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Why are there so many Christian Denominations?
Christians should also be knowledgeable of the many different types of “Religions” and or “Faiths” that exist today. Diagram 1 shows, although Christianity is identified as the largest group of religious believers, there are many different types of religions which are not based on the principles of Christianity. For example Muslims, Buddhism and the Jewish religions are all separate from Christianity. This mean if you are ever engaged in a conversation about religious principles or faith, you will find yourself discussing many “differences” in your believes because like this diagram outlines, these religions do not “exactly” believe in the same religious beliefs as those Christians.
If we take a deeper look at Christianity, we will see based on the information outlined in Diagram #2 which shows how over the centuries, the study of Christianity has been divided into different branches which have their own different sects of denominations. The three main branches of Christianity are Catholic, Orthodox and Protestants (some would add Anglican as a fourth). Each denomination has its own distinctive beliefs or practices, but they are commonly considered branches of the same religion because they agree on the same spiritual fundamentals of the Trinity; The Father (God), The Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. Although they all have a foundation in God and Jesus Christ, they are very different in their beliefs, traditions, customs and rules within their churches. The largest denomination of Christians is identified as the Roman Catholics. Most of the identified Christian denominations that exist today were developed in the 500 years since the Protestant Reformation and fall under the “Protestant" branch. As of 2012, there were over 40,000 different sub divisions of Christian denominations throughout the world.
If we take a look at the Protestant group, diagram #3 helps to display how many different denominations exist under this group alone. Christians who find themselves worshipping under the Protestant faith should know that when talking with other Christian protestant believers, you may unknowingly find yourself “comparing” your church or beliefs to someone else’s. Just because two people find themselves saying they are “Christians” doesn’t mean they both agree on the method by which they choose to tell others about the Jesus Christ. A Baptist Christian believer may have very different views than a Methodist believer. A Church of Christ believer may have very different views than a Non-Denominational believer and vice versa. If you do don’t realize there may be differences between the different denominations and realize not all “Christians” share the same views and opinions about the method in which their denomination chooses to tell others about Jesus Christ, then you may find yourself “arguing” over the differences that exist.
This information has been shared with you not as exercise of which denomination is right or wrong or which would be best suited for your spiritual foundation and needs, but only as information to help new and even seasoned Christians acknowledge there are very distinct differences between the many groups of Christian denominations. As Christians we should all recognize that the Bible gives us clear commandments or core values by which we are to govern ourselves by. No matter what our denomination, if we are following these values there should be no disputing one person with another. Although the enemy has devised a way for us as Christians to become distracted, by bickering over the semantics of our Christian beliefs, his primary goal is to mislead and divert us from what we are truly called to do as Christians and that is to go out into the world and make disciples(KJV Mathew 28:19). If we are not doing that then we are not fulfilling the commandment given to us in the gospels. No matter what our identified denomination may be.
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