Questions and Answers
Posted by Rev. K.H. Marple on October 21, 2009
I love questions – it’s been awhile since I’ve addressed questions relating to Bible doctrine and sects that reflect a level of perceived Christianity. It flexes my muscles a bit.
Another blogger asked this question:
I just read an article on CNN.com regarding unity in the Catholic Church without cultural uniformity (i.e., as Anglican congregations join while retaining their rites). The Catholic Church views this “homecoming” as the work of the Holy Spirit. I then wrote a post about the relationship of unity and doctrinal uniformity. In general terms, does unity require uniformity?
First, let me apologize for me long response.
The Holy Spirit has never been in the Catholic Church; reason being Catholics believe in the Pope and canonizing humans as Saints instead of the shed Blood of Jesus Christ to see the Kingdom of Heaven. And simply, that is in the Bible (Matt 5:3, KJV). There is no purgatory to be prayed out of.
Let me get back to your question – In order to be separate from the world, yes there should be uniformity. However, I am not Catholic anymore; I have since become a Born Again Christian. Let me explain:
I appreciate how separate or unique some sects (religions) are. It’s kind of the glue that holds it together and makes it interesting. When I was Catholic, I loved the pomp and circumstance that it had when I was young but as I had gotten older, it lost its ‘umph’. Everything became so relaxed that it was hard to tell if I was in community center or a Church.
Since my Salvation in 2001, I also noticed the same things are happening in Baptist churches, Assembly of God Churches, non-denoms, etc. What is actually happening is this kind of a purge of unifying, or being of the world while confessing salvation, instead of being ‘separate’. It’s a matter of wanting to be Godly; Christ-like as the Bible wants us (saved believers) to be so that we are separate.
Should there be ‘uniformity’ within the Church? I think the bigger question is why the Anglicans want to join the Catholic community. The answer is that the Anglicans are losing ground and losing money while the Catholic Church is the largest landholder in the world. Also, Anglicans are separating into two distinctive sects because one wants the way of the Bible and the other is ordaining and marrying gays. For the most part, it has become a money issue.
Thanks for writing!
