| a.k.a. | | |
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| Number of Members | 52,000,000[1] | 100,000,000 |
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| How does one get saved? | Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, and be baptized.[2][3][4] | Sola fide: Repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection alone to save you.[5][6] |
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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. | Most believe anyone who chooses by his own free will to believe and accept God's gift of grace will be saved.[7] |
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| Can one lose his salvation? | Yes, a Christian can lose his salvation by apostasy. | Most believe eternal security: No, once a Christian is saved, he is always saved.[6][8][9] |
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| Who gets baptized and why? | The believing but unsaved get baptized as part of their salvation. | Saved people get baptized as a public demonstration of their new lives.[10] |
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| How should baptism be done? | Baptism should be by triple immersion. | Baptism should be by immersion.[10] |
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| When does one receive the Holy Spirit? | The Holy Spirit is received at baptism. | The Holy Spirit is received at the moment of salvation.[11] |
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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.[8][11][12] |
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| What is the human nature? | Human nature is corrupt and naturally inclined to evil.[13] | Total depravity: Human nature is corrupt, naturally inclined to evil, and incapable of choosing God on his own.[6][12] |
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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.[13][14] | 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. |
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| Are Christians required to keep the Old Testament ceremonial laws? | Yes, all Old Testament laws are binding on Christians. | No, the ceremonial laws of Judaism were fulfilled and done away with by Jesus. |
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| Can Christians become sinless in this earthly life? | Yes, Christian perfection is possible. | No, although Christians can and should sin less, they can never become sinless in this life. |
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| Do the elements of communion become the body and blood of Christ? | Yes, the bread and the wine change into the body and blood of Christ in an unknown way.[15][16] | No, the elements merely symbolically represent the body and blood of Christ. |
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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.[17] | Once Christians leave their sinful bodies, nothing else is needed to receive glorified, sinless bodies.[18][19] |
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| Did Mary ever sin? | Mary was prone to sin like anyone else, but no, through her own free will she still never did. | Yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. |
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| What spiritual gifts are available today? | | Cessationism: Spiritual gifts used for serving are available today, while gifts used as signs have ceased.[20][21] |
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| What framework has God used in dealing with man? | | Dispensationalism: God acts differently with humanity in seven different periods of history. |
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| What is the gift of tongues? | | The gift of tongues is the ability to speak foreign human languages without knowing how. |
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| What are the requirements for clergy? | | Experienced men above reproach, faithful to their wives and with with obedient children if applicable, and able to teach are to be appointed as pastors. |
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| How many church ordinances/sacraments are there? | The church has seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Holy Eucharist, Unction of the Sick, Matrimony, and Priesthood.[22][23][24] | The church has two ordinances: Baptism and Holy Communion. |
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| To whom do Christians need to confess their sins? | Sins must be privately confessed to a priest within 40 days.[25][26][27][28] | Confession should be made directly to God, but confession to another believer is beneficial for some sins. |
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| How should a church be structured? | Episcopal: Churches should be governed by the bishop in that eparchy, who in turn is governed by a patriarch of an autocephalous church. | Congregationalist: Every church congregation should be independent and governed by its members. |
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| What day of the week should Christians worship? | Christians worship on Sunday, although the Sabbath should be observed on Saturday. | Christians worship on Sunday. |
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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.[29] | Sola scriptura: The Bible is the only infallible source of God's revelation, sufficient for all faith and practice. |
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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.[6][30] |
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| How many books are in the Bible? | Varies widely | There are 66 canonical books of the Bible: 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. |
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| Was the Bible written inerrantly? | | Yes, the Bible was written without any error.[6][30] |
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| Who can speak with God's authority today? | | Nobody today can speak for God. |
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| How was the earth created? | Generally creationism: The earth was spoken into existence by God. | 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.[31][32][33] | Marriage is a covenant before God between one man and one woman.[8][34] |
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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.[8] |
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| When is divorce permissible? | Divorce is seldomly permissible upon investigation by a clergical committee, usually instigated by infidelity.[35] | Divorce is only permissible for adultery. |
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| May a Christian remarry while his former spouse is still alive? | The innocent party to the adultery may remarry.[36] | No, a Christian should not remarry while his former spouse lives. |
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| When does a fetus become human? | Ranges from humanity beginning at fertilization to 40 days after conception[37][38][39][40] | Varies widely[34][41][42] |
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| Is contraception permissible? | Varies widely[39][43][44][45] | Yes, contraceptives are permissible. |
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| Are blood transfusions permissible? | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible.[46][47] | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible. |
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| Should women cover their heads? | | No, women's long hair is enough of a covering.[48][49] |
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| Should Christians drink alcohol? | No, alcohol should be totally avoided aside from Eucharist.[50] | Most believe no, alcohol should be totally avoided. |
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| Should Christians fight in wars? | Yes, Christians can fight in just wars.[51] | Yes, Christians should fight in just wars. |
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| How should Christians musically worship God? | | Varies widely |
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| Whom does the Holy Spirit come from? | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone.[52] | No established doctrine |
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| Who can be demon-possessed? | | Demons can possess unbelievers but not Christians. |
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| Do icons glorify God? | | No, icons violate the Second Commandment against graven images. |
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| Where does a Christian's soul go after death? | After death, souls sit conscious in an Intermediate State, with Christians being with Christ.[53] | Christians immediately go to heaven when they die.[18][54] |
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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.[55] | Futurism: The Tribulation will happen at a time in the future which no man knows the time of. |
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| When will the church be raptured? | | Pretribulationism rapture: The church will be raptured sometime before the Tribulation. |
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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. | Premillennialism: The millennial reign of Christ will be the 1,000 years immediately after the Tribulation. |
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