Heresy Hypothesis

[DeistPaladin]

I have a hypothesis regarding what religion typically regards as heretical that I would like to throw out there for everyone's consideration:

As a religion becomes more dominant in society, as measured by the percentage of the population that identifies as adherents of the faith, it becomes proportionally less tolerant of and more sensitive to heterodoxy and therefore more prone to labeling it as heretical.

Observation: In Indonesia, where Islam is the majority religion, Christians that I've met are oblivious to denominational differences, even ones as stark as Protestant and Catholic. Being in the minority, Christians there are more likely to see each other as comrades even though their theological differences would be incompatible here in the USA. In the USA, where Christianity is 75% of the population, Catholics are regarded by Protestants as "not true Christians".

If this hypothesis is correct, as sure as 1/X will never equal zero, there can never be any peace with religion. As a society converts, the religion becomes increasing sensitive to heresy, so there will always be "heretics" over increasingly hair-splitting details of the theology.

[Shinylight]

The problem with organised religion is the hierarchy, it no longer becomes about worshipping a deity it becomes about power, a different viewpoint would threaten that power so it is labelled as heresy.

As a religion becomes more dominant in society, as measured by the percentage of the population that identifies as adherents of the faith, it becomes proportionally less tolerant of and more sensitive to heterodoxy and therefore more prone to labeling it as heretical.

So basically you have hit the nail on the head, the more control a religion has the more it wants to keep that control.

[fr0d0]

Prescribing Heresy is the removal of choice and so is anti faith. Whenever it's envoked it's a sure sign of perversion of belief/ decline in belief.

Herecy isn't the minor disagreements between denominations, but funamental differences which would cause believers to distance themselves from each other, forming different religions. I'm a protestant and consider Catholics to be Christians. I don't consider Mormons, or JW's to be Christian.

[downbeatplumb]

Prescribing Heresy is the removal of choice and so is anti faith. Whenever it's envoked it's a sure sign of perversion of belief/ decline in belief.

Herecy isn't the minor disagreements between denominations, but funamental differences which would cause believers to distance themselves from each other, forming different religions. I'm a protestant and consider Catholics to be Christians. I don't consider Mormons, or JW's to be Christian.

So do you have a scale of christian christians and unchristian christians?

Obviously you'd put protestant as the most christian christians followed by catholics but where do Jehovahs witnesses come on your scale, they consider themselves christians.

[fr0d0]

Silly DBP

There's a hard and fast test - the Nicene Creed. All Christians agree with it, all non Christians don't. JW's and Mormons don't.

[downbeatplumb]

Silly DBP

There's a hard and fast test - the Nicene Creed. All Christians agree with it, all non Christians don't. JW's and Mormons don't.

But they consider themselves christian.

There were many many years post Christs era and the council of nicea which was just a commitee meeting.

Are you saying that for all those centuries there were no real christians?

I think you make too much of the Nicene creed.

[Minimalist]

Anybody who believes in the dead-jew-on-a-stick routine is a xtian in my book and they are welcome to the designation.

[downbeatplumb]

Anybody who believes in the dead-jew-on-a-stick routine is a xtian in my book and they are welcome to the designation.

This is my take also.

[DeistPaladin]

Anybody who believes in the dead-jew-on-a-stick routine is a xtian in my book and they are welcome to the designation.

I define it a little more broadly.

Anyone who thinks Jesus came into the world by a virgin and left it by flying up into the sky is a Christian.

This way, Muslims are included.

[downbeatplumb]

Anybody who believes in the dead-jew-on-a-stick routine is a xtian in my book and they are welcome to the designation.

I define it a little more broadly.

Anyone who thinks Jesus came into the world by a virgin and left it by flying up into the sky is a Christian.

This way, Muslims are included.

But they dont call themselves christian and dont worship him as divine, just as a prophet.