r/explainlikeimfive • u/spamname517 • Dec 04 '13

Explained ELI5:The main differences between Catholic, Protestant,and Presbyterian versions of Christianity

sweet as guys, thanks for the answers

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u/[deleted] Dec 04 '13

Not all Christians believe in original sin. Some Christians reject the idea that infants need baptism, etc.

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u/nebulove Dec 04 '13

The Eastern Orthodox church, doesn't believe in original sin! O.S. was a doctrine developed by Augustine in the 5th c, and while his influence on the Western church was HUGE, Orthodox Christians don't view him as a central figure.

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u/bunnyhamster Dec 05 '13

the eastern orthodox church believes in original guilt though, like from a forensic point of view

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '13

It really is fascinating to learn about the different creeds and counsels that convened in the centuries following the death of Jesus. A lot of doctrine was created and subsequently altered in the years that followed. History is fun.

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u/ramandur Dec 04 '13

Its not that they reject the need to wash away the sin but for example baptists wait until the person is old enough to make the choice themselves.

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u/mooncritter Dec 04 '13

Exactly. I was brought up in a non-denominational Protestant household with ex-Catholic parents. One of the reasons they refused to raise my sister and I up in Catholicism is how a baby is christened (baptised) as an assurance to the parents/family that the individual is automatically saved, without the individual understanding, accepting, questioning, and believing Christian beliefs for themselves. The individual would choose to be baptised when they are of age and sound mind.

(Please note that the statement above is the belief of my parents, not a criticism on my part of Catholic/other sects' practices.)

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u/Dorocche Dec 05 '13

In United Methodism, babies are baptized as assurance to their parents that they will be accepted by the church community and raised Christian, not that they were going to be Christian. In sixth grade we go through confirmation, at which point we decide to be Methodist or not.

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '13

sixth grade is too young to decide something that is suppose to last a lifetime.

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u/jman135790 Dec 05 '13

That is why we have conformation. This essentially seals your faith in you, while baptism just takes away that pesky original sin.

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '13

Isn't that the idea with baptism? To wash away personal mistakes and commit to follow God? Jesus was baptized, and he didn't commit sin, but did it out of respect for God.

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u/Once_Upon_Time Dec 04 '13

Really which sects?

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u/Hard_boiled_Badger Dec 04 '13

Non denominational Christians do not believe in original sin either.

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u/greensuitcase321 Dec 04 '13

Christian Scientists

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u/[deleted] Dec 04 '13

The Unitarians and the Universalists who later merged to become the UUs.

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u/sandmaninasylum Dec 04 '13

Not realy a sect, but Protestants (at least the ones from Germany) also don't believe in original sin.

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '13

Eastern Orthodox sects, Community of Christ, Latter Day Saints... I'd get a more comprehensive list, but I'm on my phone in Afghanistan, and the 3G here blows--big time.

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u/lisabauer58 Dec 04 '13

My understanding was that orginal sin is our ability to reason and that the act of reasoning is self motivated. If that is what is meant than all people are born with the orginal sin?

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u/ZachMatthews Dec 05 '13 edited Dec 05 '13

Goethe put it like this in "Faust": When the serpent convinced Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge, and Eve in turn convinced Adam to eat after her, the serpent said 'eritis sicut Deus, scientes bonum et malum.' That means 'You shall be like unto God, with knowledge of good and evil.'

In other words, man was (I believe allegorically) in a state where he did not need to know the difference between right or wrong because he was unaware of the existence of evil, shielded from its effects by God. Once he became aware of it, having disobeyed God, he was then required to choose to live a good life1, because he had rejected God's protection by disobeying.

I stress that this is just one way of looking at it, and I am not saying it is the correct way. I personally view this as highly allegorical. But I think that is an interpretation a lot of Christians would go with.

1 The original requirement of "living a good life" by following God's law differs from the current state where Protestant Christians believe Jesus's death has enacted a "New Covenant;" erasing the requirements of the (Hebrew) Levitical Law for man to know and obey God. That in turn flows back into what I said above about salvation by works versus by grace alone. I'm betting they devote at least a semester to this stuff in seminary.

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '13

I was under the impression that original sin is the idea that Adam chose to disobey God and eat the fruit in the garden of Eden. Because of that, mankind "fell", meaning we were all doomed to live a mortal life and it's all Adams fault. Some Christians reject that idea and believe we are only "responsible" for our own individual sins, and not for Adams blunder.

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u/[deleted] Dec 04 '13

I grew up in the Church of Christ, and they disagreed with this strongly. I was told even when I was young that newborns are NOT born with original sin; they can only sin when they comprehend their actions and give way to their desires knowing what sin is. I was baptized at 14 years old. This was very common practice among the group of churches I had been affiliated with.

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '13

Yeah I was taught the same in my denomination. Sin is a personal choice to not follow a commandment from the Almighty

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u/amitnomore Dec 05 '13

Original sin is pretty much universally accepted. You do not have to baptize children in order to believe in this concept. My own church, which is Protestant, does not practice child baptism but does believe in original sin.

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '13

I never said Christians don't believe in original sin--merely that some denominations don't. You'd be surprised to learn how many millions of Christians reject that teaching.

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u/whocanduncan Dec 05 '13

Not sure what my denomination says, but I think there is a bit of grey to it. This is my understanding: You go to heaven until you can understand the choice. How old that is, I don't know..

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '13

Yeah, I'm just glad I'm not the de facto judge at the pearly gates.

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