There are 33830 Xtian denoms!!!!!!!!!

[Soma-Sight]

The "World Christian Encyclopedia" reportedly states that there are 33,830 Christian denominations in the world. Subtract the Catholic Church and the Eastern churches, and you are left with about 33,800 other churches, those descended from the Protestant Reformation.



WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:o :o :o :o

http://www.catholic.com/newsletters/kke_030527.asp

 

[Blazin Bones]

A prime example of too much of a good thing. 8-)

 

[Soma-Sight]

A prime example of too much of a good thing.

lol....

Except when they contradict each others doctrines!

 

[cubedbee]

This number is bogus and overinflated. I'll go to the bookstore this weekend to find exact numbers, but I Know that at least half of the "denominations" included in that number are individual unaffiliated churches who refuse to be labeled with a denomination.

 

[Orthodox Christian]

This number is bogus and overinflated. I'll go to the bookstore this weekend to find exact numbers, but I Know that at least half of the "denominations" included in that number are individual unaffiliated churches who refuse to be labeled with a denomination.

Which means that the word 'sects' would be more appropriate, as in there are nearly 40,000 Protestant sects. This would be an understatement.

 

[Lewis]

This number is bogus and overinflated. I'll go to the bookstore this weekend to find exact numbers, but I Know that at least half of the "denominations" included in that number are individual unaffiliated churches who refuse to be labeled with a denomination.

I,ll buy that.

 

[Soma-Sight]

Well the overiding point beiong made here is this....

And I have brough this up many times before....

Give 100 men a Bible and get 100 different interpretations of the SAME text......

 

[Quath]

Well the overiding point beiong made here is this....

And I have brough this up many times before....

Give 100 men a Bible and get 100 different interpretations of the SAME text......

I agree. I think it also goes a little beyond that. Most of the originators of the denominations probably felt led there by God or the Holy Spirit. It means that either the Holy Spirit is contradictory or that people easily fool themself into believing they are being led by the Holy Spirit.

If people can be mistake, then who can say for sure who is really led by the Holy Spirit?

Quath

 

[DivineNames]

If people can be mistake, then who can say for sure who is really led by the Holy Spirit?

Quath

If you are looking for a rational explanation as to how someone can be sure that they are genuinely guided/inspired by God, rather than being deluded about it, I don't think you will get it.

If someone can fool themselves into believing they are guided by the holy spirit, they can fool themselves into thinking that there is no doubt about it. And that will be good enough for many Christians I suspect.

 

[Muad'Dib]

It's certainly good enough for me.

 

[Relic]

.



The old cliche' comes to mind......

Jack of all trades,
master of none.


:roll:


.

 

[Gary]

:o

30,000 denominations? Typical Roman Catholic propaganda..... backed by the New Age fundies.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"... the allegation so often repeated by (Roman) Catholic apologists that there are 20,000 to 30,000 Protestant denominations is simply FALSE...not to mention the double standard employed, for the Catholic church is not exactly united - there are untold factions and divisions, and diverse understanding of doctrine within Catholic groups and by different Catholic theologians and individuals.

"In an article entitled "30,000 Protestant Denominations?", Evangelical apologist Eric Svendsen exposes the falsehood of this fabrication. Briefly:

• Svendsen shows that the source of this figure is the World Christian Encyclopedia (David A. Barrett; Oxford University Press, 1982).
  
  Barrett cites a figure of 20,780 denominations. However not all of them are Protestants. According to Barrett, Protestants account for 8,196 (and incidentally, Roman Catholics account for 223).
  
  However, even this figure of eight thousand Protestant denominations is misleading, for Barrett defines "distinct denominations" as any group that might have a slightly different emphasis than another group. The distinction is made on the basis of jurisdiction, rather than differing beliefs and practices.
  
  Barrett breaks down the Protestant bloc into twenty-one major "traditions" which are much closer to what we usually mean by the word "denominations." It is interesting that Roman Catholics are subdivided into sixteen such "traditions."

Svendsen concludes, "In short, Roman Catholic apologists have hurriedly, carelessly - and, as a result, irresponsibly - glanced at Barrett's work, found a large number (22,189), and arrived at all sorts of absurdities that Barrett never concluded."

Source: http://www.justforcatholics.org/a86.htm

Further reading:

http://www.ntrmin.org/30000denominations.htm
http://www.ntrmin.org/30000denominationsrevisited.htm

 

[Vic C.]

Barrett breaks down the Protestant bloc into twenty-one major "traditions" which are much closer to what we usually mean by the word "denominations." It is interesting that Roman Catholics are subdivided into sixteen such "traditions."

Just a 'short' list I compiled this morning...

Byzantine Catholic Church
Polish Catholic church
Anglican Catholic Church
Catholic church or New Zealand

Liberal Catholic Church International
"Our church is catholic but independent. Teachings are in accord with much of the knowledge gained by modern science."

The Old Catholic Church of America
Hungarian Catholic church
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

The Ecumenical Catholic Church -- "a seperate Catholic denomination within the universal Christian Church."

Maronite Catholic Church of Australia
The Catholic Apostolic National Church
THE UNITED CATHOLIC CHURCH
Armenian Catholic Church
Greek Catholic Church
United American Catholic Church
Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East
OLD CATHOLIC CHURCH OF CANADA - national Old Catholic church

 

[Soma-Sight]

Svendsen concludes, "In short, Roman Catholic apologists have hurriedly, carelessly - and, as a result, irresponsibly - glanced at Barrett's work, found a large number (22,189), and arrived at all sorts of absurdities that Barrett never concluded."

Gary,

Whats goin on man? Have not seen you around lately......

So how many denoms are there then???

After a look on google the low count I found was in the 1'000's........

 

[stray bullet]

"... the allegation so often repeated by (Roman) Catholic apologists that there are 20,000 to 30,000 Protestant denominations is simply FALSE...not to mention the double standard employed, for the Catholic church is not exactly united - there are untold factions and divisions, and diverse understanding of doctrine within Catholic groups and by different Catholic theologians and individuals.[/quite]

Absolutely false, all Catholics are united in doctrine, but differing in tradition and discipline.

 

[stray bullet]

Just a 'short' list I compiled this morning...

Byzantine Catholic Church
Polish Catholic church
Anglican Catholic Church
Catholic church or New Zealand

Liberal Catholic Church International
"Our church is catholic but independent. Teachings are in accord with much of the knowledge gained by modern science."

The Old Catholic Church of America
Hungarian Catholic church
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

The Ecumenical Catholic Church -- "a seperate Catholic denomination within the universal Christian Church."

Maronite Catholic Church of Australia
The Catholic Apostolic National Church
THE UNITED CATHOLIC CHURCH
Armenian Catholic Church
Greek Catholic Church
United American Catholic Church
Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East
OLD CATHOLIC CHURCH OF CANADA - national Old Catholic church

You are grossly misinformed.

Old Catholics are not Catholics, they are a protestant denomination formed during the Reformation, in the 19th Century.

Maronites, Greek, Armenians, Bzyantines, etc are NOT denomations. Eastern Catholics share doctrine with the entire Catholic Church. Catholics can go to eastern Catholic Churches and there is absolutely no issue there or difference in doctrine. I can go to a Maronite, Greek, Bzyantine or Latin Catholic Church and not change one bit of my beliefs. They are in full union with each other.

"Anglican Catholic" is NOT a Catholic Church, they are an Anglican Church that added "Catholic" because they are more in line with Catholic tradition. They are a protestant denomination.

"Catholic" is a grossly abused term by protestant denominations. The ones using it have nothing to do with the Catholic Church.

 

[stray bullet]

For those here that seem misinformed.

The Catholic and the Orthodox Churches both consist of many different types of Churches, but united with each other in beliefs. There are different Churches because each one worships according to a regional difference in culture, custom or language. A Maronite Catholic Church (from Syria) will use their traditional Syria liturgy, with some Arabic used. Greek Catholic or Orthodox Churches will worship according to the traditional way Greek Churches functioned.

They are not separate Churches, I can go to a Maronite Church, or a Greek Catholic Church, or a Byzantine Church or any of the 24 Churches that make up the Catholic Church, because while they are different groups, we are all one Church.

If I were Orthodox, I could do the same thing with Orthodox churches, going to a Russian, Greek, etc church.

The Orthodox and the Catholic Churches are not made of 'denominations', they are made up of cultural groups.

 

[D46]

The Orthodox and the Catholic Churches are not made of 'denominations', they are made up of cultural groups.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were "cultural groups" as well. Guess you all fall right in line with each other.

Matthew 16:1 (KJV) The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

I've seen Catholic churches that use the word Apostolic in their name and there's certainly nothing "Apostolic" about them. Apostolic means "Apostle like" and there's nothing about the Catholic church that's like the Apostles or what they taught. They taught what Jesus taught them and Jesus didn't teach Catholic doctrine.

 

[stray bullet]

The Orthodox and the Catholic Churches are not made of 'denominations', they are made up of cultural groups.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were "cultural groups" as well. Guess you all fall right in line with each other.

No, they were denominations of Judaism at the time. I would suggest you learn more about the bible and the faith before asserting they shared beliefs, there were quite a lot of differences between themselves and other groups.
Your comparisons are completely non-sensical.

I've seen Catholic churches that use the word Apostolic in their name and there's certainly nothing "Apostolic" about them. Apostolic means "Apostle like" and there's nothing about the Catholic church that's like the Apostles or what they taught. They taught what Jesus taught them and Jesus didn't teach Catholic doctrine.

Actually, Apostolic means of the apostles. The Catholic and Orthodox Churches are apostolic Churches, meaning their roots are in the apostles. The apostles had successors, who picked other successors, who lead the Churches.
Our beliefs are consistent with what the apostles taught.

Your beliefs, the protestant beliefs, are not apostolic. They were not made by the apostles, but men within the last 500 years. You'll find no record of their beliefs in early Christianity.... as they are modern and non-apostolic.

 

[D46]

Our beliefs are consistent with what the apostles taught.

Right. :roll: Does the Catholic church not teach that it has the power and authority to forgive sins? Of course it does. "There is no offense, however serious, that the "Church" cannot forgive (Catechism, Pg 256, #982) Or, "The Church, who through the bishop and his priests forgives sins in the name of Jesus Christ.." Pg 363-364, #1448.

Now, just where did the Apostles teach that lie? I don't recall reading that anywhere.

Mark 2:6-7 (KJV) But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?



The Apostles taught only God could forgive sins...never a man or a church. David said, "Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins." Psalm 25:18

Neither did the Apostles teach that a pope was a "replacement" or Vicar either. Is he not elevated to a "supreme pastor and teacher of all mankind"? However, John 14:16 tells us, "But the comfortor, who is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said ulnto you." Hmmm...seems like another contradiction of what Jesus said and what the Catholic church claims.

Isaiah 42:8 (KJV) I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

How about the claim that only the Catholilc church is able to intrepret God's word? Where did the Apostles teach that? " The task of intrepreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted soley to the magisterium of the church, that is, to the Pope and to the bishops in communion with him." Pg 30, #100

You don't believe all this? You'd better...your church sure does.

2 Peter 1:20 (KJV) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

Did not Jesus also admonish the Jews to "...search the scriptures..."? John 5:39. I submit the Catholic church was founded on deceit, lies and a mixture of paganism and a bit of Christianity. And, as I said in the beginning, there is nothing Apostolic about their teaching. Deception is her game and in that, she is infallible whether it's a pronouncement from the chair or not.

My beliefs go back much further than 500 years... about 2000 years when Christ began teaching the diciples is about how far back it goes. You don't know what I believe and are just speculating I'm just another Baptist or whatever. Well, guess on as I owe no allegiance to a denomination or preacher, but only in the shed blood of my Saviour-him and him alone do I put my trust. I'm a New Testament believer and believe in what Jesus taught and what his Apostles continued preaching. The Catholic church brings in another Jesus and another gospel and they are accursed according to the word of God.

Galations 1:8-9 (KJV) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.