Comment I posted on CECHealing (http://cechealing.wordpress.com)
I know, three posts in a row (if our good friend publishes them all!), yet, I wanted to address the term “illegal immigrants.” Likewise to anon, I do “like” the term, I do not feel that it applies, but that it is just another malicious term applied to the CEC, as well as others.
Though I do not fully agree with Protestantism, I do see truths in what Luther and others had to say. And yes, I have attacked (and will continue to do so!) predestination, etc, I do believe Luther, and yes (as hard as it it for me to say this) Zwingli and Calvin, as well as many others… i.e. Wesley, etc, had many truths to share with the Christian faith. Also, I do not believe Rome has all… or any for that matter, of the answers, nor do I see the East as “un-corrupt.” How can I say this? One word, History 
The “historical church” was ran by man.. yep, thats right, man! The early apologists even turned to philosophy… not Scripture (the O.T.) to defend our wonderful faith. Hence, Platonism and Stoicism are at the center of our beliefs, and once the Crusades came to bear, Aristotle came as well (just read Aquinas). Also, the practice of Indulgences, the belief in Purgatory, the “worship” of Mary… etc etc etc… cannot be found in one Scripture, and yet, to Rome, it is Dogma. Also, Jesus never said Peter would be perfect in Dogma (no even a word for Jesus), and yet, the infallibility of the Pope, when speaking Ex Cathedra, well… is dogma! Historically the Church has been run by men, therefore, inevitably it has been flawed. These flaws are evident on all sides, so, therefore, maybe we are all illegal immigrants in the Kingdom of God!
Maybe we can at least agree that all men (and women) who believe are saved… even John Hagee… well maybe Anways, if thats the case, then the CEC, and others, are not “illegal” but legal immigrants into the paths of the “historic” Church…. unless of course Rome is the only way… as well as the East. If this is the case, then Luther was 100 percent wrong, indulgences… and fear of sin, etc etc was right, therefore I must be behind in my mortgage for my mansion in heaven since I have failed to pay even one indulgence. Was Luther a sinner? Yes. but so was Charles V, +Albrecht and His Holiness Leo X… was his theology wrong? Maybe, but so was theirs, and yet, this is the historic Church.
Of course, the problem may stem from the fact that for the first 500 years or so the Church focused on Christology rather then the acts of Christ, or maybe Christianity was too dumbed down in the West during the dark ages, or maybe… yes maybe, philosophy had played too much of an important role in the Church that it caused such illegals to be present. Maybe the true problem is that, since we cannot Scripturally counteract things such as evolution and such, the only recourse is to attack religious memberships of the past. Maybe I am wrong, but I doubt it. Maybe we need to focus more on the lost then the saved. So… “millions” have been hurt, okay, however, billions are lost, and yet we continue to bisker amongest ourselves about the “proper” “church” and yet, we are no closer then we were 2000 years ago. No, I am not ordained, no, I am not even a college graduate, and yet, so simple it seems to me the remedy… comply to the Great Commission and be done with trivial rivalries, be like the Baptist, if you don’t like it, or agree, start another freaking church… Oh, wait, thats been done already… forget healing and grace, forget the rest of the people left behind, worry about yourself the American way… hell, Populist Christianity! (see my blog)
Jared
