The Sacrament of Baptism Essay -- Christianity

In the United States Christianity is the largest religious group followed by Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism (Kohut and Rogers). According to the pew Research Council Christianity was comprised of over 82 per centum of the population in the States as of March 2002 (Kohut and Rogers). Most of the worlds Christians live in the Americas and Europe ( pew Research Center). However, the population of Christians that currently live in the Americas and Europe is significantly lower than in the early 1900s (Pew Research Center). Christianity is divided into three main branches roman letters Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants. The Protestants make up the largest branch of the Christian religion in the United States and totaled fifty-two percent of the American population in 2002 (Kohut and Rogers). Catholics come in a close second comprising twenty-four percent of the American Population in March of 2002 (Kohut and Rogers). The majorities of the Christian denominations popular toda y developed during the five hundred years after the protestant reformation and are part of the protestant denomination (Pew Research Center). galore(postnominal) of the Christian denominations share a lot of the same beliefs however, there are kinda a few topics they disagree on such as the communion of baptism.Many Christian denominations practice the tradition of baptism. However, legion(predicate) denominations differ astray on the meaning and significance of the sacrament or ordinance of baptism. Baptism in the Old Testament is used as a symbol of a believers devotion to God by washing with pee as a sign of purification and consecration. There are many different meanings and techniques to baptism that have been observed by many faiths over thousands of years. Many of the customs and b... .... Baptism (in the Bible). New Catholic Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit Gale, 2003. 56-60. Gale World History In Context. Web. 30 Dec. 2011.Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Zondervan N ew International Study Bible. Ed. Kenneth L. Barker. 2008. Grand Rapids Zondervan, 2002.Pew Research Center. Global Christianity A Report on the Size and dispersal of the Worlds Christian Population. 19 December 2011. December 2011 .Sacrament. World Religions. New York Macmillan subroutine library Reference USA, 1987. Macmillan Compendium. Gale World History In Context. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.Sacrament of Baptism. 2003. .