free to think it through and participate in my survey at the sourced link on Tiger Survey (http://tigersurvey.com/survey.php?survey=5654), so I can get a better idea of what should be included or excluded, and why.
Thanks everyone!
1. Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God and Savior of Mankind
2. The Holy Bible is the Word of God and is authoritative over us
3. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are “One God”
4. God became man in the person of Jesus Christ
5. Christ’s followers are saved by his Grace
6. Christ was sinless throughout his life and substituted himself for us
7. Christ is the Mediator of the New Covenant between God and man
8. Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, died on the cross, and rose from the dead
9. Jesus Christ is the Redeemer, Messiah, Intercessor, Lamb of God, Creator, Son of Man, First and Last, Rock, Foundation, the I AM, and our Judge
10. Christ experienced a single mortality and has an immortal body
11. Jesus Christ is the only source of Salvation and the greatest name possible
12.We take upon ourselves the name of Christ, pray to the Father in his name, worship and obey him
I think the Mormons disagree with six points out of ten.
Ping to this nascent thread...
Mormons would not agree with that list. Catholics, Protestants and Baptists would believe it if not for two little words “ONLY” and “ALONE”. Orthodox and liberal Protestants/Emergent Church will probably have trouble with the substitutionary nature of the death of Jesus.
Does that have something to do with the Nicene Creed?
If so, I wholeheartedly support it! < g >
That’s close enough for this Catholic...we can disagree on some of the details, but in general, it is a good start: We believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, that alone is a starting basis for our Christ-ianity..
Good job.
You forgot Christ’s divinity. And FWIW, Mormons think Jesus and Satan were brothers. COME ON!
The only thing I can agree with about your post is that there is a huge clash of civilizations coming and we really should be focusing on THAT, versus attacking each other’s beliefs.
Oops. You did say “God became man in Jesus Christ.” Sorry, but I disagree on Mormons.
Baptists are no longer considered protestants? Who knew? ;-)
Reads just like the five fundamentals of evangelical fundamentalism.
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.
The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate.
The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal.
And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal.
As there are not three Uncreated nor three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible.
So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is made of none: neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity none is before or after other; none is greater or less than another; But the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal: so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.
Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood; Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God; One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person.
For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead; He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give an account of their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.
This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.
No problem with this Southern Baptist - count me in.
Shouldn’t “faith” be in there somewhere, re salvation ?
I'm sorry, but I find this misguided in the extreme.
We don't need to hear a call to some false unity, but a call to repentance.
The lack of power in American Christianity comes from sin that has not been dealt with and the fact that we love our comfortable lives more than we love Christ.
Until those sorts of things are addressed, Christians will have no real, spiritual power in this society. They can come together, hold hands and sing Kumba-ya till the cows come home and it will amount to exactly nothing.
Why try to rewrite the Nicene Creed?
I'm a Baptist, and I do NOT consider myself a Protestant. We'd have had to have "come out" of the Catholic religion (which we were never "in" to begin with) to be "Protestants".
That is a nice creed and you have made an excellent point. We have the Nicene, the Apostle’s and this and I don’t think we need to make a new one. In fact, I’d be a bit worried about anything new we would come up with.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
I know there is some really skewed historical stuff out there, but until the Reformation, it pretty much WAS Catholics (Roman and Eastern Orthodox). After the Reformation, then the fun began. But, there were no Southern Baptists during Martin Luther’s time or before.
I don’t know if the author had this in mind, but I do and it’s this: Radical Islam is the most widespread, imminent and planet-altering threat we, of ALL the “infidel” religions, have ever faced and only just beginning to comprehend. In that vein, all Christians (regardless of denominations or degrees), Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, etc., must wake up, stand together and not allow our compassion, tolerance and trusting nature be used against us or bow to political correctness. Everyone needs to get familiar with Brigitte Gabriel, a Lebanese Christian who’s lived through the horror and speaks eloquently, with first-hand knowledge, on the real depth of this threat. Try to catch one of her speeches or books (Because They Hate is a good one) and website, American Congress for Truth. Our religions don’t direct us to kill all others who don’t convert or submit, but there is one that does, and it’s the largest, fastest-growing and most aggressive one on the planet. We need to get educated - cultural jihad is already here, and in most of the western countries.
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