30,000 Protestant Denominations?

Calvary Press ^ | 2002 | Eric Svendsen

[HarleyD]

I've often heard this number (or something like it) used. Enlightening article.

[Frapster]

So you concede there are 20,000+ protestant denominations! Ha! /sarcasm

[HarleyD]

Pinging the Elect for your interest.

[franky]

Good article and we apologize

Now how about Catholic bashers apologizing for accusing Catholics of 'worshipping Mary' and worshipping "idols'

Everyone needs some edification sometimes

God bless!

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Wonderful refutation, Harley.

And the truth would be even less of a target if more Protestants followed Calvin's horizontal hierarchy of ecclesiastical responsibility.

Those bellicose Baptists always screw-up the curve. 8~)

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." -- Matthew 7:14

[AAABEST]

Apologize my foot! I like having that "30,000" figure around when I'm losing an argument!

Hehe.

So what did they whittle it down to? I guess I'll be forced to go with that.

[GoBoks]

Wonderful Refutation ????? Excuse me while I laugh .... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha hah!!!

Firstly "hey, I wrote this and it's in my upcoming book therefore it must be true" .... does not mean your figures are any more worthy of belief than anyone elses.

Secondly, your definition of a protestant is very different from a Catholic definition. There is ONE True Church .... If you are not a Roman Catholic, and still profess to be a Christian, then you are in protest against The True Church and are a protestant.

So how many of them there "religions" are there?? Oh, sorry it's not 25,000 but actually 22,748?? I see ... that totally disproves the point that if something about your religion doesn't suit you, just change it and start your own protestant religion. 275 new "religions" a year??? Some protestant religions that ordain clergy by e-mail as long as you send your $25 in??? Mainstream protestant clergy that refuse to vote against abortion??? Ordain openly Homosexual ministers??? I don't know how you guys can take yourselves seriously!!! Ha ha ha ha ha

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Excuse me while I laugh

No, you're confused. The derision and ridicule of Protestants is on the "Where Have all the FR Protestants Gone?" thread.

You're forgiven.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

And you're making too much noise for a two-week-old Freeper. Shhh!

(I know you guys like your authoritative tones.)

[GoBoks]

Ah Well,

I guess 22,748 groups of you can't be wrong, can they? How many of these groups are actually right? How can you be right when you use an abridged version of The Bible?

Never mind, by the end of the year there will be 275 new "religions" that think they are right. must be nice to simply change your religion when your old one has a belief that makes life inconvenient for you.

[SoothingDave]

Yet the lion’s share of Baptist denominations are independent, making them (in Barrett’s calculation) separate denominations. In other words, if there are ten Independent Baptist churches in a given city, even though all of them are identical in belief and practice, each one is counted as a separate denomination due to its autonomy in jurisdiction.

We're supposed to believe that every independent Baptist Church and every one of their pastors is "identical in belief and practice"?

SD

[HarleyD]

Obviously you didn't read the article otherwise you wouldn't be making such stupid statements.

"No doubt the same Roman Catholic apologists who so gleefully cite the erroneous 25,000-denominations figure, and who might with just as much glee cite the revised 8,196-denominations figure, would reel at the notion that there might actually be 223 distinct denominations within Roman Catholicism!"

And to which one of the 223 Catholic denominations do you belong?

[conservonator]

Even if the number was as small as two, that would be one too many.

This is an interesting link.

[HarleyD]

I know if I attend another Southern Baptist church in town I can guarantee they'll be the same in both belief and practice. But I can assure you that the Free Will Baptist have a somewhat different perspective.

But the article is saying you could have 10 Southern Baptist churches in one city with the same belief (not implausible in a large city) but they were each counted as a seperate church since Southern Baptist are independently operated. This, of course, drive the count up of Protestant denominations if you want to slice the cookie this way.

One would have to look at David A. Barrett’s World Christian Encyclopedia for a more detail understanding.

[SoothingDave]

And to which one of the 223 Catholic denominations do you belong?

First of all, this article is confusing. If he is counting "jurisdictions" then he is making an error. The Coptic Rite and the Latin Rite Catholic churches are different rites, but within the same One Church. In no way are they to be counted as "denominations." They all, ultimately, fall under the jurisdiction of the Pope.

As a matter of fact, that is the only way to count what is Catholic. Ubi Petrus, ibi ecclesia. If the Pope is not the head of the Church, on earth, then it is not Catholic.

I know of only one denomination that fits that bill. Yes, there are seperate rites and jurisdictions beneath the Papal level, but they are all part of the One Church.

"Traditionalists" and such are schismatic. They are not under the pope's jurisdiction. To call them a "Catholic" "denomination" is to err. If the Pope is not in charge it isn't Catholic.

Score, still and always, Catholic denominations, 1. Protestants, many.

Maybe it's not 30,000. But it's more than one. At the very least you can make a matrix of serious doctrinal differences and come across variations upon them. Anything more than one is a result of the desire to disobey the Pope's authority and branch out on your own. Once the principal of there being no authority is established, further severance is guaranteed.

SD

[HarleyD]

I reviewed this site earlier. While I do think there is some good information here, it has an very subtle Catholic tilt ("Protestants are in error blah, blah, blah"). If one keeps that in mind than one can glean some useful information. However, as much as this site portrays itself to be objective-it's not.

[SoothingDave]

I know if I attend another Southern Baptist church in town I can guarantee they'll be the same in both belief and practice. But I can assure you that the Free Will Baptist have a somewhat different perspective. But the article is saying you could have 10 Southern Baptist churches in one city with the same belief (not implausible in a large city) but they were each counted as a seperate church since Southern Baptist are independently operated.

Southern Baptists should not be counted individually. They adhere to a common belief.

I will grant that not every non-denominational Cchurch, or every "Free" Baptist Churhc is unique. But in no way are they all the same either.

So they are not "one" and yet they are not "thousands" either. The point is that without an authority, there is nothing holding unity together. The Protestant principle leads naturally to division.

SD

[conservonator]

However, as much as this site portrays itself to be objective-it's not.

I never said it was, but it's far more objective than most. FWIW, I didn't see a Catholic bias, rather I saw a universalist bias. Go figure.

[Tantumergo]

The figure for the number of Protestant denominations (in the US) is actually in excess of 38,000. It is published accurately and updated each year by some independent people who I understand you all love very much over there.

I believe they are known as the IRS, and the figures are listed in the IRS Survey. The last figures were published just a few weeks ago.

I will grant you, however, that they are probably not the best qualified to determine theologically what exactly constitutes a denomination.

These figures will always be high because of the practice of some Baptists of valuing the absolute independence of every local congregation.

As for the author of this article claiming there are 200+ "Catholic denominations" he clearly has no understanding of Catholicism. If you are in communion with the Pope then you are at least nominally a Catholic - if you are not then you are not.

There can be no "Catholic denominations" because the Catholic Church does not recognise any denominations as Catholic. She cannot be defined, limited, or de-limited by any outside her pale, because no-one outside her pale has been given the authority by God to do so.

[SoothingDave]

The figure for the number of Protestant denominations (in the US) is actually in excess of 38,000. It is published accurately and updated each year by some independent people who I understand you all love very much over there.

You're forgetting the ever-popular "home church" people who think a tax-exemption is the mar kof the beast. So the number must be even higher. ;-)

SD