Current Events > Why are there so many denominations of major religion?

(+) Yeah! (+)

For instance all the different versions of Christianity.

What different beliefs do they have and what caused them?

Hoping for a few examples.
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Well an oversimplified example is the free Methodist church breaking off from the United Methodist church in the 1800s over the issue of slavery.

But some groups have less interesting history and it is something petty like "You play music too loud" so they start an otherwise identical church that doesn't have drums.
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Relient_K posted...

Well an oversimplified example is the free Methodist church breaking off from the United Methodist church in the 1800s over the issue of slavery.

But some groups have less interesting history and it is something petty like "You play music too loud" so they start an otherwise identical church that doesn't have drums.

Oh wow. That first part is pretty crazy.

So most tend to be pretty minor though as opposed to something like disagreements over the Bible or differences in how to promote?

Really appreciate the first response.
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Zeeak4444 posted...

Relient_K posted...

Well an oversimplified example is the free Methodist church breaking off from the United Methodist church in the 1800s over the issue of slavery.

But some groups have less interesting history and it is something petty like "You play music too loud" so they start an otherwise identical church that doesn't have drums.

Oh wow. That first part is pretty crazy.

So most tend to be pretty minor though as opposed to something like disagreements over the Bible or differences in how to promote?

Really appreciate the first response.

I mean the heretical Protestant Revolution, which spawned the thousands of Christian denominations that you see today, was over serious disagreements about the Bible, its interpretation, doctrine, and good ol' politics.

Before Luther you could probably count the number of Christian denominations in the world on one hand.
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Callixtus posted...

Zeeak4444 posted...

Relient_K posted...

Well an oversimplified example is the free Methodist church breaking off from the United Methodist church in the 1800s over the issue of slavery.

But some groups have less interesting history and it is something petty like "You play music too loud" so they start an otherwise identical church that doesn't have drums.

Oh wow. That first part is pretty crazy.

So most tend to be pretty minor though as opposed to something like disagreements over the Bible or differences in how to promote?

Really appreciate the first response.

I mean the heretical Protestant Revolution, which spawned the thousands of Christian denominations that you see today, was over serious disagreements about the Bible, its interpretation, doctrine, and good ol' politics.

Before Luther you could probably count the number of Christian denominations in the world on one hand.

This is the kind of starting point I was hoping to find so I could research further. Much appreciated!
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Most divisions are probably over relatively minor disagreements in theology. Different beliefs regarding baptism, end times, communion, women in ministry, and other topics that in the long run shouldn't make w huge difference.

There are also major disagreements that often lead to some groups being outright labeled heretical by others. These come from topics such as the trinity-especially the divinity of Christ, universal salvation, salvation by works, or extrabiblical sources treated as the word of God.

Then there are groups that are started by random "prophets" who are basically starting their own religion and stealing ideas from Christianity to do so.

I can't really speak on, for example, Islamic or Buddhist denominations as I haven't studied their histories with any depth.
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