Question about Christianity?

There are so many because the only things you need to start a new church is a store front and a resentment. The New Testament is full of contradictions and different people interpret the different views in different ways. The History of Christianity reads like a Monty Python skit.

Christianity from the beginning was a very diverse faith. The Christian churches were scattered throughout the Roman Empire and didn't have a coherent set of beliefs. They didn't have the Bible for at least 3 more centuries! They just had Paul's (or some other random guy's) letters to guide their practice and keep them from being heretical (according to Paul's definition of heresy).

It wasn't until Constantine united Christianity under the banner of the Roman Empire that Christianity became a unified, organized religion. But those original, diverse sects always stuck around and kept popping up from discontented sects within (and without) the Church. The Protestant Reformation was the point at which all of this diversity exploded, and now we have all of those sects.

There's no way to know who was right, because from the beginning, we've had so much diversity in Christianity. The Catholic Church tradition is considered orthodox today, but it wasn't initially that way. For more, check out Bart Ehrman's book "Lost Christianities."

In the beginning there was only one. In 1054 the East and West split over disagreements in believe and the authority of the Bishop of Rome. The Romans say the Orthodox left and the Orthodox say that the Romans left. I believe the Orthodox. Later there was the Protestant reformation in the Western church. It is not God's will that they be separate. Many of us are working to bring the church back together. At this point some are so far from the truth, I don't know if it will ever happen. But I do think that at some point the Orthodox, RC and Anglican will be one again. By the way the Episcopal church is part of the Anglican church, not separate as the person above me said.

All religions or at least most of the major ones have sects, Islam - Sunni, Shi a, Jews - Hashidic, etc Christian - Snake Handling cults, Shakers, Catholics, All are reflective of the cultures that are part of the sect and the history of what may have taken place - Barbarians invading Rome and Constantinople and Rome splitting the church to preserve it when under attack. Since god has never manifested "himself" to divulge which is the one true religion why wouldn't there be a number of cults, sects, religions, etc. In a way this disproves the existence of god since "he" was constantly making "his" presence known with direct physical intervention in the bible.

The only Christian Church in the beginning was the Catholic Church. Then in 1054 the The Greeks got mad at the Romans and broke away and started the Greek Orthodox and from Them broke off the the different groups od Orthodox and Catholic Groups. Then in 1515 Martin Luther a Catholic Got upset with Church and broke away and started the Lutheran Church. in 1590's King Henry the 8th wanted a divorce because his wife did not give him a son and the Church said no, so he started the Anglican Church which the Episcopalian broke away from. Later in 1609 A man named John Smith disagreed with the Catholic church about something and started the Baptist Church. So on and So forth. The only church that is still the Same is the the Roman Catholic Church which Jesus Christ himself started in 33 A.D.

None. Being a true born-again Christian does not require membership in any church, group or denomination.

The different sects are the groups that wanted, and still want, power over the people (which God hates). A lot of them keep the people ignorant of God's word, or will "interpret" it for you.

I attend a non-denomination Church in order to fellowship and participate as a member of the Body of Christ. Non-denominational churches generally do not have membership requirements. I like that!

Also, the teaching is verse by verse through the Bible, with encouragement, accountability, and room for independent study and finding out for yourselves. I like that, too!

Because people are making their own decisions on what to follow as they see truth, or are influenced into it. Who knows? There may be all sorts of other reasons.

Which one is the right one? What do you point to as far as having authority in those matters? I point to the Bible. Some of those denominations do not. The Roman Catholics point to the Pope.

So where do you think that the authority is on these matters?

Only Sola Scriptura (The Bible Alone) will bring about unity of faith world wide. Tradition has failed the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. (Catholics claim the are the true church and Orthodox is the denomination, and the Orthodox say that they are the true church and the Roman Catholic is the denomination, yet both claim apostolic succession and oral tradition). Both are wrong,

only through scripture can you have unity!

Creeds have failed the Protestants.

So Catholics/Orthodox and Protestants are two versions of the same kind of problem: CREEDALISM.

Neither groups are true Sola Scriptura (Use the Bible Alone)!

Jesus Never named the Church!

We are given only one name to wear: "Christian"

(1 Peter 4:16).

"... for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:4)

Just like I told the other guy.... religion is man-made. To God.. there only exists one true way= Christianity. Even then, in the scripture, the word "Christian" is not a religion it's a lifestyle. I'm sick and tired of people callin themselves Christians and their works are so far from that. Just b/c people got to church doesn't make them a Christian. Jesus said, "what is pure religon?" Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world. (james 1:27)

The only right Christianity is the one following the Holy Bible.

There are many doctrines that do not follow the Holy Bible and therefore are heresies.

Peace be with you.