how do different religious denominations form, and why do they?

Answer 1

because when people get a revelation of part of the truth they assume they know it all and they focus on that one aspect ...

Answer 2

Depending on how finely you define denomination (as opposed to sect and branch of a denomination) most of them come about because people in an existing denomination disagree with a policy or a policy change (like recent uproars over admitting women, gays, to the clergy) and gather together and form a new congregation which may grow to multiple congregations if the split is felt widely enough. During the time that the Protestant churches were being founded, most of them believing the Bible, not an organization, was the ultimate authority, denominations sprang up based on the preaching of someone who pushed or emphasized a particular aspect of Biblical word. During the 1830-50's there was a lot of fervent activity in the US and Mormanism and Christian Science among others sprang from people who made claims of direct revelation from God. In times of stress, people follow a popular speaker who predicts the end of the world if you are not saved and when the world doesn't end, the religion may survive. And then some idiots write books with fantastic claims of paradise on earth that collect a lot of money and somehow it survives (L.Ron Hubbard, Scientology) The core religions were all founded and built a focus on an individual who had an overwhelming influence on those around him (sorry gals) and those spread the word.

Answer 3

Myriad factors cause the divergence of religion. The protestant faith was caused by King Henry viii being excommunicated from the catholic church for wanting a divorce from one of his many wives. The various interpretations of religious texts can cause offshoots to sprout from the main religion. Also differing political aims cause the inception of new denominations and over time the more conservative, orthodox beliefs are either superseded or challenged by progressive ideas causing internal conflict which creates an untenable situation.

Examples of this include the sunni and shia muslims who had irreconcilable differences and the mahayana and theravada buddhists and the catholics and protestants. The severance of the two doctrines arguably results in the all parties being ostracised and alienated from each other which inexorably leads to war. This can be observed in Northern Ireland, the Middle East and Far East Asia.

I suppose a paradigm of this would be Israel where the three major montheistic, Abrahamic faiths are at complete loggerheads over the dominace of the 'Holy Land' which has been the catalyst for bloodshed for over a thousand years.

Perhaps all religions are inherently hegemonic, each respectively adamant that theirs in the one true faith. What is striking is the patent parallels between faiths, the crossovers and the consistency in the doctrine. Whatever nomenclature or taxonomy you prefer to use to identify your denomination of faith, the differences are minimal and don't warrant an impasse of communication. They warrant a closer examination of belief and an amicable exchange of ideas. As the French say 'Vive le Difference'.

Answer 4

All the Churches believe in the essentials but disagree on the nonessentials. The essentials are Jesus Christ was God the Son from all eternity,voluntered to take on human flesh and come to earth to die for us ,then be bodily resurrected and mark all believers with the Holy Spirit.Belief in the Trinity and the virgin birth,and the resurrection of our bodies someday to be hooked up with our spirits when we die and are in heaven.
Any other variations on these make them a Christian cult.Big variances on these ,take you out of Christianity all together and make you just a cult using Christian termenology.
The nonessentials are about "should we sprinkle or dunk at baptism,should we allow music in the services and if we do should we allow drums(yes they split over things like that),should the pastor be in charge or the Congregation or the Presbytery?"
Stuff like that.To drink or not,smoke or not,drink soda pop or not...
Mormonism is a cult as is Jehovah's witness' but say 7th Day Adventism is a Christian Cult,even some Churches in Christ.Then ,some like the United Methodist have become so Liberal,they are now in cult territory.It's a tough call unless you use the Bible as your foundation.

Answer 5

variations of opinion.. enable's take Christianity.. there became the Roman Catholic Church.. 1517 alongside got here Martin Luther with a distinction of opinion he nailed a letter pointing out his differing opinion alongside with a paper he had written to a church door then went off and began a sparkling denomination.. over the years there have been many variations of opinion that have carry approximately distinctive denominations breaking off ..

Answer 6

lots of reasons --- looking some of the splinter groups formed i would say generally to give power over their "flock" to the people that formed the group --- there will be some that feel they have a genuine religious need to split but they will be few and far between

Answer 7

they form...because the honest truth of it is they dont like certain parts of a belief ...and then say... we think... it should be .. this way. so they make a denomination and create a new church...a new belief system.
kind of like....priests dont have sex in the catholic side... lutherans have pastors...and they marry...so at some point men said... i want to be a "sheppard"... if you will.... but i really want to have kids....so... they develop a new denomination.

Answer 8

They brake away from an already formed group. for example, the protestant churches formed from brakinga way from the Catholic church. I think that they brake away because of difference in beliefs, worship, or other religious related things.

Answer 9

People who are part of a larger group start to differ in their ways of looking at things. When the differences become incompatible, they splinter off and form "their own group".

Much like political parties, high school cliques, and nations.

Answer 10

there are many paths to enlightenment, so it stands to reason new denominations would continually appear. it's a sign that people continue to question the truth.

Answer 11

because we are human and can't/don't see BIG picture
because we are humans and we are fallible--all of us
because we tend to interpret and tell stories differently over time
because different people think THEY know HOW to do IT--to worship