A Good Church

[PJSM]

No gay priests or females.

Although I do agree, I think it is a detail and a side issue. When I look to the extended description of a church of Shad, I think this should be a part of:
~ magnifies the word of God and esteems it above all that is necessary in life

This subject (and many others, which are for some people very important), is not a criterion of a good church. I know many churches who do agree this, but forget to know the great grace of the Lord, and are only thinking about moral life and everything what is (and is not) allowed according to the law. (Dont hear: "this is complete unimportant!")

Good churches should be discribed with more general critiria.

 

[watchmen]

The ingredients of the true Church should be:

One
Holy
Catholic
Apostolic

This explains a lot.

 

[Maddog]

This explains a lot.

What do you mean?

 

[Graybeard]

The persons in leadership should meet the criteria that the Word says they should.

 

[Elijah23]

One - The Church must be united in Christ, and this includes being one visible institution.

Holy - It is because Christ is holy that the Church, being His body are also holy. It is through the Church that God's grace is administered.

Catholic - Contains the fullness of the means of salvation.

Apostolic - has a visible succession from the Apostles and carries their same teaching authority which was given to them by Christ.

What do you mean by “holy”? I think of holy as being without sin, which includes being sexually chaste. I think sometimes churches might call themselves “holy” when nothing could be farther from the truth.

 

[Maddog]

What do you mean by “holy”? I think of holy as being without sin, which includes being sexually chaste. I think sometimes churches might call themselves “holy” when nothing could be farther from the truth.

Since Christ is with His Church the Church is holy on account of Him. It is a statement of the union with Christ as opposed to the morality of individual members. However, being part of the Church and through the Sacraments etc, the people grow in holiness (or become more like Christ) through grace.

 

[happynGod]

A good Church is one the goes by the Bible only and not opinions.

 

[Maddog]

A good Church is one the goes by the Bible only and not opinions.

What about differing opinions on what the Bible says?

 

[Elijah23]

An example of an obligatory prayer, or the conclusion of one rather, following the obligatory nicene creed maddog posted.

I’ve got no problems with creeds and obligatory prayers. I just think that sometimes my church was spending too much time using worship services to pat itself on the back. It seems to me the service is primarily to show our appreciation to the Lord for what he has done for us all week.

 

[Elijah23]

No gay priests or females.

You don’t let females into your church?

 

[watchmen]

This explains a lot.

What do you mean?

Everything you say now makes since from your acceptance of Halloween to your belief that Christianity ''true Christianity'' is a religion. Catholicism is a religion, and incorporates paganism into their religion. I understand why you believe as you do now.

 

[Maddog]

your belief that Christianity ''true Christianity'' is a religion.

Actually, I believe that more from a simple dictionary definition standpoint.

Catholicism is a religion, and incorporates paganism into their religion.

If you mean that pagan festivals have been Christianised - stripped of their erroneous beliefs and replaced with Christian meaning, then I'd agree.

By the way, I hope you're not suggesting that Catholicism is a religion separate from Christianity?

I understand why you believe as you do now.

Well that's good, I suppose, though I don't quite know what I've said to shed such light on the matter. Meanwhile, I am having difficulty placing your particular beliefs. What denomination are you, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[suaso]

unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam...

Amo Ecclesia Catholica Romana!

Oh...I hope I didn't forget enough Latin to mispell/wrongfully conjugate that.

But, there are many non-Roman churches that also include the "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic" pillars to their idea of church. I think these are: Anglican and Orthodox most definitely, and maybe the Lutherans and *possibly* some Presbyterians? it means precisely how Maddog defined it earlier, and many non-Roman Catholic Christians agree with it.

 

[DinoDillinger]

I would like to point out that none of us would be allowed in any of these 'perfect' churches.

 

[loveschild]

God being in charge of the church not people.

 

[watchmen]

By the way, I hope you're not suggesting that Catholicism is a religion separate from Christianity?

I think all religion is separate from true Christianity, including Catholicism.

 

[Maddog]

I think all religion is separate from true Christianity, including Catholicism.

Well then I think we're all separate from true Christianity since we're inherently religious creatures. But I've said before that I think we must have a different understanding of what religion is.

 

[Elijah23]

I think all religion is separate from true Christianity, including Catholicism.

I think it was Tolstoy who said, “The problem with Christianity is that no one has ever tried it,” meaning, I guess, that we call ourselves Christians, but we never completely do what Jesus told us to do (in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, I assume).

 

[MahogonySnail]

I think all religion is separate from true Christianity, including Catholicism.

That's because you believe in heresy by the standard of the Nicene creed.

 

[motojojo]

Jehovah's Witnesses saying Jesus is not God/ claiming Jesus is Michael the archangel/ various others. I asked a Jehovah's Witness about all this and he said thats crazy, if you want to know what a witness believes you need to ask one. Don't believe all the lies you hear about other religions, your judging them about lies, God is the only judge. Why do we do that?