What’s the difference between the two? Every time I ask a Christian friend what sect (s)he’s in when they witness, they get offended and say, “Denomination!!” Is there a real difference other than the name?
I think sects and demoninations are synomyms, one with a positive connotation (denomination) and the other with a negative (sect).
It’s like the difference between a religion and a cult.
Cult=bad
Religion=good
Cults and religions are not the same. The upshot is this: A cult can change its dogma at the drop of a hat as long as the charismatic leader stays on top. The leader assumes a role along the lines of ‘deity on Earth’ and has an unquestionable leadership role in his cult, which frequently dies along with its founder. Religions are about belief. Cults are about power and control.
Catholicism and Lutheranism are not “sects” of Christianity. They are denominations. They are different religions and there isn’t much mixing between them.
Sects tends to be used more frequently in conjunction with Islam and Buddhism. The differences between the sects can sometimes be just as great as the difference between the different denominations of Christianity, but that’s just the way English speakers started to refer to things.
Different Buddhist sects have had religious wars (primarily in Japan) just like Christian denominations have had.
Well, Christianity was viewed as a cult be the Romans or whoever the hell was in power 2000 years ago. A cult is a religion that’s not accepted by the public. Who’s to say they’re any more wrong their anyone’s else religion?
I think before everyone gets worked up over cults and religions, a check in the dictionary is in order.
My dictionary (American Heritage) has this relevant definition for “denomination” - “an organized group of congregations of the same religion.”
For “sect” two definitions are relevant - “a group of people forming a distinct unit within a larger group by virtue of certain refinements or distinctions of belief or practice” and “A religious body, esp. one that has separated from a larger denomination.”
There are lots of Catholic congregations in the world. Put them all together, you’ve got a denomination. The same thing applies to Methodists or Presbyterians or Moslems or Buddhists.
You can then further subdivide each denomination into sects.
Some may choose to look as Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians et al. as “sects” of Christianity, but they usually aren’t referred to as such because each group is big enough to be considered a denomination.
Robert Anton Wilson (my favorite author, BTW) said, “A cult is a religion that is newer than yours.”