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Coming from a country that is like predominantly Catholic it sometimes pains me to see that it's all become a mumbo jumbo of rituals and deeds. Catholic theology really emphasized JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH but a part of their theology tells its members to behave in the world too and do what needs to be done. The reason many Catholics here are afraid of Christians is that we are pushing them to abandon "the faith"... let us remember the Catholic church means "whole", and Christ really envisioned ONE Church in Him. Sadly though, the Catholic theology has focused on the "behaving" part that people are now forgetting the real reason why they are doing all those things-- to glorify God. Many end up being lapsed Catholics... the "six-days godless and one-day Catholic" phenomenon. We don't need to seek "Catholics" we should be seeking the "lapsed and lost"... as for the devout ones, we should encourage them to step up their faith and encounter God... The last thing us Christians need is a fellow Christian judging us and telling us that we're going down because we're not "following the brand".
Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Methodist, Congregational, Brethren, Mennonite, Anabaptist-- these are just brands. And it's good that there is diversity in Christianity. I just wish that this diversity is not seen as division... but seen as unity under the one language that is to glorify God.
I recently had revelations of how divided our church is, and it hurts me to know we are evangelizing people to get them out of a "brand" and not out of the "pit". God revealed Micah 4:1-3 to me and I hope even in the division His church experiences right now, we will someday be united in diversity in glorifying God.
Micah 4:1-3
1 In the last days
the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.
2 Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3 He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Methodist, Congregational, Brethren, Mennonite, Anabaptist-- these are just brands. And it's good that there is diversity in Christianity. I just wish that this diversity is not seen as division... but seen as unity under the one language that is to glorify God.
I recently had revelations of how divided our church is, and it hurts me to know we are evangelizing people to get them out of a "brand" and not out of the "pit". God revealed Micah 4:1-3 to me and I hope even in the division His church experiences right now, we will someday be united in diversity in glorifying God.
Micah 4:1-3
1 In the last days
the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.
2 Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3 He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Catholicism also straight up works better in illiterate areas as well. I've talked to protestant missionaries after they've returned from South America and they always say that it's a struggle to plant churches there that survive, because so much revolves around the congregation being able to read the Bible as the pinnacle of their spirituality and many can't. Catholicism on the other hand the Mass, the Eucharist, the Rosary, etc. Which don't require literacy.
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