toldailytopic: The Methodists: what did they get right, and what did they get wrong?

[Cracked]

That's why many, if not most, of the mainline Christian denominations have become excessively powerless and ineffective in their willingness to run counter-culture and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If even the Church refuses to stand on what's right and preach the truth, what chance does the world have? :idunno:

I would agree. However, I don't think that Wesleyan-Holiness is necessarily to blame for this. This what seems to have happened to many of the mainline denominations for whatever reason. Some of them certainly look quite a bit different from what the founders/major players in their histories would have envisioned.

 

[kmoney]

They also affirm that all religions have validity to their "paths" of salvation, Allah and God are (in essence) the same (with the exception of that whole trinitarian bit), and other such fun facts.

From your link....

Do United Methodists believe that faith in Jesus Christ is necessary to go to heaven?

Yes, United Methodists do believe that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way the Bible gives as clearly God's gift and way of salvation and heaven. God can save anyone that God chooses to save and we cannot decide whom God will save. We simply trust the plain teaching of scripture. See John 3:16, Acts 4:12 and many other texts.

Our belief in this unique path of salvation can never be used to put down other religions and the gifts that they have to give to the world, even to Christians. That we have a gospel to proclaim is not grounds for hurting others. We can and must be friends with Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and others. In dialogue with them we learn and they learn. In a time when religion is so much in the news and on our minds, we need to be vigilant against our own hostility and follow Jesus in the way of love.

Our Book of Resolutions says, "While we as Christians respond faithfully to the call to proclaim the gospel in all places, we can never presume to know the full extent of God's work in the world, and we recognize the reality of God's activity outside the Christian church. It is central to our faith that salvation is accomplished not by human beings, but by God. We know that judgment as to the ultimate salvation of persons from any faith community, including Christianity and Judaism, belongs to God alone."

Does The United Methodist Church believe that Allah and God are the same?

The answer I would give, personally, is yes and no. Yes, there is a sense that we share a God with other people of the Abrahamic tradition (Jews and Muslims). No, because our understanding of God is Trinitarian and that belief is essential to us.

I'm not sure why that is so controversial.

 

[kmoney]

:Clete:

:noid:

 

[assuranceagent]

I'm not sure why that is so controversial.

You can't have it both ways. Allah is the same or he isn't. We either share a god with the Muslims or we don't (in the sense of who we worship).

Is Allah the same as our God? If we only took their answer, that he is not a trinity and our God is, then the answer is a clear "no."

Saying otherwise is like saying Trixie is the same as Rover except that Rover is a dog and Trixie is a cat. lain:

We do not share a god with the Muslims. They serve a false god who has no power to save and doesn't deserve recognition by those of us who serve the one, true and living God.

 

[kmoney]

You can't have it both ways. Allah is the same or he isn't. We either share a god with the Muslims or we don't (in the sense of who we worship).

Is Allah the same as our God? If we only took their answer, that he is not a trinity and our God is, then the answer is a clear "no."

Saying otherwise is like saying Trixie is the same as Rover except that Rover is a dog and Trixie is a cat. lain:

We do not share a god with the Muslims. They serve a false god who has no power to save and doesn't deserve recognition by those of us who serve the one, true and living God.

I think all they mean is that Islam stems from the same religious tradition. Judaism, Christianity, Islam. In that sense, it is the same god. But they don't appear to be saying that Muslims are saved by virtue of them being Muslim.

 

[sky.]

If you look into the history of the United Methodist Church they branched off of the Church Of The United Bretheren In Christ originally known as the United Bretheren Church.

For a while, two denominations used the name "Church of the United Brethren in Christ." In 1946, the other “United Brethren” church merged with the Evangelical Association to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church. So once again, there was only one Church of the United Brethren in Christ. The EUBs merged with the Methodist
to form the United Methodist Church.

Church Of The United Brethern In Christ



Their first name was the United Bretheren church and claims to be the first denomination to form in the US.

The United Brethren Church claims this organization in 1800 as the first denomination to actually begin in the United States. A Confession of Faith was adopted in 1815 (similar to one written by Otterbein in 1789), and it has remained the statement of church doctrine to the present. In 1841, they adopted a Constitution. It has remained mostly intact, being changed only a few times.

This older branch was the minority in the split and was lead by Milton Wright the father of the Wright brothers.

 

[Krsto]

So three boys were doing show and tell where they were asked to show something their respective religions are noted for and the Jewish boy says, "I'm Levi, and this is a Star of David." The Catholic boy said, "I'm Joseph, and this is a crucifix." Finally it was the Methodist boy's turn. He said, "I'm John, and this is a casserole."

:chuckle: