(September 15, 2014 at 9:54 am)genkaus Wrote:(September 15, 2014 at 8:53 am)Drich Wrote: That is why we have so many different legitimate denominations.
Can you name a few illegitimate denominations and the reasons for their illegitimacy?
(September 15, 2014 at 8:53 am)Drich Wrote: who am I to judge who is ready for a deeper understanding and who is not? My task is to simply provide clarity when asked.
And the fact that your fellow Christians are apparently muddying the waters and making false claims about your god doesn't bother you?
Can I chime on these two?
Jehovas witnesses:
Claim to be Christian. Don't believe in salvation through faith but in works. Don't believe that Jesus was God.
Mormons:
Call themselves Christians. Add Joseph Smiths book to the bible, together with all sort of weirdness. Don't believe that Jesus was God.
Both can be categorised as non trinitarian Christians. A nonsense to me as a trinitarian Christian, but I've had to make that distinction on this forum to people who are unaware of the distinction.
The mainstream Christian churches do talk together and so reach consensus on what constitutes mainstream Christianity. The core component is adherence to the Nicene creed (a particular iteration). There are more marginal groups on either side of the divide, and some churches have their own councils to make such decisions. I know that the pentecostal churches do, for example.
It is by this kind of deliberation that Christians will consider if others can be called partners in Christ. There's a line of non acceptance, and a huge variety of denominational differences incorporated into the mainstream. None are contradictory.
