B.D. 8212
July 12 1962
UNIFICATION OF CREEDS?
"There is not a chance that the different churches may unite because they stick to their spoilt doctrines and do not even try to give them up. They all concentrate on external rites and represent a Christian faith which no longer corresponds to what Jesus describes as 'the church established by Him'. This church is a spiritual union! Its members live active Christianity which transforms a person from within; however, it cannot be compared with that Christianity advocated by the churches, which sticks mainly to external rites, has taken over countless performances and ceremonies to which it attaches more importance than to the changing of human nature to love. As a result man can never enter into the right relationship with God nor achieve spiritual rebirth which is the essence of that church which Jesus Christ Himself established on earth.
None of the creeds will relinquish its traditions. Not one of them will for the sake of the others renounce a thing, which is only the work of men and has no value before God anyway.
The quarrel of the churches is about those differences which were created by them in the course of time, but no thought is given to the false doctrines which caused all the confusion and which are zealously defended as the original religion. However, this can only be found in the truth brought to mankind by Jesus Himself which meanwhile has been distorted and is no longer represented by any of the existing churches, and it cannot be represented, for it needs the working of the Spirit which can be won only by fulfilling God's commandment of love.
This commandment is being taught, but observed least of all, whilst all the later added man-made commandments are paid much more attention although they are of no value since they have not originated from God, but are only the work of man and, therefore, are insignificant and without influence on the upward development of the human soul which has to mature here on earth.
The divine word of Jesus on earth which gave mankind the full truth has been interpreted so incorrectly that these interpretations have resulted in many rites. Here God's adversary has played his part by confusing the spirit of men which is noticeable in the demands of the different creeds and their divisions always taking place when men had their disputes over the spiritual meaning of the words of Jesus.
They fought for such controversial questions, every one of them according to the degree of his understanding or the spiritual state of those who believe themselves to have a calling, but they did not belong to the Church of Christ, or they would have been enlightened and would have dissociated themselves from the existing creeds and spiritual movements.
Some zealous representatives did fight for knowledge they had gained when they were already more advanced in the maturity of their soul. However, they could never prevail because their opponents were not prepared to relinquish a structure consisting of erroneous human performances which could never be in accordance with the divine will because they did not comply with truth.
And even if a unification of the churches is intended, they will not give up their man-made establishment and endeavour to build the true Church of Christ which expects of man an inner life in accordance with the will of God, not dependent upon any external acts, but solely upon a life of love. This will establish a union with God, give man a living faith and a full understanding of the truth which is gained through the working of the Spirit within man and which is the sole characteristic of that church which Jesus Christ established on earth.
But as long as people do not abandon the formalities through which many lose their faith altogether, as long as they do not aspire after the inner awakening, which is followed by the working of the Spirit and enlightenment, to achieve unification will remain a vain effort, for they would then not unite in the truth, but stay with their wrong doctrines which are not beneficial for the soul.
Amen