How has Christianity, a faith based on the teachings of one text (the Bible), divided into so many denominations?
It is because people like to tailor and control their beliefs to suit their own needs and conveniences. In plain words, selfishness causes it. Keeping in mind of what religion has done to this world and continues to do to this day, no two people will ever, EVER, agree exactly on religion. It is after all one of the main reasons as to why there is so much conflict in the world, (That and politics, but that comes in at number 2).
Granted, calling it selfish isn’t the most kind, as in today’s political correct world we should all be sensitive to one another’s beliefs, so it might be best to list the most prominent reasons, and allow one to make up ones own mind, while reminding yourself that this is the same in every religion now-a-days.
1. There are many Sects calling themselves Christian that are NOT "Faith Based". They are further divided into those who are "Law" based and teach a religion of following the 10 Commandments rather than seeking the Bibles path of God's righteousness in Jesus Christ, or rather those who base their religious views on philosophies or traditions of man.
2. Many use the Bible, but do not trust all of it to be the “Word of God”, and so they pick and choose which parts of the Bible they wish to believe. Thus there is no common ground on which to be united.
3. Among the Bible based Christians there is the matter of INTERPRETATION of the Bible in forming their doctrine. This taking us in the same direction as the misleading Koran quote that supposedly said for those that became martyrs in Jihad, awaiting them in heaven would be 72 virgins. Within each section there are disagreements over the true meani ...