It has been quite evident that this forum's numbers have been dropping like flies.

Some of us are "Catholic", some of us are "Protestant".
Some of us are "Traditionlists", some of us are "Modernists"
Some of us are "Fundamentalists", some of us are "Liberalists"

But we are all God's children. We need to stick together. Sometimes that means taking a lot of flack. But u know what, God doesn't forsake you. You can do all things in Him who empowers you. Remember, Satan wants to destroy God's people and the oneness among God's people. Let's not make his job easy.

Let all things be done for building up.

God is sovereign over all our situations.

Praise Him.

-- Oliver Fischer (spicenut@excite.com), February 17, 2003

Answers

Oliver, :-) -- it sometimes does strike me that we spend a lot of time here throwing stones at our fellow Christians, when we should be standing together against the world which hates Christians - and Christ - more than anything else.

May I recommend a book you might appreciate? It's called "Ecumenical Jihad" by Peter Kreeft. Kreeft was a friend of C.S. Lewis and writes in a very similar style. He makes a similar point to yours - that at this time in history, we need to stand together against the forces of darkness that want to obliterate ALL traces of belief in God. :-)

-- Christine L. :-) (christine_lehman@hotmail.com), February 17, 2003.

Christine, I don't want your head to swell, but I just have to say, I am so very impressed with so many of your comments. God Bless & Pax Christi.

-- Anna <>< (Flower@youknow.com), February 17, 2003.

Aw shucks, thanks, Anna! I do have a tendency to get a swelled head though -- maybe I should wear a sign that says "Please don't feed the ego" (nyuk nyuk!)

-- Christine L. ;-) (christine_lehman@hotmail.com), February 17, 2003.

Thanks Christine for the recommendation. Also, you're touching on a point I do try to make at times. If we are to be a testimony for the Lord, we really need to love one another. At the end of the day, it will be Christ's love that bears the good testimony, not the soundness of doctrines.

I hope noone will misinterpret this comment as one stating that doctrines are irrelevant, because that is far from my thinking. Rather, I believe that the Lord Jesus would be more satisfied if we loved Him and others with a pure heart, than arguing over difference in doctrine.

I have been thinking that my postings regarding prostelyzing may have been the last straw for Chris. I just want him, yourself and other Catholics here to know that I consider you brothers and sisters, and I have no intention to insult or stumble anyone. I myself have been particularly harsh at times, attacking Catholic doctrine, and it has made me a hypocrite.

-- Oliver Fischer (spicenut@excite.com), February 18, 2003.

For what it is worth, Oliver, I agree with you. If one persists in seeking truth and asking for God's assistance, they will find it; He will not let them down. But if we do not live the beatitudes, we will confound ourselves and never know truth. Living the faith and knowing the faith grow together and cannot take place independently.

That being said, strong discussions are not in themselves a failing of charity, but perhaps a testing ground for it. The exchanges are important and useful it seems, yet at the same time not one argument any of us makes can be credited with saving someone's soul, since that belongs to God's capabilities alone; nor should we assume ourselves to instruments of His in any particular situation when we really don't know if we are or are not. There's still nothing that will be better than praying for someone's salvation.

I'm pretty sure that Chris didn't leave because of you or me.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), February 18, 2003.

If you substitute "truth" for the loaded term "doctrine", it is much easier to see things in perspective. The preaching of truth without love is surely not following in the footsteps of Christ. However, the expression of love without also offering the truth is mere secular humanitarianism, and does not resemble the teaching of Christ either. To feed someone who is hungry is surely a loving act; yet to simultaneously withhold from them the truth that leads to eternal salvation is not loving at all. Such an approach demonstrates a humanistic love, based on relief of immediate physical suffering, but ignores divine love, which is always directed ultimately toward eternal life. Many Christians focus on humanistic love because feeding the hungry and other corporal works of mercy are "safe" ministries. No-one will tell me to get lost when I am serving food in a soup kitchen; it makes me feel good, and I can feel justified because I am doing something that scripture commands. On the other hand, sharing the truth of Jesus and guiding people into His Church are risky endeavors. People may reject my help. They may respond angrily, or resentfully - just as many did with Jesus and the apostles. Still, Jesus and the apostles are supposed to be our models for living the Christian life. Jesus said "I am the truth". You can't really share Jesus while avoiding sharing the truth. The Bible tells us that feeding the hungry is a good thing to do - preliminary to sharing the good news. It does not suggest that doing good works and helping others can substitute for speaking the truth.

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), February 18, 2003.

Our great preacher Paul is comming forward again! Truth (just we catholics have it) and the obeisance (to our truth) are his main concern for the rest of us. Listen in awe...

-- Freddy (FreddyCorn@world.com), February 18, 2003.

Since the 1960s there was an ecumenical movement to unite all Christians. It succeeded in some sections of Protestantism. Examples of union churches: The United Church of Christ, The Evangelical Lutheran Church, and so on. These resulted in less churches. The Popes since 1960 tried to unite Anglicans, Lutherans, and Orthodox with Roman Catholics. So far, no success.

"In the meantime Islam and Budhism continue to rise in numbers." If it wasn't for Afghanistan and 9/11/01, Christians will be still ignorant of Islam's rapid rise and power over its people.

Maybe in the future, more christians will unite, to answer the apostle Paul's words: " has Christ been divided? " .This he said after people said they followed Peter, others Apollos, others Paul.(I cor.ch. 1-3).

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonzalez@srla.org), February 18, 2003.