Choosing My Religion

Photo by Lukas Meier on Unsplash

I often see people who accuse others of being “fake Christians,” typically because the accused person appears to behave in a way inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus. My understanding is that the only requirement to be a “real” Christian is to believe in the divinity of Jesus. It is certainly possible that many of the people accused of being “fake” actually do believe that, even if they don’t believe they have to do anything about it.

In reality, there are very few people whose daily behavior is 100% compliant with the rules and recommendations of their chosen religion, and this applies to all religions, not just Christianity. If everyone who does not comply with all the tenets if their faith is “fake,” we have a world full of fakes.

Further, it can be very difficult to determine which specific faith someone follows, considering the hundreds or thousands of variations that are connected to every major religion.

Research suggests there are at least 46 prominent Christian denominations, with many more branches, sects, breakaway groups, independent churches, etc., adding up to an estimated 50,000 different flavors of Christian.

Although there are three major branches of Islam, there are many sects, groups, and movements. Some sources indicate that there are at least 73 distinct Islamic followings and traditions.

There are at least three widely recognized branches of Judaism, along with a broader array of different movements, sects, and affiliations. Research does not yield a specific number.

There seem to be three major divisions of Buddhism, along with many sects, sub-sects, communities, and traditions. Some sources indicate at least 1,000 different forms of Buddhism.

Hinduism is commonly understood to have four major denominations, with many different branches, practices, and traditions, often overlapping or including each other.

Those are the five largest religions worldwide, but there are many others. Estimates indicate between 4,000 and 10,000 distinctly identifiable religions worldwide. Most of these are relatively small, regional traditions.

There is a general trend for people to disconnect from religion altogether. No need to fake anything then.