Posted on 12/09/2014 5:07:21 PM PST by BlatherNaut
A conservative sector in the US thinks that you removed the North American cardinal Raymond Leo Burke from the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura because he was the leader of a group that resisted changes of any type in the synod of bishops.. Is it true?
Of course the Synod was not the tipping point.
The claim of 30,000 denominations that has grown ever larger was based on a guy whose definition of denomination involved who has authority for discipline or decisions in a church. In a Baptist church, that is ALWAYS the individual congregation. Each congregation decides if it will have a doctrinal statement, what the statement contains if it has one, who the pastor is, who the deacons are, etc. Logically then, the Southern Baptist Convention by itself would have over 40,000 ‘denominations’ - the vast majority of whom agree with a single doctrinal statement.
If a denomination is a group of churches which are largely in agreement on doctrine, then ‘baptist’ would cover most baptist denominations as one - SBC, American Baptist, etc. It all depends on definitions.
Thus you end up with the ludicrous sophistry that every non-denominational church becomes a discrete denomination.
Fully persuaded never to become a Catholic, I assume.
Look it up in the library of your choice. Or, will you then say, "If it is in the library, it must be true..."
Lol. DON'T take my word for it, though. Go you your favorite Protestant minister and ask him/her.
A few examples: http://www.ask.com/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com
Contents
1 Main branches of early Christianity
2 Catholicism
2.1 Catholic Church
2.1.1 The Latin Church
2.1.2 Eastern Catholic Churches
2.2 Other churches and movements
2.2.1 Independent (self-identified as Catholic)
3 Eastern Orthodox
3.1 Eastern Orthodox Church
3.2 Other churches
4 Oriental Orthodoxy
4.1 Other Churches
5 Church of the East
6 Other early Christians
7 Medieval sects
8 Protestantism
8.2 Anglicanism
8.2.1 Anglican Communion
8.2.2 Other Anglican Churches
8.3 Calvinism
8.3.1 Continental Reformed churches
8.3.2 Presbyterianism
8.3.3 Congregationalist Churches
8.4 Anabaptists and Schwarzenau Brethren
8.5 Plymouth Brethren and Free Evangelical Churches
8.6 Methodists
8.7 Pietists and Holiness Churches
8.8 Baptists 8.8.1 Spiritual Baptists
8.9 Apostolic Churches – Irvingites
8.10 Pentecostalism
8.11 Charismatics
8.11.1 Neo-Charismatic Churches
8.12 African Initiated Churches
8.13 Messianic Judaism / Jewish Christians
8.14 United and uniting churches
8.15 Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
8.16 Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement
8.17 Southcottites
8.18 Millerites and comparable groups
8.18.1 Adventist (Sunday observing)
8.18.2 Adventist (Seventh Day Sabbath/Saturday observing)
8.18.3 Church of God movements (Sunday observing)
8.18.4 Church of God movements (Seventh Day Sabbath/Saturday observing)
.18.5 Sabbath-Keeping Movements, Separated from Adventists
8.18.6 Sacred Name groups
8.18.7 Movements not related to the Millerites but comparable to them
8.18.7.1 Sabbath-Keeping movements, predating the Millerites
8.19 Other
9 Nontrinitarian groups
9.1 Latter Day Saints
9.2 Oneness Pentecostalism
9.3 Unitarianism and Universalism
9.4 Bible Student groups
9.5 Swedenborgianism
9.6 Christian Science
9.7 Other non-Trinitarians
10 New Thought
11 Esoteric Christianity
12 Racialist groups
13 Syncretistic religions incorporating elements of Christianity
14 Other
14.1 Christian Movements
14.2 Internet Churches
14.3 LGBT-affirming Christian denominations, that is LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANS-SEXUAL
14.4 Interdenominational (ecumenical) churches and organizations
14.5 Non-denominational churches and organizations
14.6 Revivals
14.7 Misc.
=======================================
I CAN continue with the THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of Protestant denominations if you like. This list OF 40,000 different denominations comes from the PROTESTANTS themselves. But, then it's ON-LINE too, so maybe you wouldn't believe the Protestants THEMSELVES on the numbers of their OWN denominations.
I outlined the Lutherans ONLY because they were first on the on-line lists of "Protestant denominations."
FATHER Martin Luther himself was a defrocked and excommunicated Catholic priest and theologian.
It's my belief that we are all Christians and ought to try and respect each others' choices. However, I cannot simply sit by and read your defamatory remarks about my particular choice of faith. I can't do it.
“However, I cannot simply sit by and read your defamatory remarks about my particular choice of faith. I can’t do it.
SHAME on you.”
Defame? Where did I defame anyone? I didn’t even MENTION your church! Before you attack the behavior of other individuals on a ‘religion’ thread, you might want to check on what they actually wrote.
Meanwhile, my point remains valid: Until you define denomination, you cannot discuss how many there are. What is the difference between American Baptist and Southern Baptists? Almost nothing. But if you define a denomination as an entity that can impose discipline, then the SBC alone has over 45,000 denominations.
If you defined it as the organization responsible for deciding what they believe, then the SBC alone would have roughly 16 MILLION denominations. For a non-hierarchical group of believers, denomination is a meaningless term.
I think a more useful division would be sola scriptura or not. Those that accept scripture as authoritative tend to have no trouble worshiping with each other, even if there is some disagreement. Those who reject it will never be comfortable with those who accept it, and vice-versa. I’m an Arminian, but I’ve worshiped with Calvinists and they with me many times without rancor.
The Catholic Church can call Mary ‘the Queen of Heaven’, but I would reply, “Where is that found in scripture? Nowhere? Then don’t ask me to believe it!” Sola scriptura believing groups would understand my response, and those who reject it would not.
BTW - you did not list 40,000 denominations. Neither has anyone else.
More information can be found here:
http://www.jmm.org.au/articles/19106.htm
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.