Component 7

COMPONENT 7

Many religions have sects, which are smaller groups within the whole. Christians have large sects, such as Catholics or Protestants of different types. Sects in Islam are also seen, including the Sunnis, Shias, and Wahabies. Some sects live peaceably with one another, while others are not nearly as tolerant of each other. Religion and politics are often interwoven, even when we think they aren’t. There is religious influence in the laws of nearly every country on this planet.

You will hear about the major branches or denominations of Christianity and the different denominations within these. The three main Christian denominations are Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestantism. Among the protestants, there are numerous sects as well. A few of these are Episcopalian, Baptist, Methodist, Evangelical, Lutheran, and Presbyterian. You will learn more in the next chapter about the specific differences between them.

Sects often break away from a much larger group, often in an effort to bring the flock closer to the perception of what the religion was intended to be like. Most are small initially and run without a lot of organization. Often, new sects are more emotionally charged and interesting to the faithful, which is partly what wins people over. As more people are recruited, a sect will get bigger and more bureaucratic. Most of the protestant denominations were once sects.

Cults are different from sects, usually because their beliefs are much more at odds with the mainstream. They do not break off from a larger group but originate de novo. There is more secretiveness in a cult with leadership that grows through charismatic individuals at the helm. The cult leader often exhibits what followers think are extraordinary powers or qualities. While there are well-known examples of mass suicide, most groups are not violent. All of the world's major religions now began as cults.