Why so many?

[Shammu]

That being the case, why are there so many more Baptist sects then there are Catholic ones? The rebellion does contribute to the large split of Christianity, and that is the Split between the Sacrament/Ancient Church and the Protestant/Evangelical Church. However that does not account for even 1/2 the denominations in the earth today.

Division breeds Division. Splits split into more splits. New denominations spring up. It is the way of man.

But Christ and His church abounds in spite of this. It is the way of God.

Amen!!

[Tibby]

What is actually what a lot of the Eastern Churches claim… Rome left them, so it is only nature the cycle continue... Interesting theory, at least.

[Rich]

Yea Heidi, once again a little confusion on your part, look at the posts you've made, and the subjects you've started.
Now whos attacking who again? Please explain it w/ one of your wonderful explanations, they always make so much sense. Read what you wrote, "attacks only show frustration
at having nothing to say," WOW, bravo, i think you finally understand something, so when are you going to quit attacking, and making your hatefilled posts? So, assume what you want, it's one thing you are good at.

[Heidi]

Again another attack instead of an explanation, Rich. You just proved my point. You also admitted that I explain my beliefs, with scripture, I might add. The fact that you and ebia don't agree with them makes them true all the more. I would really have to wonder about my beliefs if you guys agreed with me. So far, neither one of you has backed up your beliefs with scripture at all. I don't think I've even read a post of ebia's that hasn't contained an attack on someone . "By their frutis you will know them." I will now ignore any post of yours that contains an attack. That means we will have very little exchange, if any.

[Rich]

Need i say more?
Just one more question though, do you actually read what others write? I haven't seen ANY indication that you do.
Because if you do, you would see that i have given far more scripture to back what i believe than you have, but i guess more lies never hurts, right?
 Open your eyes(ears)thats why God gave you two of them and only one mouth.

[Allinall]

The Muslims and Buddhists have less sects then Christians. We have tens of thousands of sects. Why are we so much more divided then the non-believers?

Because it's easier to break things than it is to fix them.  

[Symphony]

The Muslims and Buddhists have less sects then Christians. We have tens of thousands of sects. Why are we so much more divided then the non-believers?


I think it's a case of Is the glass of water half empty or half full type of question, Tibby.

The NT model for the Christian church, actually, is one of diversity--"...all fit together..", I think it says, in one of Paul's epistles, and that we each have different gifts, skills or contributions to offer.  I think this imagery is referred to variously in the NT.

We tend to see it negatively, becuase that typically is how new offshoots form--out of pain, sorrow and strife.  I think there's one statistic I've heard that your typical Protestant church has a shelf life of 15 years, before the next split.

My thinking is, though, that all of this is the model--albeit in human form--of the life to come--but in friendly, upbuilding diversity.  Obviously, you see this refrain now preached worldwide by virtually all religions and indeed many governments and even in the corporate world--
"can't we all just get along", and "world peace" and interdenominalism, etc.

Essentially, we have diversity only out of pain and strife.  In the world to come, there will be much diversity, as the stars and galaxies of the heavens--infinite--but out of peace that Jesus gives us.

There will still be diversity--infinite diversity most probably, but of the half-full type, instead of the half-empty type that we have here constantly on earth.

The multinationals, world churches, etc, all have it right--but only half right.  They embrace the diversity, but they leave out its Author, or they misrepresent what He has said, or what He has done, embracing instead the counterfeit author.

But until He returns, even we brethren, unfortunately, endure our differences--in my own ever larger and larger extended family, new differences surfacing all the time, for example--and many not easy to deal with.  It's difficult to be constantly flexible, constantly adapting to every new twist.

[dustcry]

shut up.
sorry to be crude, but stop blamming ourselves!
Stop pointing fingers at our brothers in faith!
Who cares about who split from who, it's no one's fault!
And it surely does no one any good to dwell on it as a blame-shift item!

Can you imagine the apostles pointing fingers at eachother saying that it was Mark's fault that Peter and Paul disagreed?
It rediculous!

Churches vary in christiatity for one simple reason.
Free Will.
God gave it to man, and man is to use it as he pleases.
If man does not agree with another, it is his full right to go find others who do and leave the disbeliever behind to follow his own version of faith.

[Tibby]

Yet, Buddhists and Muslims have free will as well, and even combined, we still have more Sects and splits then they do. Why is that?

[Reba]

The Muslims and Buddhists have less sects then Christians. We have tens of thousands of sects. Why are we so much more divided then the non-believers?

Because it's easier to break things than it is to fix them.  

Smarty pants

[blainefabin]

That being the case, why are there so many more Baptist sects then there are Catholic ones? The rebellion does contribute to the large split of Christianity, and that is the Split between the Sacrament/Ancient Church and the Protestant/Evangelical Church. However that does not account for even 1/2 the denominations in the earth today.

tibby
the problem really has nothing to do with the catholic church.. it has to do with a doctrine introduced during the reformation called private interpretation. apart from being entirely unscriptural, it is the real root of the problem.. people feel they are led by the spirit and then they dissagree. since there is no authority to end the dispute, someone to bind and loose, the church splits. i personally have seen several splits in my own church as well as several other local churches in the last ten years.... they all claim the same thing and attack with the same thing... both sides claim some exclusive knowledge because of their own private interpretation, and accuse the other of falling for traditions of men. sound familiar? there is a reason they call themselves protestants.

i am amazed though how quickly the protestants on this specific thread tried to blame the catholic church.... how silly of them. clearly they don't even understand the mechanics of their own faith, yet they are trying to define ours. they accuse the catholic church of being to powerful and binding, keeping all under rome, then turn right around and tell that rome is actually tossing all to the wind. please make up your mind people.

mike

[JudgeNot]

Hi Mike -
It is my personal opinion that you should rephrase

"the protestants"

 to "some protestants".  I believe we here on C-Unite should do our part in avoiding 'wholesale labeling'.  That won't happen without an effort from each of us (me included, which is why I posted this reply)...

Heaven has a place for all who love Jesus Christ and acknowledge Him as the only way to the Father.

Love in Him,
JN

[dustcry]

Yet, Buddhists and Muslims have free will as well, and even combined, we still have more Sects and splits then they do. Why is that?

Why is it that one tree has more branches than another?
Why is it that two rocks thrown in a pond create a different amount of ripples?
Why does one house get hit by a flood while another stands?


If you want my opinion on the subject on the other hand...There's two ways to look at it...

1: The Dark Version
Because Christianity is primarily a western religion and western populations tend to have the attitude that is just right for getting into arguments and then deciding to go off and do it their way since they can't get anyone in another group to agree with them.
We argue.  Alot, about some really asinine(sp) stuff.
And we let it get to us way too much.
And thus, we seperate ourselves from eachother way too easily thanks to pretty petty issues.

2: The Brighter Possibility
We adapt to fit the concerns of the local groups at hand rather than making the local groups conform to our concerns.

This is much like business.  Multiple branches of one division with the same root but operating to serve the needs of very diverse audiances.


And of course, there is also 3: Both.

[Tibby]

You Brighter possibilities theory is the reasoning Buddhist use as to why there is more then one sect. And yet, they have so few Sects in comparison to us.

Blaine- You make a good point, but JN is right. There are a few good protestants on the board. I can't think of any off hand...

[blainefabin]

Hi Mike -
It is my personal opinion that you should rephrase

"the protestants"

 to "some protestants".  I believe we here on C-Unite should do our part in avoiding 'wholesale labeling'.  That won't happen without an effort from each of us (me included, which is why I posted this reply)...

Heaven has a place for all who love Jesus Christ and acknowledge Him as the only way to the Father.

Love in Him,
JN

sorry JN.
i did not intend to label all protestants... just those on this thread that instantly accused the catholic church...again...

my apologies to you and any other protestant who are not doing this.
mike