Denominations Quotes

“the very last thing I want to do is to unsettle in the mind of any Christian, whatever his denomination, the concepts -- for him traditional -- by which he finds it profitable to represent to himself what is happening when he receives the bread and wine. I could wish that no definitions had ever been felt to be necessary; and, still more, that none had been allowed to make divisions between churches.”
― C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer

“Hit don’t make no difference what a man perfesses. I been in a heap o’ churches. There’s the Nazarene Church and the Pentecost and the Holy Rollers and the Baptists and I don’t know what-all. I cain’t see much difference to nary one of ‘em. There’s a good to all of ‘em and there’s a bad.”
― Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, South Moon Under

“These days when Christians bicker they exaggerate passion into a legalistic belief and prosperity into a lukewarm belief.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

“Beyond the family or particular Christian tradition, how much effort do we make to consider what the Mennonites or the Episcopalians, the Baptists or the Pentecostals, the Methodists or the Presbyterians have to say to the rest of us out of their DIFFERENCES, as well as out of the affirmation in common with other Christians? As I suggested earlier, our patterns of ecumenicity tend to bracket out our differences rather than to celebrate and capitalize upon them. Finding common ground has been the necessary first step in ecumenical relations and activity. But the next step is to acknowledge and enjoy what God has done elsewhere in the Body of Christ. And if at the congregational level we are willing to say, 'I can't do everything myself, for I am an ear: I must consult with a hand or an eye on this matter,' I suggest that we do the same among whole traditions. If we do not regularly and programmatically consult with each other, we are tacitly claiming that we have no need of each other, and that all the truth, beauty, and goodness we need has been vouchsafed to us by God already. Not only is such an attitude problematic in terms of our flourishing, as I have asserted, but in this context now we must recognize how useless a picture this presents to the rest of society. Baptists, Presbyterians, and Roman Catholics failing to celebrate diversity provide no positive examples to societies trying to understand how to celebrate diversity on larger scales.”
― John G. Stackhouse Jr., Making the Best of It: Following Christ in the Real World

“Some very hungry people gathered to discuss how to distribute a small amount of food. It was understood that each church was supposed to take care of its own. The local Episcopal rector said, "My church, follow me." The Presbyterian minister said, "Mine, follow me." And the other denominations did the same. There were a lot of folks left. Then, William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, stepped forward and said: "All of you who belong to nobody, you follow me.”
― Hal Brady

“Orthodoxy is my doxy and heterodoxy is your doxy.”
― Bart D. Ehrman, Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible & Why We Don't Know About Them

“I will admit that we as young rebels always wanted fundamentalists to understand our take on their religion, but rarely, if ever, the other way around. The fundamentalists are the real artists. If you saw only a masterpiece of an original painting and someone threw a splash of red across it saying that their version is better, you would be offended too.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

“...drop labels, and to think only of the one true invisible Church, to which all who truly love the Lord belong.”
― Amy Carmichael

“To understand our faith -- to theologize in the Catholic tradition -- we need philosophy. We must use the philosophical language of God, person, creation, relationship, identity, natural law, virtues, conscience, moral norms if we are to think about religion and defend it. Theology has some terms and methods of its own, but its fundamental tools are borrowed from philosophy.

The growth of religious fundamentalism and the collapse of religious education mean theology is more urgently needed in universities -- especially Catholic ones -- than ever before.”
― George Cardinal Pell, God and Caesar: Selected Essays on Religion, Politics, and Society

“The more sects we have the better. They are all getting somebody in (to the Church) that the others could not: and even with the numerous divisions we are all doing tolerably well.”
― Abraham Lincoln

“If it had a name, he says, what would that change, exactly? Would it be more acceptable to you? Would it be a thing people do? Would it have a category unto itself?”
― Jess Row

“In fact she’s a Baptist, which is almost like being Christian, only louder.”
― Orson Scott Card, Red Prophet

“My recommendation instead, however, is that we do not surrender questions of value, whether absolute matters of truth, goodness, and beauty or relative judgment of more or less truth, goodness, and beauty. With those questions to the fore, in fact, we can interrogate various other traditions and truly learn something that can improve our own. Perhaps the Presbyterians really do know more than we do about due process in church government. Perhaps the Orthodox really do know some things we do not about iconography. Perhaps the Mennonites really can teach us the meaning of 'enough.' Perhaps the Pentecostals can help liberate us from dull and disembodied worship. Baptists who have learned to improve their procedures from Presbyterians, their art from the Orthodox, their finances from the Mennonites, and their worship from the Pentecostals do not therefore become worse Baptists but better ones. And so around the ecumenical circle, no?”
― John G. Stackhouse Jr., Making the Best of It: Following Christ in the Real World

“Jesus had said that God sent Jesus to die for the WHOLE WORLD, which means he died for Catholics, baptists, and all denominations. He died for all of us and he wanted to save all of us.”
― Shaila Touchton

“When I enrolled at Westminster Theological Seminary in 1997, I was handed a form asking me to declare my Protestant denomination. My eyes glazed over as I looked over the list — there were two hundred options! Fortunately the list included “Independent,” which I checked. That was one of my first experiences of culture shock.”
― Bob Fu, God's Double Agent: The True Story of a Chinese Christian's Fight for Freedom

“Some sects of Progressive Christianity have devolved into a religion in which Jesus condemns his own followers, Christians, but praises everyone else in the world. It could be inferred in this religion that he is revoking his Kingship (thus turning his back on those who regard him as King); it could be inferred in this religion that instead, mankind is King.”
― Criss Jami

“I affirm my belief in God through personal testimony. However, some institutions seem driven by selfish motives, masquerading as religion or denominations. I advocate for a personal connection with God, respecting divine sanction. #Klassikanity”
― Don Santo

“Denominations aside, Christians are largely partitioned by those who bother to be accepted by the world and those who do not, by those who are embarrassed by those who are not.”
― Criss Jami

“It is naive to assume that denominational affiliations have always been as meaningless to Christians as they are today.”
― Joshua Gibbs, Love What Lasts: How to Save Your Soul from Mediocrity

“God is not limited to denominations; He transcends them. In John 17:21, Jesus prayed for unity among believers, saying, 'That they all may be one.' God desires unity and harmony among His people, beyond denominational boundaries. In Revelation 7:9, we see a vision of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue, worshiping together before the throne of God. God's focus is on the heart, not the label. He looks for faith, love, and obedience, not denominational affiliation. Let's strive to unite in spirit, celebrating our diversity while standing together in love and purpose.”
― Shaila Touchton