Christians -?

Question

I have a question for Christians. What does your particular denomination teach that is different from others? What sets Methodists apart from Lutherans, Calvinists from Catholics? (Those were examples, please don't answer that last part literally.)

Given that you all believe in Jesus, that he was the Lord God who died on the cross, rose 3 days later to take the Righteous from hell and open the gates to Heaven by absolving ours sins through his sacrifice, and will one day return in the Rapture to take the Faithful to heaven and sit at the Right hand of God in Judgement to rule the world for a thousand years, etc. I get that. I just want to know what your PARTICULAR sect, denomination, whatever, teaches.

Please, the above caveat was to dissuade you from one liners like "we believe Jesus was God and follow his teachings." If that's as far as you go, zippy, but I'm asking a specific question. Take your two points but don't expect a best answer.

I realize the above capsulization of you're creed is incomplete and it's not the important point. Please don't focus on my (miss?)representation of it, and just focus on the question, what you believe.

Thanks so much everyone, you're all being really great and not just giving one liners!

Answer 1

The differences are sufficient to create distinctions that make thinking people think, but they are insufficient to warrant a "holier-than-thou" attitude. There was only one Church to begin with - one denomination - yet even as the New Testament was being written, individuals in the Church were creating factions based upon differing emphases, or, worse, upon heresies. It was always thus. God's arch-enemy has never stood idly by whilst God was working out his plan of salvation. The Catholic Church tried hard to protect against heresy, yet had got into such a corrupt state by the time of the Reformation that this major split happened. Once that took place, there was nothing to stop myriad further splits, and so we have got to the way things are today. A thousand pities.

However, those with good motives acknowledge God is at work in ALL the denominations that hold to the core biblical teachings and practices of Christ, and that the body of Christ (the Church) is amazingly varied, despite fragmentation. We are not robots! God honors our individuality and personality! God teaches the teachable and moulds the mouldable and refines the impure so that, one day, we will all be presented before his throne, spotless, and united in and to Christ.

My denomination is Reformed Presbyterian, which denies papal primacy - a crucially important doctrine of Roman Catholicism, as is its emphasis on tradition. The matter of final authority remains the irreconcilable barrier between Rome and all other denominations. Protestantism is prepared to live with uncertainties and to tolerate theological variety. Its whole instinct is to limit the number of items imposed as matters of faith. It encourages individuals to use their own judgment and to tolerate the different opinions of others. The traditional Catholic mind, by contrast, wants certainty and uniformity, resulting in a flood of encyclicals, decrees and papal pronouncements. At one level this is no more than an abuse of ecclesiastical authority (for there should be no authority except the Word of God, Holy Scripture). But on another level, many Christians prefer to remain like little children, being told what to do, and when to do it, and avoiding difficult questions. It was always thus. Paul implored 1st century Christians in Galatia to "stand fast in the freedom with which Christ made you free" rather than become slaves to others with their man-made rules. So, the crucial difference in my group is based on whether Christians can remain free in Christ, or whether they are being ensnared into any spiritual slavery.

Answer 2

Every demoniation is different because some have more truths then others.For instance the catholics believe one has to be a member of the catholic church to be saved. They also teach Mary was sinless, and they give the name father to the Pope which is all wrong. Furthermore they don't believe one must be born again to recieve eternal life. This is complete apostacy for Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. I also don't believe their teaching not eating meat on Good Friday because fish also has blood and is a meat. Then there is infant baptism which really is unscriptural.

Now Lutherans get a slightly better, followed by presebeterain, methodist, baptist, and then southern baptist. Then there is also Pentecostal, and United Pentecostal that have sprung up.

What the difference is between them
baptism
the Godhead
traditional or experience
Views on Predestination
How to get saved
level of commitement
Preterism vs Pre Trib vs Post Tribulation views
Views on the Holy Spirit and Gifts of the Spirit
There is also different views on God's nature and sin
Some also teach Jesus went to hell, where others say that he didn't
There is a lot of different theologies out there within Christiantiy some of its apostacy and others are simple misunderstandings. As long as a demonination teaches the truth how to get saved, they're a legitimate church.

Answer 3

Well I'm roman catholic and I don't look into the other types . I do hear alot about how "bad " christianity is because it's prejudice and unaacepting,even that it has biggot like qualities. I know that in my religios community we study the bible ..but we don't take it literally, we intepurt differently, and we are allowed to question it.It's not seen as a bad thing . I've never been told that anyone who is of a different religion is going to hell.
We celebrate the seven sacrements and celebrate the major and minor holy days.
we have confession..
i dont want to bore you with a longer list..it's just general basic things we do.
I kno that different types of christians could be more literal when reading the bible, others arent allowed to question anything , i know some of the religions dont celebrate all or any of the saraments and don't have confession.
Same goes for the holidays.

Answer 4

The basic difference between the Catholic church (of which I am a member) and Protestant denominations is that Catholics do not rely on "Sola scriptura" as the sole basis of their beliefs and doctrines. Catholicism also forms its doctrines based on sacred traditions which have been handed down to us through the centuries from the original founders of the Christian church.

Although the Protestant churches say that their doctrines and beliefs are based on Scripture alone, that simply isn't true. For example, Lutheran and Episcopal services are almost identical in form and substance to the Catholic Mass from which they were derived. And I'm sure that a lot of Lutherans would be very shocked to find out that Luther himself was still very devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, even after his split with the Catholic church.

And to answer the usual accusation that Catholics don't read or know their Bible: the Catholic faith *does* rely on Scripture as the basis of its doctrines and practices, even those that are derived from tradition. That's because even those practices which have been passed down to us must conform to the teachings of Christ and His apostles.

As far as I can tell, all differences between the Catholic and Protestant churches ultimately stem from this basic disagreement.

Answer 5

I am a Jehovah's Witness. We believe:
1.) One God, the Father who has a personal name YHWH which the original King James Bible translated as "Jehovah". We believe this personal name was used almost 7000 times in the original scriptures and that God wanted us to know and use it.
2.) One Lord, Jesus Christ, who was transferred willingly into the body of the virgin Mary to replace Adam as a perfect man and thus, do away with the imperfection which we all inherited from Adam and which condemned us all to death. We believe Jesus is the only mediator between God and man and that he is currently ruling in heaven at God's right hand.
3.) Jesus threw Satan and all his demons down to the earth when he began ruling in heaven and soon, he will turn his attention to cleaning up the earth.
4.) All scripture is divinely inspired and we diligently compare one scripture with another to allow God to interpret them for us rather than to simply accept a man's interpretation of them.
5.) The old covenant was conditional and temporary and was to teach the need for a ransom. The new covenant will bring complete and lasting forgiveness of sin and will bring faithful people into the promised earthly Paradise.
6.) No trinity. No rapture. No immortal soul. No burning firey torment in hellfire.
7.) God's Kingdom is a real government with Jesus Christ as King and the 144,000 humans who are bought from the earth as kings and priests with him for 1,000 years. Then, direct rulership given back to God.
8.) Literal earth will never be destroyed.
9.) All human governments and their armies will be destroyed.
10.) Worshipping God in the proper way means putting Him first in all things and avoiding immoral conduct as outlined in the scriptures.
11.) Two resurrections: The first beginning with Jesus Christ and including the 144,000 who have been chosen by God to rule with him. The second, the resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous which includes all those who died before Christ and those who never had a chance to know and obey God.

Answer 6

I'm a Pentecostal, and to be more specific, in the Assemblies of God. We believe in Salvation through Jesus Christ, Divine Healing, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and the Second Coming of Christ (these are our "fundamental truths"). Personally, I'm a bit of the "reformed" pentecostal or Christian for that matter. I don't believe its wrong to drink, as long as you don't get drunk, I think Dan Brown is an amazing author and have read the Da Vince code. I've also read Harry Potter and watched all the movies, listen to secular music, and so on so forth. I hope that answered your question.

Answer 7

The inspiration of Scripture.
The Trinity.
The Deity of Christ.
Original sin.
Fellowship with God can be restored by accepting Christ’s offer of forgiveness for sin.
Two ordinances: Baptism, by immersion after receiving Christ, and the Lord's Supper, as a symbolic remembrance of Christ's suffering and death.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit following conversion.
Speaking in tongues as the evidence of Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Sanctification is a declaration and progressive lifelong process.
The Church's mission is to seek and save all who are lost in sin; the Church is the Body of Christ and consists of all people who accept Christ, regardless of Christian denomination.
Divinely called and Scripturally-ordained ministers serve the Church.
Divine healing of the sick is provided for in the atonement.
The Blessed Hope: a Rapture preceding the bodily return of Christ to Earth.
Premillennial eschatology.
Final Judgement and eternal damnation of the lost.
A future New Heaven and New Earth, in which Christ will dwell with his people forever.

Answer 8

Church of Christ is no denomination,we do not have a so called mother church. We do not have printed out sermons by the big church company. Our preachers are not in it for the money. All denomination are wrong,,, if they follow Christ like they say they do,,,, then why are they ashamed to wear his name. Christ has one bride not many. If he had all these other Church's as brides he would be committing adultery, and he is not. One wife,, bride (the Church of Christ) the church he started before he left this world.. not Catholic,not latter day saints,,,,just plain Church of Christ,nothing more nothing less.He died for his bride,not all the others,God does not even acknowledge all the rest,,, he only hears his son,and his bride. All the others are works of Satan and his ministers.Made to look like ministers of the Lord to fool as many people as he can while he still has time.

Answer 9

I attend a non-denominational church. To be honest, I don't really understand all the denominations out there. In heaven there's not going to be the Baptist section or the Methodist section, etc,etc. So why does it have to be that way down here?

Answer 10

I try not to nail myself down with any denomination. That being said, the "rapture" is, in my opinion, not true, as it originated with some guy with a vision in the early 1900s, with virtually no Biblical back-up.

Anyways, in being a Christian, you put your faith in God. In doing that, you also put your faith in His Word, the Bible. Unfortunately, too many people pick and choose what they want to believe in, and not everything like they should.

God is still moving these days, with miracles, healing, the prophetic, speaking in tounges, etc.

God is STILL alive :)