Why does Christianity have to have so many denominations?

Question

When Jesus came to earth, he had Disciples, and they all got along, and spread the same word. In fact the word "Church" actually means 'A group of believers gathered together in a building to praise, and worship the Lord'...So why then, can't we just get along? Why do we have to disagree about so many different things? If you look at all the different 'Religions', there are Hinduism Muslimism Buddhism, a few others, and they all are categorized in just on category, but when you look at Christianity, there are so many different branches. (Baptist, Catholic, and the list goes on....) Why?

Answer 1

Its mainly part of history. Back in the old days I think there was mainly just catholic, and baptist....well, people start to have their own interpretations of the bible,a nd that is why there are so many denominations today. It would be nice for us to all believe the same, but it is just human nature not to. Nobody is perfect but Christ. Our goal is to strive to be like him, but he knows the we are not, which is the reason that he died on the cross for us. Like I said earlier, just human nature to believe differently. I don't beleive humans will ever be unanimous on anything because we are not perfect as Christ is.

Answer 2

"All religions have sects. A brief survey of Sects (past and present) in other religions produced the following results:

(Religions listed in alphabetical order)

Some Buddhist sects:
Mahayana, Hinayana, Vajrayana, or the Diamond Vehicle, the Theravada School. By the time of King Ashoka the Great, there were eighteen or twenty different cults of Buddhism.

Some Christian Sects:

Christian Science, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, Rasfatarianism, Unification Church, Protestant Church, Roman Catholic Church, Seventh Day Adventists, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Universal Church from Brazil, Awakening Churches, etc.

Islamic sects: Ahmadia, Ismail, Salafi, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Nizari Isma'ilis, Wahhabism, The Submitters, Nation of Islam etc.

Some sects in Judaism: Conservative, Hasidic, Humanistic, Karaite, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Reform, Sephardic, Traditional, Essenes, Sadducees, Pharisees, Temple Israel, Zealots etc.

Some Shinto Sects: Tenrikyo, Konkokyo, Kurozumikyo, Shinto Taikyo, Fuso-kyo (which included Omoto-kyo), Izumo-oyashiro-kyo, Jikko-kyo, Misogi-kyo, Shinshu-kyo, Shinto-shuseiha, Shinri-kyo, Shinto Taisei-kyo, Ontake-kyo. etc

Some sects in Taoism: The Heavenly (or Celestial) Masters sect, The Supreme Peace sect, The Mao-shan (Mount Mao) sect, The Ling-pao (Marvellous Treasure) sect, The Ch'uan-chen (Completely Real) sect."

The reason there are divisions is because people disagree with how something should be taught or what something means and there is a split. They go their separate ways and there are new sects created.

Answer 3

Denominations are divisions in the church do to religion. Paul preached against this when he went to corinth. 1 Cr1:12, 1Cr3:3-6 Christ never ment for division in the church.
When we say I am Baptist or Catholic we are causing division just like in Corinth. when they were saying we are of Apollos or Paul. The church was mostly one until Martin Luther a Catholic monk caused the first division when he was excomunicated in 1520.
Starting the Lutherin Church. From there division began from men disagreeing on doctrin of scripture, certian religious beliefs and orders. Such as 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith caame into order. this was never to be from the beginning.
there is a lot more to this but to give you the Quick version there you go. Hop that helps a little..... Messenger

Answer 4

Christians call all Muslims "Muslim" but there are many different sects in that group (think Sunni vs Shiite in Iraq). There are different sects within the Jewish religion (think Reformed vs Messianic) and the lists go on. When Muslims think of Christians, they don't think of the different sects. They lump them all together. Christians lump Muslims all together. The object of the game is to understand that Christians (no matter what their denomination) all believe in the concept of Christ risen. Any difference between the groups is because they're trying to raise money.

Answer 5

I think the answer is to keep the church from being hijacked by one man or group of men who would ruin it if left unchecked. This is the very reason we had a Protestant Reformation, to clean up the church. We are still getting flack on this site for the terrrible abuses of the leadership in the church back then. They were faithfully rebuked, they refused correction and therefore split the church. Do you want a corrupt but "united" church or a group of seperate but decent chuches.

Answer 6

The other religions have their sects and denominations too. You just don't see them in the US because they are so small and Christianity is so big. If you lived in a medium sized city in India you might have a choice of Roman Catholic or 2 - 3 Protestant churches. but lots and lots of flavors of Hinduism. If, on the other hand, you were a Hindu in say, Fresno, you'd go to the temple close to you and be glad there was one, even if you were their version of Lutheran and it was their version of Prebyterian.

Answer 7

Actually, there was a lot of discord among the early Christians, and at the Council of Nicaea only certain favoured books and points of view were included in the Bible. Later, people reading the Bible thought that their church was not following it correctly, so they formed churches of their own. And members of these new churches did the same thing: they started their own churches. The Bible is a complex book and often contradicts itself. Therefore, anyone reading it can interpret it in a new way.

Answer 8

actually the original meaning of the word church in the original language means a called out, out of this worldly order of things, body of believers. To believe or place faith in a way of living given by the Messiah Yeshua means to live,actually do in thought, words and actions what he taught not to just give lip service to what is written in scripture. One of the fallacies that confuses so many are all the different religious organizations that call themselves churches. Know that the messiah was Hebrew and descended in a line from King David not anything tto do with the unholy roman religios organization. that has spead its lies across this earth created by one GOD. If you truly seek to know the truth get yourself a bible, take yourself to a quite, private place and open your mind and spirit as a small child and ask prayfully for help, HE is always there for any who sincerely seek HIM.

Answer 9

The reason is not an easy one to explain. Because the Catholic church and Constantine bastardized early Christianity with so many Pagan beliefs,Theologians have been arguing for centuries what is and what is not right. Hence the Division.

Answer 10

Actually, 'church' simply means 'an assembly of people'; it has nothing to do with beliefs or a building, etc.

But to answer you inquiry:
"They [those of different beliefs] went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they were of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out SO THAT IT MIGHT BE REVEALED THAT THEY WERE NOT ALL OF US." (I John 2:19)

There is only ONE true Church of God; it is one body of believers, scattered all around the world. Their connection to one another is through the spirit of God. And by that spirit they all desire one goal -- to do the will of God.

And BTW, if you study Hindus, Muslim, Buddism and the rest, you'll find that they are just as divided as christianity -- it's human nature.