Religion
In reply to the discussion: There is something wrong with every Christian denomination. [View all]MineralMan
(146,346 posts)From that core, different denominations and sects extract what is useful to them and fits into their overall interpretation. And then they argue about those differences.
My wife's family is Lutheran, although my wife is a non-believer. The Lutheran Church is a prime example of splitting, of course, with Martin Luther abandoning Catholicism over doctrinal issues. In fact, it's sort of the archetype of the process. Still, even that church has split into multiple sects, each of which will be happy to point out the errors in the other branches of Lutheranism. It's amusing, and makes for interesting conversation, but it's not reassuring.
The process extends on and on, with even small sub-denominations splitting into even smaller ones over niceties of doctrine and dogma. The more you look at the process, the more you see that there is a natural trend at work.
You're a Roman Catholic, which represents the largest single denomination of Christianity. But even it is a spin-off of earlier Christian churches, with the Coptic Church and the various Orthodox denominations having developed in parallel to it. It's a fascinating thing to study, really.
Even the Canon of the Scriptures varies from denomination to denomination. Fascinating.