Most Christians believe that God inspired the Bible in some form or another. But if you believe that God is "not the author of confusion" (1 Corinthians 14:33) then why do people who are honestly seeking the Christian God disagree on just about every single point? And why are there so many different types of Christians?
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There are:
- The Roman Catholics
- 435 types of Conservative Catholic (schism ex-Rome)
- 32 Independent Russian Orthodox
- 30 Orthodox sect/sectarian
- 27 Liberal Catholic (Theosophical, Masonic, Gnostic)
- 26 Old Catholic (i.e. split with Rome after Vatican Council I)
- 25 Old Believer, Old Ritualist (Russian Orthodox sect)
- 24 Independent Ukrainian Orthodox
- 23 Reformed Orthodox (uncanonical)
- 16 Reformed Catholic (retaining Roman Catholic claims)
- 8 Old Calendarist (Authentic Orthodox)
- 6 True Orthodox (conservative Russian Orthodox)
- 5 Independent Serbian Orthodox
- 5 Latin-rite Catholic
- 5 Independent Assyrian or Nestorian
- 3 Independent Romanian Orthodox
- 2 Independent Estonian Orthodox
- 2 Independent Greek Orthodox
- 1 Independent Bulgarian Orthodox
- 1 Independent Byzantine rite
- 1 Independent Hungarian Orthodox
- 1 Independent Macedonian Orthodox
- 1 Independent Moldavian Orthodox
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Then there are the Independent Christians:
- 65 types of Filipino Charismatic
- 70 Chinese neocharismatic
- 71 Chinese Charismatic
- 78 Black American pentecostal
- 82 Holiness (Conservative Methodist, non-pentecostal)
- 86 Afro-Caribbean Oneness pentecostal
- 92 Latin American Charismatic
- 92 Anglican/Independent Evangelical
- 92 Independent Methodist
- 95 Indian pentecostal
- 96 African Oneness pentecostal
- 96 marginal independent (Black/Third World)
- 99 White-led Oneness pentecostal
- 102 Arab Charismatic
- 133 Black American Oneness pentecostal
- 133 Independent Disciple, Restorationist, Christian
- 136 Independent Reformed, Presbyterian
- 158 Zionist African Independent
- 167 Korean pentecostal (mixed traditions)
- 177 Indonesian pentecostal
- 208 New/Old Apostolic, Catholic Apostolic (Irvingite, an Anglican / Presbyterian / Adventist sect)
- 221 Brazilian/Portuguese pentecostal
- 225 ethnic or monoethnic denomination
- 226 White-led Full Gospel
- 236 Nondenominational (no church or anti-church)
- 271 Independent Baptist
- 281 Latin American grassroots
- 281 Filipino neocharismatic
- 300 Brazilian grassroots
- 343 Afro-Caribbean pentecostal
- 439 African Independent Spiritual
- 475 Indian Charismatic
- 609 African Independent Charismatic
- 644 Latin American pentecostal
- 805 single autonomous congregations
- 813 White-led pentecostal
- African Independent Apostolic
- Black American Apostolic
- Filipino Apostolic
- Indian Apostolic
- another 8 groups have "Apostolic"
- African Independent Charismatic
- Black American Charismatic
- Chinese Charismatic
- African Independent Full Gospel
- Black American Full Gospel
- Chinese Full Gospel
- another 10 groups have "Full Gospel"
- another 20 groups have "house-church network" or "cell-based network"
- another 14 are something-"neocharismatic"
- another 12 are something-"Oneness pentecostal"
- another 18 are something-"pentecostal"
- another 12 are something-"radio/TV believers [or "network"]" (i.e. the "pastor" for these independent Christians is some personality on radio or TV)
- then we have a couple deliverence/pentecostal groups
- Word of Faith / Prosperity groups
- a couple of "mixed traditions"
- some "Zionist" groups
- Independent Anglicans or Anglo-Catholic groups in both Catholic and Protestant directions
- Independent Adventists
- apocalyptic or eschatological ("end times") groups
- Independent Baptists
- British-Israelites
- Hidden Buddhist believers in Christ
- some Independent Orthodox groups
- independent Christian Brethren (Plymouth Brethren)
- schismatic Conservative Catholics
- Independent Congregational, Congregationalists
- Independent Disciple, Restorationist, Christian
- Independent Dunkers (Tunker, Dipper)
- Independent Exclusive Brethren (Closed, Strict)
- episcopi vagantes ("wandering" bishops-at-large, very small under 100 members)
- Independent Estonian Orthodox
- Independent Anglican Evangelical
- Independent Fundamentalist
- Gay/Lesbian homosexual tradition (i.e. so-called "gay churches" such as Metropolitan Community Churches)
- Independent Greek Orthodox
- Hidden Hindu believers in Christ
- Holiness or Conservative Methodist (non-Pentecostal)
- Independent Hungarian Orthodox
- Independent Jehovah's Witnesses (True Faith Jehovah's Witnesses, Lord's Witnesses, Christian Witnesses of Jah)
- Messianic, Jewish-Christian congregations
- Independent "Latin-rite" Catholics
- Independent "Liberal" Catholics (Theosophical, Masonic, Gnostic)
- 7 Independent Protestant or Orthodox churches
- Hidden Muslim believers in Christ
- Independent Assyrian or Nestorian
- No-Church Movement
- Non-denominational (no church or anti-church groups) {Christians who don't even think there should be Churches}
- Old Believer, Old Ritualist
- Old Catholics (i.e. split from Rome after Vatican Council I)
- Old Calendarist (Authentic Orthodox)
- Orthodox sect/sectarian
- Independent Friends (Quakers)
- 3 indy "Reformed" groups (Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox)
- Independent Spiritualist, spiritists, occultists
- Traditionalist Anglicans
- True Orthodox (Conservative Russian Orthodox)
- Independent Ukrainian Orthodox
- United church (various united bodies)
- community church or union congregation
- ethnic or monoethnic denominations
- independent evangelicals (dispensationalist)
- marginal independent Christian (Black / Third-World)
- isolated radio churches (unorganized)
- single autonomous congregations
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And let's not forget the Protestants
- Adventist
- Baptist
- Christian Brethern (Plymouth Brethren)
- Congregational, Congregationalist
- Disciple, Restorationist, Restorationist Baptist, Christian
- Dunker (Tunker), Dipper, German Baptist, Brethren
- Exclusive Brethren (Plymouth Brethren, Closed)
- Anglican Evangelical, Independent Evangelical
- Fundamentalist
- Holiness (Conservative Methodist, Wesleyan, Free Methodist)
- Lutheran / Reformed united church or joint mission
- Lutheran
- Mennonite, Anabaptist (Left Wing or Radical Reformation)
- Methodist (mainline Methodist, United Methodist)
- Moravian (Continental Pietist)
- Oneness-Pentecostal or Unitarian-Pentecostal: Jesus Only
- Baptistic-Pentecostal or Keswick-Pentecostal
- Holiness-Pentecostal: 3-crisis-experience
- Apostolic, or Pentecostal Apostolic (living apostles)
- Pentecostal (Protestant; Classical Pentecostal)
- Friends (Quaker)
- Reformed, Presbyterian
- Salvationist (Salvation Army)
- United church (union of bodies of different traditions)
- Waldensian
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And here's some of the Marginals (including our favorite)
- Christadelphian
- apocalyptic, eschatological (i.e. "end times" Christians)
- Divine Science
- Gnostic, esoteric, anthroposophical
- Holy Spirit Association for Unification of World Christianity
- Jehovah's Witnesses
- Latter-day Saints (Mormons), including Mormon schismatics
- Liberal Catholic (Theosophical, Masonic, Gnostic)
- schism from Orthodox, in marginal direction
- Paulician, Bogomil
- metaphysical science or "Divine/Religious Science"
- Spiritualist, Spiritist, psychic, occult
- Swedenborgian (Church of the New Jerusalem; spiritualistic)
- Theosophist, Theosophical, synthesist
- Unitarian, Universalist, Free Christian, Liberal Christian
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This is just a sampling of the 33,000 denominations of Christianity in the US. Surely no God would be so incompetent as to inspire a book for humanity that no humans could understand or agree upon.
However, if the Bible is nothing more than a collection of various mythologies and histories cobbled together by ancient men - then such confusion is exactly what we'd expect to see.
