What's with all the different Christians?

Question

I always thought of Christians as just that, Christians, but you have Protestants, Evangelicals, ect. could someone explain the difference between all the different types of Christians?

Thanks

Answer 1

There are actually many types of Christianity.

1. Orthodox types believe strongly in the church and are very strict about religion. (Catholic...)

2. Protestant types still practice religion, but aren't as strict as the Orthodox division

3. Independent protestant types are old fashioned and authority is based on the Bible (Luthern...)

4. Charasmatic types, are blended Independent Protestant types. They generally believe the Bible is true but they will believe that God is bringing messages today independent of the Bible. Some of these can be cult like, and group 5 can include cult like groups.

5. Fringe groups, The bible is not considered the absolute word of God OR there is additional sacred text (Unitarians...)


But all of these believe in God, Jesus, the Holy Trinity, etc. They just have different ways of practicing it.

Answer 2

There are as many different 'types' of Christians as there are versions of the Bible. (The Short Version) When Jesus was on Earth he established his Godpel and teacings to his followers. They spread out around the known world teaching the things he spoke. After a couple hundred years the Bible was compiled and circulated among priests and bishops here and there. Pagan Emporer Constantine, and his Nicean council in 325 AD got together and established a set of rules for his newly adopted Christian church to follow. Thus gave birth to Catholicism. Over the next few hundred years Catholicism was the State religion and ruled all thought. In the 1400's with the development of moveable type printing presses, Bibles began circulating more widely throughout the world. People began to learn to read, and develop their own beliefs. Many became dissatisfied with the tenets of the Catholic church and the reformation era began. People like Martin Luther, Calvin, Wesley, etc. established new churches based on their beliefs of what the true message of Christ was. Almost every Christian church in existence was started by a person who did not like what they were being taught in their previous church, broke away to start their own new one, and the Catholics were founded by a pagan. So it would be impossible to say that any of those churches are the true Church of Jesus Christ.

I would say that if you can find a church that is based on all of Christ's teachings (not just a few select ones that most churches practice), and was founded not as a break away movement from some other church, that claims direct authority from God and Jesus Christ, then that would be the one to stick with.

EDIT: Look at the answer above mine, DEMONation, that's funny. Yeah, I guess you could call Seventh day Adventists a DEMONation.

Answer 3

Do you have all month?

Seriously, there is no way to answer this question properly in this forum. If you truly want answers, google the different denominations and read about their beliefs. Just plan to spend a lot of time on it.

A brief answer: Roman Catholics trace their lineage back to the early Church. Protestants are those denominations who "protested" against the Catholic church in the Middle Ages (google Reformation). Fundamentalists are the hard-line types who believe in a literal reading of the Bible. Pentecostals are the "holy rollers." Dispensationalists are ... well, they just are, and they shouldn't be.

United Methodists have the most intelligent and best looking pastors (I'm a United Methodist pastor).

.

Answer 4

If you look into the history of the christian church the awnser is clear. During apostolic times the christian church was being persecuted and many christians were being killed because of thier faith in Jesus, This continued until Constintine (formerly pagan) became a christian (weather his conversion was genuine is debatible) and decreed that everyone in his kingdom and the pagan world needed to become christian. This is when Constintine had his army march thru a river and declared them baptized christians. The problem is that not everyone wanted to give up thier pagan gods and there was a mixing of pagans and christians. This period of history known as the dark ages was a time when there was fighting within the church, christians were being burned at the stake for saying that Jesus forgives your sins and you dont need to pay pennince. This is also why we have christian churches today that have pagan syombols and pagan gods and statues in them with christian names (cathloc). The payment of money to forgive sins is the way that the church in rome funded the building of its beautiful buildings and cathidrals. The first group to discover that the church had become corrupt (because they kept people in the dark and did not allow them to read the bible they needed to re discover the truth as it had been warped by the church) was the Luthrens. Martin Luther nailed his thises to the door of the church and he had a following. Some people heald Martin Luther in a higher regard than the bible itself and they stuck to the group and formed thier beliefs around what Martin Luther believed, others discovered more error in the traditions of the church by studying scripture and they devloped other christian churches with different beliefs, baptist, methodist, etc.. The people who hold to the traditions of thier fathers (who may have been very sincear seekers of the turth in the bible) stay with what they believe and no longer go to the bible. The presence of so many different christian churches does not prove there is no God it is simply the result of people who follow the traditions of thier parents and dont seek the truth for themselves. If one wants to know what to believe about the bible they need to read and understand it for themselves or else fall into the same trap as everyone else.

Answer 5

There are Christians, true to the Bible, the Word of God; and there are "Christians," those who CLAIM to be followers of Christ, but do not do the things he taught.

Historically speaking, Roman Christians were not the first to deviate from the teachings of Christ yet still call themselves "Christian," but they were the first to have the power of the Roman government to enforce their heresies.

Several hundred years later, some men gathered the courage to defy the corruption of Roman "Christianity," and made a weak and corrupted attempt to get back to biblical Christianity. From these spawned the Protestant "Christians." All these kept most of the basic but flawed and non-biblical doctrines of the Catholic Church -- only changing rather superficial doctrines and practices.

True Christians follow the doctrine of God, Jesus Christ and the Apostles, NOT the invented and corrupted doctrines and philosophies of men. True Christians continually seek to do and understand more of what Christ taught; and they are willing to acknowledge and change their erroneous understanding and practices to achieve that.

Christ said that there would be MANY who claim him to be the Christ, but refuse to do what he taught; and that there would be few who followed him in truth:

Matthew 7:13-14 -- "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 24:5 -- For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.

Matthew 7:21-23 -- "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Answer 6

You have a lack of continued shared study among individuals. If we study together and allow the Holy Spirit to lead we would be like minded on our beliefs because God is not the author of confusion.

Answer 7

Simple terms Growth.
More detailed answer; 'Christians' have tests to pass; different denominations world wide are at different levels currently of God's knowledge.

Answer 8

i dont think it a good idea to lable but that just what happens i think it dumb to lable something truly good but thats just what people do people want to follow just this part of this and thats dumb but that just what people do a time will come when there will be no building left standing no books to read nothing but you own understanding of the things around you all i can say is test your self find the right way to do things and the wrong why is this right and this wrong remember that you know nothing with out the understanding of another

Answer 9

The reason why theres so many christian religions is because of satan. Its apart of his plan so people are confussed on the issue of choosing the right demonaton. Ephesians 4:4-6 tells us theres is one body, one spirit, one lord, one FAITH, one baptism. This tells us there is only one demonation!! And this demonation follows the Bible and the Bible alone! Seventh-Day Adventist! Look em up...

Answer 10

Sure. People are all different. Not all atheists think exactly the same way. IT is the same with Christians.

Some atheists hate us and think we are immoral. They refuse to even be civil to us. Some atheists are kind to us.

Some people are conservative. Some are moderate. Some are liberal. We are not robots.