NationStates Jolt Archive

I live in a country where Christianity equals catholicism. I'd like to know how things stand in the US: what "types" of christianity are there in the US? Which types are more/less common? What are their main features? What kind of Christian is GWBush?

Er... well... Catholicism is big, but personally, as a Christian in the US, I'm an Episcopalian.

Er... well... Catholicism is big, but personally, as a Christian in the US, I'm an Episcopalian.

I always thought there were more protestants...
Anyway, what is an Episcopalian? What's the difference with Catholics?

Well, Catholicism tends to be the most popular form in the northeast, and Southern Baptism is by far the most popular form in the south. There's quite a variety, though, from Episcopaleans to Lutherians to the Mormons (btw, the Mormons are centered in Utah).

Christianity has two sides: Catholics and Protestants. Protestant includes Episcoplian, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, etc. I think the President is a Baptist. There are some differences between the beliefs in the denominations on the protestant side, but the fundamental idea is that you have to come to God and eventually Heaven by accepting Jesus Christ as you savior.

Mormon is not in the same catagory as Christian.

Mormonism is technically pseudo-Christian, though Mormons would claim otherwise. It's not Christian since it doesn't follow the basic principles that all other Christian religions follow - Mary was not a virgin, instead was inseminated by God, Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are three seperate people rather than the Trinity etc.

I was brought up a Catholic, but I am an atheist/humanist.

The US was founded by protestants wo were pissed at the Church of England. For a long while the States were a haven for alternate christian religions. When the Irish came they brought with them Cathlicism. Noearly every new immigrant group went through a phase of bigotry, including the Irish. I suspect the anti-catholic views came with association with the irish.

Eventually the irish were assimilated and the catholic church became just another of many churches.

Today the catholic church is, if not the largest, nearly the largest church in the States. However Catholics still do not account for even 50% of the faithful in the States. The rest of the faithful are divided among countless churches, many homogenous and different in name only, many quite diverse in their beliefs. (Mormons, 7th Day, etc)

I frankly like the Methodist approach best - They feel that despite the differences of beliefs, christians can and should enjoy fellowship with each other regardless. Catholic or Baptist, they are all welcome at Methodist Church. Methodists feel that divides are unhealthy and lead to misunderstanding, voilence or worse, but that fellowship leads to thoughtful understanding and growth.

I always thought there were more protestants...
Anyway, what is an Episcopalian? What's the difference with Catholics?
Episcopalian=Catholic Lite

where I live, most people are moderate Roman catholics. Church attendance is low. I can think of some reasons. The economy is good, society is stable. I kept thinking why people in other nations are more radically catholic.


We were never really religiously repressed like, say, the Polish catholics under Soviet rule were. There's not much nationalism in it either, like in Ireland vs. N-Ireland. Not much competition from other religions like in the U.S. . We're also not poor,like many are in the Phillipines. No "pride" in it either, like in Spain or Italy. Spain is easy to explain. They were happy that they kicked out the muslims at the end of the 15th century. Italy speaks for itself with the Vatican.

george bush is a methodist

the majority of US christians are protestant with the biggest protestant denonimination being baptist.

but there are more kinds of christians in the US than you can shake a stick at.

Well I live in Massachusetts and you can't throw a rock without hitting a Catholic Church. I have no idea what else is going on in those other crazy states, but up where I live it's predominantly Catholic.

There is also a small but growing number of people in America who follow the eastern christian orthadox religon, However the biggest group of christians in America are the protestants

There is also a small but growing number of people in America who follow the eastern christian orthadox religon, However the biggest group of christians in America are the protestants

That is if you group them into one big group: Protestant. If you separate all the different branches, then I believe the Roman Catholic church is the biggest.

I live in a country where Christianity equals catholicism. I'd like to know how things stand in the US: what "types" of christianity are there in the US? Which types are more/less common? What are their main features? What kind of Christian is GWBush?

Wow ... errr ... geeze ...

In the US there are more varieties of Christian churches than there are pickles.

Catholics still enjoy the greatest number of adherents (66,407,105 est) as a specific denomination, but the variety of Protestants put together greatly exceeds the number of Catholics.

The largest Protestant denomination is Baptist with 33,830,000(est) members in 2001. However, you have several varieties of Baptists. The Southern Baptist Convention (16,247,736 est) was formed in 1845 when it split from Northern Baptists because of Northern Baptists' anti-slavery stance.

Since 1979 the SBC has been split internally between Moderate and Conservative (also called "Fundamentalist" or "Inerrant") parties. With a slightly higher number of delegates and, more importantly, greater political unity amongst themselves, the Conservatives have maintained control of the convention. In response, moderates have formed multiple sub-groups.

The United Methodist Church was formed in 1968 by a merger of the Methodist Church, the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, and The Evangelical Association.

The Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal body and perhaps the nation's largest black denomination. It was formed in 1897 by C. H. Mason, who severed ties with Baptists.

Anyway ... America's top 10 religious bodies listed by year organized:

1 Catholic Church, ???
2 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830
3 Southern Baptist Convention, 1845
4 Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, 1847
5 Church of God in Christ, 1897
6 Assemblies of God, 1914
7 National Baptist Convention of America, 1915
8 United Methodist Church, 1968
9 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 1983
10 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 1987

You also have:

National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.
Episcopalians
African Methodist Episcopal Church
Jehovah's Witnesses

There's even White Supremacist Christian churches in the US such as the World Church of the Creator. There are also a wide variety of Evangelicals, Charismatics, and various unincorporated Christian churches.

The list goes on and on and if I have failed to mention any, oh well.

In short, there is no lack of variety. It would take a lifetime to attend all of them and decide which appeals more to your tastes.

I suggest Deism (fastest growing religion in the US with 717% growth between 1990 and 2001) or Atheism (110% growth between 1990 and 2001). Christianity as a whole grew only 5% between 1990 and 2001 in the US. (Source: ARIS)

Wow ... errr ... geeze ...

In the US there are more varieties of Christian churches than there are pickles.

Catholics still enjoy the greatest number of adherents (66,407,105 est) as a specific denomination, but the variety of Protestants put together greatly exceeds the number of Catholics.

The largest Protestant denomination is Baptist with 33,830,000(est) members in 2001. However, you have several varieties of Baptists. The Southern Baptist Convention (16,247,736 est) was formed in 1845 when it split from Northern Baptists because of Northern Baptists' anti-slavery stance.

Since 1979 the SBC has been split internally between Moderate and Conservative (also called "Fundamentalist" or "Inerrant") parties. With a slightly higher number of delegates and, more importantly, greater political unity amongst themselves, the Conservatives have maintained control of the convention. In response, moderates have formed multiple sub-groups.

The United Methodist Church was formed in 1968 by a merger of the Methodist Church, the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, and The Evangelical Association.

The Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal body and perhaps the nation's largest black denomination. It was formed in 1897 by C. H. Mason, who severed ties with Baptists.

Anyway ... America's top 10 religious bodies listed by year organized:

1 Catholic Church, ???
2 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830
3 Southern Baptist Convention, 1845
4 Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, 1847
5 Church of God in Christ, 1897
6 Assemblies of God, 1914
7 National Baptist Convention of America, 1915
8 United Methodist Church, 1968
9 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 1983
10 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 1987

You also have:

National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.
Episcopalians
African Methodist Episcopal Church
Jehovah's Witnesses

There's even White Supremacist Christian churches in the US such as the World Church of the Creator. There are also a wide variety of Evangelicals, Charismatics, and various unincorporated Christian churches.

The list goes on and on and if I have failed to mention any, oh well.

In short, there is no lack of variety. It would take a lifetime to attend all of them and decide which appeals more to your tastes.

I suggest Deism (fastest growing religion in the US with 717% growth between 1990 and 2001) or Atheism (110% growth between 1990 and 2001). Christianity as a whole grew only 5% between 1990 and 2001 in the US. (Source: ARIS)


atheism roxoxrz!!! christianity is teh suck!!!

Wow ... errr ... geeze ...

In the US there are more varieties of Christian churches than there are pickles.

Catholics still enjoy the greatest number of adherents (66,407,105 est) as a specific denomination, but the variety of Protestants put together greatly exceeds the number of Catholics.

The largest Protestant denomination is Baptist with 33,830,000(est) members in 2001. However, you have several varieties of Baptists. The Southern Baptist Convention (16,247,736 est) was formed in 1845 when it split from Northern Baptists because of Northern Baptists' anti-slavery stance.

Since 1979 the SBC has been split internally between Moderate and Conservative (also called "Fundamentalist" or "Inerrant") parties. With a slightly higher number of delegates and, more importantly, greater political unity amongst themselves, the Conservatives have maintained control of the convention. In response, moderates have formed multiple sub-groups.

The United Methodist Church was formed in 1968 by a merger of the Methodist Church, the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, and The Evangelical Association.

The Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal body and perhaps the nation's largest black denomination. It was formed in 1897 by C. H. Mason, who severed ties with Baptists.

Anyway ... America's top 10 religious bodies listed by year organized:

1 Catholic Church, ???
2 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830
3 Southern Baptist Convention, 1845
4 Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, 1847
5 Church of God in Christ, 1897
6 Assemblies of God, 1914
7 National Baptist Convention of America, 1915
8 United Methodist Church, 1968
9 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 1983
10 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 1987

You also have:

National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.
Episcopalians
African Methodist Episcopal Church
Jehovah's Witnesses

There's even White Supremacist Christian churches in the US such as the World Church of the Creator. There are also a wide variety of Evangelicals, Charismatics, and various unincorporated Christian churches.

The list goes on and on and if I have failed to mention any, oh well.

In short, there is no lack of variety. It would take a lifetime to attend all of them and decide which appeals more to your tastes.

I suggest Deism (fastest growing religion in the US with 717% growth between 1990 and 2001) or Atheism (110% growth between 1990 and 2001). Christianity as a whole grew only 5% between 1990 and 2001 in the US. (Source: ARIS)

Impressive...
Personally I was raised catholic, but I'm in no way a christian. So fortunately I don't have to choose between all those christian possibilities :-)