Expert: J.M.J. West - 5/21/2008

Question
Can you tell me 3 religions that split off of Baptist and 3 that split off catholic?

Answer
Patti,

Thanks for your question.  I'm assuming you mean 3 DENOMINATIONS, not 3 "religions".  (If you mean the latter, then you could count many of the Gnostic sects and heretics, the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses (and some would even argue the Muslims) as split off sects).

Essentially Catholicism was the first real Christian faith.  The early Church (even in the 1st century) called itself "Catholic", it asserted Apostolic Succession and it had Bishops and Priests and Deacons, it professed the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, etc.  (More here: http://www.catholic.com/library/fathers_know_best.asp)

Arguably, all other denominations, from the branches of the Eastern Orthodox faith (c. 1054AD) and all of the protestant churches (or at least the main ones from guys like Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, etc.) roughly 500 years after that, and those which have since splintered from them.

Within the Baptist confession of faith I know of a good number.  In the US, Baptists can be found in roughly 27 groupings and their total membership is about 30 million.  According to Wikipedia: "Examples of such denominations are the Southern Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention USA, Conservative Baptist Association of America, American Baptist Churches USA, American Baptist Association (Landmark Baptists), Baptist Missionary Association of America, among others."

Does that help?

Pax Christi,

-J.M.J. West