Thread: Pope related question

I think that the above religions are more splintered. Eact fracture of the main might have its "spiritual head", but none are as unified as Catholicism as far as I know.

Which is good and bad I think. Good because it means they remain true and there arent a bunch of whacko splitoffs using the name of Catholicism... bad because that if they had a bad idea it can be entrenched in the system big time.

But to answer your question in a very limited manner, not that I've heard of. Islam in its early days did, but as its followers split over controversies it lost that. I'd imagine Judaism is quite the same, and evangelical Christians are quite a bit more independant than either of those groups I believe, as far as structure goes.

Catholicism does have it's sub groups.

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholicism
Other Catholic groups

In Western Christianity the principal groups that regard themselves as "Catholic" without full communion with the Pope are the Ancient Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Church, the Liberal Catholic Church, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, similar groups among Filipinos and Poles, and some elements of Anglicanism ("High Church Anglicans" or "Anglo-Catholics"). These groups hold spiritual beliefs and practice religious rituals similar to those of Roman Catholics of the Latin Rite from which they emerged, but reject the Pope's claimed status and authority. Some Traditional Catholic groups are in a similar position. The Liberal Catholic Church, founded when Charles W. Leadbeater, formerly a clergyman in the Church of England, and later one of the heads of the Theosophical Society, was ordained as a bishop in the Old Catholic Church, additionally incorporates significant elements of theosophy into its doctrinal faith.

The Anglican Communion is in practice divided into two wings, "High Church Anglicans" also called the Anglo-Catholics and "Low Church Anglicans" also known as the Evangelical wing. Though all elements within the Anglican Communion recite the same creeds, Low Church Anglicans regard the word Catholic in the ideal sense given above, while High Church Anglicans treat it as a name of Christ's church which they consider to embrace themselves together with the Roman Catholic and several Orthodox Churches.

Anglo-Catholicism maintains similarities to the Latin Rite of Roman Catholicism and related spirituality, including a belief in seven sacraments, Transubstantiation as opposed to Consubstantiation, devotion to the Virgin Mary and saints, the description of their ordained clergy as "priests" — addressed as "Father" — the wearing of vestments in church liturgy, sometimes even the description of their Eucharistic celebrations as "Mass". The development of the Anglo-Catholic wing of Anglicanism occurred largely in the nineteenth century and is strongly associated with the Oxford Movement. Two of its leading lights, John Henry Newman and Henry Edward Manning, both ordained Anglican clergymen, ended up joining the Roman Catholic Church, becoming cardinals.

The several churches of Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy each consider themselves to be the universal and true Catholic Church, and typically regard the other of these families and the Western Catholics as heretical and as having left the One Holy Catholic, and Apostolic Church. The patriarchs of these Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches are autocephalous hierarchs, which roughly means that each of them is independent of the direct oversight of another bishop (although still subject, according to their distinct traditions, either to the synod of bishops of each one’s jurisdiction, or only to a common decision of the patriarchs of their own communion). They are willing to concede a primacy of honor to the Bishop of Rome, but not to accept monarchical claims.

Jews have Rabbis, I don't know if there is a Main Rabbi I think they Have Chief Rabbis who gather together to solve issues.

Muslim sects each have there leaders because their religion is their politics, the religious leaders also make and interpret the laws. Though they claim there is no hierarchy and no sects we all know the truth, they tend to flock behind some wacko as human nature prevails.

well ok, im a muslim and i know my religion well. In islam there isnt supposed to be different sects, well they are different because they have other belives and so in my book they are not muslims. Islam is about peace and they ruined it, now the rest of the world thinks that muslim is about terrorism and about cutting peoples heads of. See i was thought to treat everybody the same no matter what race religion gender ,etc. But now all we see on the tv is terrorism and murder, well i belive part of it is the media. Well and the thing with hittin woman and them not having equal rights as man is bs in my book.

And to anwser the orginal Q. no we dont have somebody like the pope, we have people that are more educated in islamic history etc. that teach others.

Out of curiosity, whats with all the white boys signing up with Islam?

Just playing, the rest of your family is too right?

Originally Posted by maniclion

Jews have Rabbis, I don't know if there is a Main Rabbi I think they Have Chief Rabbis who gather together to solve issues.

Muslim sects each have there leaders because their religion is their politics, the religious leaders also make and interpret the laws. Though they claim there is no hierarchy and no sects we all know the truth, they tend to flock behind some wacko as human nature prevails.

kind of getting a little carried away there are we not? contrary to popular belief the majority of muslims are not in the middle east, and many muslim leaders in the world recently renounced the wackos as apostates.

in answeing the question

the jews have been without a prophet for 2000+ years and in that time have divided into factions based on interpretations of the torah. much like you had the pharasies and saduces during the time of Christ

after the death of the prophet mohamad islam broke into 2 major factions. sunni and shiite muslims. each one claiming different leadership as each group backed rival leaders.

none of the predominant protestant religions is led by a single individual. many are led by groups with affiliating ties to other protestant religions of varying degree.

it is my understanding only catholics and mormons claim singular leadership from one individual among the many Christian religions.

The jews have rabbits as their leaders?

I saw V posted in here and couldnt help but look

See V, you shouldnt be Catholic, you should go Jew

Originally Posted by bio-chem

kind of getting a little carried away there are we not? contrary to popular belief the majority of muslims are not in the middle east, and many muslim leaders in the world recently renounced the wackos as apostates.

I was berating all mankind in saying "as human nature prevails" meaning the masses always gather behind some know-it-all freak with a God complex.