Posted on 01/10/2013 9:33:42 AM PST by MeOnTheBeach
Has modern Christianity formed a new Church?
I'll keep the journey into history simple. In the last 2000 years the churches large enough to survive the attacks by larger established churches could survive.
They were not civil nor peaceful. They conducted massive wars against each other.
However, over the last several decades, something different has happened, a new church has formed. All these churches that used to slaughter each other now accept the baptisms and membership performed by their one time rivals.
Individual doctrines no longer matter. Their adherents now claim everyone is "saved" in the body of Christ. Modern Christianity has even brought new scripture with them. The various "new" translations of the Bible.
They've changed doctrine too.
So, would this be considered a new Church? Instead of a thousand individual religions, there is now just one Church?
Thoughts?
Perhaps it’s the whole concept of sin that is not correct?
If we accept that God is capable of anything, why must something that appears to be a contradiction to man, also be a contradiction to God?
The Catholic Church recognizes the validity of protestant baptisms that use the Trinitarian formula (see Matthew 28:19-20). By the way, these verses also show us that the Church was universal (which is what catholic means) before it was local.
I don’t know about forming new churches but the church seems to be examine itself and it’s history right bow to see how we arrived at this diabolical time period in our history. From what I’ve gathered they seem to agree that dogma / rituals (which is not truly worshipping or honoring God has much to do with it. That along with hypocrisy, failure to obey and follow the tenets of the Word, and just proclaiming you are a Christian, ands omplacency (removal of concern of politics from religion) has much to do with it. Much of the spiritual leaders are returning to having a personal relationship with God an trying to get way from ritualized and dogmatic religious model.
“The Catholic Church doesnt accept other churches sacraments with perhaps the exception of marriage.”
The Catholic Church accepts all the sacraments of the Orthodox Church and ‘oriental’ Orthodox Churches. The Catholic Church accepts any Trinitarian Christan baptism as a valid Christian baptism.
Freegards
No. The Catholic Church teaches that who does and doesn't get into heaven is not our call.
You have it backwards. The Catholic Church recognizes most protestant baptisms, and in an emergency, last rites administered by a protestant. The Catholic Church doesn't recognize protestant marriages.
Nope. The Catholic Church often recognizes protestant marriages as valid.
I thought it was two Protestants married outside the Church don’t have to have another marriage if they join the Catholic Church, as long as the marriage is valid (no remarriage before). Two Catholics married outside the Church(a jp wedding or went to another church) or a Catholic and Protestant married outside the Church have to have another ceremony, I think. Two nonChristians joining the Catholic Church I think have to have a ceremony, but the Church considers them married.
I could be wrong with all or some of that.
Freegards
Christian denominations have not done a lot of “slaughtering” of one another since the middle of the seventeenth century.
About 4 Decades ago, non-denominational churches strated springing up. Instead of methodist or baptist, the trend was to get away from those labels. It was common to hear someone say “oh, I’m not baptist, I’m just a christian!” Time passed and even the most staunchest denominations that adhered faithfully to their set of doctrines beganb to lose their identity, becoming much like their non-denominational competitors.
The question still remains. In the macro, has Christianity, in it’s essence, merged to be one church?
Is there a distinction now between the churches?
Is there a reason to actually be a Catholic? Or to be a Baptist?
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