Questions tagged [comparative-christianity]
For questions seeking comparisons of two or more denominations. For the concept of "denomination," use [denomination], and for surveys of Christian denominations, use [denomination-survey].
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What are the main differences between Catholicism and Protestantism? [duplicate]
I’m interested mainly in values and philosophical differences in terms of the general worldviews and broader views on life, but welcome any answer that may be offered.
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What are the main philosophical differences as well as the main differences in general between Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy? [duplicate]
Again the titular question says everything that I want to ask. I’ve been able to understand to an extent the main differences between the Catholic and Protestant orientations and gather that Eastern ...
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Have there been explanations offered for why Christianity is so food centric? [closed]
I know this question is quite odd - but I would like to know of possible explanations for why the old and new covenants are so centered around food? The last supper, the bread of the presence, the ...
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Why do so many Christian religions claim The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are not Christian? [duplicate]
What does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lack in Christ oriented teachings or doctrine to be considered a Christian church for those who claim otherwise?
Maybe it's not what they lack ...
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Where does the idea that faith must be a condition for baptism originate from?
I have been told that I possess a very definitive view of faith in regards to baptism. So far as I believe faith in Jesus as personal Lord and Savior must be present at the time of baptism.
Hence my ...
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Where did Jesus go and what did he do between His death and resurrection? (non-Trinitarian perspective)
How do non-Trinitarian Christians respond to the question where did Jesus go and what did he do between His death and resurrection?
This question is asked as a parallel to this existing question. ...
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Where did Jesus go and what did he do between His Death and Resurrection?
Without going into the specifics of three days and three nights or some configuration, where and what did Jesus go and do between the time of His death/burial and His resurrection, if anything?
We ...
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Which is closer to traditional Christian doctrine: Judaism or Mary Baker Eddy?
Regarding the existence of the evil side in every individual, Judaism and Christian Science teach two conflicting doctrines. Judaism teaches that the evil side (Heb. yetzer hara) is an essential and ...
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How do various denominations interpret Jesus’ declaration of “Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit” as an unforgivable sin [closed]
A few times questions about “Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit” have been asked on this site and then closed as either “off topic” since they are interpretative per denomination, or closed as “...
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What is the difference between the way Catholics view The Blessed Virgin Mary and Unitarians view Jesus?
Reading chats and posts and such here with our BU friends I've noticed a thread that seems similar to the way Catholics view The Blessed Virgin Mary and Unitarians view Jesus. It seems like in both ...
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How does the interpretation of consumption of flesh and blood differ in certain denominations?
During a mass, there's the moment when the congregation express their connection to Jesus by consuming his (metaphorical) flesh and blood (in practice, wine and bread).
Today, we discussed that ...
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What is the official position of Christian denominations today about Wasting seed? [closed]
Human sperm are known to live for up to 74 days inside a man's body, after which they are reabsorbed by the body. This means that, if a man releases sperm in an ejaculation, the sperm would have been ...
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What is the relationship of the Mormon Church to Catholic Church?
A few years ago I met a few Mormon missionaries plying their mission in deepest, darkest UK.
I went along to a few of their meetings. In one of them, a senior 'cleric' - I say cleric, because they all ...
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Do Baptists who believe in a witness of the Holy Spirit distinguish their experience from that of Latter-day Saints?
Many non-LDS Christians ground their belief in Christianity in what they refer to as the witness of the Holy Spirit. For example, Christian apologist William Lane Craig, of Baptist confession, ...
user50422
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What are the distinguishing characteristics of the Restoration (Stone-Campbell) movement and its various denominations
The Restoration Movement consists of three main groups: the Churches of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the independent Christian Church/Church of Christ. I understand that ...
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What is the difference, if any, between "unclean spirits" (Mark 5:2) and "demons" (Matthew 8:16)?
I realized today that when I used the word "demons" I was thinking of evil spirits of all varieties, including human beings that work evil from the spirit world. But others believe the word &...
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What is an overview of Christian epistemological views on scientific skepticism and the epistemic value of eyewitness testimony?
Most atheists & agnostics are known for practicing scientific skepticism. They reject any miracle/supernatural claims unless solid scientific evidence is provided. A consequence of this ...
user50422
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What is an overview of how different Christian denominations define well-known phrases related to the ministry of the Holy Spirit?
There are many popular concepts and phrases that people have coined in relation to the role and ministry of Holy Spirit. Some examples I'm aware of include:
The baptism of the Holy Spirit
The ...
user50422
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Are Christians consciously aware of the first time they received the Holy Spirit?
I don't know if there are statistics on this, or if the answer depends on the denomination, but are Christians usually consciously aware of the first time they received the Holy Spirit? Is the ...
user50422
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Proof of the Messiah’s Role?
I am struggling with Judaism and Christianity on the role of the Messiah.
I have been taught that the Messiah is not some divine figure, but a righteous leader who will castigate nations for their ...
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What is an overview of Christian viewpoints on the afterlife of aborted babies?
What does the afterlife look like for an aborted baby?
What happens to their consciousness (if any)?
What happens to their spirit/soul?
Since these are presumably controversial questions, I'm ...
user50422
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Which denominations teach that people who have not heard the Gospel can be saved through obedience to God?
According to the Catholics, Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved.
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What is an overview of beliefs about how the Holy Spirit guides Christians?
How are Christians led by the Holy Spirit?
How does the Holy Spirit communicate God's will to Christians?
What mechanisms does the Holy Spirit employ to this end?
Since these are probably ...
user50422
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What is an overview of guidelines for women to have their divine callings to leadership positions in the Church acknowledged by their congregations?
If a woman believes that she has been called by God to a leadership position in the Church (e.g. teacher, pastor, evangelist, prophet, apostle, etc.), what would be the process for her to have her ...
user50422
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What is an overview of Christian beliefs on the essential features and functions of an Apostle?
The following are examples of (possible) essential features and functions of an Apostle I've heard from different sources.
An authentic Apostle ...
Had to be called supernaturally by God Himself in ...
user50422
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Why don't Protestants use the Augustinian concept of concupiscence?
Concupiscence, which can be defined as
perversity and lack of order, a turning away from the Creator who is more excellent toward creatures which are inferior to Him (To Simplician, I.2.18)
which is ...
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Has anyone ever published a list comparing the amount of historically verified events from the Bible vs. the Book of Mormon?
Thus far, answers to this question, indicate that traditional Christian faith would suffer greatly if people, locations, and events recorded in the Bible could not be historically verified while ...
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What sort of denomination might believe that those in Heaven work?
At a recent "celebration of life" for my brother-in-law's step-dad (which I did not attend, this is secondhand knowledge), BIL's step-brother made reference to the dad now getting to work ...
user54757
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What are the sanctification and spirituality distinctives of a C&MA church?
I'm evaluating the theology of a Christian and Missionary Alliance church which is affiliated with The Alliance of Canada which in turn is affiliated with the worldwide Alliance World Fellowship (...
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What is an overview of Christian beliefs on the current state and location of Old Testament saints?
Where and how are the Old Testament saints right now?
Here are some possibilities (not exhaustive by any means):
They are temporarily in a state of non-existence.
They do exist (where?), but are ...
user50422
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Do Any Protestant Churches do Stations of the Cross?
I was reading this question and wondering how Protestants, in general, would react to a Catholic Stations of the Cross service. I'm not sure of the history of the idea of the Stations of the Cross, ...
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What is the difference between the "burning in the bosom" of Mormonism and the more general "inner witness of the Holy Spirit" of Christianity?
When it comes to having epistemological certainty that one's beliefs are true, Mormonism has the so-called "burning in the bosom" experience. Please see this related question to find a few ...
user50422
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What is an overview of criteria used by different denominations to identify authentic prophets?
Latter-day Saints have Joseph Smith. Seventh-day Adventists have Ellen G. White. And surely other denominations recognize other individuals as authentic modern prophets. But none of them would regard ...
user50422
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History of Betrothal view marriage and divorce
What is the history of the Betrothal View regarding Marriage and Divorce? Am I right in understanding that this view does not permit divorce for ANY reason? Which Christian denominations significantly ...
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What is an overview of Christian spiritual practices for cultivating and increasing love over time?
Love is, without question, the most fundamental virtue and principle of Christianity.
The Apostle John makes this very clear:
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever ...
user50422
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What is an overview of beliefs on how one can become demon-possessed?
The possibility that a person can become demon-possessed is a well established fact of Scripture. The four gospels as well as the book of Acts make many references to individuals who were tormented ...
user50422
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Is there a standard definition of the word 'miracle' in Christianity?
Simple question: What does the word 'miracle' mean in Christianity? Is there a standard definition, and if so, what is the biblical basis? Or on the contrary, are there multiple definitions, and if so,...
user50422
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How does God communicate to people today?
We all know that prayer has always been considered the standard way in which people can communicate to God, but what about the different ways in which God can communicate back to people?
I'm ...
user50422
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What is an overview of denominational doctrines that are most commonly defended by apologists against objections from other denominations? [closed]
Each major Christian denomination accepts some subset of doctrines that are commonly called into question by detractors from other denominations and, therefore, are commonly the subject of formal ...
user50422
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What is an overview of how Christians discern genuine cases of demonic influence from mundane mental health problems?
This question is a nuanced version of my recently asked question How do Christians discern genuine spiritual experiences from hallucinations?, this time aiming to address the 'dark side'.
A very ...
user50422
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Are there instances of miracles that are officially recognized by non-Catholic denominations?
The Catholic Church is well-known for its strictness in evaluating before officially accepting concrete instances of miracles. According to Wikipedia:
The Catholic Church believes miracles are works ...
user50422
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What is an overview of Christian beliefs regarding which spiritual gifts are still available to the body of Christ and which ones have ceased?
In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 we find the following gifts:
utterance of wisdom
utterance of knowledge
faith
gifts of healing
working of miracles
prophecy
the ability to distinguish between spirits
various ...
user50422
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Do Latter-day Saints consider Jehovah's Witnesses, Biblical Unitarians and any other groups that deny the divinity of Jesus to be 'true Christians'?
Is belief in the divinity of Jesus an essential feature of a true Christian, according to Latter-day Saints? If so, would that imply that Christian denominations or groups that deny the divinity of ...
user50422
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According to Latter-day Saints, what are the essential features of a true follower of Christ, and can such be found in other denominations? [duplicate]
Not much to add to the title. I would like to know the Latter-day Saints' definition of a true follower of Christ, that is to say, what features are considered by them to be essential for a person to ...
user50422
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According to Jehovah's Witnesses, what are the essential features of a true follower of Christ, and can such be found in other denominations?
Not much to add to the title. I would like to know the Jehovah's Witnesses' definition of a true follower of Christ, that is to say, what features are considered by them to be essential for a person ...
user50422
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What is an overview of Christian doctrines on the extent to which the Law of Moses still applies?
Note: this question is inspired by the question To what extent does the Law of Moses still apply?. Since that question was closed as off-topic, I'm asking this new one in an attempt to contribute with ...
user50422
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What is an overview of Christian views on alien appearances and abductions?
Alien abductions, close encounters and UFO sightings have been widely reported by many individuals around the world. Many self-proclaimed alien abductees and first-hand eyewitnesses of close ...
user50422
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What is an overview of Christian viewpoints on the 'animal cruelty' argument for veganism?
One of the most popular and strongest arguments for veganism is what I would call the 'animal cruelty' argument, namely, that non-vegan diets--including vegetarian ones that tolerate dairy and egg ...
user50422
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What is the Reformed perspective on how the Holy Spirit is present or is growing a church at the institutional level?
With my Pentecostal friends I often hear comments like these:
There is God's presence in the church worship today.
The Holy Spirit has moved from church A to church B since church B is growing ...
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Are there any denominations that literally believe rich people cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle ...
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