@BowsacNoodle@hourmutt@kf01 My sincere hope is that the different church bodies actually commit to doing the hard work of determining what is scriptural and correct, like the ancient ecumenical councils did.
I don't like the cop-out that is "well, we all believe in Jesus!" I want us to find what is true doctrine and hold to it.
@BowsacNoodle@kf01 Different Christians may use the same words but mean very different things, for example the Calvinist will use the term "real presence" when talking about the presence of Christ in Holy Communion but fundamentally their understanding of that presence is different to the Roman Catholic and Lutheran understanding. So there's a need for a certain amount of autism to ascertain what is meant.
I tend to be more focused on these kinds of things because I'm serving a church that is Lutheran in name but has lost Lutheran theology because they've been misled by words that while they sound the same actually mean something very different when examined properly.
I apologise that my theological autism has brought out the usual suspects to poast coal in the thread.
@BowsacNoodle@kf01 Probably, the contention is about "who" purifies the soul of the believer. The Lutheran says it's God who does that and it's not something I can, in my own power, do.
@justinerickson@EvolLove@ILoveAmericaNews@wizardmanperson My brother in Christ, any system of government is going to become sick and twisted because humans are sick and twisted by sin. I think the reason people get all misty eyes for National Socialism (Bratwurst flavour) is that it didn't get to stick around long enough to go down hill, so all we see is how Germany turned things around and we want that for our own countries.
I'd rather a return to monarchy myself, I'm a romantic like that.
@Escoffier If the Lord's Supper was only a communal meal then why does Paul, in the same letter to the Corinthians, say:
“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 11:27)
How can someone be guilty concerning the body and blood of Christ if it's just a communal meal? You could benefit from taking another look at how other Christian traditions treat the Lord's Supper and especially look closely at how they treat the relevant verses of Holy Scripture. If all we share is a communal meal then there is no benefit to it beyond a full stomach. If all we're supposed to do is eat together why does Paul caution us to discern the body of Christ? When Jesus says "this is my body" maybe He actually means it.