Synopsis
Some claim that all Christians agree on the ‘important matters’, or something similar. I think this position is only defensible if one is willing to admit that none of the matters outlined below, and a good deal more that are not included here, are deemed to be not ‘important’. Alternatively, one may wish to dub all those who hold contradictory views on some or all of these matters as not being Christians, in which cause it seems that one must be willing to judge a very large fraction of Protestants and Catholics alike, not to mention the various branches of Orthodoxy, to to be non-Christian. I find both of these alternatives to be implausible and very hard to cogently defend. I also think the large degree of disagreement on so many fundamental matters constitutes a serious objection to the notion that Christianity provides a clear and coherent ‘explanation’ for life, the universe, the human condition, etc. For instance, Christians might agree that “mankind is saved from sin through the grace of Christ”, but if there is little agreement what is actually meant by “saved”, “sin”, “grace”, and even what exactly is the nature of “Christ”, then it seems to me that very little explanation of any substance has been provided.
Some things that many intelligent, informed, and apparently faithful Christians disagree about:
The Bible
Which books are the word of God
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_canon#Canons_of_various_Christian_traditions
The degree to which the bible is completely correct or trustworthy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_inerrancy
The degree to which the meaning of scripture is clear
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarity_of_scripture
Salvation
The manner by which the atonement of Christ reconciles man to God
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atonement_in_Christianity
Whether the atonement is limited or unlimited in scope
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_atonement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unlimited_atonement
Whether salvation by God is conditional on any act of human will
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conditional_election
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconditional_election
Whether salvation is by faith alone or grace alone, and how these two concepts are related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sola_gratia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sola_fide
Other Doctrinal Issues
The necessity, purpose, and proper mode of baptism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptism#Comparative_summary
The nature of Christ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christology#Post-Apostolic_controversies
The possibility and nature of Christian apostasy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseverance_of_the_saints
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conditional_preservation_of_the_saints
Whether all events are predestined by God and how this fits with human free will
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestination
What will happen at the ‘end times’
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summary_of_Christian_eschatological_differences
The nature of hell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_views_on_Hell
Whether all souls are immortal or the wicked will cease to exist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conditional_immortality
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annihilationism
Creation and the Fall
The meaning of the Creation account in Genesis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creationism#Types_of_creationism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framework_interpretation_%28Genesis%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegorical_interpretations_of_Genesis
The degree to which and manner by which humanity inherits the guilt of Adam’s sin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_sin#Denominational_views
Church and Worshiop
The nature, functions, and proper governance of the Christian church
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesiology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_church
The appropriate modes of worship
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulative_principle_of_worship
The relationship between the ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Covenants
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_views_on_the_old_covenant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supersessionism
Ethical Matters
Whether the bible supports or opposes slavery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_and_Christianity#Christianity.27s_changing_view
God’s position on the morality of homosexuality
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_views_on_homosexuality
God’s position the morality of abortion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_and_abortion#Protestant_denominations
Pingback: Why Am I still not a Christian?: A Letter to my Christian Friends | The Godless Theist