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This thread is dedicated to the focus of Ecumenism. For those among us who have not heard of the word before, you have my respect as good Christians. It is something that is given much attention to by our present-day secular world, so its not that surprising.

Definition of Ecumenism:
-Refers to initiatives aimed at greater religious unity or cooperation.
--More commonly used in its narrow meaning, referring to greater co-operation among different Christian groups or denominations.
-Also refers to the idea of unity: that there should be a single Christian Church.

The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church are in goodstanding with one another, after having dissolved the excommunications that mark the "official" Great Schism of 1054 by both the Holy Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople since 1965. Progress is slow but it is happening.
And since 1999, Lutheran and Roman Catholic representatives signed The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, which has resolved the conflict over the nature of Justificaton which was one of the key reasons for the Protestant Reformation. The World Methodist Council has adopted the Joint Declaration. The Eastern Orthodox Church is working to embrace alienated communion as recipients of a common gift, and helping bring another Church back into the Ecumenical fold.

However, there is opposition from the extremely vocal part of Christianity, the fundamentalists and the charismatics (the ones who believe that miracles happen today, whom I personally have no beef with). The Baptist World Alliance was forced to withdraw any attempt it had planned on to try and participate in ecumencial cooperation because of the conservative fundamentalist elements of the Southern Baptist Convention. Other denominations that oppose the unification of the Christian Church are the Seventh Day Adventists (which I understand their reasoning), non-denominational Christians, and some American conservative Protestant Churches.

The purpose of this thread is to discuss/debate about ecumenism and try to speed up the process of Christian unity.

I agree. I can foresee exetremely heavy opposition to ecumenism from denominations like the Baptists and the evangelicals. What I don't get is why evangelicals are so against the unification of the Christian Church. After all, aren't they the ones who help spread the message of God to the nonbelievers? A united Christianity would be alot more effective than a whole bunch of divided denominations trying to recruit followers to their own interpretation of Christianity.

I attend an SDA church, but will never call myself an SDA.

I dont think the problem is in the church not being unified. I think it's in our messed up way of seeing things. Denominations are simply groups of people who believe one thing about the Bible, where as another christian might say their wrong. It's simply the way you interpret it. An SDA cannot attend a lutherin church because what they believe is WAY different.

What makes denominations wrong and a very scarey thing, is...well, let's use an example. In the USA, there is a huge problem in the SDA church that I can tell. Most of them are racist. Simple as that. A "black" person will not attend the "white" SDA church, simply because there's no black people. Then these people complain. "There's something wrong with the SDA convention! We need to get the head boards to stop this!!" What the people need is a HUGE wake up call because the problem is not in the board. It's in them. If they think it's so wrong to have a black church and a white church, then the white people that have a problem with it can attend the black church and vise vera and WALLA!! The problem is solved.

This is the simple problem with denominations.

I think the problem isn't that we HAVE denominations. It's that we call ourselves after them. Shouldn't we call ourself a follower of christ? A Christian? someone who asks "what denomination are you," shouldn't we reply with a "I attend a ____ church, but it doesn't matter because we are both christians"

The problem doesn't come from having different churches that preach their interpretation of the Bible. It comes from within us. You have a problem with the denominations, then stop calling yourself after them.


And just one last thing:

"A united Christianity would be alot more effective than a whole bunch of divided denominations trying to recruit followers to their own interpretation of Christianity"

A Christian should NEVER "recruit," as you put it, a person to their denomination. They should be helping people understand and follow God and Jesus. The person can decide for themself "This is the church I want to attend." When a person asks you, "Whats so wrong with a Baptist church" and you are not baptist, you should say "nothing, they just have some differences with the [insert denomination]."

If a person is "recruiting" another into Christianity, it should be under God -under Christ - not under their denomination.

That's all =]

You're missing a crucial point when suggesting that the only thing that keeps the denominations apart is mere traditions. There are "Christian" denominations that would suggest that Jesus is not the Son of God or that His death did not really atone for our sins! If you are suggesting that we must look past these "minor doctrinal differences" for the sake of unity, you are joining yourself with false teachers.

I believe as strongly as you do that the Christian church should be united, but it can only be united when there is complete agreement. We cannot tolerate contradictory viewpoints since that undermines the whole of the Christian religion.

By the way, not all Lutherans agree with the Joint Declaration.