Our country has so many different religions in it. Most are good religions and some do good things all over the world. But when you cling to a “doctrine” that is written by men and then the religion clings to that doctrine as if it came from God’s…then your “church” has a problem. A doctrine can cause all kinds of problems because it is written by men and many of these doctrines don’t have a foundation that comes from the Bible.
Major Historical Doctrinal Conflicts
1. The Great Schism (1054 AD) – East vs. West
Context: The early Christian church was one body for about 1,000 years, but cultural, political, and theological differences grew between the Greek-speaking East (Constantinople) and Latin-speaking West (Rome).
Key Doctrinal Disputes:
Authority: Rome claimed the Pope had universal authority, but the East emphasized a “council of bishops.”
Creed: The West added the phrase “and the Son” (the Filioque) to the Nicene Creed, which the East rejected.
Outcome: Mutual excommunications — and the permanent split into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
2. The Protestant Reformation (1500s)
Context: Martin Luther and others challenged practices of the Catholic Church.
Key Doctrinal Disputes:
Salvation: Catholics taught faith + works + sacraments; Reformers insisted on “faith alone” (sola fide).
Authority: Catholics upheld Scripture + Tradition + the Pope; Protestants held to “Scripture alone” (sola scriptura).
Sacraments: Catholics had seven; most Protestants reduced this to two (baptism and communion).
Outcome: Europe fractured into competing denominations, sometimes violently (e.g., Thirty Years’ War).
3. Baptism & Communion Wars (1600s–1800s)
Even within Protestantism, differences exploded:
Baptists vs. Presbyterians over infant vs. adult baptism.
Lutherans, Calvinists, and later Evangelicals disagreed on what happens during Communion (real presence, spiritual presence, or symbolic).
These weren’t just minor quibbles — they determined who you worshiped with, married, or even trusted politically.
Modern Examples
Catholic vs. Protestant: Still divided on authority, Mary, saints, and the sacraments.
Evangelicals vs. Mainline Protestants: Clashes over biblical interpretation (literal vs. symbolic), morality, and social issues.
Pentecostals vs. Others: Disagreements over spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues.
Why Conflict Endures
1. Truth Claims: If one group is right, others must be wrong — and “wrong” can mean eternal consequences.
2. Identity & Loyalty: Belonging to a denomination often ties into family and culture, not just belief.
3. Power & Influence: Churches compete for members, resources, and legitimacy.
👉 So, doctrine causes conflict because it’s never just “intellectual.” It touches salvation, authority, community, and even politics.
How do we have freedom in Jesus Christ, when the world around us wants to silence our message? Is it possible to keep telling the world that Jesus is the Messiah and the only way to salvation in a world that is trying to bury the message and call it hate speech and lies?
The only way to keep our freedom in Jesus Christ is to spread His message and tell the world His story and our testimonies about what trusting in Him did for us. We can’t back down or back off from the message that Jesus gave us to take to the whole world, regardless of the push-back that is happening today. The world needs to hear this…NOW!!
I’m not sure when the rapture/taking up of the church and believers will happen. Some have said it might occur during the feast days in Israel but only God knows when He will send the call out. The angels don’t know, Jesus doesn’t know and nobody on Earth knows, so don’t believe any “prediction” about it.
How do we have freedom in Jesus Christ? Because of our faith in Him and His own words about coming back to take us where He is. The freedom of Heaven is like nothing any of us has ever known here on Earth. Freedom from pain and hardship. Freedom to seek and ask God questions that we’ve longed to ask and He will answer us even before the question is formed in our mind. We will have the freedom of an eternal home where there is no suffering or death. That is the hope that I am waiting for because I have read about people who have died and visited Heaven for a while before coming back. Their description of children and pets and all of the things that we will have to enjoy in eternity only makes me want to go today.
Life on Earth is only a shadow of the life in Heaven. The colors and the Presence of God’s love for each of us is so much more than anyone can describe. That is why the pale descriptions of God’s throne and heaven itself in the Bible are so limited. Our minds can’t come up with descriptions for the beauty and the majesty there because we can’t compare it to anything on Earth. I pray that anyone who reads this will seek to know Jesus as their Savior soon because this life, this existence will be ending soon. All of the prophecies in the Bible have happened except for the Church/Bride of Christ leaving to be with Him. When that happens, I pray that even more people will come to know Him as their Savior.
The Living Message of Christ 