CONFLICTS AND DIVISIONS
WITHIN PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY
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Intensive conflicts and schisms among established denominations have
occurred -- and some continue -- on many moral topics including human sexuality, freedom
and rights:
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Slavery in the mid 19th century. | |
Racial segregation in the mid 20th century. | |
Inter-racial marriage in the 1950s and 1960s. | |
Abortion access:
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within liberal and most mainline denominations during the mid 20th
century. |
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Female ordination:
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within liberal denominations in the early 20th century. |
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within mainline denominations in the middle third of the 20th century. |
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within some conservative denominations at the present time. |
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most very conservative denominations have not yet addressed the question. |
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The Southern Baptist Convention once ordained women, but has since
restricted ordination to males. Existing female pastors are allowed to
continue. |
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Homosexuality:
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the most liberal faith groups accepted gay and lesbian members, ministers, pastors,
priests, and rabbis decades ago. |
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mainline denominations are currently debating the issues, and
may split over them. |
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most very conservative denominations have not yet addressed the question. |
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Some indicators of divisions within Protestantism:
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Conservative and liberal denominations take opposite positions on just
about every ethical question: abortion, homosexuality,
pre-marital sex, school prayer, women's roles,
etc. | |
Many cities have two ministerial associations; one restricted to Evangelical clergy, and
a second group for the remaining Protestant clergy. | |
Many cities have two types of bookstores:
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Conservative Christian bookstores generally stock only
Evangelical Christian material. |
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Secular bookstores -- like Borders, Barnes & Noble, Waldenbooks,
Chapters -- which stock books and
periodicals representing a broad range of liberal, mainline and conservative
beliefs from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and other religions. |
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Future Divisions within Christendom:
Author Bruce Bawer believes that the differences between the two Protestant movements,
" Law" and " Love,"
"...are so monumental that any rapprochement seems, at present, unimaginable.
Indeed, it seems likely that if one side does not decisively triumph, the next generation
will see a realignment in which historical denominations give way to new institutions that
more truly reflect the split in American Protestantism." 1,2
Such a realignment might be observed in:
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a noticeable increase in membership among Fundamentalist and other Evangelical
denominations, as conservative individuals from mainline denominations leave their church
of origin. |
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a reduction in membership among mainline denominations due to a loss of members to more
conservative groups. |
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a liberal shift in belief among mainline denominations as many of their
conservative members
leave. |
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a growth in membership among liberal denominations as liberal members of mainline groups
leave their church of origin. |
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a general lessening of conflicts within faith groups as membership beliefs become more
homogeneous. |
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a greater polarization of religious belief in North America as the mainline
denominations shrink in numbers and influence. |
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actually Christian. Two mode model: In our essays, we generally differentiate between the
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have unique beliefs or engage in special practices. Examples are the concepts of
Purgatory and Limbo within Roman Catholicism, and unique dates for many
Christian holy days among the Eastern Orthodox churches. We explain these
separately.
-
Bruce Bawer, "Where Protestants Part Company", Opinion Column, The New
York Times, 1997-APR-5.
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Bruce Bawer, "Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity,"
Crown Publ. (1997). Read
reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store
Copyright © 1997 to 2005 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.
Last update: 2005-DEC-02
Author: B.A. Robinson
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