| a.k.a. | Chinese Patriotic | |
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| Number of Members | 20,000,000[1] | 1,800,000 |
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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.[2] | Sola fide: Repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection alone to save you. |
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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. |
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| Can one lose his salvation? | | 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.[3][4] | Baptism not practiced.[5] |
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| How should baptism be done? | Baptism should be by sprinkling or immersion.[3] | Baptism not practiced.[5] |
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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.[6] | 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.[7] |
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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.[8][9] |
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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] |
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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. | No, the ceremonial laws of Judaism were fulfilled and done away with by Jesus. |
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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.[3] | Communion not practiced. |
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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.[10] |
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| Did Mary ever sin? | | Yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. |
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| How many church ordinances/sacraments are there? | The church has two ordinances: Baptism and Holy Communion.[3] | Jesus is the only true Sacrament.[11] |
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| To whom do Christians need to confess their sins? | Confession should be made directly to God, but confession to another believer is beneficial for some sins.[2] | 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? | Every church congregation should be governed by its members and the Chinese Communist Party. | Corps should be governed by an officer, appointed by and governed by higher and higher officers in the hierarchy until reaching the General of The Salvation Army. |
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| What day of the week should Christians worship? | Christians worship on Sunday.[12] | Christians worship on Sunday. |
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| How does God's revelation come to us today? | Sola scriptura: The Bible is the only infallible source of God's revelation, sufficient for all faith and practice.[13] | Prima scriptura: There are many sources of God's revelation, although none can contradict the Bible. |
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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.[13] | 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.[14] |
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| What is marriage? | Marriage is a covenant before God between one man and one woman.[15] | Marriage is a covenant before God between one man and one woman. |
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| Is sex permissible outside marriage? | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible.[15] | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible. |
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| May a Christian remarry while his former spouse is still alive? | | Yes, a Christian may freely remarry after divorce. |
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| When does a fetus become human? | | Humanity begins at fertilization.[16] |
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| Is contraception permissible? | | Yes, contraceptives are permissible as long as they work before fertilization.[16] |
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| Are blood transfusions permissible? | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible. | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible. |
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| Should Christians drink alcohol? | | No, alcohol should be totally avoided.[17] |
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| Should Christians fight in wars? | Yes, Christians should fight in just wars. | Varies widely[18] |
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| Whom does the Holy Spirit come from? | | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.[19] |
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| Where does a Christian's soul go after death? | | Christians immediately go to heaven when they die.[10] |
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