What's so illogical about Christianity?

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In the 2000 years since Jesus Christ was born, many heresies have sprung up regarding the “one true faith.” It didn’t take long for people to misuse and misunderstand the message of the Messiah. Isn’t that why there are so many denominations these days?

The most common answer is to use 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 to answer that question. “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit. There are different kinds of service but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”

These days, though, it seems that there is a vast sea of denominations. Add in the non-denominational churches and you’ve got a veritable chaos of Christianity. At least it makes me confused.

To paraphrase George Orwell, “All Christians are equal, but some Christians are more equal than others.” What I’m trying to say here is that though Christians start off saying all denominations are equal, but they will invariably tell you why their denomination (or lack of denomination) is best. How can one denomination be better than the others if they are all “equal”?

I guess the most illogical thing about Christianity is this: If I were to ask ten Christians of different denominations what the basic tenets of Christianity are, I would get ten different answers (especially if you include the “universal” Catholic faith).

Why should I believe anyone over anybody else?

Comments

[purplkat.livejournal.com]

I'm not Christian, but applying this general statement to some things I do with practically a religious fervor:

Neither knitting nor crocheting is inherently better. I fully respect my friends who crochet and prefer not to knit. I know how to do both, an I do see the inherent advantages of crochet. However, I prefer the way the knit stitch looks, I like being able to make pretty cables, and I think it's easier to get a nice even tension with knitting. So for me, knitting is better, and if someone asks me for my advice on which to learn, I will probably recommend knitting because I prefer it. They asked me for my opinion, after all.

Cats aren't inherently better than dogs. However, I prefer cats in pretty much every way -- I think they're more beautiful, I think they're better for snuggling (dogs tend to be tense and bony, even the ones small enough to fit in your lap), I like that they don't -always- need my attention and when I want to withdraw, they're cool with it, I even prefer the way that they smell. I know that there are advantages to owning a dog -- they're more fawning, if you like that sort of thing, and more easily trained, and you can teach them tricks and take them places. But for me, cats are better. I prefer cats.

Equal doesn't mean exactly the same. Two things that are equal overall can have aspects of them that are different, and those aspects can decide what choice an individual makes. When people say that all denominations of Christianity are equal (although I've never actually heard anyone say that before now) but that theirs is better because of X reason, what they're saying is that their denomination is better FOR THEM.

[kmg-365.livejournal.com]

When people say that all denominations of Christianity are equal (although I've never actually heard anyone say that before now)

I have never heard anyone say that before either. Each denomination of Christianity has its own unique qualities. The one thing that should make them equal is what exactly it would take to get into heaven.

Baptists don't drink or dance. Roman Catholics serve wine at Mass. Roman Catholics are opposed to birth control (at least that is the official line), but non-denominational Christian faiths may be fine with it. I think the increase in popularity of non-denom Christian faiths is because people had difficulty reconciling their beliefs in God and Christ with some of the finer details of other faiths.

I don't think any of these faiths would consider themselves equal to others (if they were, and did, then why the distinctions?). I could be wrong though.