Define "church", how many are there, how many are right?

[PbloPicasso]

I tend to come here looking for specific topics that peak my interest. The problem is that I have to sift through all of the various threads to figure out which one will be most interesting to me based on which faith. I see some faiths closer to Catholicism than others and some not at all. My perspective, not yours.

How many “forums” would there need to be in order to discuss the specifics of each belief?

How many people claiming to be believers in a specific forum or thread would actually agree?

Isn’t this all divisoin if we choose to believe different from what is taght by the people in charge of that belief.

Is it acceptable for someone that does not believe in the teachings of he people in charge?

How can the bible be used to discredit everyone else and not our own?

And why do believers of a particular belief discredit others and not their own, or not discredit anyone even though there are opposing, contradicting beliefs?

Its interesting, yet sad to see all of this division.

 

[lutherlic]

To answer your question, you have to carefully define what you mean by the word “church.”

Some Christian communities are more formal in their beliefs than others. Most Protestants believe in sola scriptura yet their interpretations vary widely. In some cases the interpretation is that of the local pastor. In others, you are told that scripture is self-explanatory so basically – you decide. To me, that each of their members is essentially a separate church (with a slightly different set of beliefs, almost always evolving, if just a little).

As to how many are right, who determines that? Certainly they all think they are correct. Yet logically that can not be true. Logically, no more than one could be completely “right”. Two can not be “right” with opposing views.

Even some Catholics have their own “church” – little hidden (or not so hidden) schisms that deny the authority of the Holy Mother Church.

 

[GaryTaylor]

I tend to come here looking for specific topics that peak my interest. The problem is that I have to sift through all of the various threads to figure out which one will be most interesting to me based on which faith. I see some faiths closer to Catholicism than others and some not at all. My perspective, not yours.

How many “forums” would there need to be in order to discuss the specifics of each belief?

How many people claiming to be believers in a specific forum or thread would actually agree?

Isn’t this all divisoin if we choose to believe different from what is taght by the people in charge of that belief.

Is it acceptable for someone that does not believe in the teachings of he people in charge?

How can the bible be used to discredit everyone else and not our own?

And why do believers of a particular belief discredit others and not their own, or not discredit anyone even though there are opposing, contradicting beliefs?

Its interesting, yet sad to see all of this division.

1, About 3000

1. Take a guess and its probly as good as anyones.
2. We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not.
3. Through 2000-years of Scholars who agree on definition.
4. We don’t discredit anyone, we question their beliefs. And some are not very different,
   as far the Catholic they are discussed and defined in Doctrine.

6, IMO its just sad, the only Victory is life in Christ all else is a disappointing loss.

God Bless, GT

 

[JonNC]

I tend to come here looking for specific topics that peak my interest. The problem is that I have to sift through all of the various threads to figure out which one will be most interesting to me based on which faith. I see some faiths closer to Catholicism than others and some not at all. My perspective, not yours.

How many “forums” would there need to be in order to discuss the specifics of each belief?

How many people claiming to be believers in a specific forum or thread would actually agree?

Isn’t this all divisoin if we choose to believe different from what is taght by the people in charge of that belief.

Is it acceptable for someone that does not believe in the teachings of he people in charge?

How can the bible be used to discredit everyone else and not our own?

And why do believers of a particular belief discredit others and not their own, or not discredit anyone even though there are opposing, contradicting beliefs?

Its interesting, yet sad to see all of this division.

From the Augsburg Confession

Article VII: Of the Church.

1] Also they teach that one holy Church is to continue forever. The Church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered.

Note the use of the singular.

“I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.”

Jon

 

[seeker57]

The definition of a church varies.

Some of our congregations refer to themselves as a church, others call themselves fellowships.The general difference is size, although there some UUs who are adamant about not wanting to attend a church. The decision of what to call a congregation is decided by the individual congregation.

How many churches are out there? I don’t know if anyone knows. Since the advent of the independent congregation, which has replaced many denominational churches, it could be anyone’s guess.

I have noted that several of the larger Baptist churches have dropped the “Baptist” and become “community” churches. I have no idea what they teach.

How many are right? All of them, of course, at least to those who attend them. Of course, these same folks would say they church down the street is wrong, and vice-versa.

Seeker

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

I believe the fundamental difference I find from these forums is; that you have the Catholics defending the bible and her 2000 year old teachings from changing, contrasting with non catholics who defend their new teachings because of change.

The bible teaches only “One Faith, One Baptism, One Lord” and the Church possessing all this in common is defined by the bible as the “body of Christ,”

Colossians 1: 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18 He is the head of the body, the church. …24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking 14 in the afflictions of **Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, **

All the members of the Catholic Church have professed this one faith since the resurrection both living and deceased.

The “many” can be revealed when defining those in the Kingdom of God along with those who are in the body of Christ = Church.

The “people in charge” the magisterium of the Catholic church including Peter’s chair in the Popes do not dictate what to believe, they protect the teachings of Jesus handed down to them from the apostles and their successors so that no one can change these revelations from God.

The many “people in charge” of their own “church communities” do and have dictated what to believe and what not to believe.

This is the fundamental differences between defending what is believed from Jesus and the apostles and those redefining what to believe.

 

[Nicea325]

I tend to come here looking for specific topics that peak my interest. The problem is that I have to sift through all of the various threads to figure out which one will be most interesting to me based on which faith. I see some faiths closer to Catholicism than others and some not at all. My perspective, not yours.

How many “forums” would there need to be in order to discuss the specifics of each belief?

How many people claiming to be believers in a specific forum or thread would actually agree?

Isn’t this all divisoin if we choose to believe different from what is taght by the people in charge of that belief.

Is it acceptable for someone that does not believe in the teachings of he people in charge?

How can the bible be used to discredit everyone else and not our own?

And why do believers of a particular belief discredit others and not their own, or not discredit anyone even though there are opposing, contradicting beliefs?

Its interesting, yet sad to see all of this division.

What I do not understand is what part of the following do people not comprehend,from God’s own mouth:

John 17:11 (NKJV)

I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be **one **as we are one.