379 Denominations in a single nation

Association of Religious Data Archives ^

[tenn2005]

What you overlook is that the Bible teaches that everyone is to "work out his own salvation with fear and trembling." When one adheres to the teachings of any one church like the RCC, they are not working out their own salvation. It is being dictated to them. Just something for you to consider.

[Titanites]

Only 379? That's surprising, considering the splits just among the Presbyterians in America:

[highlander_UW]

I also saw at least 1 cult in that list as well as one that said “of Portland”...what’s that one, a single church is now a denomination?

[adiaireton8]

What you overlook is that the Bible teaches that everyone is to "work out his own salvation with fear and trembling."

I didn't overlook it. I'm fully aware of it, and have been since I was a child.

When one adheres to the teachings of any one church like the RCC, they are not working out their own salvation.

That's a non sequitur.

It is being dictated to them.

So all the Christians in the early Church who adhered to the teachings of the Apostles, should have tossed out the Apostles and made up their own beliefs?

-A8

[blue-duncan]

“That’s surprising, considering the splits just among the Presbyterians in America:”

Now how many of them have the same creed, same sacraments and same church polity? Why not subsume them all under the name of Presbyterian, like the Diocese of Hartford, the Diocese of New Haven, the Diocese of Norwich, the Diocese of Bridgeport, all separate ecclesiastical corporations?

[adiaireton8]

Well since most Baptist churches on the list have the same Statement of Faith (we aren’t creedal so we use that euphemism) and the same ordinances (we don’t like the word sacrament so we use that euphemism) why not just list Baptists and cut the list in half?

Because two denominations that are not under the same leadership are not one, but two, even if they agree on doctrine and sacraments. This goes back to Christ's threefold role: king, prophet, and priest. All three are necessary for Church unity. The Church must share the same leadership, the same teaching, and the same worship/sacraments. If you have same doctrine and the same worship, but different leadership, then the unity is only formal and functional. It isn't organic.

-A8

[Titanites]

Why not subsume them all under the name of Presbyterian, like the Diocese of Hartford, the Diocese of New Haven, the Diocese of Norwich, the Diocese of Bridgeport, all separate ecclesiastical corporations?

Because they don't have the same bishop? You better take it up with the Presbyterians, they're the ones that provided that diagram to show how they're wired.

[PAR35]

I also saw at least 1 cult

Without listing names, since I don't want to hijack the thread, I'd count at least 4 that could be so classified.

[vladimir998]

My gosh! That Presbyterian chart looks like a quarter of Hillary Clinton’s health care plan chart. (shudder)

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

If their foundation is Jesus Christ and Trinitarian doctrine what is the gripe?

Even the various rite Catholic, or Orthodox, Serb, Greek, Etheopian,Russian, all have minor differences in non important doctrines.
Watch out for those Arians though.

By the way, I didn’t see THE FIRST PRESLEYTERIAN CHURCH of ELVIS THE DIVINE listed.

[Salvation]

I’m surprised that there are three listings for Catholic Church. To me, it should say
Roman Catholic
Eastern Catholic

blue-d, your assertion about different Catholic churches for different beliefs, is not one that we adhere to.

Remember?
one
holy
Catholic
apostolic

[Drago]

The original:

http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/gen_locator.aspx

[Gamecock]

I also didn’t see the Two Seed Predestinarian Baptists. Of course they didn’t believe in evangelism or missions, so they probably have died out.

[Pinkbell]

I would imagine there are even more than that. As someone pointed out, God doesn’t have different truths for different churches. There is one God and one truth.

Of course, I must point out the Church of Unitarian Universalism was listed there. That is basically the religion of liberalism. Many in that “church” are atheists or agnostics that support abortion, homo marriage, fornication, and other things that go against the Bible. It is based off of secular humanism and moral relativism. It certainly isn’t a Christian denomination.

[Gamecock]

The splits there came about due to various apostasies at different times in the larger Presbyterian church history.

Fact is the the conservative Presbyterian denominations share seminaries, while pastors and members can move freely between the various groups. IOW, they are not as distinct as you, or the chart would have us believe.

[Biggirl]

With so many Christian denominations in the USA and the world, no wonder the Muslims, if they are not trying to convert, threaten or kill us Christians, they have a good laugh at us because of these devisions. Oh, I forgot, they got their own divisions: sunni, shia, sufe, ete., .

[Biggirl]

Now we can understand why Jesus said that prayer to his Heavenly Father the night before he suffered and died for unity.

[vladimir998]

You wrote: “The splits there came about due to various apostasies at different times in the larger Presbyterian church history.”

Apostasies? Gee, you mean they weren’t all little “Reformations”? Seriously, who decides it’s an apostasy and not just another series of (Protestant) Reformations/Rebellions?

[vladimir998]

Oh, and come to think of it, which Presbyterian group today is THE right one? And is it any more or less right than any other Protestant group? And who decides all of that?

[veritas2002]

That they may be one Father as you and I are One. That they may be one in us.