HomeOr perhaps the right term is sub-religions, I don't know, I've never been clear on this; can anybody explain what the difference is between say Baptists, and Lutherans, and Methodists, and First Christians (whatever the hell that is?), and all those that seem to fit as a Christian specific religion? I never got what all the differences were supposed to be in them.
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Differences in religions
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the catholic church was the major christian religion until the 1500s. Martin Luther was a monk who became frustrated by the corruption raging thru the church such as the buying of church offices, the sale of indulgences (you could get into heaven if you paid the church a high enough prices), and other such practices. He came up with a list called "The 99 Thesis" in which he listed all of the ways that he believed the catholic church was not following the right path. His followers became "Lutherans". Another faction broke away called Calvinists. These were the first "Protestants" because they were protesting the practices of the catholic church.
Each donomination has its own beliefs, and some beliefs are common amongst the protestant religions that differ from catholics. For example, catholics wear crucifixes and have them and other statues in the church. Protestants usually wear a cross without the body of christ on it. The philosophy is that there is a passage in the bible that says "thou shall not worship idols"--- protestants believe the body on the cross is an idol. Catholics have a communion where they believe that a wafer and wine turn into the body & blood of christ. Some christian religions, such as the jehovah's witness believe that the only way to partake of the communion is if you truly believe you will become one of the 144,000 mentioned in the book of revelations who will help God rule the world after armeggedon.
It is going to be pretty hard to list all of the differences between them. But usually it is a matter of their rituals, or atleast if believe. Catholics believe in confessing your sins to a priest, that only you, the priest and God need know your sin. Some religions believe that when you sin, you also sin against your church community and need to admit your sins to the congregation and repent in public. Some actually excommunicate members until the elders feel that they have suffered enough for their sins.
Hope this helps
Each donomination has its own beliefs, and some beliefs are common amongst the protestant religions that differ from catholics. For example, catholics wear crucifixes and have them and other statues in the church. Protestants usually wear a cross without the body of christ on it. The philosophy is that there is a passage in the bible that says "thou shall not worship idols"--- protestants believe the body on the cross is an idol. Catholics have a communion where they believe that a wafer and wine turn into the body & blood of christ. Some christian religions, such as the jehovah's witness believe that the only way to partake of the communion is if you truly believe you will become one of the 144,000 mentioned in the book of revelations who will help God rule the world after armeggedon.
It is going to be pretty hard to list all of the differences between them. But usually it is a matter of their rituals, or atleast if believe. Catholics believe in confessing your sins to a priest, that only you, the priest and God need know your sin. Some religions believe that when you sin, you also sin against your church community and need to admit your sins to the congregation and repent in public. Some actually excommunicate members until the elders feel that they have suffered enough for their sins.
Hope this helps
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Confusing as hell. And I'd like to go on the record (and am getting ready to have my head bitten off) as saying I find the whole idea of confessing to a priest or the church to be an idiotic idea. What is the purpose? A priest can't forgive your sins, neither can the congregation, and neither can all the Hail Marys in the world. God don't need to hear it from 100 people in the pews to know what you've done, He already knows, so any confessing and asking for forgiveness that needs to be done is between that person and God Himself, without using the church as a middleman.
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Supernova wrote:God don't need to hear it from 100 people in the pews to know what you've done, He already knows, so any confessing and asking for forgiveness that needs to be done is between that person and God Himself, without using the church as a middleman.
that is another prostestant religion! lol I think the episcopalians believe that way.
Baptism is another difference in the various denominations. Some insist on baptism as babies, some insist that baptisms only be performed on teenagers/adults who can willingly devote themselves to God and the church. Catholics believe in the "original sin" of adam & eve--- that all of their descendents are born with this sin. A child is not washed of this sin until baptised. Others do not believe in original sin, so therefore it is not necessary to baptize as babies.
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That's another thing I don't believe in, baptizing babies, for what purpose? To save them from damnation incase they should die young? That makes no sense, God condemns those who chose not to follow Him, a baby is incapable of making that decision, so how can they be damned for something they're too young to understand?
And as for original sin, I have a friend who's also a Christian and I asked her about that, I don't recall what her full answer was but she said it has NOTHING to do with sex, especially given that God created man and woman with the right anatomy to serve that purpose and that is where all life originates from.
And as for original sin, I have a friend who's also a Christian and I asked her about that, I don't recall what her full answer was but she said it has NOTHING to do with sex, especially given that God created man and woman with the right anatomy to serve that purpose and that is where all life originates from.
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People think what they want on this one. In catholic school i was taught that the apple story was just a symbol of their disobedience. They disobeyed God, it didnt matter how, and THAT was the original sin-- the act of disobedience. Later I studied with another christian group who said that it was really about sex. Another group i went to told me that the translation for the original word for "sin" was "to miss", as in "to miss" the mark for standards God had set for us.
Purgatory is another big issue for contention--- catholics believe you have to go to purgartory and make up for your sins to perfect yourself to be in God's presence. Other will tell you that purgatory was abolished when Jesus died on the cross.
keep in mind that it wasnt until the invention of the printing press that people started reading the bible for themselves. And even then, it was written in Hebrew and Greek. King James I of England was the first to translate it into English, hence "The King James Bible". Up until this point, believers had to rely on the intrepretations of the clergy as to what God wanted. Eventually, people were able to read for themselves, and determine for themselves what to believe. The more that people questioned, the more varying religions sprung up
Purgatory is another big issue for contention--- catholics believe you have to go to purgartory and make up for your sins to perfect yourself to be in God's presence. Other will tell you that purgatory was abolished when Jesus died on the cross.
keep in mind that it wasnt until the invention of the printing press that people started reading the bible for themselves. And even then, it was written in Hebrew and Greek. King James I of England was the first to translate it into English, hence "The King James Bible". Up until this point, believers had to rely on the intrepretations of the clergy as to what God wanted. Eventually, people were able to read for themselves, and determine for themselves what to believe. The more that people questioned, the more varying religions sprung up
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Me either. They're all the same.
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wants2laugh wrote:People think what they want on this one. In catholic school i was taught that the apple story was just a symbol of their disobedience. They disobeyed God, it didnt matter how, and THAT was the original sin-- the act of disobedience. Later I studied with another christian group who said that it was really about sex. Another group i went to told me that the translation for the original word for "sin" was "to miss", as in "to miss" the mark for standards God had set for us.
Purgatory is another big issue for contention--- catholics believe you have to go to purgartory and make up for your sins to perfect yourself to be in God's presence. Other will tell you that purgatory was abolished when Jesus died on the cross.
keep in mind that it wasnt until the invention of the printing press that people started reading the bible for themselves. And even then, it was written in Hebrew and Greek. King James I of England was the first to translate it into English, hence "The King James Bible". Up until this point, believers had to rely on the intrepretations of the clergy as to what God wanted. Eventually, people were able to read for themselves, and determine for themselves what to believe. The more that people questioned, the more varying religions sprung up
Purgatory, I find that one to be a lot of bull as well. And, people are probably going to disagree about this, they always do, but when my mother was young, she was raised Protestant and in the 60s it wasn't just races that didn't mix, the religions didn't either, at least not where she was, she liked this one boy but he was Catholic so his parents would not let them get married. But the Catholics she knew back then were into some pretty weird stuff, kissing the corpses at the funerals, and they believed one person going to church in another person's absence would clear things for God and the person who didn't come; like if a mother had seven children and none of them went, her going would make up for them. And also they believed the more money they gave to the church after somebody died, the sooner that person would get to Heaven. Since it was the 60s it kind of goes without asking but still I gotta wonder what the hell were these people on?
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They were on everything in the 60s! lol Seriously though there are soooo many differences. My catholic school told us to bring our "most beloved possessions" for a project. My father was dead so I took a picture of him. The nuns came around and collected all of our things: records, tape players, posters, dolls, and my dad's pic. Then they walked us outside and lit a bonfire and started throwing the stuff in saying that we held these things above god and they must be destroyed.
Well... i went and got my pic back--- i was 8yrs old and not taking crap off that nun! We had a tug of war too.
Then came the playing backwards of the records--- AC/DC stood for "Anti-Christian Devil Children" KISS stood for Kids In Satan's Service--- they claimed to hear words like "satan is good" and "god is dead" in the reverse playing of the records. It was nuts.
In 2nd grade, they showed us a movie called the Silent Scream, which was the internal view of an abortion. It was horrifying--- someone asked the most distrubing thing i ever saw-- this was it! Then they made our parents sign permission slips to take us for a tour of the hospital. It turned out to be a 3mile anti abortion march from the school to the hospital because it was performing LEGAL abortions. These people were nuts... they had dolls with the limbs hanging off of wires, and were throwing ketchup around like blood... it was gross. And i called my mom and she didnt believe me. i was too young to know what they were talking about, but it terrified me. By 6th grade I told my mom that the nun hit me, and she pulled me out of the school. Wasnt taking it anymore
Well... i went and got my pic back--- i was 8yrs old and not taking crap off that nun! We had a tug of war too.
Then came the playing backwards of the records--- AC/DC stood for "Anti-Christian Devil Children" KISS stood for Kids In Satan's Service--- they claimed to hear words like "satan is good" and "god is dead" in the reverse playing of the records. It was nuts.
In 2nd grade, they showed us a movie called the Silent Scream, which was the internal view of an abortion. It was horrifying--- someone asked the most distrubing thing i ever saw-- this was it! Then they made our parents sign permission slips to take us for a tour of the hospital. It turned out to be a 3mile anti abortion march from the school to the hospital because it was performing LEGAL abortions. These people were nuts... they had dolls with the limbs hanging off of wires, and were throwing ketchup around like blood... it was gross. And i called my mom and she didnt believe me. i was too young to know what they were talking about, but it terrified me. By 6th grade I told my mom that the nun hit me, and she pulled me out of the school. Wasnt taking it anymore
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Boy I tell you, those ladies seriously need to get laid, don't they?
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guess what... when i turned 18 i went back to that school to tell off those nuns.. and not one of them was still there. i told them that if they tried any of that crap now that i was 18, i would go to the media and have it reported as abuse. i kept an eye on the school for many years until i felt they were past that crap
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Supernova wrote:Boy I tell you, those ladies seriously need to get laid, don't they?
I can't believe you said that. 
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Thanx wants2laf for the very informative expose.
I am from another planet but somehow got raised by Baptists on this one. Didn't take me long to see the hypocrisy and bigotry of that church. I was also raised in a predominantly Catholic community and my best HS buddy, Thomasangelo Licavoli gave me some insights into the absurdity of his religion. Oh, he was a devout Catholic but still enjoyed trashing the Church - it's allowed, god don't mind - does it himself I hear.
By my teen years I was an out Atheist (later mellowed to Agnostic). But I was baptised as a tween - so I'm good.
It is appaling how many practicing Christians have no concept of their church history, like back in the day before printing when they trusted exclusively the interpretations of church leaders whose real allegiance was to the church and its coffers.
When I was a kid we were taught the Greek & Roman "Mythology" (As opposed to our own very legitimate "Religion") They did not teach us that the Greek mythology was a religion and that our own was just a rip off of that. Zeus = Jove = Jehovah and the pantheon of Demigods (Saints) who intercede on our behalf in this meddlesome God/Mortal mix.
So, once you see ALL religions as myth, makes it a lot easier to understand.
I am from another planet but somehow got raised by Baptists on this one. Didn't take me long to see the hypocrisy and bigotry of that church. I was also raised in a predominantly Catholic community and my best HS buddy, Thomasangelo Licavoli gave me some insights into the absurdity of his religion. Oh, he was a devout Catholic but still enjoyed trashing the Church - it's allowed, god don't mind - does it himself I hear.
By my teen years I was an out Atheist (later mellowed to Agnostic). But I was baptised as a tween - so I'm good.
It is appaling how many practicing Christians have no concept of their church history, like back in the day before printing when they trusted exclusively the interpretations of church leaders whose real allegiance was to the church and its coffers.
When I was a kid we were taught the Greek & Roman "Mythology" (As opposed to our own very legitimate "Religion") They did not teach us that the Greek mythology was a religion and that our own was just a rip off of that. Zeus = Jove = Jehovah and the pantheon of Demigods (Saints) who intercede on our behalf in this meddlesome God/Mortal mix.
So, once you see ALL religions as myth, makes it a lot easier to understand.
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Tell that to Jesus. He's the one who told us to do it AND he gave priests the power to forgive sins!Supernova wrote:I find the whole idea of confessing to a priest or the church to be an idiotic idea.
What's the whole point? Humility for one, and it can be kinda cathartic too. Sacraments only seem idiotic if you don't understand them properly. I also notice people like to use some of the crap the nuns did as justification for their views against the Church. Nevermind that the nuns are their own person and perfectly capable of going against the Church. Many of them did and got carried away. And unfortunately, they gave many people the excuse they needed to abandon a religion they didn't really believe in anyway.
Of course, to where will you go? Well, I guess whichever place tickles your ears the most. That's what it's all about anyway. There are subtle differences between Baptist, Methodist, etc. The problem is that there are differences among even different Baptist and Methodist churches. There's no unity. They all claim to be based on the Bible, yet teach different things. IMO, they give non-Christians a good portion of their ammo. We live in a world of people who search for what tells them what they want to hear rather than the truth.
Side note: Why start a thread about differences in religions and then start insulting the differences you don't like? lol
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Supernova wrote:Confusing as hell. And I'd like to go on the record (and am getting ready to have my head bitten off) as saying I find the whole idea of confessing to a priest or the church to be an idiotic idea. What is the purpose? A priest can't forgive your sins, neither can the congregation, and neither can all the Hail Marys in the world. God don't need to hear it from 100 people in the pews to know what you've done, He already knows, so any confessing and asking for forgiveness that needs to be done is between that person and God Himself, without using the church as a middleman.
But there ARE people who feel better once they've let it all out in the confessional to a priest. I think a lot depends on how the priest handles it, too. I'll never forget the time long ago when a priest in a very bad mood started scolding people loud enough in the confessional that everyone standing outside could hear it. When it was my mother's turn she tore a strip into him even louder, and he tamed down immediately.
Lots and lots of people get comfort from their one-on-ones with psychiatrists and therapists; whereas, I view them as ineffectual 30 minutes of my life that I'd never get back. (And, yes, I've tried them before and thought they were all useless.)
As for the method of confessing to the congregation. . . nope! But I guess that should definitely be considered punishment.
I'll probably raise a few eyebrows here, but I for one think that today's education system could use a few nuns to straighten out the shitty kids.
Last edited by Bluesmama on Sat Jul 16, 2011 3:16 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Nystyle709 wrote:Supernova wrote:
Well it's true, isn't it?
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Supernova wrote:
Not at all, and coming from you, that's surprising to hear.
I'll be the first to admit that many nuns abused their privileges. But that merely speaks to them, not to a religion. For every grumpy nun, we've had plenty of great ones. And getting laid doesn't seem to help all the non-nuns out there. They have plenty of sex and are still very unpleasant to be around. What's their excuse?
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I'm assuming your just asking about the differences between the protestant denominations and not the difference between protestants and catholics. That in mind- they are all pretty much variations on the same theme and generally share the same fundamental beliefs, with minor differences of intepretation of scripture and worship practices (ie: they practice communion differently, they baptize differently, etc)Supernova wrote:Or perhaps the right term is sub-religions, I don't know, I've never been clear on this; can anybody explain what the difference is between say Baptists, and Lutherans, and Methodists, and First Christians (whatever the hell that is?), and all those that seem to fit as a Christian specific religion? I never got what all the differences were supposed to be in them.
The easiest way to describe the differences would be to say that some of them have developed beliefs and practices based on a more literal/inerrant view of scripture (the bible is the literal word of God and is therefore "God's written law"), while others have developed beliefs and practices from a more moderate, flexible view of scripture (the bible was written by men inspired by God and therefore is a "spiritual guide"). Some place more emphasis on the actual words of scripture, while others believe that prayer through the holy spirit is more important and necessary to intepret God's word.
http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/denominations_beliefs.htm
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Forgiveness Man wrote:Supernova wrote:
Not at all, and coming from you, that's surprising to hear.
I'll be the first to admit that many nuns abused their privileges. But that merely speaks to them, not to a religion. For every grumpy nun, we've had plenty of great ones. And getting laid doesn't seem to help all the non-nuns out there. They have plenty of sex and are still very unpleasant to be around. What's their excuse?
I don't know but I have a problem with a religion that demands celibacy from those who seek to follow the church, since that's not what God made them for, and for the rest dictates that sex exists only for them to procreate, with it seems 10 being their magic number. I don't know any other religion that says if you want to be of the clergy you can't marry; and it's not like we don't know they're getting plenty of sex, but the problem is it's often not from grown consenting women.
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Supernova wrote:I don't know but I have a problem with a religion that demands celibacy from those who seek to follow the church, since that's not what God made them for, and for the rest dictates that sex exists only for them to procreate, with it seems 10 being their magic number. I don't know any other religion that says if you want to be of the clergy you can't marry; and it's not like we don't know they're getting plenty of sex, but the problem is it's often not from grown consenting women.
1. One need not enter a religious life to "follow the Church." The average Catholic is only called to celibacy until marriage. I know some people have a problem with this but it seems to me that is based more on their personal wants, something I thought most Christians taught that we need to put below the wants of God.
2. Those who enter the religious life know what they are getting into when they choose their vocation. And the large majority have NO problem with it. They aren't seeking to marry out because they are married already, in a sense. It's a proper understanding at what sexual powers are and why God gave them to mankind. It's NOT an unreasonable demand, not in the slightest. And most who enter the religious life WILLINGLY embrace it. If you don't want to be celibate, stay a layperson, get married and have lots and lots of sex with your spouse. It's not that complicated.
3. The idea that sex is for procreation comes with common sense. If you're truly putting God's will above your own, you don't need artificial means to tell him how it's gonna be in terms of progeny. It's one thing if you really don't believe in God. Then why would you care about letting him decide? But if you do, it just seems to me that artificially preventing conception is telling God to take a hike, or at least wait outside. I know plenty of big families and I know plenty of SMALL families that do not use contraception. It seems to me, yet again, people's problems with THIS doctrine seem to be rooted in an inability or unwillingness to forego their own desires.
4. Just because you "don't know of any other religion" that requires celibacy for it's clergy, does NOT mean that it is wrong. (Or that such religions do not exist. lol) Truth isn't contingent on popular opinion. And I find it funny that most of the people whining about priestly celibacy are not only not clergymen, but often not practicing Catholics as well. I've yet to encounter a priest that has a problem with it. The few that DO (and believe me, the number is extremely miniscule), likely weren't truly called to the religious life.
5. And no, they are NOT getting plenty of sex. People like to use the 1% minority to try and stereotype the entire profession. It's a joke actually. I don't hear us saying that all teachers are perverts because we got some teachers (many of them married) having affairs with students. That would be absurd to slander all teachers over such a small number. Yet we say so about priests, believing what we want to with little to no evidence. I've met many priests and I've yet to meet one who is griping about the celibacy. They're called to a different vocation.
6. The Catholic Church is not here to tickle people's ears. People want their ears tickled. They want to follow religions that allow them to do what THEY want without question. They want something that coddles their worldly desires and urges. (They might try to defend their sexual escapades under "natural" but that too falls apart under scrutiny) They want to be told that they are going to heaven and it doesn't matter what they do. We want to be tickled, not told the truth. We don't want to have to mortify our worldly appetites, because we're just so complacent in the world. In the end, we believe only as much as is convenient for our own comfort. It's a sticky trap. Very few of us actually can truly believe to the point where we can forsake our own wills.
Now, I'll make this my last post in this thread cause I don't like that I am getting long winded. Makes me sound like others and I much prefer brevity. Just had a lot to say here. Moving on.
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Supernova wrote:Nystyle709 wrote:
Perhaps....but that remark is just uncharacteristic of you. [b]
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Nystyle709 wrote:Supernova wrote:
Perhaps....but that remark is just uncharacteristic of you. [b]
Well what can I say? I like to have a few surprises on hand.
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It does not matter.
My wager is that all religions are wrong.
I think it's naive to think that the human brain can understand what it is that created us, why we are here, and what happens after it's all over.
Just enjoy the fucking ride.
My wager is that all religions are wrong.
I think it's naive to think that the human brain can understand what it is that created us, why we are here, and what happens after it's all over.
Just enjoy the fucking ride.
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That could be the start of a great religion.(Oh!) Rob Petrie wrote:It does not matter.
My wager is that all religions are wrong.
I think it's naive to think that the human brain can understand what it is that created us, why we are here, and what happens after it's all over.
Just enjoy the fucking ride.
Where do I sign up?
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Shale wrote:That could be the start of a great religion.(Oh!) Rob Petrie wrote:It does not matter.
My wager is that all religions are wrong.
I think it's naive to think that the human brain can understand what it is that created us, why we are here, and what happens after it's all over.
Just enjoy the fucking ride.
Where do I sign up?
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