Truly there is great disunity in the never-ending theological debates among Christians.
However, I perceive great unity among Christians in the debate against atheism/agnosticism, i.e. the common enemy which is the spirit of anti-Christ.
Also, I'm leery of attempts to repair many of the doctrinal disagreements among Christians mostly because too much is lost in the interest of compromise.
Moreover, the United Nations shares the same goal of unity across all world religions. But Christianity cannot be united with Islam, etc.
To God be the glory, not man, never man.
But, sister, we also lose unity of effort and purpose. So, the issue is not arriving at a bland agreement on doctrine, but is rather producing a salty coalition that is willing to attack.
Our largest denominations have some doctrinal disagreements, but even our largest denominations manage to agree on combined initiatives.
If we do not have enough in common to agree on a united effort in media outreach, then we probably don't have enough in common to impress unbelievers that:
I (am) in them and (they) in me (so that) they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
What can be gained by "compromise" WRT doctrinal disagreements? With you I wonder, dearest sister in Christ, how does a Christian "compromise" with a Muslim? It is simply impossible. For the Christian and Islamic views of man in relation to his God [and to the State] are radically different. The former accentuates human liberty. The latter human obedience. What "compromise" is available between these two fundamentally different understandings of human existence under God?
The U.N.'s interest in promoting a single world religion (supposedly in the interest of world peace) simply dissolves all religious differences into a homogenous, meaningless soup. It denatures and devalues religious experience altogether and moreover makes it subject to secular control.
That's the "big picture" overview. On a lesser plane are the constant disputes among Christian co-religionists of different doctrinal persuasions here at FR. To me, they are a disservice to the very idea of the Body of Christ, of which all faithful Christians of whatever doctrine are members. Instead of focusing on what all Christians hold in common, they dwell on, and exacerbate our differences, often in quite uncharitable ways. To the sneering delight of folks who are outside the Christian orbit. It's embarrassing....
In short, we argue about scripture — what the Holy Bible says. Yet the Holy Bible is not God. It is one of four revelations God has given us — the other three being the Incarnation of Christ, the "book of Nature" (i.e., the Creation itself), and the Holy Spirit with us. The Bible is God's Word speaking to us, addressed to us as individual souls, to be understood by us according to whatever Light the Holy Spirit provides. No human understanding can be the measure of God's Holy Word. So to me, all such "disputes" are pretty much a waste of time from the get-go. But they have been known to cause great consternation and hurt to the people who engage in them.
Our "job" as Christians is to do two things: love God with our whole heart and soul and mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourself. It is not at all clear to me that our duty to love our neighbor comes with a charter giving us the authority to "correct" our neighbor when he does not agree with us....
And so, I'm with you, dearest sister in Christ: I'll hold whatever "fire" I have till I can direct it at God's enemies — the atheists out there, and the so-called post-modernists (most of whom are atheists anyway). I won't direct it at my Christian co-religionists, simply because they heard God's Word in a manner slightly different from the way I did. These different ways may all be truthful in a certain sense. That is, if they are truly inspired by the Holy Spirit, they cannot be false, although they may differ on points.
JMHO FWIW Thank you ever so much, dearest sister in Christ, for your most perceptive essay/post!
I would council steadfastness and benevolence. Steadfastness in our faith and benevolence towards all. Steadfastness and benevolence with respect to our brothers and sisters in Christ, despite whatever doctrinal differences we might have with some; steadfastness and benevolence with respect to our brothers and sisters in the Judeo-Christian tradition we share; steadfastness and benevolence even with respect to our “enemies” (that is to say with those who wish us nothing but ill).
This is, I believe, what Christ councils, so I can not possibly do better than echo his admonition.
I thoroughly agree.
Sometimes, I think God enjoys SOME of the distinctives while hating spiteful disunity.