A man was walking along San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge when he saw a woman about to jump off. He ran up to her, trying to dissuade her from committing suicide. He told her simply that God loved her. A tear came to her eye.
He then asked her, “Are you a Christian, a Jew, a Hindu, or what?”

“I’m a Christian,” she replied.

He said, “Me, too! Small world! Protestant or Catholic?”

“Protestant.”

“Me, too! What denomination?”

“Baptist.”

“Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?”

“Northern Baptist.”

He remarked, “Well, ME TOO! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?”

She answered, “Northern Conservative Baptist.”

He said, “Well, that’s amazing! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist or Northern Conservative Reformed Baptist?”

“Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist.”

“Remarkable! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Eastern Region?”

She told him, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region.”

“A miracle!” he cried. “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?”

She said, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.”

He then shouted, “DIE, HERETIC!”, and pushed her over the rail. (1)

Perhaps we laugh with some degree of discomfort at such a joke. After all, many people associate Christianity with division and religious rivalry. And our track record hasn’t always been good. Indeed, things used to be much worse—matters of life and death. Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe experienced religious conflict—indeed, warfare—often between Protestants and Catholics. There was the Peasant’s Revolt of 1524-25 in Germany—with Protestant peasants opposing their Catholic overlords. Over the next decade or so, tens of thousands of Anabaptists would be killed by Catholics, Lutherans, and Zwinglians. The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572 brought the slaughter of around 100,000 Protestants. The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), ending with the Treaty of Westphalia, involved fighting between Catholics and Protestants. England’s two civil wars (1642-45 and 1648-49) involved Oliver Cromwell’s leading the Puritan revolt against King Charles I and his Anglican and Catholic supporters, resulting in the king’s execution. The list of examples goes on. This era of religious intolerance and warfare has certainly damaged many people’s perceptions about the Christian faith.

Doesn’t Jesus pray to his Father that his followers “may be one, even as We are” (Jn. 17:11, 22)? Doesn’t Paul write that “God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another” (1 Cor. 12:24-5)? Though the early Jerusalem church “had all things in common” (Ac. 2:44), what has happened to this ideal? Though we live in a more tolerant age, some Christians argue that the existence of Christian denominations—Baptists, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, Methodists, etc.—is shameful and sinful. Denominations seem to indicate Christian disunity and diminish our witness for Christ in the world.

However, is this necessarily so? How should we think about Christian denominations? Here are some brief considerations. (I expand on these items in a forthcoming book with Baker Books. Sorry if the summaries are too short!)
First, we must remember that not all professing Christians are genuinely or consistently Christian. As Matthew 7 indicates, spiritual and moral fruitfulness (or fruitlessness) is an indication of a deeper reality within one’s soul or character. Jesus himself strongly warned against hypocrisy; so in some ways, this comes as no surprise.

Second, think in terms of “common denominator”—that is a “basic Christianity” that different denominations share. As one Lutheran scholastic put it, there should be unity in essentials, liberty in non-essentials, charity in all things. So denominations don’t necessarily suggest disunity. Genuine Christians of different denominations can work together, pray together, and evangelize together.

Third, believers are in reality connected through their union with the triune God in Christ, not through denominational label. In fact, people may adhere to a certain denominational title, but they may reject certain fundamental biblical teachings. So Christians who are genuinely united by God’s Spirit should seek to make visible the invisible unity they share.

Fourth, the many Christian denominations remind us to be humble and Scripture-seeking rather than arrogant and smug. That said, we must recognize that the phenomenon of denominations indicates that not all of them can right in their unique doctrinal emphases (e.g., infant baptism vs. believer’s baptism).

Fifth, since no one Christian denomination will fully capture the totality of the Christian faith in its particular denominational expression, we should humbly learn from Christians of other denominations, of other cultures, and throughout church history. Christians can become myopic because they read they read Scripture through their own cultural or denominational or contemporary lenses. So they need the enrichment of a global, cross-denominational, and historical perspective to enhance and deepen their discipleship.

Sixth, an awareness of our own traditions and denominational distinctives may give us a clearer idea of what is heresy and what is not. Adherence to denominational doctrinal/confessional standards may actually help Christians be more attuned to potential error than certain “generic” or “independent” church congregations.

Seventh, admittedly, “theological hospitality” towards other denominations may involve challenges and tensions—such as leaving one confessional stance for another. Some Christians will recoil out of fear or because of a lack of confidence in their own theological beliefs. In such cases, one’s denomination may be more like a self-protective fortress rather than an inviting home. (2)

Let me close with an illustration. I was in Moscow in October of 2002. During that time I was speaking at an American club where Russian speakers would come to practice their English. I spoke on the topic of truth and relativism. Afterwards, a young man, who had been listening attentively, approached me and asked me what my “religion” was. I replied, “Christian.”

He answered, “Yes, I know, but what kind of Christian?”

“Isn’t the important thing that we are obedient followers of Christ?”

“Yes, but what kind of Christian are you?”

“I prefer to think of myself—in the words of C.S. Lewis—as a ‘mere Christian,’” I responded.

“But are you Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox?” he persisted.

“If you want to label me, I identify myself as a Protestant,” I told him.

“Why are you coming here to bring division? We are Orthodox in Russia!”

I replied, “I haven’t been the one trying to divide. It seems that you are dividing by putting a label on me!”

This incident illustrates how having certain denominational label doesn’t guarantee a spirit of unity. A Christian can affirm the faith of fellow-Christians from other denominations with charity and grace.
_____________________________________________
(1) I’ve slightly modified this (anonymous) joke. Found at: http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1380. Accessed 31 March 2005.
(2) W. David Buschart, Exploring Protestant Traditions: An Invitation to Theological Hospitality (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006), 263.


    11 replies to "Why Are Christians So Divided? Brief Reflections on Denominations"

    • Felicity

      Good points!

      ***From MCP:
      “I’m a Christian,” she replied.
      He said, “Me, too! Small world! Protestant or Catholic?”
      “Protestant.”………

      ………She said, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.”
      He then shouted, “DIE, HERETIC!”, and pushed her over the rail. (1)

      RESPOSE:
      I think your story demonstrates that the further you get from Jesus, the more division there is. The Christian Church was one holy and apostolic Church for 1500 years.

      ***From MCP:
      This incident illustrates how having certain denominational label doesn’t guarantee a spirit of unity. A Christian can affirm the faith of fellow-Christians from other denominations with charity and grace.
      This is ABSOLUTELY true! 1Cor13:13~ But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

      Thanks,
      Felicity

    • more fire

      […] read the full article check out the post at the theology blog, Parchment and Pen. No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI […]

    • C Michael Patton

      Sorry Felicity, this was Paul Copan’s post. It was a mistake that my name was initially attached to it.

      Paul, good points. I think that we often look at all the bad that comes from denominationalism, but you have made a good point that it could be a necessary evil in a fallen world (like your blog on depression).

      I find that in those denominations where there may be disagreements, yet there is a gracious recognition and genuine humility that there is a sense of iron sharpening iron.

    • Felicity

      Sorry Paul–I swear it said Michael wrote it….:) Anyway…

      Michael–what is “necessary evil”? Disunity? I don’t understand your point.

      Felicity

    • Paul Copan

      Thanks for the responses!

      Yes, Felicity, I’m aware of the glitch (I pointed it out to Michael!).

      I’ll let Michael address the “necessary evil” question!!

      All best,

      Paul

    • Felicity

      “Yes, Felicity, I’m aware of the glitch (I pointed it out to Michael!). ”

      He was probably just trying to take credit for a great post! –but you caught him! 😉

    • lionelwoods7

      I am a black male who ran to religion after a rough inner city lifee. I was “saved” in an Apostolic church and later through many struggles with legalism and the Charismatic movement I was introduced to McArthur, Piper and Tom Nelson and now I bleong to a plant church of Deton Bible. What I have seen over the past few years are those who are more Bible oriented (I am talking about black folk here) have a lot of jokes such as tongue mocking, expressive worship jokes, and other Charismatic jokes that end up being really degrading to our Charismatic brothers and sisters. The other is a sense of arrogance (I too was guilty once I was introduced to reformed doctrine and the Doctrines of Grace). There should be a Christian Warning label on some material because of the arrogance that can come with knowledge. Just my thoughts. I have been intentianally bstarted to build relationships with those I don’t agree with, to get a better understanding on what makes them click and hopefully to introduce them to some of the great doctrines of the Faith. God bless.

    • Paul Copan

      Thanks, Lionel, for a word from your own experience that helps reinforce some of the points I’ve made. May the Lord deliver us all from a spirit of arrogance!

      Best wishes,

      Paul

    • Salman metobo

      Am glad we still have agents of peace and true descipleship out there.of what importance is doctrine if it draws u further away from from God! Christians should accomodate each other at all times and their core responsibility is to respect God’s work which includes diversity in the way humans think and react to situations.i should be at liberty to feel that my glass is half empty while u are at liberty to feel that yours is half full,we both mean 50% at the end of the day! I dont think its fair for christ to have died such a painful death on our account,only for us to start fighting ourselves instead of helping him fight for ourselves and save souls for him.lets seriously humble ourselves,pride in our love for each other as we learn to be better christians everyday rather than working so hard to amplify each other’s faults and weakneses.i believe its the love that matters most if its really about christ,he taught that himself.

    • Paul Copan

      Hello, Salman.

      Thanks for the note, which highlights the importance of both love and sound doctrine, of speaking the truth in love. May the world know that we are Christ’s disciples (John 13:35)!

      Paul

    • […] Why Are Christians So Divided? Brief Reflections on Denominations …Aug 1, 2007 … Perhaps we laugh with some degree of discomfort at such a joke. …. expressive worship jokes, and other Charismatic jokes that end up being … […]

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