Icebrc

I know that other major religions of the world have different sects to them. But what I'm currious to know is if any other faith system has been so back and forth over their main doctrines.
Christians seem to be split 3 ways or more on every major tenent of their faith.

Are other religions in the world more "stable" than this?
I have some knowledge of world religions, but not much at all if any on the stability of the belief systems.

Any insight would be great.

Sheep in the big city

I think it is pretty much a prerequisite for any successfull religion to be wishywashy. If it does not give anyone the chance to interpret it any which way is best for him it will be much less likely to spread than another religion that does that.
A lower degree of wishywashyness would also make a religion a less valuable tool for the ruling class to control the masses (pardon the communist lingo).
Thirdly, since Christianity has had considerable clashes with science due to its 'growing up' in europe it has had quite a bit of selective pressure to change, split, get more wishywashy and thus become it less accessible to directed attacks by science and reason.
But for the first two reasons I am pretty sure that the other major religions are also wishywashy (even though I am not familiar with them)
I only see potential for clearly stated religions in small, localized, backward settings - like a tribe religion in the amazonian jungle or sth.

[ November 01, 2002: Message edited by: Sheep in the big city ]</p>

GreggLD1

Except that Islam and fundamentalist Christianity are exploding in the third world.

Gregg

Douglas J. Bender

Maybe. Maybe not.


In Christ,

Douglas