Why so much disagreement within Christianity?

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Zzyzx
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Why so much disagreement within Christianity?

Post #1

Post by Zzyzx »

.
Perhaps it is disconcerting for Christians to discover that their favorite denomination / sect / cult is just one among tens of thousands that belong to the Christian Club " and that there is GREAT variation in beliefs within the umbrella of Christianity.

From a current thread -- some of the major groups within 'Christianity':
Zzyzx wrote: 4 Eastern Orthodox
5 Catholic

5.1 Latin (Western) Church
5.2 Eastern Catholic Churches
5.2.1 Alexandrian Rite
5.2.2 Armenian Rite
5.2.3 Byzantine Rite
5.2.4 East Syriac Rite
5.2.5 West Syriac Rite

6 Protestantism

6.1 Proto-Protestant
6.2 Lutheranism
6.2.1 Radical Pietism
6.3 Anabaptism
6.3.1 Schwarzenau Brethren Movement
6.4 Anglicanism
6.4.1 Anglican Communion
6.4.1.1 United and uniting churches of the Anglican Communion
6.4.2 Other Anglican churches and Continuing Anglican movement
6.5 Methodism
6.5.1 Holiness movement
6.6 Reformed Protestantism (Calvinism)
6.6.1 Continental Reformed churches
6.6.2 Presbyterianism
6.6.3 Congregationalism
6.7 Baptists
6.7.1 Holiness Baptists
6.7.2 Spiritual Baptist
6.8 Quakers (Society of Friends)
6.8.1 Shakers
6.9 Plymouth Brethren
6.10 Irvingism and the Catholic Apostolic Church Movement
6.11 Campbellism and Millerism (Restorationist and Adventist)
6.11.1 Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement
6.11.2 Early Sabbath-Keeping Movements, predating Millerism
6.11.3 Millerism and comparable groups
6.11.4 Adventist Movement (Sunday observing)
6.11.5 Adventist Movement (Seventh Day Sabbath/Saturday observing)
6.12 Pentecostal and Charismatic
6.12.1 Pentecostal Holiness Movement
6.12.2 Other Charismatic movements
6.12.3 Neo-Charismatic Movement
6.13 Uniting and United churches movement
6.13.1 Free Evangelical Churches
6.14 Evangelical Christianity and interdenominational churches
6.14.1 Chinese Evangelicalism
6.14.2 Ethiopian Evangelicalism (P'ent'ay)
6.14.3 Japanese Evangelicalism
6.14.3.1 Internet churches

7 Nontrinitarian Protestantism

7.1 Oneness Pentecostalism
7.2 Unitarian and Universalist
7.3 Nontrinitarian Restorationism
7.3.1 American Israelism and Latter Day Saint movement
7.3.1.1 "Prairie Saint" LDS denominations
7.3.1.2 "Rocky Mountain" LDS denomination(s)
7.3.1.3 Fundamentalist Rocky Mountain LDS denominations
7.3.1.4 Other LDS denominations
7.3.2 British Israelism
7.3.2.1 World Wide Church of God splinter groups
7.3.3 Bible Students and splinter groups
7.3.4 Spanish groups
7.3.5 Philippine groups
7.4 Swedenborgianism
7.5 Christian Science
7.6 Esoteric Christianity (Gnosticism)
7.7 Other Nontrinitarians

8 Other Protestant churches and movements

8.1 Asian Independent Churches
8.1.1 Chinese Independent Churches
8.1.2 Japanese Independent Churches

9 Torah Observant
10 Miscellaneous Christian groups

10.1 Independent Catholicism
10.2 Independent Eastern Orthodoxy
10.2.1 True Orthodoxy
10.2.1.1 Old Believers
10.2.2 Syncretic Eastern Orthodoxy
10.2.3 Other Independent Eastern Orthodox movements
10.3 Independent Oriental Orthodoxy
10.3.1 Syncretic Oriental Orthodoxy
10.4 Protestant Eastern Christianity
10.5 Southcottism
10.6 Christian Identity (syncretic white supremacist churches)
10.7 Independent/Isolated
Question for debate: If Christianity presents truth, WHY are there so many very different versions -- all purporting to be true (or 'The one true path')?
.
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Post #2

Post by Willum »

Try this one:

Because the truth; God, is far to incomprehensible to be grasped by any one or ten people.
It requires hundreds, even thousands of collectives to even begin to have only a marginal picture of God.

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Re: Why so much disagreement within Christianity?

Post #3

Post by JehovahsWitness »

[Replying to post 1 by Zzyzx]

After the first century, Christendom did indeed split into many different denominations. Organised Christianity as an united international brotherhood ceased to existed but Jesus indicated it would again rise as an identifiable entity during what he refered to as " The last days".

Image

True Christianity, namely that which exists as an international religious organisation that can demonstrate global docrinal unity and brotherly love among its members regardless of nationality, physical characteristics, social standing, or language spoken, does exist. All the thousands of denominations on earth would biblically then be classified as "apostate" or "fake" christian denominations", "apostate sects" and part of "The Whore of Babylon" depicted in the book of revelation, which represents the world empire of false religion.





JEHOVAH'S WITNESS





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Re: Why so much disagreement within Christianity?

Post #4

Post by JehovahsWitness »

[Continued from post # 3 by JehovahsWitness]
If Christianity presents truth, WHY are there so many very different versions... ?
  • There are not many different versions of Christan truth, the is Christian truth. And many different imitations or lookalikes.
    Image
Since all Christian denominations purport to be true (or 'The one true path') does that not prove there can be no "True Christianity"?
  • No, no more than a Michael Jackson lookalike competition proved there was no Michael Jackson. Counterfeit is not evidence genuine cannot exist.
Since all Christian denominations purport to be true (or 'The one true path') how can one identify true Christianity?
  • By what they do, ie do they practice faith fully in line with the teaching of Christ? (for example do they display Christian unity - see above)?



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"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

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Re: Why so much disagreement within Christianity?

Post #5

Post by JehovahsWitness »

[Replying to post 1 by Zzyzx]

Could you reference your source for that list ?


Thanks


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Re: Why so much disagreement within Christianity?

Post #6

Post by Tcg »

[Replying to post 1 by Zzyzx]


It is the Bible itself that allows for so much disagreement. It can be interpreted in a myriad of ways and there are so many issues to interpret.

The leaders that do the interpreting of course drive the official disagreements. We have that well known church that claims Peter as it's original leader, but then Martin Luther comes along, disagrees with the Peter's church, and Protestantism is born. John Calvin adds his spin and Presbyterian and Reformed churches spring up and then of course divide.

Then we have the more recent upstarts that form denominations based on their particular personality and interpretations. Charles Taze Russell, Ellen G. White, Joseph Smith, and others create new branches when they gain what they believe to be new insights from God.

The Bible provides the opportunity for disagreement and Christian leadership uses that opportunity to create their versions of Christianity.


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Re: Why so much disagreement within Christianity?

Post #7

Post by Tcg »

[Replying to post 3 by JehovahsWitness]

There are of course other branches of Christianity that would disagree with your chart.

Image

The Orthodox Church has historical grounds to claim its ties to original Christianity. A denomination formed in the U.S. during the 1870s clearly doesn't.


Tcg
To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.

- American Atheists


Not believing isn't the same as believing not.

- wiploc


I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.

- Irvin D. Yalom

Zzyzx
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Re: Why so much disagreement within Christianity?

Post #8

Post by Zzyzx »

.
JehovahsWitness wrote: Could you reference your source for that list ?
Top of Google search results

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_C ... ominations
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Re: Why so much disagreement within Christianity?

Post #9

Post by Difflugia »

JehovahsWitness wrote:True Christianity, namely that which exists as an international religious organisation that can demonstrate global docrinal unity and brotherly love among its members regardless of nationality, physical characteristics, social standing, or language spoken, does exist.
That exactly describes the Christianity I belong to! We also have complete doctrinal unity! Unfortunately, I'm the only member at the moment, because all of the apostates that disagree with our (well, "my") doctrine have been disfellowshipped (in love, of course). They're all welcome back once they agree with our (well, "my") doctrine again, regardless of nationality, physical characteristics, social standing, or language spoken.

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Re: Why so much disagreement within Christianity?

Post #10

Post by ttruscott »

Zzyzx wrote: Question for debate: If Christianity presents truth, WHY are there so many very different versions -- all purporting to be true (or 'The one true path')?
In two words: Satanic influence.

Why is it allowed?

So no one has an excuse when it is revealed that they changed the truth of GOD which was clear to them and which they had clearly seen, for a lie, a false idol because they loved sin more than the truth. Such ideas are found in Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. A 'suppressed truth' is a truth that is repressed by the individual himself...a self delusion.

Rom 1:21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. in which futile is to become vain or foolish, ie, perverted as idolatrous.
PCE Theology as I see it...

We had an existence with a free will in Sheol before the creation of the physical universe. Here we chose to be able to become holy or to be eternally evil in YHWH's sight. Then the physical universe was created and all sinners were sent to earth.

This theology debunks the need to base Christianity upon the blasphemy of creating us in Adam's sin.

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