Why are there so many goofy Christian denominations in America?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oqcG1Ws5FE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHb4gs1hwck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tp4ENcSvFc
>>378420
america has more freedoms (or less traditions because most are descended from uprooted potmelted immigrants)
Because we have crazy religious black people and white Protestants in the south are absolutely indistinguishable from the crazy blacks in every way
>tfw mother is a mathematician, sends me to a good Episcopal school, allows my sister and I to watch and read LotR and Harry Potter growing up and shit
>Fast forward 10 or so years and she's joined a megachurch
>tfw had to convince her just a few months ago that role playing games didn't involve actual magic
American Christianity not ever once
Protestants a shit tbqh
>>378420
Because everybody is some form of immigrant torn out of their native culture into a blank slate without tradition. And there aren't that many rules about religion there. And there aren't that many rules about speech there. And there isn't a single accepted organized church.
And Protestantism invites "NO THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT".
Naturally you're gonna get some crazy shits in the batch.
>>378420
>goofy Christian denomination
Holy redundancy, Batman!
it's what happens when a bunch of fundamental religious people are allowed to grow and multiply without being purged by a King or Queen, for multiple 100s of years
>>378469
My old flatmate's gf was Brazilian/
Italian and I once had to try and defend the Church of England from her accusation that we were as mad as the American protestants before I realised I'm agnostic and don't care
>>378420
>speaking in tongues
Forgive my rusty memory, but wasn't this when the Holy Spirit gave the disciples the ability to speak multiple languages and perform miracles, so they could go out and spread the word? What does this have to do with sitting in a room full of believers, balling to your sunday school teacher?
>>378420
America never had an official church with the authority to punish heresy.
/thread
Blame this guy
With so much fucking space and autonomy compared to most other countries, it would surprising if crazy bullshit hadn't popped up.
>>378420
No state religion. It's lead to a cycle of religious revivals throughout American history.
>>379769
>America never had an official church with the authority to punish heresy.
yet they still found a way to punish the mormons.
quite impressive actually
America was basically a dumping ground for Europe's religious red-headed stepchildren. Calvinists, Quakers, Presbyterians, Mennonites, etc.
>>378420
Protestants and no state church
Why not introduce religious studies as mandatory for every middle and high-schooler?
If we look at the -history- of Sweden, we can see how they after the introduction of the subject as something mandatory in 1960's changed from Christian to non-Christian in a few generations, and it's making sure only 1/4 of everyone with Islamic parents stay Islamic themselves.
>>378420
Protestants/various other heretics of course.
>>381132
That sure is working out for them.
>>378420
Because Protestants
why do you think fedoraism/alternate religions are growing popular? Anyone with eyes can see that protestantism is utter hackneyed crap. To say nothing of its blatant heresy
>>378420
Because there's so much land and so many people, if you agree with 99% of a churches teachings but think they are mistaken about the other 1%, you can buy up some land and put a church on it, for relatively cheaply and at least a few other people will agree with you.
Compared to Europe where it's so expensive you either just get on with it at your old church, or set up in a garage and throw bibles at dying kids.
>>381132
because it's difficult to present an unbiased in-depth account of religions in a public school class. Imagine how hard it would be to avoid stepping on toes while discussing the [hilarious] origins of Adventism. I can't think of a way to do it that wouldn't result in a lawsuit after every class.
>Protestants
Say what you will about the Catholic Church (don't talk shit about Orthodox tho or I'll fuckin rek u m8). But you cannot argue that the Reformation was the beginning of the downfall of Christianity.
When you allow people to interpret Scripture and Holy Tradition themselves, they suddenly all think they're priests and they spew out retarded crap like the McChurches you see in the US.
>>384876
>>378420
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KXXOcB7pRc
ABSOLUTELY HERETICAL
>>384915
What about this is bad? Fake Christians have a hard time following the outline of the Church laid out in the Gospel, yes? I'm well aware that most Christians are not Orthodox. And we have no desire to proselytize. Many Orthodox don't even want to reunite with the Catholic Church. Let God pass judgment on the heretics, we'll just keep worshiping the way he told us to.
Also, the guy in your picture sounds like an asshole, no Orthodox I know would actually recommend that a Christian go to another Church because we don't think he'll "be a good fit."
Protestants, but not just Protestantism in general. It's because so many American Protestant missionaries go to Africa on short-term missionary trips, preach hard-line American evangelism, then leave and leave the locals to make sense of it. That's why so many African Christians are hardcore about stuff like hating gays, and why so much syncretism happens. It's a pretty natural result of the kind of missionary work that Americans are doing over there.
>>378420
Ridiculously lax tax codes that let anybody get away with calling themselves a church, meaning those not already part of a larger organization have to really sell their product to a generation of Americans hungry for spiritualism in a country that lost it.
$$$, Tax Evasion.
>>378420
Back in the day, weirdos could just go west if anyone bothered them.
