How has Christianity, a faith based on the teachings of one text (bible) divided into so many denominations?

Answer 1

Because it's so open to personal interpretation.

Answer 2

Lindsey,
There are a number of people who want to add things to or take things from the BIBLE in an effort to do "what they want to". This was not what we were told to do. Following the BIBLE should be a constant effort on everyone's part if they are goin g to be a Real Live Christian and live as they are supposed to. The Churches have been divided many times by people who are attempting to gain control rather than allow the church to be run as GOD would have it run. For instance, there are those who say that we don't need to be baptised to be Christians but the examples in the New Testament show that every person who became a Christian was Baptised. The New Testament Church of the First Century met on the first day of the week yet a number of churches meet on whatever day the members want to or they stay with the Old Testament Sabbath day. The First Cetury Church gave as they were prospered and partook of the Lord's Supper on the First Day of the Week yet a number of these denominational churches do not. Satan has influenced a number of people and he continues to do so today. Why do so many "churches" want to make up their own names for Christ's Church when there are names given (examples) in the New Testament Scriptures? I am like you, I can not understand why people will not follow what is written in GOD's HOLY BOOK!

I would like to add that I do not agree with a few of those who have answered this question at all! Among them are: Kait, Boogerman, and Paxico. The Catholic Churches DO NOT Follow the teachings of Christ or of HIS Apostles. They change their minds as quickly as the winds with a new pope. Have a great week.
Thanks,
Eds

EDIT...
Nice writing TG! Very well put.

Answer 3

There are so many denominations for several reasons. (1) Each denomination has a slightly different doctrine or emphasis from the others. (2) As people started churches, they simply gave them different names. (3) Denominations are good in that if you attended a Baptist church in one town, and then moved to another town, you could attend a similar Baptist church in the new town. The Lutheran denomination was named after Martin Luther. The Methodists got their name because their founder, John Wesley, was famous for coming up with “methods” for spiritual growth. Presbyterians are named for their view on church leadership - the Greek word for elder is "presbyteros." Baptists got their name because they have always emphasized the importance of baptism.

We, as believers, must believe the same on the essentials of the faith, but beyond that there is great latitude in how a Christian should worship, serve, and live his life. This latitude is what causes so many different flavors of Christianity. Diversity is a good thing, but disunity is not. If two churches disagree doctrinally, it is fine that they remain separate. This separation, though, does not lift the responsibility Christians have to love one another (1 John 4:11-12) – and ultimately be united as one in Christ (John 17:21-22).

Answer 4

Christianity is very little to do with denominations. Christians have a unity which others do not and cannot understand- they agree on everything of importance, and never split apart, or even contemplate splitting.

Denominations are the results of those who oppose Christians in trying to control them through a central authority. At the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church was seen as totally corrupt. Every well known Reformer (Luther, Calvin, Cranmer) described the Papacy as antichrist. But people did not think that Luther and Calvin were much of an improvement on the pope, and new denominations were set up to accommodate them. Those did not work either, and so it went on. It still does, a bit. Many, perhaps most Christians today are not members of denominations, but meet in houses or independent churches and make their own decisions.

Answer 5

First of all, Christianity is not based upon the teaching of one book - the Bible. It based upon the divine revelation of Jesus Christ....one of these is the Bible, but there are other teachings and practices outside of the Bible.

Secondly, it is Protestantism that is based upon the Bible alone. This began in the 16th century. And because men are not perfect and will make errors, this system is doomed to failure, as we see with the 30,000+ denominations today.

The Church interprets the Bible. Not individual Christians. This is the unchanging teaching of the Roman Catholic Church....which has no divisions or denominations.

There is only ONE Catholic faith. ONE Catholic catechism. This is what Christ prayed for "that they may all be one."

Answer 6

Many people interpret the Bible more or less literally than others. Basically the reason Christianity has divided into so many denominations is interpretation of the Bible.

Answer 7

That's like asking why English, a language based on one set of rules and words, can be heard with so many different accents.

Just here in the United States there are thousands of different accents spoken, different dialects. Yet, it is the same languages. It is English.

Add the other English speaking lands and you can see this in the United Kingdom. English, Welsh, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea all speak English but they sound ever so different. Same language. Different sound.

Lets not forget Canada and the Caribbean, Bahamas, Jamaica, etc.

How can that be? All English but all so, so different?

Kev

Answer 8

Always, in any group or organization there are people that come to believe that they know more then the leaders or other people and so they go out on their own. Most Christian sects are only separated by razor thin ideas about rituals. As a Christian I view most of these things to be quite funny really, but that's just me. Bible interpretation is really a funny business to watch and listen to.

Answer 9

Maybe it would be worth remembering that the gospels included in the bible were decided upon by a ROMAN emporer in the 3rd century. These were the gospels that were best suited to controlling the population and any other gospels (such as the gnostics) were rejected, hidden or destroyed.
As a religion that teaches tolerance, peace and respect, Christianity has certainly had its share of wars and fundamentalism. It is all in the interpretation and religion is ultimately about control.

Answer 10

Sometimes people have their own agenda, looking for power, etc, other times it's just a difference of opinion. Probably more than anything else it's people who look at the Bible with their own agenda in mind and try to make it fit what they want it to say by taking verses out of context or twisting the words. Jehova's Witness, Mormons, Hare Krishna, and others are prime examples.

Answer 11

It's not actually one text. It was originally a collection of different books, and it later got rewritten ("translated", read: let's write this with our own interpretation) several times. Did you think the King James version was the original? Even Shakespeare had a hand in "translating" the Bible. I think it's safe to say that it may have lost a little of it's original content.