What Religion are You

[Reba]

Christians are divided into three major groups, and in each of those groups numerous subgroups exist.

The groups are:
Eastern Orthodox
Catholic
Protestant (which includes Mormon/LDS AND Non-denominational Christian churches.)

Eastern Orthodox split from Western Rite (Now Roman Catholic) in about 1054 AD. The Catholic Church split again in 1517 AD which formed "Protestantism".

One correction:

Baptist churches are not Protestant. They were never part of the Catholic Church, and therefor were never part of a "split".

For more information, read:

"The Trail of Blood . . ."
Following the Christians Down Through the Centuries . . .
or
The History of Baptist Churches From the Time of Christ, Their Founder, to the Present Day
by J. M. Carroll​

 

[Reba]

There are ... others that are totally independent (no hierarchy in church government).

Correct!

Our church is totally independent. The members of our church vote on selecting our pastors, accepting new members, selecting and supporting missionaries, financial decisions, etc., according to our own church constitution.

 

[MorriganTait]

Baptist churches are not Protestant. They were never part of the Catholic Church, and therefor were never part of a "split". [/CENTER]

No Reba - you are wrong. Many modern sects were not part of the Catholic church, but their specific origins date from the Protestant reformation. Without Martin Luther, most of the modern sects we see in the US would not exist.

 

[WhisperHorse]

oops I logged on Sweetheart's sn...I didn't notice til I saw the post I made. It's sequoias- I'm not religous and I don't involve any religon except for spiritual healing and all that stuff.

 

[MorriganTait]

LDS is not Christian, as it believes that Jesus and Lucifer (Satan) were brothers, which is contrary to Scripture.

MANY MANY MANY sects believe things which are contrary to scripture. However far from mainstream they are, LDS is a Christian denomination, though they have expanded, certainly, on traditionally accepted doctrine.

 

[MorriganTait]

Morrigan Tait,

There are several fellowships of Baptists: Southern Baptist (SBC), Baptist General Conference, General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC) and others that are totally independent (no hierarchy in church government).

Yes, I am quite aware of that. She said in the same sentence "we are non-denominational" and "Babtist". My point was that Baptist IS a denomination, even if the church itself is independent.

 

[web730]

Morrigan Tait,

I am an ex-Mormon. I had joined the LDS church in 1993, left it officially, I believe, in 1999. LDS is not Christian, as it believes that Jesus and Lucifer (Satan) were brothers, which is contrary to Scripture. LDS believe, also, that when each of us die, Joseph Smith will be sitting next to God and counseling Him as to where we, individually, should go...Heaven or Hell. Sorry, God doesn't need any "counsel," especially from a man who wasn't even raised in a church and, at best, it was very shallow and no substance in its beliefs.

 

[web730]

Baptist IS a denomination. Do you mean they were a "free" or "independant" church that did not belong to a specific Baptist conference?

Yes!

In fact there is difference with the Baptist churches.

A. Southern Baptists = denominational

b. independent Baptists = nondenomational

See Reba's post (6 posts before this)

 

[pek1]

MANY MANY MANY sects believe things which are contrary to scripture. However far from mainstream they are, LDS is a Christian denomination, though they have expanded, certainly, on traditionally accepted doctrine.

Hey Reba!!

Can you explain to Morrigan Tait that LDS is NOT Christian, not even a Christian denomination? I have yet to be in any church anywhere that accepts "traditionally accepted doctrine" with the LDS. It's nowhere even close.

 

[MorriganTait]

Yes!

In fact there is difference with the Baptist churches.

A. Southern Baptists = denominational

b. independent Baptists = nondenomational

See Reba's post (6 posts before this)

Yes, I am quite aware of that. She said in the same sentence "we are non-denominational" and "Babtist". My point was that Baptist IS a denomination, even if the church itself is independent.

Whether a church is independent of a central conference or not, it may STILL be denominational. "BAPTIST" IS a denomination, and as such, when a church adopts the name "Baptist" this connotes certain doctrinal standards which align the church with other churches of a similar denomination. (Even if they are not organizationally connected.)

 

[MorriganTait]

Hey Reba!!

Can you explain to Morrigan Tait that LDS is NOT Christian, not even a Christian denomination? I have yet to be in any church anywhere that accepts "traditionally accepted doctrine" with the LDS. It's nowhere even close.

Ok, here's the deal:

I am not saying I like the Mormon church, or appreciate their doctrines. I am not saying I agree with them in any way. I am simply stating that by the simplest definition they ARE a Christian sect. That's it.

That they differ in many ways from the standard doctrines accepted by most common Christian denominations is not in dispute here. I do agree - they differ. That many Christians do not accept them is also not in dispute - yes - many Christians do not accept Mormonism.

But, by the simplest definition, they ARE Christian, and much of their origins are quite similar to the origins of several modern denominations.

Below is the text of the Nicene Creed, which for centuries was the accpeted "definition" if you will of what made a church Christian or not:

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

Yes, Mormons believe in this, ok.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through Him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
He came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered death and was buried.
On the third day He rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.

Yes, Mormons believe in this, ok.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father.*
With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. (Text varies depending on the specific denomination.)
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. (Some Christian Churches do not practice the formal rite of Baptism.)
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. AMEN.
*Roman Catholics and Protestants add ‘and the Son’ at this point.

Yes, Mormons believe in this, ok.

Ok, so the Mormons expand on this quite a lot, and accept new Gospels traditionally rejected by other Christian Churches. (Keep in mind the Catholic Church also recognizes sacred texts that many Protestant denominations do not.)

People like to believe that because they do not care for the Mormon church, and their doctrines have veered into a direction most churches haven't, that this somehow denies their membership in the greater Christian community as a whole. And while I am the first to tell you, I don't appreciate their doctrinal mandates toward women, Blacks and others, I have to accept that like myself, Mormons DO believe quite simply in Christ, and whether I like it or not, this makes them Christian. (Maybe not MY kind of Christian.)

 

[MorriganTait]

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_deno.htm

How the Christian "families" evolved:
With the exception of the first few years after the execution of their founder Yeshua of Nazareth (a.k.a. Jesus Christ), Christianity was never a unified religion.

By the end of the 1st century CE three main movements remained: Pauline Christians: a group of mainline congregations, largely of non-Jewish Christians. Some had been created by Paul and his co-workers. They evolved to become the established church.
Gnostic Christians: They claimed salvation through special, otherwise secret gnosis (knowledge). Some were members of mainline congregations; others were part of Gnostic groups. They were declared heretics and were gradually suppressed and exterminated.
Jewish Christians: remnants of the group originally headed by James, the brother of Yeshua, and including Jesus' disciples. They were scattered throughout the Roman Empire after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, and gradually disappeared.

Circa 400 CE: The Bishop of Rome began to be recognized as the most senior of all bishops. Siricius (384-399 CE) became the first bishop to be called Pope.
1054 CE: A lengthy power struggle between eastern and western Christianity culminated in a schism between the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Western Rite (later often called the Roman Catholic Church). Many Christian sects broke away from the Western Rite throughout the Middle Ages (Cathars, Knights Templars, etc.). These were generally exterminated by the central church in various genocidal wars.
1517 CE: Martin Luther attacked certain practices and beliefs of the Church, and the authority of the Pope. He was followed by other reformers which produced a mass movement -- the Protestant Reformation. They were driven largely by two fundamental principles: "Sola Scriptura" (Scripture Alone): The belief that the Holy Bible was the ultimate authority for all matters of religious belief and practice.
The Priesthood of all Believers: The belief that no priest or other intermediary is needed between the Christian believer and God.

Into modern times: Protestant Christianity became fractured into over 1,500 individual denominations, as individuals and groups began to interpret the Bible in their own unique ways. They continually formed new sects that they felt were closer to Jesus' intentions for the church. In the past fifteen decades in North America schisms occurred over the legitimacy of human slavery, and whether to allow women to be ordained. A number of mainline denominations -- Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal -- are attempting to keep their organizations intact in spite of differences of belief about sexual orientation. They are debating whether to grant equal rights to gays and lesbians, and whether to recognize same-sex relationships.

 

[MorriganTait]

Hey Reba!!
Can you explain to Morrigan Tait that LDS is NOT Christian, not even a Christian denomination? I have yet to be in any church anywhere that accepts "traditionally accepted doctrine" with the LDS. It's nowhere even close.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_deno.htm

One of many possible lists of families of Christian denominations
Adventist Family Adventist groups, Jehovah's Witnesses, and British Israelism
Baptist Family Southern Baptists, American Baptists, etc.
Christian Science - Metaphysical Family Christian Science, New Thought
Communal Family The Jesus People, Twin Oaks, etc.
Eastern Orthodox Family Various Orthodox churches -- Russian, Greek, Serbian, etc.
European Free-Church Family Amish, Brethren, Mennonites, Quakers, Shakers, etc.
Holiness Family Christian and Missionary Alliance, Church of the Nazarene, etc.
Independent Fundamentalist Family Plymouth Brethren, Fundamentalists, etc.
Latter-day Saints Family Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The community of Christ
Lutheran Family Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran church - Missouri Synod, etc.
Messianic Judaism Jews For Jesus, and other similar groups
Pentecostal Family Assemblies of God, Church of God (Cleveland, TN)
Pietist-Methodist Family Scandinavian Pietism, United Methodist Church, other Methodists
Reformed-Presbyterian Family Reformed, various Presbyterian churches, Congregational, United Church of Christ
Western Liturgical Family Anglican Communion; Roman Catholicism, including the Latin Church and the Eastern Rite Churches: (Armenian 5 Catholic Church, Chaldean C.C., Coptic C.C., Marionite C.C., Melkite C.C., Syrian C.C.); Old Catholicism; and the Ukranian Catholic Church

 

[PurrMeow]

To be honest that when I grew up i been southern baptist and my dad had been teaching to sunday school class when I grew up but when I got older and moved out I have been associated with many friends who are/were catholic, and others. I ain't prefect person see that we most of ppls are making mistakes by not going to church or else. Right now my dad has not been going to church in while due to his health. Myself I only believe of what i follow to my hearts tells me.

 

[MorriganTait]

by FARMS

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always accepted Jesus of Nazareth as testified of in the Bible: the divine Redeemer and Son of God who atoned for the sins of all mankind and ensured our universal resurrection. The church has never ceased to affirm that there is no other name given whereby man can be saved (see Acts 4:12). Another book that the church reveres as scripture, the Book of Mormon, declares on its title page that it was written "to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations."


http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/response/general/christians/

It is one thing to say that we are not their kind of Christian. It is another entirely to characterize us as not being Christian at all. There are doctrinal beliefs that will continue to be misunderstood and disturb our critics. A few of them are these:

The statement in the revelation that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth."

Scriptures in addition to the Bible-the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.

Continuing revelation through apostles and prophets.

The doctrine of the Godhead. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate and distinct personages, and "the Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's."

We are the literal spirit children of God, and thus have the possibility to eventually become as He is.

Marriages may continue after this life and families can be forever.

And, of course, we are not saved by grace alone, but saved "after all we can do."

 

[Reba]

Hey Reba!!

Can you explain to Morrigan Tait that LDS is NOT Christian, not even a Christian denomination? I have yet to be in any church anywhere that accepts "traditionally accepted doctrine" with the LDS. It's nowhere even close.

You are doing fine yourself. You have the personal experience.

I will make this general point. Mormons use "Christian" vocabulary that sounds traditional. However, if you begin delving deeper into how they define those terms, you begin to see the differences.

 

[Reba]

RED FLAG WARNING:

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

Baptism does NOT forgive sins! That is salvation by works--that is NOT traditional Christian theology.

Mormons DO believe quite simply in Christ, and whether I like it or not, this makes them Christian. (Maybe not MY kind of Christian.)

Satan and his demons "believe in" Christ too, but that doesn't make them Christians.

 

[Reba]

No Reba - you are wrong. Many modern sects were not part of the Catholic church, but their specific origins date from the Protestant reformation. Without Martin Luther, most of the modern sects we see in the US would not exist.

"Baptist" (formerly "Anabaptist") churches were not part of the Protestant reformation. They had nothing to "reform". They were churches established prior to the Roman Catholic Church, and never became a part of the Catholic Church. They didn't have denominational names like "First Jerusalem Baptist Church" but they followed the original NT doctrines and practices. They didn't give them up when others began forming the Catholic Church. They withstood centuries of Catholic persecution.

The faithful churches predate Luther.

 

[MorriganTait]

You are doing fine yourself. You have the personal experience.

I will make this general point. Mormons use "Christian" vocabulary that sounds traditional. However, if you begin delving deeper into how they define those terms, you begin to see the differences.

I agree that they differ greatly in may doctrinal concerns from most mainline Christian denominations, but that does not change the simple, unalterable fact that they are a subsect of Christianity, whether you like it or not.

 

[MorriganTait]

RED FLAG WARNING:
Baptism does NOT forgive sins! That is salvation by works--that is NOT traditional Christian theology.

You want to argue that the Nicene Creed is not traditional? Do you even know who Constantine was, or what his role in establishing the practice of Christianity was? The Nicene Creed is possibly the penultimate traditional Christian document, just short of the actual sacred texts. You might want to check your facts.

Satan and his demons "believe in" Christ too, but that doesn't make them Christians.

I think you have entirely missed the point.