Written by Cade Bushee
There are many different denominations and sub-denominations in Christianity. Yes, Christians believe that Jesus died for the sins of man, and that there is a triune God (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). All Christians believe that the Bible is the word of God as well written through his followers. What people do not like to think about though are all the major differences between Christians who instead of welcoming others as one, push others away.
Catholic
Catholicism is the original form of Christianity forming from Jesus and His disciples. It also has the largest population compared to the other denominations of Christianity. A major difference between Catholicism and Protestantism is how Protestants follow the scriptures of the Bible and Catholics treat it as not only following the Bible alone. Catholics also believe the Pope has been appointed by God to lead the church.
Adventist
Adventists, or Seventh Day Adventists, believe that the Bible is the only source of scripture to follow and believe it. They believe that through faith and belief that the relationship between men and God will be repaired. They also have created a list of their core beliefs. The name of the list is the 28 Fundamental Beliefs. The list was made by Adventists through in depth prayer and study of the Bible.
Baptist
As one of the most well known denominations of Christianity, Baptist beliefs are easy to guess. Baptists believe that the belief of one’s baptism is the main way of accepting one’s faith in Jesus. This is done through publicly proclaiming the want of being baptized then going through the process of getting baptized. There are also sub-denominations in the Baptist denomination. Baptists as a whole are also strong in biblical authority, meaning the truth that comes with the scripture from the Bible.
Episcopalian
The Episcopalian Church are direct dependents from the Church of England. As a part of the Protestant Church, they believe in baptism and communion as an example of faith for their God. They also believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus saved you from your sins. They also believe that God loves everyone, and that there are no exceptions.
Lutheran
Lutherans believe in the following statements strongly: grace alone, faith alone, scripture alone. What this means is that by believing and having faith in God and the scripture then you will receive grace by God. By having strict faith in the Triune God, then one will have their sins forgiven. Lutheranism is also considered the start of the protestant reformation because of Martin Luther breaking away from the Catholic Church because of the problems he saw throughout his time as a monk.
Methodist
Methodist beliefs align with the other Protestant communities. They explain that their beliefs derive from The Book of Discipline. This is a book outlining the laws and administration of the church. Methodists also originate from the Wesleyan Church which was started by John and Charles Wesley to spread scripture through England.
Presbyterian
The origin of the Presbyterian Church comes for John Calvin. He did many of his writings in Switzerland which then spread throughout Europe. A big difference between Calvin and a lot of other religious writers is how he believed in predestination. Predestination is the idea that before you were born, God already decided whether you are going to Heaven or Hell. This is a major different between Calvin’s beliefs and others such as Luther.
Conflicts
Even after looking at all the differences between the different denominations of the churches, we can see that the differences are not detrimental to the belief of Christianity as a whole. But there are other reasons that differ not involving biblical or scriptural beliefs, but personal and political feelings.
Abortion
One big conflict in the Christian church is the idea behind abortions. Both conservative and liberal mindsets are fighting over whether abortion is okay in the eyes of the church. This can be seen through progressive Christians moving to accept abortion whereas conservative Christians have been preaching what the Bible says in the commandments. The fight between whether it is murder or not is what is pushing the buttons of people around the United States. What progressive Christians have done is make it sound more justified in the eyes of God.
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is another major concern between both progressive and conservative Christians. This can be seen in the conflict between the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod(LCMS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America(ELCA). The LCMS is the conservative side to the Lutheran Church while the ELCA takes the progressive side. The LCMA does not bring homosexuality into the church while the ELCA openly accepts it saying that homosexuality is okay in the eyes of God. This causes strong political conflicts within the church.
Persecution Outside of the United States
A major problem that is occurring throughout the world is the persecution of Christians occurring in countries outside of the United States. Some countries that persecution severely occurs in are North Korea, Afghanistan, and Somalia. These countries persecute christians through putting them in to interment camps, not recognizing anyone as a Christian, or worse. The bishop of Mogadishu states that it is “not possible” in Somalia to follow Christianity. This is stated in an article from America The Jesuit Review. Other than North Korea, persecution has been occurring mainly in Muslim dominant countries. One country that is persecuting Christians and is not Muslim dominant is India. The rise of Hinduism throughout the nation of India has caused a rise in persecution towards Christians inside the country.
For more information relating to the Christian denominations and conflicts occurring in Christianity, there will be a list of sources used to make this informational website at the bottom of the page.
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I am an NC State student studying World Religions and looking into what key difference affect modern day Christianity.
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Works Cited
“About.” ELCA.org, http://www.elca.org/About.
Casanova, Amanda. “The Most Well-Known Protestant Denomination: 10 Things Everyone Should Know about Baptists.” Christianity.com, Salem Web Network, 27 Apr. 2018, http://www.christianity.com/church/denominations/the-most-well-known-protestant-denomination-10-things-everyone-should-know-about-baptists.html.
Christian Denominations, hobart.k12.in.us/ksms/worldreligions/Christian/denominations.htm.
Cunningham, Lawrence, et al. “Roman Catholicism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 29 Nov. 2019, http://www.britannica.com/topic/Roman-Catholicism.
Deutsche Welle. “The Main Differences between Catholics and Protestants: DW: 21.04.2019.” DW.COM, http://www.dw.com/en/the-main-differences-between-catholics-and-protestants/a-37888597.
Green, Emma. “A Pastor’s Case for the Morality of Abortion.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 29 May 2019, http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/05/progressive-christians-abortion-jes-kast/590293/.
“Home Page.” Episcopal Church, 2 Dec. 2019, episcopalchurch.org/.
“The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.” The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, http://www.lcms.org/.
The Official Site of the Seventh-Day Adventist World Church, http://www.adventist.org/?L=0.
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A. “Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).” Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 4 Dec. 2019, http://www.pcusa.org/.
Stanton, Glenn. “10 Things Everyone Should Know About a Christian View of Homosexuality.” Focus on the Family, 4 Nov. 2019, http://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/10-things-everyone-should-know-about-a-christian-view-of-homosexuality/.
“The Top 10 Worst Countries for Christian Persecution.” America Magazine, 11 Jan. 2018, http://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/01/11/top-10-worst-countries-christian-persecution.
“The United Methodist Church.” The United Methodist Church, http://www.umc.org/.“What We Believe.” Presbyterian Mission Agency, http://www.presbyterianmission.org/what-we-believe/.
Christian Differences 