So, Mr. Craven, are you saying that one must “go to ‘church’” to be a “good Christian”?

I agree that Biblical fellowship is a good thing. But, I disagree that Biblical fellowship can only be found in a local institutional “church.”

Jerry,

Nobody, absolutely nobody, is afraid of you. Your remarks are often inflammatory, which I am guessing why you got flagged. You are not above the rules buddy.

Theology is a bunch of words about nothing.

It just amazes me that my last comment was deleted. What are you people so afraid of?

It would seem that our friend Mr. Craven is the latest to fall victim to the siren song of ecumenism.

Compare and contrast his recent postings with a very recent article from the Catholic News Service which reported that Pope Benedict XVI met April 18, 2008 with about 250 representatives of U.S. ecumenical organizations and a dozen Christian churches and denominations for ecumenical prayer service in New York.
The pope said the witness of Christians in the world is weakened not only by their divisions, but also by some communities turning their backs on Christian tradition (read RCC Catholic traditions as opposed to sola scriptura). (Community) is needed particularly "at the time when the world ...needs a persuasive common witness..."
The pope further said he was concerned that in a world marked by a greater sense of global unity and interdependence, the feeling of "fragmentation and a retreat into individualism" is seen in Christian denominations.

This lament sounds eerily similar to Mr. Craven's recent commentary in which he tacitly accuses those who desire to hold fast to the truth of God's word and reject a contrived superficial unity that necessarily obliges right doctrine to take a back seat, to be lacking in theological understanding.

Ironically, it was also the pope that said in the same gathering, that the unity of the early Christian community and the cohesion of its members "was based on the sound integrity of their doctrinal confession".

As the unity/ecumenical pressure increases, those opposing will be considered obstructions to a so-called "move of God." Any opposing views will be condemned as divisive, negative, proud, unloving, narrow, radical, or some other malicious label. To be able to stand against the criticism, avoid unholy entanglements, and be confident of your position.

All Scriptures that refer to church unity make clear that the true Church, the Body of Christ, is one already. The only way to be in the true Church is to be placed in the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit in regeneration; "the Body is one . . .all the members are one . . . for by one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body" (1 Cor. 12:12-13). "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him" (1 Cor. 6:17). "You are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:28). Nowhere are we admonished that it is WE who are to implement this unity.

In as much as the body of Christ cannot hide from the unification crusade, as conscientious and watchful Christians, we need to be keenly aware of what Scripture warns about the last days' generation. We must not only examine, but also scrutinize movements impacting the Church.

“You can’t get a resurrection by uniting grave yards.”

Theology is a bunch of words about nothing.