30,000+ protastant denominations

The source of the number is a Protestant one. It comes from the World Christian Encyclopedia by David P. Barret and actually has the number at nearly 34,000 in the last edition..

"A one-time nonbeliever, Barrett made a born-again Christian commitment as a Cambridge University undergraduate. "

http://www.adherents.com/misc/WCE.html

50? You must live in a town of about 100 people. Look in a big city phone book for starters.

Here is another article in which they explain and defend their numbers.

http://www.samford.edu/groups/global/ewcmreport/articles/ew09409.html

Hope that helps.

Blessings

 

I don't have a link, but you can try this address.


Global Evangelization Movement
1301 N. Hamilton
Suite 209
Richmond, VA 23230

 

I can find lots of churches in a big city phone book but not that many denominations. There are about 6 presbyterian denominations and they probably make up 25% of the churches in America. What do you define as a denomination? </font>[/QUOTE]I am just telling you where the numbers come from. I think it is obvious that the true number is far greater than you believed before this thread started. I doudt he lists all 30,000. I don't happen to have the book. I have seen a website that list 35 bapitst denoms alone and another that claims there are 62. I have seen a list of 30 pentecostal denominations. At any rate it is alot. The other interesting thing is that if you research the origins of these denominations, 99% originated since the reformation. Martin Luther himself complained of men being "blown about by every wind of doctrine" with regard to the cancerous division that occured in his lifetime.


Blessings

 

So it doesn't matter if the numbers you throw around are correct? And you jump all over Bob Ryan? Hmm...something is fishy here. Sounds like a double standard.

In Christ,
Neal

 

I gave the address of the source of the 30,000 plus figure.

Why not write them and ask them?

 

That's probably the key question. For this discussion it seems that a denomination is defined by the particular set of major and minor doctrines that are taught as true and that members are expected to believe.

 

Well, there are certainly things that the Catholic Church does not take a position on. That's why I included the qualifier "taught as true." There are not conflicting doctrines taught within the Church as true.

 

How many kinds of Catholics are there? Some
accept divorce---some do not. Some want the Pope
to live forever----some wish he'd retire soon.
Some believe the Bible is factual----some think
it full of nice teaching tales. Some want priests
to marry-----some want the priesthood to remain
a haven for gays. Some want nuns to wear habits
and others collars. Some like the pill and others
hate the pill. Shall I go on.

 

Find me a Catholic Church where these things are preached from the Pulpit. I have been to dozens, if not a hundred different Catholic Churches over 43 years and only once or twice recall hearing doctrinal error from the pulpit. That I think is key. In the protestant Churches I have attended services in I heard variations in doctrine from different pastors from the pulpit.

 

What an interesting mismash!

--Some accept divorce---some do not.

Divorce is not against Church teaching. Remarriage (without a Decree of Nullity) is.

--Some want the Pope to live forever----some wish he'd retire soon.

Nothing to do with doctrine or truth.

--Some believe the Bible is factual----some think
it full of nice teaching tales.

By and large, nothing to do with doctrine or truth. There are, of course, many sections of the bible that the Church does teach as being factual, and which Catholics must believe.

--Some want priests to marry-----some want the priesthood to remain a haven for gays.

Interesting juxtaposition. Celibate priesthood = haven for gays. ATTENTION: Active homosexuals are not celibate! Again, nothing to do with doctrine or truth.

--Some want nuns to wear habits and others collars.

Nothing to do with doctrine or truth.

--Some like the pill and others hate the pill.

Artificial contraception is clearly forbidden by the Church.

--Shall I go on.

To what point?

 

So it doesn't matter if the numbers you throw around are correct? And you jump all over Bob Ryan? Hmm...something is fishy here. Sounds like a double standard.

In Christ,
Neal </font>[/QUOTE]I am not maligning anyones religion, accusing them of gross atrocities in a manner akin to gossip. I don't care if it is 1000 (if you want to claim that go ahead and I won't argue with you how many it is). The fact is it's alot and 99% of them started after the reformation. Further the millions killed stuff has no substantiation at all. It is gross handwaving at its finest.

 

" Some accept divorce---some do not."

Never heard 1 sermon in the thousands I have heard say that it is okay from the pulpit. Not once. But I have heard protestant pastors justify it.

Some want the Pope
to live forever----some wish he'd retire soon.

Not doctrinal. Who cares, though I am of the later.

"Some believe the Bible is factual----some think
it full of nice teaching tales. "

Never heard 1 sermon in the thousands I have heard say that it is okay from the pulpit. Not once. But I have heard protestants pastors justify it.

Some want priests
to marry-----

Not doctrinal. Matter of practice. Who cares.

"some want the priesthood to remain
a haven for gays."

Can you back this up. Find one quote from anyone in the Catholic Church who wants this. Once again: Never heard 1 sermon in the thousands I have heard say that it is okay from the pulpit. Not once. But I have heard protestants pastors justify it.


"Some want nuns to wear habits
and others collars. "

Not doctrinal.

"Some like the pill and others
hate the pill. "

Never heard 1 sermon in the thousands I have heard say that it is okay from the pulpit. Not once. But I have heard protestants protestant justify it.

" Shall I go on. "

Oh please do. Your doing a wonderful job of displaying your ignorance.

Blessings

 

That's probably the key question. For this discussion it seems that a denomination is defined by the particular set of major and minor doctrines that are taught as true and that members are expected to believe. </font>[/QUOTE]OK, in pondering a little more about this, I think the best definition is really that a denomination is defined by its teaching authority. Clearly a single denomination cannot have more than one teaching authority, and a single teaching authority cannot give rise to more than one denomination (although it may give rise to different rites within one denomination). Clearly, also, the Scriptures are not sufficient on their own, but require a teaching authority to discern true interpretation from false.

I know the Catholic Church has one teaching authority.

How many teaching authorities are there in the non-Catholic world?

I guess some people will accept their pastor or another outside figure or group as their teaching authority. But most non-Catholics are their own personal teaching authority. They may collect into groups of like-minded individuals, but that can and does change as each member continually re-evaluates membership in the group based on their personal teaching authority vs. what the group as a whole is currently teaching.

In which case, there are about a billion non-Catholic denominations.

 

Out of curiosity, does anyone know whether this group is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board? With that address, they're either located in the same building as the FMB, or within about a block or so.

Mark

 

A person goes to spend eternity with the LORD by
his PERSONAL relationship with GOD and not by
his religious affiliation. If the result of the
Reformation was more denominations----GOD doesn't
care, as long as more people are aware of their
PERSONAL respnsibility of faith and don't hold
to powerless Church traditionalism that does
nothing to save them.

 

30,000?? It is all wishfull thinking. It is a number dreamt up by the Catholic Church with no foundation in fact. They cannot prove it.

In actuality there may be 8,196 protestant denominations. But that is giving the Catholics an edge. When a fair comparison is made; comparing apples with apples; that is taking all factors in consideration, one ends up with only
21 denominations

Protestant Denominations

DHK