Galloism wrote:The Archregimancy wrote:
A small subset that happens to include a fairly large majority of Christians.
Cumulatively, the Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, Oriental Orthodox and Church of the East - the largest/oldest churches recognising the principle of apostolic succession - make up some 80% of Christians.
No doubt we could immediately counter that popularity is not necessarily reliable guide to truth, which is fair enough, and we should also draw a distinction between 'churches' and 'Christians'; but stating that the churches in Distruzio's list consist of only a 'small subset' is perhaps slightly demographically misleading here, or at least potentially slightly unclear.
It's perhaps a matter of perspective.
I meant as a matter of selection rather than a matter of demographics. You are correct in my usage of the word "churches" rather than "Christians". When one is... nonaffiliated, there are a vast number of different churches, all with different beliefs. As a matter of selection, those few churches (and I use few as a matter of selection) is a very small subset of available religious beliefs.
Indeed, you are correct that the vast majority of Christians fall into those categories, and I did not intend to imply otherwise.
You are also correct that numbers do not imply correctness.
EDIT: As an aside, if the Bible is true and to be followed, vast numbers imply the opposite of correctness. It states in no uncertain terms that few are the ones to be saved and that most are taking the "broad and spacious" way to leads off into destruction.
I'm taken to assume that the passage that refers to is talking more of irreligion or even people who profess Christianity but don't practice or believe in it. Wide and spacious in that most people don't put in what they should to their beliefs.
That said, it's only my particular interpretation.