The Christian Church is under worldwide attack. The forces against the Church are big corporations that sell materialism and will do anything to promote the culture of materialism. The god of the retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers is money. To get money they see the holy days, AKA holidays, of the Christian Church as the biggest vehicle for sales. However, since Christianity is against over consumption of stuff, AKA greed, and since Christianity supports charitable giving to help the poor and needy, the corporations have stematically taken the Christian holy days, and the music and cultural customs connected to those days and stripping them of all religious content, the corporations, manufacturers and retailers have successfully hijacked them, turning them into merely occasions for greedy buying under the pretense of "giving."
This systematic attack against Christianity is succeeding,
What's the solution as far as the Church is concerned?
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Can Christians Worship Together
All this week People have been saying that they think the Vatican's invitation to Anglicans is simply that, an invitation to Anglicans.
What if there is something much bigger implied in this "Welcome"?
What if this is the continuation of a concerted effort by the Roman Catholic Church to over come the separation caused by the Reformation and its aftermath?
What if the Holy See of Rome has decided that they are willing to move toward the Protestant community in such a way as to span this separation and bridge the divide of the sixteenth century?
The theological ground work was done during the years of ecumenical dialogue in the 1960's through 2000. This ground work resulted in agreements on the doctrines of Holy Baptism, The Creeds, Holy Communion, The Office of the Ministry, Confession and forgiveness, and the nature and function of the Petrine ministry. There was even a document on the theology of Justification. The Justification document showed that the main cause of the separation was no longer a cause for continuing the divide.
Recently, the Vatican announced that His Holiness the Pope wanted to gather the fruits of those theological agreements. Benedict xvi is dedicated not only to the theological unity of the Church but to the realization of full organic unity of the Church.
Faced with Secularism, the new paganism, materialism and other challenges to the Christian faith, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church may feel that the days of Christian theological and philosophic dominance are over and that world wide Christianity is now in survival mode.
He may feel that as the leader of the largest of the Western Christian Church, he is required to take the lead and shepherd his Church and the world wide Christian community toward a unification. This would be the natural outcome of a existing unity of philosophy, doctrine, theology, worship practices coupled with a need for a unified answer to the challenges of today.
What if there is something much bigger implied in this "Welcome"?
What if this is the continuation of a concerted effort by the Roman Catholic Church to over come the separation caused by the Reformation and its aftermath?
What if the Holy See of Rome has decided that they are willing to move toward the Protestant community in such a way as to span this separation and bridge the divide of the sixteenth century?
The theological ground work was done during the years of ecumenical dialogue in the 1960's through 2000. This ground work resulted in agreements on the doctrines of Holy Baptism, The Creeds, Holy Communion, The Office of the Ministry, Confession and forgiveness, and the nature and function of the Petrine ministry. There was even a document on the theology of Justification. The Justification document showed that the main cause of the separation was no longer a cause for continuing the divide.
Recently, the Vatican announced that His Holiness the Pope wanted to gather the fruits of those theological agreements. Benedict xvi is dedicated not only to the theological unity of the Church but to the realization of full organic unity of the Church.
Faced with Secularism, the new paganism, materialism and other challenges to the Christian faith, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church may feel that the days of Christian theological and philosophic dominance are over and that world wide Christianity is now in survival mode.
He may feel that as the leader of the largest of the Western Christian Church, he is required to take the lead and shepherd his Church and the world wide Christian community toward a unification. This would be the natural outcome of a existing unity of philosophy, doctrine, theology, worship practices coupled with a need for a unified answer to the challenges of today.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Positive responses to Popes Welcome
The News that the Roman Catholic Church will welcome Anglicans into full organic union seems to be gaining increased positive reaction. Those interested in uniting the two denominations under the See of Rome are speaking out in affirmative tones to the invitation. While no group has jumped at the historic opportunity presented by the Pope's Apostolic Constitution, many have stated that they are seriously consulting their constituents about a positive response to the popes generous offer.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Is the Pope Serious?
Pope Benedict should extend his welcome to all Protestants who profess the Apostles and Nicene creeds. This would extend an invitation to members and congregations of the Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches. Members of these groups might respond more favorably than the Anglicans seem to be -that is, if Christians seriously and earnestly desire a healing of the centuries long separation between Christians .
The question for both the Vatican and so called main line Protestant denominations is, "Are they serious about visible Christian Unification?" If they are, then the invitation of the Vatican to join together in organic unity is the best chance in recent memory for such unity to happen.
The inter church dialogues of the last forty years have revealed great convergence of teaching and practice among the formerly united Christian denominations. On the major issue of Jesus, the groups agree that Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, that he is born of the Virgin Mary of the Holy Spirit, that he lived and taught among us as the fulness of God's self revelation and that Jesus was the completion of the covenant promise made to Abraham. As stated in their formal creeds, these groups all agree that Jesus suffered as an atonement for sin, was crucified, died and was buried and that on the third day he rose from the dead, ascending into heaven and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
On the second major issue regarding the being and nature of God, the main line denominations agree that God is a trintiy in unity and a unity in trinity. This monotheistic interpretation of the nature and being of God was affirmed as, "That which should everywhere and at every time be taught among us."-- after three hundred years of speculation, discussion, argument and debate some of that debate heated and vehement.
These two core issues are at the heart of Christianity and separate the Christian Church from its Jewish ancestors.
The debates of the middle ages by people of good will revolved firstly, around how these two great beliefs of Christianity should be applied in theology, systematic thinking, philosophy, social teaching, worship practice and everyday life. Secondly, the great thinkers of that era debated about how the Church as an organization should be lead and administered.
Today, the wars that revealed the great divide of opinion on these issues are ended. They were wars of words but sadly also wars between ardent believers on both sides who were willing to use the cold steel of physical combat to promote and/or defend their position. And very sadly, thousands of people died in the passionately pursued conflicts. (Note that emergent nationalism, regionalism, secularism and pure power politics apart from religion were all major players in the wars. After all, there was no Christian army. Yes, there were armies sanctioned by Christians but even the Vatican of that time used mercenaries.)
So, since the major theological differences between Christian groups have been decided in favor of unity of belief, and since the very secondary issue of ecclesiastical administration is for most of the world a non issue, then why are the denominations separated?
Could it be that Christians are complacent and no longer care about being One Holy Christian and Apostolic Church? Or have the leaders of the Christians grown lazy and happy with the status quo because the "way it is" is in keeping with their petty personal agendas?
Academic freedom in the classroom (say leftist liberalism) is a non christian issue. Feminism and homosexuality are current event issues of long standing in world society but when measured against the core theology of Jesus, the cross, the trinity and salvation through faith, they both take back seats. And gay marriage, is this equal in value to the over arching issue of a unified Christian Church confronting secularism, modern fascism and the movements and machinations of the new world order?
The question for both the Vatican and so called main line Protestant denominations is, "Are they serious about visible Christian Unification?" If they are, then the invitation of the Vatican to join together in organic unity is the best chance in recent memory for such unity to happen.
The inter church dialogues of the last forty years have revealed great convergence of teaching and practice among the formerly united Christian denominations. On the major issue of Jesus, the groups agree that Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, that he is born of the Virgin Mary of the Holy Spirit, that he lived and taught among us as the fulness of God's self revelation and that Jesus was the completion of the covenant promise made to Abraham. As stated in their formal creeds, these groups all agree that Jesus suffered as an atonement for sin, was crucified, died and was buried and that on the third day he rose from the dead, ascending into heaven and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
On the second major issue regarding the being and nature of God, the main line denominations agree that God is a trintiy in unity and a unity in trinity. This monotheistic interpretation of the nature and being of God was affirmed as, "That which should everywhere and at every time be taught among us."-- after three hundred years of speculation, discussion, argument and debate some of that debate heated and vehement.
These two core issues are at the heart of Christianity and separate the Christian Church from its Jewish ancestors.
The debates of the middle ages by people of good will revolved firstly, around how these two great beliefs of Christianity should be applied in theology, systematic thinking, philosophy, social teaching, worship practice and everyday life. Secondly, the great thinkers of that era debated about how the Church as an organization should be lead and administered.
Today, the wars that revealed the great divide of opinion on these issues are ended. They were wars of words but sadly also wars between ardent believers on both sides who were willing to use the cold steel of physical combat to promote and/or defend their position. And very sadly, thousands of people died in the passionately pursued conflicts. (Note that emergent nationalism, regionalism, secularism and pure power politics apart from religion were all major players in the wars. After all, there was no Christian army. Yes, there were armies sanctioned by Christians but even the Vatican of that time used mercenaries.)
So, since the major theological differences between Christian groups have been decided in favor of unity of belief, and since the very secondary issue of ecclesiastical administration is for most of the world a non issue, then why are the denominations separated?
Could it be that Christians are complacent and no longer care about being One Holy Christian and Apostolic Church? Or have the leaders of the Christians grown lazy and happy with the status quo because the "way it is" is in keeping with their petty personal agendas?
Academic freedom in the classroom (say leftist liberalism) is a non christian issue. Feminism and homosexuality are current event issues of long standing in world society but when measured against the core theology of Jesus, the cross, the trinity and salvation through faith, they both take back seats. And gay marriage, is this equal in value to the over arching issue of a unified Christian Church confronting secularism, modern fascism and the movements and machinations of the new world order?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Big News at the Vatican
Pope Benedict has made a tremendously important decision for the world.
The announcement of a new Apostolic Constitution which would allow Anglicans and groups of Anglicans, even groups of groups (say diocese) to move over to the Roman Catholic church and still keep their married priests, their Anglican ways of worship, and even their (unmarried) bishops...well at first this surprise was treated mildly. The Archbishop of Canterbury acted as though this was bad manners but no big deal. Others however, accused the Vatican of trying to steal the Anglicans away from their church. Eventually, some even saw in the "welcome" a sinister plot by the conspirators in the Vatican to infiltrate Protestantism and topple the Reformation!
Is everything seen as negative? This may be the most positive thing to have happened yet!
The Vatican's move is reported as a pastoral concern of the Pope for the thousands of Anglicans who have expressed to him their desire to become aligned with Rome if only they did not have to give up everything. Now, this kind of accommodation has been proposed before and the RC Church has refused. If you want to become Roman Catholic than it is a conversion and the individual will not be able to pick and choose. It's all or nothing.
Although this welcome to the Anglicans may have been in response to pleading from outside, and although it is only specific to the Anglicans, yet, if applied as a new theological, philosophical, practical policy it could heal the separation of the Reformation and the Counter Reformation. It could be the catalyst for visible and organic Christian Church Unity and it could be the "fruit" of the last centuries ecumenical discussions- conversations that produced extraordinary agreements in doctrine and practice between the Roman Catholic Church and the main line Protestant denominations.
The announcement of a new Apostolic Constitution which would allow Anglicans and groups of Anglicans, even groups of groups (say diocese) to move over to the Roman Catholic church and still keep their married priests, their Anglican ways of worship, and even their (unmarried) bishops...well at first this surprise was treated mildly. The Archbishop of Canterbury acted as though this was bad manners but no big deal. Others however, accused the Vatican of trying to steal the Anglicans away from their church. Eventually, some even saw in the "welcome" a sinister plot by the conspirators in the Vatican to infiltrate Protestantism and topple the Reformation!
Is everything seen as negative? This may be the most positive thing to have happened yet!
The Vatican's move is reported as a pastoral concern of the Pope for the thousands of Anglicans who have expressed to him their desire to become aligned with Rome if only they did not have to give up everything. Now, this kind of accommodation has been proposed before and the RC Church has refused. If you want to become Roman Catholic than it is a conversion and the individual will not be able to pick and choose. It's all or nothing.
Although this welcome to the Anglicans may have been in response to pleading from outside, and although it is only specific to the Anglicans, yet, if applied as a new theological, philosophical, practical policy it could heal the separation of the Reformation and the Counter Reformation. It could be the catalyst for visible and organic Christian Church Unity and it could be the "fruit" of the last centuries ecumenical discussions- conversations that produced extraordinary agreements in doctrine and practice between the Roman Catholic Church and the main line Protestant denominations.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Purpose of this Blog
This blog intends to comment on world and local events, politics and churches from a Christian World view.
The purpose is to put into the public square viewpoints through which one may interpret current events.
The Reverend Father Richard John Neuhaus, (deceased) wrote a book titled, The Naked Public Square. It is a seminal work for the foundation of this site because Father Richard encouraged engagement and conversation between culture and religion. In fact, he thought that people with specifically Christian viewpoints had fled engagement with culture(s). This lack of conversation between people of Religion and others, he thought, was an impoverishment of both since it was in the nature of both culture and religion to influence each other. Without the seminal influence interactive between culture and religion the progress and insights gained from the past are lost and the hope of the future is diminished.
The author of these notes is The Rev. Dr. Frederick H. Schoenfeld. You can view his profile at http://www.bible-study-for-everyone.com/ (author)
The purpose is to put into the public square viewpoints through which one may interpret current events.
The Reverend Father Richard John Neuhaus, (deceased) wrote a book titled, The Naked Public Square. It is a seminal work for the foundation of this site because Father Richard encouraged engagement and conversation between culture and religion. In fact, he thought that people with specifically Christian viewpoints had fled engagement with culture(s). This lack of conversation between people of Religion and others, he thought, was an impoverishment of both since it was in the nature of both culture and religion to influence each other. Without the seminal influence interactive between culture and religion the progress and insights gained from the past are lost and the hope of the future is diminished.
The author of these notes is The Rev. Dr. Frederick H. Schoenfeld. You can view his profile at http://www.bible-study-for-everyone.com/ (author)
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