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Thoughts? How do we determine what a "denomination" is, or if it's a separate religion?
I suppose you could call all denominations separate religions, but it's really a fine line you're drawing when you do. As far as I know, Christianity is the only religion that uses the word "denomination" to make a distinction between different smaller groups within a larger group. I could be wrong, but I don't think Jews or Muslims use the word at all. As far as I'm concerned, if a denomination self-identifies as "Christian," it's "Christian." I mean what gives any Christian denomination the right to exclude any other denomination from the group? If a group of people worship Jesus Christ, then that group is a Christian denomination. Not really rocket science.
I suppose it has a similar spectrum as that of dialects vs. language. A lot of turns a dialect into a separate language is time - over time, with enough changes, the dialect can no longer be said to be the same thing as the "mother" language. An analog would be Christianity coming out of Judaism. Spanish out of Latin.
But the other thing to consider are those dialects which are called separate languages for political or personal reasons. Is Mormonism a denomination of Christianity, or something else?
Case in point: growing up, I've always considered Catholicism and Protestantism to be versions of Christianity. Denominations. I spent some time in Mexico a few years back, and a family friend's son had "converted" from Catholicism to some form of Protestantism. To my Mexican friends, he basically changed religions. There was no malice or judgment; they simply believed that the differences were too vast. He went from being a Catholic to being a Christian.
So a lot of it will depends on societal ideas about what makes something a denomination or sect vs. a whole new religion.
Thoughts? How do we determine what a "denomination" is, or if it's a separate religion?
Denominations tend to adhere to the same or very similar basic beliefs. A person can typically move between denominations without a great deal of difficulty. A Baptist can move into a Methodist or Presbyterian congregation without a whole lot of change. But to move from Christianity into Judaism, Hinduism, or Islam requires a major change of beliefs about God, Scripture, the afterlife, and many other issues.
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Originally Posted by Vizio
Are Judaism and Christianity the same religion? What do you guys think?
I'd certainly say they are different religions. It's been my experience that the beliefs of the two cannot be reconciled.
Denominations tend to adhere to the same or very similar basic beliefs. A person can typically move between denominations without a great deal of difficulty. A Baptist can move into a Methodist or Presbyterian congregation without a whole lot of change. But to move from Christianity into Judaism, Hinduism, or Islam requires a major change of beliefs about God, Scripture, the afterlife, and many other issues.
I'd certainly say they are different religions. It's been my experience that the beliefs of the two cannot be reconciled.
Why? What is the difference? Dont they both claim to worship God?
Are Judaism and Christianity the same religion? What do you guys think?
Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all "Abrahamic faiths," since they all worship "the God of Abraham." That doesn't mean they all see Him in the same way. All three, however, would say that they worship the same God as Abraham did, and to an extent, they do. And all three see Jesus Christ differently. Christians see Him as "the Son of God." Muslims see Him as a great prophet. They have a great deal of love and admiration for Him, but they don't believe He is God's Son (or that God even has a Son). They don't see Him as our Savior. Jews, on the other hand -- at least for the most part -- see Jesus Christ as a Jewish heretic who proclaimed Himself to be the Son of God when nothing could be further from the truth.
Judaism, Christianity and Islam do all have certain things in common, though, and these things distinguish them from Eastern religions, Dharmic religions, etc. It's really all a matter of semantics and is all too often a result of the "us" and "them" mentality of us human beings. Everybody wants to be right, which means everybody else has to be wrong.
Are Judaism and Christianity the same religion? What do you guys think?
Related religions, but certainly separate. I have trouble believing this question is actually perplexing you though. Care to give your thoughts?
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