| a.k.a. | | |
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| Number of Members | 9,240,000[1] | 52,000,000[2] |
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| How does one get saved? | Repent of your sins; believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection; be baptized, participate in communion, and be sealed by an apostle in faith; and don't die with any unconfessed mortal sins. | 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.[6] | 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? | The unsaved, often as infants, get baptized as the first sacrament of Christian initiation, washing away their original sin. | 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 should be by sprinkling water on the head. | Baptism should be by triple immersion. |
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| When does one receive the Holy Spirit? | The Holy Spirit is received at Holy Sealing. | 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.[7][6] | Human nature is corrupt and naturally inclined to evil.[8] |
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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.[9][7] | 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.[8][10] |
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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? | No, although Christians can and should sin less, they can never become sinless in this life. | 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.[11][12] |
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| Can one be baptized of behalf of someone who has died? | Yes, a living person can be a proxy for the dead to be baptized, who then can accept or reject it in the afterlife. | 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.[13] |
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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? | The church has three sacraments: Baptism, Holy Communion, and Holy Sealing.[14] | The church has seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Holy Eucharist, Unction of the Sick, Matrimony, and Priesthood.[15][16][17] |
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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? | No confession is necessary.[18][19] | Sins must be privately confessed to a priest within 40 days.[20][21][22][23] |
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| How should a church be structured? | Episcopal: Churches should be governed by the apostle in that church district, who in turn is governed by a district apostle, who is governed by the Chief Apostle.[24] | 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? | Prima scriptura: There are many sources of God's revelation, although none can contradict the Bible.[25][26] | Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition have equal authority and comprise one finished deposit of faith.[27] |
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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.[28] |
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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.[29][30] | Varies widely |
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| Was the Bible written inerrantly? | | Yes, the Bible was written without any error.[28] |
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| Who can speak with God's authority today? | The Chief Apostle proclaims revelations from God as binding doctrine.[31] | Nobody today can speak for God.[32] |
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| How was the Bible preserved? | | God has preserved the meanings of the Bible, but not every word.[28] |
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| How was the earth created? | | Generally creationism: The earth was spoken into existence by God. |
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| What is marriage? | | Marriage is a covenant before God between one man and one woman.[33][34][35] |
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| Is sex permissible outside marriage? | | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible. |
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| When is divorce permissible? | | Divorce is seldomly permissible upon investigation by a clergical committee, usually instigated by infidelity.[36] |
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| May a Christian remarry while his former spouse is still alive? | | The innocent party to the adultery may remarry.[37] |
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| When does a fetus become human? | Humanity begins at fertilization.[38][39] | Ranges from humanity beginning at fertilization to 40 days after conception[40][41][42][43] |
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| Is contraception permissible? | Yes, contraceptives are permissible as long as they work before fertilization.[44] | Varies widely[42][45][46][47] |
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| Are blood transfusions permissible? | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible.[48] | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible.[49][50] |
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| Should Christians drink alcohol? | | No, alcohol should be totally avoided aside from Eucharist.[51] |
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| Should Christians fight in wars? | | Yes, Christians can fight in just wars.[52] |
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| How should Christians musically worship God? | Any style of worship music is acceptable.[53][54] | |
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| Whom does the Holy Spirit come from? | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.[55] | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone.[56] |
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| Who can be demon-possessed? | The extent to which demons can possess humans is a mystery.[57] | Demons can possess unbelievers and Christians living in sin.[58][59] |
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| Do icons glorify God? | No, icons violate the First Commandment against graven images.[60] | Yes, icons are holy and should be venerated.[61][62] |
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| Where does a Christian's soul go after death? | After death, souls are conscious in the realm of the dead, with the dead in Christ in proximity of God.[63][64] | After death, souls sit conscious in an Intermediate State, with Christians being with Christ.[65] |
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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. | Futurism: The Tribulation will happen at a time in the future which no man knows the time of.[66] |
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| When will the church be raptured? | Partial pretribulationism rapture: An unknown part of the church known as the "bridal congregation" will be raptured sometime before the Tribulation.[67][68][69] | |
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| When is the millennial reign of Christ happen? | Premillennialism: The millennial reign of Christ will be a long period immediately after the Tribulation.[70] | 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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