Christians: why are there 34,000 denominations??

Question

Originally there was the catholic church and orthodox church, since the reformation (500 years ago), there's been thousands of new christain faiths, I believe that satan is causing the body of Christ to "fall apart", thus he is causing disunity and confusion> I heard that here are about 5 new christian denominations starting each year> what do you thinK>>>

Answer 1

To be a Christian you have to believe in the basic tenets of the faith - That Jesus is God, that He is God's son, that His death on the Cross and His resurrection paid the price for my sins, and that those people who accept Him as Lord and Savior will spend eternity in Heaven.

Once you get beyond that you're discussing details, and that sometimes causes division.

Originally there was only one Christian Church, but it split in 1054 AD. Primarily the issue at stake that led to this division was whether or not priests could marry - though there were many other "issues" that brought about this schism. So are people in the Roman Catholics or Orthodox Christians not Christians...no, but they have different ways of interpreting scripture and implementing church policy.

Similarly in 1517, Martin Luther thought that the Roman Catholic church had lost it's way, and was acting improperly. Hence the 95 Theses on the Cathedral door at Wittenburg. Lutherans, and the Episcopalians and Calvinists, and Methodists, and Presbyterians that all followed later were just as Christian as the first century church, but they differed with the Catholics over church doctrine - but not the essential tenets of the faith.

So do I think Satan is causing disunity and confusion within the body of Christ? You bet! Nothing angers and frightens Satan like a Christian, because he knows that if people can doubt Christianity, they'll turn away from it. And if people do that, then they will be seperated from God, and can not receive His grace, love, and forgiveness. Satan's mission in this world is to get as many people as he can to doubt and reject Christ's message, because Jesus is the only way to reconcile with the Father. Without Jesus, there is no Heaven, and you can bet that makes Lucifer just giddy.

Hope this answers your question.

Answer 2

I really don't think there are that many denominations but it is because people can't agree on things and interpret things differently. The thing with Martin Luther, he didn't want a different denomination, all he wanted was change in the catholic church. But the catholics didn't realize that change was needed until so many people left, so when they did try to patch things up with the council of trent (counter reformation) no one really wanted to come back because they didn't know how to forgive. Also people always have to be right and if something in the doctrine upsets them they automatically get up and leave and look for new avenues, when really they should have stayed their in the first place and stuck it out. People don't realize that change takes a long time, and it is really sad. Because even Christians can't get along if they are from different denominations. People look at me with an evil glare when they find out that I'm a catholic (especially one converted and not born into the religion). It's sad but its the way it is.

Answer 3

Because of the doctrine of sola scriptura, or, "Bible-alone" theology. It is not believed by every Protestant, but most of them. Since everybody can interpret the Bible for themselves (even though the bible says not to do this in 1 Peter 2:20), whenever there is disagreement, division must be present.

Protestants, as a result, think that Catholics cannot disagree with each other. This is not true. They imagine a church run by power-hungry control freaks. You cannot be a Catholic if you refuse to think for yourself. A Catholic can disagree with the Church on matters beyond the Apostles Creed, they just can't rebel.

Another reason Protestants are so divided is because they have abolished the priesthood, and have no Eucharist. Catholics and Orthodox are united in faith by the Eucharist, which is an extension of the Incarnation. The church is physical, not etheral, atmospheric, or just "in your hearts". It's ONE Bread, ONE Body, ONE time sacrifice extended through time in the ONE Eucharist. Protestants change their own rules of interptretation when it comes to John 6.

Many Protestants object to the 35,000 figure given in the World Christian Encyclopedia, and say it's more like 8000. So what. It's still disunity.

Here are some questions for the expected Catholic bashers who like to infest questions as this with their misrepresentations and bearing false witness in the name of God:

If the human authors of the inspired New Testament believed in Sola Scriptura, why did they sometimes draw on oral Tradition as authoritative and as God's Word (Matt 2:23; 23:2; 1 Cor 10:4; 1 Pet 3:19; Jude 9, 14;15)?

ANSWER: Bible alone theory is not found anywhere in the history of the early church. In fact, the very words "sola scriptura" cannot be found together anywhere in history before the reformation.

How do we know who wrote the books that we call Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Hebrews, and 1, 2, and 3 John? (What verse claims the name of the author?)

ANSWER:
Catholics know by Tradition, Protestants know, but few will admit its part of Tradition.

If the meaning of the Bible is so clear, so easily interpreted, and if the Holy Spirit leads every Christian to interpret it rightly, then why are there so many Protestant denominations, and millions of individual Protestants, all interpreting the Bible differently?

ANSWER: Because they interpret according to opinions, and not always the holy spirit.

Some say the Bible is the only foundation and basis of Christian truth. Why does the Bible itself say that the Church is the foundation and basis of Christian truth (1 Tim. 3:15)?

ANSWER: They will then argue that the Bible fell from the sky, and the bible did not come from the Catholic Church, contrary to the historical and biblical evidence.

Jesus said that the unity of Christians would be objective evidence to the world that He had been sent by God (John 17:20-23). How can the world see an invisible "unity" that exists only in the hearts of believers?

They will then argue that the Holy Spirit is giving them a different interpretation of what Jesus meant, and we have been wrong for 2000 years.

If the unity of Christians was meant to convince the world that Jesus was sent by God, what does the ever-increasing fragmentation of Protestantism say to the world?

You tell me.

Finally,
Hebrews 13:17 says, "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you."

what is the expiration date of this verse?

Answer 4

Yes friend, denominations, in my opinion have helped to cause a separation in the body of Christ, and thus tearing apart at Christ church. People have ran after man's laws , and away from God's.
The arguing on foolish doctrines has separated many, and the Glory of God can not be see in most Churches any more.There are true fundamental truths, and there are those that are debatable, man can not seemly speak on these issues without fighting and then separating themselves.
I am a Pastor of Angels Harbor Evangelical Ministry. Our mission is to see the uniting of the Church once again. Sound impossible? not with God. Check us out sometime. at www.angelsharbor.com

Answer 5

My first thoughts are, I'd like to see a list of the 34,000, because I bet things like Mormons & Jehovah's Witnesses are included, when they don't believe in the divinity of Christ. They are therefore non-Christian religions or cults. I agree that this is a tool of Satan, and Christians have done a poor job of staying true to God's word over the centuries. It's sad, really. A lot of it comes from old people in old churches not wanting to change their ways, so the young folks simply start another denomination. Craziness.

Answer 6

Most denominations are founded because of a difference in interpretation with the founding our majority faith. For example, when Martin Luther had issue with the Catholic Church he broke away from it and now his followers are called Lutherans.

I personally believe that if people would stop bickering over the things that seperate their faiths and remember what brings us all together (a true love of Christ and a wish to follow his teachings), then we could come together into some form of unity.

IMHO

Answer 7

""Originally there was the catholic church and orthodox church, since the reformation (500""

WRONG!

Originally there was the TRUE Christian Church--then a War Lord by the name of CONstantine hijacked it and tuned it in to a Politico-pseudo christian CULT.

There are many denominations of NON Cult Christianity .. many of which NEVER EVER had ties with the catholic Cult.
The Anabaptist's are a very good example.

see below for finding a True Christian Church>>

Answer 8

34,000 denominations? Where did you get this figure from? Can you even name 10% of that? While I am against denominations in the Body of Christ, I am also against the spread of unsubstantiated allegations made against the church. Now, if you ask me why there are so many denominations, I can only say that it is disobedience to the Scriptures. While disagreements and divisions (note: divisions are not necessarily denominations, but the reverse is always true) are inevitable and even provided for in the Bible, to institutionalise these differences, hence forming denominations, is bereft of Scriptural sanction.

Answer 9

Originally there were the Churches that Peter and Paul were teaching... 200 years after their death was Orthodox and Catholicism. What happens is, man gets away from what the scriptures teach and add their own ideas and tradtions or take away things they dont like. Someone from that church opposes something and this starts a new Church. Men has never been good at keeping with scripture, it humbles them... so, they come up with new theologies and claim God told them... and BANG new denomination.

Answer 10

Most denominations are over disagreements or different translations in what Jesus was trying to say.. some are of a deeper,darker nature that could only be fueled by one person. Lucifer. Known as occults they are not true Christians.