| a.k.a. | | |
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| Number of Members | 2,130,000[1] | 52,000,000[2] |
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| How does one get saved? | Sola fide: Repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection alone to save you. | Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, and be baptized.[3][4][5] |
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| Who gets saved? | Anyone who chooses by his own free will to believe and accept God's gift of grace will be saved. | Anyone who chooses by his own free will to believe and accept God's gift of grace will be saved. |
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| Can one lose his salvation? | Yes, a Christian can lose his salvation by apostasy. | Yes, a Christian can lose his salvation by apostasy. |
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| Who gets baptized and why? | Saved people get baptized as a public demonstration of their new lives. | The unsaved, typically as infants, get baptized as the first sacrament of Christian initiation, cleansing them of all sins.[3] |
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| How should baptism be done? | Baptism can be by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling. | Baptism should be by triple immersion. |
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| When does one receive the Holy Spirit? | The Holy Spirit is received at the moment of salvation. | The Holy Spirit is received at baptism. |
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| What is the trinity? | The Trinity is God existing as one god in three equal, eternal, cosubstantial persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. | The Trinity is God existing as one god in three equal, eternal, cosubstantial persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. |
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| What is the human nature? | Total depravity: Human nature is corrupt, naturally inclined to evil, and incapable of choosing God on his own. | Human nature is corrupt and naturally inclined to evil.[6] |
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| Are we guilty of Adam's original sin? | No, we are not guilty of Adam's sin, but we did inherit the consequences and a corrupt human nature from him, causing us all to sin. | No, we are not guilty of Adam's sin, but we did inherit the consequences and a corrupt human nature from him, causing us all to sin.[6][7] |
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| Are Christians required to keep the Old Testament ceremonial laws? | No, the ceremonial laws of Judaism were fulfilled and done away with by Jesus. | Yes, all Old Testament laws are binding on Christians. |
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| Can Christians become sinless in this earthly life? | Yes, Christian perfection is possible. | Yes, Christian perfection is possible. |
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| Do the elements of communion become the body and blood of Christ? | No, the elements merely symbolically represent the body and blood of Christ. | Yes, the bread and the wine change into the body and blood of Christ in an unknown way.[8][9] |
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| Can one be baptized of behalf of someone who has died? | No, the dead cannot be baptized. | No, the dead cannot be baptized. |
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| What happens if a saved person dies without being perfect? | Once Christians leave their sinful bodies, nothing else is needed to receive glorified, sinless bodies. | Once Christians leave their sinful bodies, nothing else is needed to receive glorified, sinless bodies.[10] |
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| Did Mary ever sin? | Yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. | Mary was prone to sin like anyone else, but no, through her own free will she still never did. |
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| How many church ordinances/sacraments are there? | Traditionally, the church has seven signs/ordinances: Baptism, Holy Communion, Footwashing, the Holy Kiss, Anointing of the Sick, and Marriage.[11][12] | The church has seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Holy Eucharist, Unction of the Sick, Matrimony, and Priesthood.[13][14][15] |
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| Should communion bread be leavened? | | Most believe leavened bread should be used in Holy Communion. Armenians use unleavened bread. |
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| To whom do Christians need to confess their sins? | | Sins must be privately confessed to a priest within 40 days.[16][17][18][19] |
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| How should a church be structured? | Generally congregationalist: Every church congregation should be independent and governed by its members.[20] | Episcopal: Churches should be governed by the bishop in that eparchy, who in turn is governed by a patriarch of an autocephalous church. |
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| What day of the week should Christians worship? | Christians worship on Sunday. | Christians worship on Sunday, although the Sabbath should be observed on Saturday. |
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| How does God's revelation come to us today? | | Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition have equal authority and comprise one finished deposit of faith.[21] |
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| How was the Bible written? | | Verbal plenary inspiration: The Bible was written by men who had every word supernaturaly inspired by God.[22] |
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| How many books are in the Bible? | There are 66 canonical books of the Bible: 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. | Varies widely |
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| Was the Bible written inerrantly? | The Bible is infallible, but not every word is without error.[23][24][25] | Yes, the Bible was written without any error.[22] |
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| Who can speak with God's authority today? | Nobody today can speak for God. | Nobody today can speak for God.[26] |
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| How was the Bible preserved? | | God has preserved the meanings of the Bible, but not every word.[22] |
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| How was the earth created? | Creationism: The earth was spoken into existence by God. | Generally creationism: The earth was spoken into existence by God. |
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| What is marriage? | Varies widely | Marriage is a covenant before God between one man and one woman.[27][28][29] |
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| Is sex permissible outside marriage? | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible. | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible. |
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| When is divorce permissible? | Divorce is only permissible for adultery. | Divorce is seldomly permissible upon investigation by a clergical committee, usually instigated by infidelity.[30] |
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| May a Christian remarry while his former spouse is still alive? | No, a Christian should not remarry while his former spouse lives. | The innocent party to the adultery may remarry.[31] |
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| When does a fetus become human? | Humanity begins at conception.[32] | Ranges from humanity beginning at fertilization to 40 days after conception[33][34][35][36] |
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| Is contraception permissible? | Yes, contraceptives are permissible. | Varies widely[35][37][38][39] |
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| Are blood transfusions permissible? | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible. | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible.[40][41] |
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| Should women cover their heads? | Yes, women should cover their heads to symbolize submission whenever in public.[42] | |
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| Should Christians drink alcohol? | Varies widely[43] | No, alcohol should be totally avoided aside from Eucharist.[44] |
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| Should Christians fight in wars? | No, Christians should never fight.[45] | Yes, Christians can fight in just wars.[46] |
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| Whom does the Holy Spirit come from? | | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone.[47] |
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| Who can be demon-possessed? | | Demons can possess unbelievers and Christians living in sin.[48][49] |
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| Do icons glorify God? | | Yes, icons are holy and should be venerated.[50][51] |
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| Where does a Christian's soul go after death? | Christians immediately go to heaven when they die. | After death, souls sit conscious in an Intermediate State, with Christians being with Christ.[52] |
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| When does the Tribulation happen? | | Futurism: The Tribulation will happen at a time in the future which no man knows the time of.[53] |
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| When is the millennial reign of Christ happen? | | Amillennialism: The millennial reign of Christ is an indefinite period of time beginning on the day of Pentecost and ending at His Second Coming. |
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