Is Doctrine Divisive?

Scripture calls us to "teach what is in accord with sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1). Contrary to sound doctrines is...yep, you guessed it, false doctrine. Paul warns us that "the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" (2 Tim 4:3).

Benedict XVI, in his latest speech to some "50 Australian leaders of the Anglican, Uniting, Catholic, Lutheran, Maronite and Melkite and Assemblies of God churches," calls Christians to "guard against any temptation to view doctrine as divisive and hence an impediment to the seemingly more pressing and immediate task of improving the world in which we live."

Merriam-Webster defines doctrine as: something that is taught; a principle or position or the body of principles in a branch of knowledge or system of belief.

Applied to Christianity, it is the principle teachings or instructions of Scripture.

So what's the problem? Well Benedict ought to know that Catholicism is at odds with Christianity. In fact, didn't they somewhere at some council anathematize the Christian church for their distinctive doctrines? Oh yes, it was the declarations of the Council of Trent.

Doctrine is divisive simply because both groups have two different interpretations, one based on Scripture alone, the other on Scripture and Tradition; one places God's Word as the sole authority, the other the Church- the Catholic church.

Catholicism has continued to teach their perverse doctrines and has not to this day rescinded their anathemas against the Christian church. So what do we have in common? What is the point of attending some ecumenical hash and listen to a man who speaks out of both sides of his mouth?

As a side note, Christians ought not to agree on Benedicts second point about world improvement either. The Christians main objective is spelled out in Scripture- Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit -Matt 28:19. The Gospel is the immediate and pressing task of the Christian, not world improvement. The only way the world will improve is through man's subjection to Christ our King.