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are simple answers to us. Christ IS this - that - and the other and the Church is those who believe and do this, that and the other. But what is all this . . . this, that, and the other? THIS - THAT - and THE OTHER - is what church fathers, in decisions made in response to particular issues, in a particular time and context, determined was the best, as they had oversight of what the church had evolved to at the time. By church fathers, we are not referring to the original Apostles. Church fathers were church leaders and theologians growing in influence, subsequent to apostolic mission. Not all these church fathers were in agreement on all issues. Prior to the general acceptance of the Church and Christianity as the accepted state (Imperial) religion, there were doctrinal divisions, and none too cordial, where upon the Constantinian paradigm shift, Constantine realized the necessity of a universality of Christian religious thought and doctrine. One Emperor - One Church - One Doctrine. Consequently, convoked by the Roman Emperor Constantine, Bishops gathered at Nicaea. With the Nicene Creed a precedent was established for subsequent 'general (ecumenical) councils of Bishops' (Synods) to create statements of belief and canons of doctrinal orthodoxy the intent being to define unity of beliefs for the whole of Christendom. Constantine in convoking and presiding over the council signaled a measure of imperial control over the church. In years to follow, more councils occurred, to define what was to constitute orthodoxy of the Christian faith, including establishing what scriptures are acceptable and has become our Bible. What is significant in this entire emergence and developing of western Church doctrine and orthodoxy is that the secular political dimension has always had a substantial influence in the working out of the presumed Spiritual outcome. This has been true throughout the history of the western orthodox church whether initially Roman Catholic or Protestant. In all this, whatever, and whoever, may have constituted the formally acknowledged leadership of the politically recognized church, have been redefining and perfecting what is the this, that , and the other, that we, the uninformed, ignorant masses of the church must embrace and adhere to in order to be acceptable in the Kingdom of God. Or, maybe it would be better stated the kingdom of their god? Looking back in twenty-twenty hind sight, tracing the history of the western Church, one cannot help but wonder, to consider, Has there been something of the true Christ nature that the Church - in our political game playing, and accommodating of the ruling powers of this world - has lost? Is our western concept of what is Christian - our orthodoxy our doctrine - our ruling over and dominating each other and ultimately the world through economic and political/military fear mongering, really of God, or evidence that the god we serve is no god at all, but only the imitation, the usurper, the ruler of this world, a substitute progressively embraced and endorsed as a matter of religious political expediency.
Beyond western Christian religion there is (albeit not politically correct - or dominant by an stretch of the imagination) Apostolic Christian influence - in corners of the world that could never be imagined as regions such faith would be found - and survived over so many centuries surrounded by cultures so aggressively antagonistic. These expressions of the faith do not adhere to western Christian values - or orthodoxy. Neither do they have such a tainted history of apparent un-Christian violence. These Christian expressions realize something recorded in scriptures foreign to western orthodoxy. Per chance, maybe we threw the baby out with the bath water?