I write this because I have some friends who disagree on doctrine, theology, and so forth concerning Christianity. Some are Protestant, some are Catholic, some don't identify as anything in particular, but you can't swing a Bible without hitting half a dozen different Christians who all have a different perspective on the contents of the book in question.
Fine, fair enough, we all have our own minds, expecting uniformity of opinion without mutual consensus is just not happening. However, where I facepalm to the point my hand has permanently creased my face are the types who are all "my way is the only way to properly honor God".
Now, looking through the Bible, it seems there were many ways to glorify God, all of them praised by the Man Himself as valid. A craftsman was given approval by God for making the articles for the Tabernacle mentioned in the Books of the Law. God was immortalized in song and poetry by David, who, his faults aside, God was pleased with. David even at one point went full hippie and started cutting a rug in the streets, dancing his tail off, just to show his joy of being blessed by the Lord, and God was pleased by this, Some healed the sick, some preached, some merely gave shelter and food to the destitute, they too were praised by God for their actions, which he said honored Him.
My point is that, so long as whatever you do squares with God's Word on being pleasing in his eyes (and all the above are but a few examples of things he was pleased with), then there is NO wrong way to honor God, so long as whatever is done will bring glory to Him.
Now, I understand Catholics and Protestants differ sharply on many aspects of the faith, the role of the Church, what sacraments and practices are needed, and so on. Me, at the end of the day, and I will die being willing to explain it to God if need be, believe a devout Christian, either Protestant or Catholic, so long as their actions are done to glorify God, both will enter unto the Kingdom of Heaven.
The process, role, ritual, sacrament, procedure, protocol, or whatever else you want to call it is immaterial. What matters is the intent of your heart.
One can donate to all sorts of charity, do all sorts of things for the poor and sick, and otherwise be uplifted in the eyes of Men, but if it's done for your own glory and not for God, it is WORTHLESS in His eyes.
Ergo, it doesn't matter what denomination of Christian you may be, if you don't worship regardless of your denomination (or lack thereof) in order that your actions bring glory to God, it will be worth nothing at the time of the judgment of what we did to honor HIM, not ourselves.
So with that in mind, I just want to reiterate I do not slag off on any Christian sect. I'm a non-denominational Protestant, but the devout Catholic, the Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, or whatever other labels your flavor of Christianity is called, none of them are viewed, as far as I'm aware, as any less valid as those who honor God as any other believer, so long as all that they do is in HIS name.
In closing, if you want to argue about the fine print, fine, so be it, we're human and that's fine by me, I'm happy to engage a good debate like anyone else. But regardless who is RIGHT about the fine print of honoring God, I remain assured, based on the reading of His Word, that no act or deed on our part has any meaning to God so long as our hearts do not reflect our intention to devote whatever we say or do to His Glory.
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