Fidelibus
Well-Known Member
In answer to the question about someone possibly not being a Christian because of doctrinal disagreements, I did say that unity is a matter of agreement on essential doctrines, but as for other issues, they are not inherently destructive of unity between believers.
So are you saying that a Calvinist Pastor would be welcome to preach his churches beliefs from an Anglican or Lutheran pulpit regarding..... say Baptism? Likewise, are you saying a Lutheran Pastor's belief in baptismal regeneration or infant baptism would not prevent him from preaching his churches beliefs in a Calvinist church, or a Calvinist pastors belief in high predestination would not prevent him from pastoring in a Methodist church, or a Methodist Pastors belief in infant baptism would not prevent him from pastoring a Baptist church, and so on?
Or would you say/agree Pastors from one Protestant/non-denominational church/sect typically are not allowed to serve as pastors in other Protestant/non-denominational churches/sects of other traditions?
So, what would be an example of these "essential doctrines" that you say Protestant/non-denominational churches and sects are in agreement and therefore unified? I have sort of an idea, but a confirmation would be helpful.
Of course the same could be asked of all the different Catholic denominations as well, and the answer is still as explained above.
First off, there are not all these "different Catholic denominations" that you keep repeating and proven to the contrary over and over again. Are there are some churches which have indeed the audacity to claim for themselves the name "Catholic"? Sure there are. For example, the American National Catholic Church, which has parishes in Connecticut, Florida, New Mexico and New Jersey. And then there's the Old Catholic Church, the Independent Catholic Church, the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church, the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch at Santa Fe, and a whole slew of others.
These "independent" Catholic churches cheerfully profess that they're not subject to the Roman pontiff. They have said, "Thanks, but no thanks, we're fine on our own without a pope and it's perfectly acceptable to do that and still be Catholic!"
it's absurd to think of a group of Catholics being subject to the Pope, and then another subgroup of "Catholics" who are not subject to the Roman pontiff. If these folks want to claim the name "Catholic" for their church, they ought to have some truth-in-advertising and profess from the pulpit all that the One Apostolic Holy Catholic Church professes. The decent thing for these churches to do would be to change their name to: Episcopalian. Or Protestant. Or anything other Christian denomination which has its roots in Catholicism, and then divorced itself from the Root.
These "Catholic" churches have taken all the hard teachings of Christ, re-conformed them to something more palatable, something more in conformity with their own personal views ("I like it when everyone gets to go to communion, even if you're not in communion with my church!" "I don't like it when women can't be priests!" "God wouldn't do [fill in the blank], and it's just coincidence that I don't like it when we have to do [fill in the blank]")
You know Albion, one would think with your continuous boasting on this forum for being greatly knowledgeable concerning the Catholic Church and her beliefs and teachings, you would (should) know that the Catholic Church, that is, the Catholic Church that is in full communion with The Holy See does not have denominations, but Rites, 24 of them. Again, all in 'full communion" with the Holy See.
I will end with a quote by St. Augustine that says:
“And so, lastly, does the very name of 'Catholic', which, not without reason, amid so many heresies, the Church has thus retained; so that, though all heretics wish to be called Catholics, yet when a stranger asks where the Catholic Church meets, no heretic will venture to point to his own chapel or house.”
Have a Blessed Day!
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