Athiest attacks Christianity & Christians without any clue.

Athiest attacks Christianity & Christians without any clue. 

1. Christians shouldnt ever-ever be seeking nor pursuing a relationship with an unsaved person. We were freed from the darkness, we are not to once again chain ourselves to it (and the misery it brings with it). We are to be equally yoked; only with another true believer, where life is together in Christ and pursuing Him and holiness in life. 

Also darkness doesnt run to the light, it flees it, this her no interest in dating Christians. That is good, it is a grace a hedge God has to protect believers. 

2. What shes doing is a Skeptics typical tactic they throw out to avoid/deflect/distract from the main issue; sin & salvation. 

If they can sit above/judge Christians then they can justify their sinful nature. Only problem is theyre not judging in truth, but self righteousness. She doesnt have the superior argument, and will one day bow to & confess Jesus is Lord, even if it is on Judgment Day. 

There are people like her everywhere. The blind lead the blind. For a generation that claims to focus on *"get educated" on a matter*, never even pick up gptchat to ask "How did Biblical Christianity end up with denominations?". 

Looking at historical Christianity from a biblical perspective [truth], we see what makes a person and church part of The Church. The Church is simply "the Bride of Christ": [the Redeemed Ones who are born again & adopted by God as His children, & given to Jesus who Redeemed them]. 

We do have "the one true Way". In fact Christians were first called people of The Way. 

God's Word; the 66 books of holy Scripture tell us who God is, who we are, what went wrong, why we need Jesus, and from that we are told what the Gospel is [for by obeying/recieving it one is saved]. So... first, a note needs to be made -that: those who claim to be Christian, or a church or claim to be The Church who ARE NOT in nor of it are easily identified since they altered the Gospel and preach another gospel (a false one). So those who fail that test [RCC, Orthodox, Cults, Prosperity, Amish, and groups that claim to be protestant but aren't, or are progressives...] theyre EXCLUDED from true Christianity. 

So to answer the question on why within true Christianity there are multiple denominations.... you first have to grasp what was said earlier.

●One is of true Christianity if they obeyed the true Gospel. 

○That is the entry point into Christianity.  

◇All Christians are united together by that. By Faith in [the biblical-historical-true] Christ. 

So why multiple denominations? 

●It is related to Protestantism. 

Before Jesus death & resurrection and after Christ's ascension, Jesus sent the Apostles out to proclaim the good news of Jesus Gospel. From Synagogue witnessing to Missions traveling, new believers were joined to Christ and churches were gathered/created. Teaching about Scripture (God, Jesus, Gospel, Holy living) was taught. It was taught and understood clearly to those who were taught and (in Apostles lifetime) as issues were addressed (in each pagan culture & nation - outside of Israel). Later NT was written down and copies made/shared to all the churches (and new ones being created) so they could have the complete Word of God to guide them. That took place *over time*. They understood those truths being (in/so close to those regions) "without trouble". NT also warned about false teachers, preachers and "churches" so they wouldnt fall prey to them. There was only 1 copy of a Bible or a portion of the Scriptures that each church could afford. As time went on, some new "churches" began and false teachings crept in by those who became leaders or started "churches" and falsehoods were being taught, in particular one such THORN was created (when after pushing several falsehoods) and with their antisemitism - RCC was born [around 475, and 606AD when they also created a popehood]. This false church veered far off from biblical truth. 

A lot of early church fathers [prior to that], taught truth, but their writings were lost or hidden, and as the *people* in that region [Roman Empire] had NO access to the Bible, they were at the mercy of that false "Church" and its evolving teachings (and twistings). They for over 1,150 years those congregants in it were kept in darkness & decieved by its priests, leaders and the hierarchy (they invented). Same with the Orthodox religion. Both were apostate false idolatrous religions from the start. 

Christianity "outside the Roman Empire" continued to teach what it had learned from long ago, though some areas had a bit of incorrect info (they weren't preaching a false Gospel nor twisting Scripture), just some misunderstandings, which we can see among those churches untouched by RCC. 

Catholic priests were not really taught the Bible and most had no access to it. Many parishes (when priests were sent/assigned there) didnt even have a Bible. The priests in a local RCC were told what to teach, or made stuff up from whatever thry learned during priesthood training, which was all error, and focused on the (false) ritualistic stuff of the mass. 

When some catholic priests had way way way later (around 1518) obtained a copy of the Bible, they read it, & realized RCC was not teaching the truth, they "protested" against the errors and called RCC to "reform" itself [to throw out false teaching and realign to and teach biblical truth -including the true Gospel]. Of course this outraged those in power who had fancy titles, were living the good life off the masses' backs, and cared not for mans salvation, only for themselves. So they refused, and even hunted down those who rejected RC. 

Thus the Reformation happened and those bold men who became Christian, went out from RCC and preached the truth. They dove deep into the Bible to study and preached truth & the Gospel to all who would hear. Many believed and followed them, and got saved. Well that generational $ loss from RCC enraged the RCC leaders. They started putting out Govt sanctioned wanted and hit lists, to punish & eliminate them from spreading truth. They fled to diff regions and countries, and continued to spread the truth. But at same time 🙂 the printing press was created/available and the Reformers risked their lives and much blood was shed to get Bibles printed & into people's hands -so they could read it themselves & in their own language. Most were illiterate so there was a drive to educate people, and those who had Bibles "gathered people" secretly together to read it to them to learn. Many Bibles were confiscated by RCC and mass burned too at that time. *They were expensive to print and buy. 

The Reformation happened across multiple EU countries. The main person leading the Reformation who left RCC were folk like Martin Luther in Wittenberg, Huldrych Zwingli in Zurich & John Calvin in Geneva. Each studied Scripture and taught as they understood.

Later 5 truths were agreed upon from Scripture, before particular doctrinal teachings from Scripture too, of those in the what was now called Protestantism/Reformed Faith. 

The 5 are:

[ ] Sola Scriptura came from the Reformers' explanation that Scripture outranks church tradition. Scripture is the sole authority.

[ ] Sola Fide came from Luther's teaching that people are justified by faith, not works.

[ ] Sola Gratia came from the biblical truth that salvation is entirely God's gift.

[ ] Solus Christus came from rejecting saints, priests, and other mediators as necessary for salvation because Scripture never taught that.

[ ] Soli Deo Gloria declares that all salvation and worship point to God alone.

The ideas were spread across sermons, debates, and writings, across diff EU countries and then were later grouped together as a summary, by those who followed the beliefs taught by the Reformers. One unified teachings held to by those who rejected RCC apostate, idolatrous, false teachings. Who had reclaimed biblical truth and taught it. These were true Christians. A great light finally shone out of the darkness, and tryth was once again taught.  

So now we can answer as to why are there "many denominations"- it is because secondary matters of the Faith were being understood as best as possible during those times, across different countries. Much info about the customs, culture and history of the NT times was "unknown" to them (since it was hidden or buried and archeology and our much much later getting access to early church fathers writings helped guide later generations), and even today greater understandings were finally understood more clearly. Having full understanding now available, all the pieces are together. 

Biblical archaeology began in the 1800s. A big boost came with the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery in 1947, and then major work expanded through the 1950s–60s. And still gobs of things unearthed even *through today* validating biblical history. And early church fathers/pastors writings being avail were digitized (in recent tech years) and preachers like Spurgeon and John MacArthur, sermons, studies, commentaries, teaching are available to people and pastors today who can learn more and understand things properly. Not just in print but digitally. 

In closing, 

When the Reformers teachings were put together and shared country by country then and in time, their doctrinal development or confessionalization happened which then formed a denominations beliefs:

● Authority — Scripture, church tradition, clergy, or both

● Core beliefs — Salvation, sacraments, the Trinity, baptism, and communion

●Church structure — Bishops, pastors, elders, or independent churches

●Worship practices — Liturgy, sacraments, music, and services

●Membership rules — Who can join, be baptized, take communion, or lead

Besides Salvation, these all differed and can differ among different Reformed/Protestant groups, because even in freedom (within biblical orderliness), each had a diff understanding at the time the denominations was formed. Some held to inaccurate or false teachings of Catholicism still [in ignorance] like with baby baptism. But as one studies the Bible themselves, and if they are in a city where more than 1 denominations exists, they can move to that more accurate one. Remember even in wild west most folk lived far from town, and a town might only have one rickety church with few members and possibly a very uneducated and weak pastor leading it; someone of simple faith. Similar to country churches today with 30 members. Many intl Christisn churches today only have 30 members even in a good sized town. 

But today we have access to all those writings, to past & trustworthy pastors sermons, along with solid Bible commentaries published by Pastors and Study Bibles [like MacArthur's], so people in areas where diff churches are available - if they come to understand something deeper and more accurate than a earlier protestant mainline (conservative) church they grew up in... they can leave to a more accurate one. If one isnt nearby they just hold that truth and teach their kids, so when they go out in the world (if not local) they can join a church that aligns with that more accurate way. [Or if they left church cuz they never understood Christianity & God draws them back, they may end up in a more accurate denomination where they now live]. 

The issue with multiple denominations isnt about some fracturing disagreement thst simehow is causing us to not be united.... its about not being rightly educated in *the correct understanding of "secondary" doctrines* from Scripture. That's all. We are still ONE CHURCH of Christ - united by the Gospel. 

When Jesus calls the Redeemed to Heaven, all who obeyed the Gospel (born again by God) will enter Heaven. 

God guides and grows each believer and church. Exact strict adherence to a Faith isnt freedom, and if we all had perfect knowledge upon salvation thrn we would be of one mind and way, bit that wont happen until eternity when we are truly perfected. Until then we grow. 

Some old mainline (conservative) protestant churches today have relaxed some of their restrictive denom teachings, allowing more freedom. One area is a doctrinal and church practice where if they only baptized babies, they now say its fine if the parents hold to (biblical) belief that one has to understand and obey the Gospel before being baptized, (so waiting till the child is older 12/16, to really grasp and surrender to it). Other denoms who used to not allow communion to visitors who were not their church members, relaxed that to now allow (open to all) believers to, if the leaders believe they're saved [or if they have spoken to their pastor prior to the visit (during national holy holiday w family at the church, on vacation, on business etc, whatever brought them there)]. 

So while there are false churches masquerading as Christian, the true Church is made up of the invisible and local visible churches regardless of denomination, since they are united together in Christ by the biblical Gospel. 

Anyway, this is "basic Christian history" that people should know, but many have no interest in learning about it, it is leader laziness within biblical churches if kids, youth and adults dont know it, or bad home education, but it is spiritual blindness by those not *born again*, even if they had past been in a church, as these have no interest in truth/facts, they simply follow the opinions of their sinful heart that decieves them, as Satan does too. Theyre spiritually blind and spiritually dead. Unless God draws them, they will have no interest and die in their sins. 

So, I wouldn't pick on or "focus on" all the distractive stuff like denoms and etc (Satan wants you distracted), so/but instead, in light of judgment coming, flee to Christ to be saved (& restored to a right relationship with God), because thats your greatest need & tomorrow isnt guaranteed. This can guide you through the Gospel so you can as Jesus said in Mark 1:15 "Repent and Believe the Gospel". Those who do are born again by God. And that is the only way. 

 

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