WHO CARES ABOUT DENOMINATIONS? SHLOG.COM POLL
One fourth of us SHLOGGERS don't care a bit about denominations. But the vast majority (82%) say that while no one denomination owns the market on truth they do prefer one denomination over others for themselves. The Church of Christ folks chimed in with 5% of the vote, believing they're the only ones that are right. (Please, no hate mail from the Church of Christ folks. It's a joke.)And for the 1% who said they don't know what a denomination is let me explain it like this. Denominations are factions of Christianity. They're like brands of the same product. (Wow, we could take that analogy some scary directions couldn't we?) These denominations were usually created by one group of people leaving another denomination to start their own because of some issue that at the time seemed like a big deal and the right thing to pout about.
Southern Baptists for instance, the denomination whose logo is on the sign in front of the church I currently attend, were formed to keep slavery alive. The American Baptists became the against slavery group and the Southern, who wanted to stay rich and white, did not accept African-Americans as human but as property. And we're still pretty much rich and white while American Baptists are still very racially diverse.
Free Methodists didn't like Methodist churches selling assigned seats for the church service so they broke off and did their own thing: open seating, first come first served. Just two examples of the kinds of things that have created these schisms that still exist today. Some divisions formed around weighty life and death issues and others over making church a non-ticketed event. How did your denomination get it's start? You might be surprised when you find out.
Got thoughts? Post a comment below or discuss on my message-board.
posted by Shaun Groves @ 8/14/2005
2 comments
2 Comments:
If you like to learn more about denominations, read a book by Frank Spencer Mead and Samuel S. Hill, revised by Craig D. Atwood in the newest edition called "Handbook of Denominations in the United States" Neat book for quick reference on denoms.
I don't know if mine's called a 'denomination'. . but the Salvation Army started out when William Booth (its founder) left the church of England after his father died, was converted in a Wesleyan chapel, then joined the Methodist Revivers (Methodism was implicated in much of the radical agitation of the time - the 1860s in London, England) became a Methodist New Connexion minister, with a passion for evangelism, open air meetings, traveling. He was in demand as a visiting campaigner, but the Methodists refused him permission to do this, so he resigned. He went to the slums of Mile End Road in London's east side and began speaking in front of "The Blind Beggar" public house (bar), he soon graduated to tent ministry, the Quakers loaned the tent and the space for "the purpose of religious services amongst the poorer classes not in the habit of attending any place of worship." Booth was accused of 'carrying religion too far'. When the tent became too small, he rented a dance hall.
"He mixed outings, teas, parties, suppers and festive occasions with various kinds of Bible reading, hymns and prayers. The meetings were noisy, doubtless vulgar. Many of the refined Victorians were shocked by them, but the poor liked them and the mission began to grow." "A Hundred Years' War" The S.A. 1865 - 1965 Bernard Watson. .
this is how the Salvation Army began, of course there is much more to tell, but not enough space here.
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