Your cover article on why denominations still matter (February, "Pulling together or fraying apart") got it wrong — they never should have happened. Christ instituted a single Christian church, not a splintered group of separate bodies. We are called to be disciples in Christ, not members of separate administrative Christian organizations. Growth comes from exposure to the Scriptures, interaction with other Christians and life experiences. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, but the concept of denominations makes it easy to view members of other denominations as not being "true" believers.
Erroll Stevens
Natick, Mass.
Road to extinction
The statistics in the table (February, "Pulling together or fraying apart") merely reflect what many have observed for years. The dilution of traditional Lutheran values and theology with moral-relativistic liberal policies is leading the way to destruction of traditional Protestant denominations. The majority of those seeking salvation and eternal life still prefer a theology that requires more of them, not less. Until traditional Protestantism learns these basic facts it will continue the inevitable slide toward the dustbin of history.
Brian D. Ehrman
Marion, Ohio
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© 2013 Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
