The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church

The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church

Article I — Of Faith in the Holy Trinity

There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the maker and preserver of all things, both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Article II — Of the Word, or Son of God,
Who Was Made Very Man

The Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man's nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin; so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one person, never to be divided; whereof is one Christ, very God and very Man, who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men.

Article III — Of the Resurrection of Christ

Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until he return to judge all men at the last day.

Article IV — Of the Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.

Article V — Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation

The Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical books of the Old and New Testament of whose authority was never any doubt in the church. The names of the canonical books are:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, The First Book of Samuel, The Second Book of Samuel, The First Book of Kings, The Second Book of Kings, The First Book of Chronicles, The Second Book of Chronicles, The Book of Ezra, The Book of Nehemiah, The Book of Esther, The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or the Preacher, Cantica or Songs of Solomon, Four Prophets the Greater, Twelve Prophets the Less.
All the books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive and account canonical.

Article VI — Of the Old Testament

The Old Testament is not contrary to the New; for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard who feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the law given from God by Moses as touching ceremonies and rites doth not bind Christians, nor ought the civil precepts thereof of necessity be received in any commonwealth; yet notwithstanding, no Christian whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral.

Article VII — Of Original or Birth Sin

Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and of his own nature inclined to evil, and that continually.

Article VIII — Of Free Will

The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works, to faith, and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.

Article IX — Of the Justification of Man

We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith, only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort.

Article X — Of Good Works

Although good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God's judgment; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and spring out of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known as a tree is discerned by its fruit.

Article XI — Of Works of Supererogation

Voluntary works—besides, over and above God's commandments—which they call works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety. For by them men do declare that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty is required; whereas Christ saith plainly: When you have done all that is commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants.

Article XII — Of Sin After Justification

Not every sin willingly committed after justification is the sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore, the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after justification. After we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and, by the grace of God, rise again and amend our lives. And therefore they are to be condemned who say they can no more sin as long as they live here; or deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly repent.

Article XIII — Of the Church

The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments duly administered according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.

Article XIV — Of Purgatory

The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardon, worshiping, and adoration, as well of images as of relics, and also invocation of saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warrant of Scripture, but repugnant to the Word of God.

Article XV — Of Speaking in the Congregation in Such a Tongue as the People Understand

It is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God, and the custom of the primitive church, to have public prayer in the church, or to minister the Sacraments, in a tongue not understood by the people.
4. For the contemporary interpretation of this and similar articles, (i.e. Articles XIV, XV, XVI, XVIII, XIX, XX, and XXI) in consonance with our best ecumenical insights and judgment, see "Resolution of Intent: With a View to Unity," The Book of Resolutions, 2008, p.292).

Article XVI — Of the Sacraments

Sacraments ordained of Christ are not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession, but rather they are certain signs of grace, and God's good will toward us, by which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm, our faith in him.
There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel; that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.
Those five commonly called sacraments, that is to say, confirmation, penance, orders, matrimony, and extreme unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel; being such as have partly grown out of the corrupt following of the apostles, and partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures, but yet have not the like nature of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, because they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God.
The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about; but that we should duly use them. And in such only as worthily receive the same, they have a wholesome effect or operation; but they that receive them unworthily, purchase to themselves condemnation, as St. Paul saith.

Article XVII — Of Baptism

Baptism is not only a sign of profession and mark of difference whereby Christians are distinguished from others that are not baptized; but it is also a sign of regeneration or the new birth. The Baptism of young children is to be retained in the Church.

Article XVIII — Of the Lord's Supper

The Supper of the Lord is not only a sign of the love that Christians ought to have among themselves one to another, but rather is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ's death; insomuch that, to such as rightly, worthily, and with faith receive the same, the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of Christ; and likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ.
Transubstantiation, or the change of the substance of bread and wine in the Supper of our Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ, but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions.
The body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten in the Supper, only after a heavenly and spiritual manner. And the mean whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is faith.
The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshiped.

Article XIX — Of Both Kinds

The cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the lay people; for both the parts of the Lord's Supper, by Christ's ordinance and commandment, ought to be administered to all Christians alike.

Article XX — Of the One Oblation of Christ, Finished upon the Cross

The offering of Christ, once made, is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual; and there is none other satisfaction for sin but that alone. Wherefore the sacrifice of masses, in the which it is commonly said that the priest doth offer Christ for the quick and the dead, to have remission of pain or guilt, is a blasphemous fable and dangerous deceit.

Article XXI — Of the Marriage of Ministers

The ministers of Christ are not commanded by God's law either to vow the estate of single life, or to abstain from marriage; therefore it is lawful for them, as for all other Christians, to marry at their own discretion, as they shall judge the same to serve best to godliness.

Article XXII — Of the Rites and Ceremonies of Churches

It is not necessary that rites and ceremonies should in all places be the same, or exactly alike; for they have been always different, and may be changed according to the diversity of countries, times, and men's manners, so that nothing be ordained against God's Word. Whosoever, through his private judgment, willingly and purposely doth openly break the rites and ceremonies of the church to which he belongs, which are not repugnant to the Word of God, and are ordained and approved by common authority, ought to be rebuked openly, that others may fear to do the like, as one that offendeth against the common order of the church, and woundeth the consciences of weak brethren.
Every particular church may ordain, change, or abolish rites and ceremonies, so that all things may be done to edification.

Article XXIII — Of the Rulers of the United States of America

The President, the Congress, the general assemblies, the governors, and the councils of state, as the delegates of the people, are the rulers of the United States of America, according to the division of power made to them by the Constitution of the United States and by the constitutions of their respective states. And the said states are a sovereign and independent nation, and ought not to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction.

Article XXIV — Of Christian Men's Goods

The riches and goods of Christians are not common as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, as some do falsely boast. Notwithstanding, every man ought, of such things as he possesseth, liberally to give alms to the poor, according to his ability.

Article XXV — Of a Christian Man's Oath

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems

79 entries are listed here. It is simply impossible to list all varieties of religion. Items in lower case are classes of religion and not actual religions. For example, "theism" is any religion that contains god(s), and "polytheism" is a form of theism.

What do you want in the table?

Origins & Background
Heritage
Area of Origin
Founder

Description
Description
God(s)?
Afterlife
Holy Texts

As we confess that vain and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ and James his apostle, so we judge that the Christian religion doth not prohibit, but that a man may swear when the magistrate requireth, in a cause of faith and charity, so it be done according to the prophet's teaching, in justice, judgment, and truth.
[The following Article from the Methodist Protestant Discipline is placed here by the Uniting Conference (1939). It was not one of the Articles of Religion voted upon by the three churches.]
Of Sanctification
Sanctification is that renewal of our fallen nature by the Holy Ghost, received through faith in Jesus Christ, whose blood of atonement cleanseth from all sin; whereby we are not only delivered from the guilt of sin, but are washed from its pollution, saved from its power, and are enabled, through grace, to love God with all our hearts and to walk in his holy commandments blameless.
[The following provision was adopted by the Uniting Conference (1939). This statement seeks to interpret to our churches in foreign lands Article XXIII of the Articles of Religion. It is a legislative enactment but is not a part of the Constitution. (See Judicial Council Decisions 41, 176, and Decision 6, Interim Judicial Council.)]
Of the Duty of Christians to the Civil Authority
It is the duty of all Christians, and especially of all Christian ministers, to observe and obey the laws and commands of the governing or supreme authority of the country of which they are citizens or subjects or in which they reside, and to use all laudable means to encourage and enjoin obedience to the powers that be.

	Description	God(s)?	Afterlife?	Holy Texts?
agnosticism	Belief that (1) God, if it exists, is by nature unknowable and will always be unknowable, or, (2) that the individual being asked cannot conclude if god exists or not for lack of evidence one way or the other	Atheist/monotheist	Not defined	None
Amish	Peaceful Christian fundamentalist group famous for its rejection of technology and strict adherence to OT and NT laws	Monotheist	Heaven or hell	The Bible
ancestor worship	Belief that good relations need to be kept with tribal ancestor spirits. Often a form of Shamanism	Not defined	Yes	None
animism	The belief that all objects contain spirits. More a traditional form of belief that a "religion" in the Western sense	Not defined	Not defined	None
Asatrú	A modern uptake of Nordic religion	Polytheist	Other	None
atheism	Either (1) the active and extrinsic disbelief that God exists, or (2) an intrinsic lack of belief due to lack of knowledge about god(s) in local culture	Atheist	Not defined	None
Aum Shinrikyo	Dangerous and violent religious community responsible for the 1995 Sarin gas attack on Tokyo's subway and other crimes. Eventually they apologized, stopped using the Bible, and formed the more prosaic group called Aleph	Theist	Yes	The Bible and other
Bahá'í Faith	Belief that a series of prophets have come from God, and that Bahá'í is the latest religion founded by God. A liberal offshoot of Islam, but persecuted in Iran	Monotheist	Yes	Writings of founder and leaders
Brahma Kumari	This group are preparing to rule the world after a coming apocalypse, and embrace many practices which are now called New Age	Monotheist		Writings of founder and leaders
Branch Davidians	Apocalyptic suicide cult famed for its dramatic armed fight against authorities in the town of Waco, USA, in 1993	Theist	Heaven or hell	The Bible
Buddhism	The belief that meditation and good living can break the cycle of reincarnation and result in enlightenment	Atheist	Reincarnation until escape	Multifaceted
Celtic Paganism	Modern reconstructions of Celtic paganism form part of the neo-pagan range of religions	Not known		None
Chen Tao	A series of civilisations on Earth have arisen but destroyed themselves in nuclear war. Each time, some faithful believers were rescued by flying saucers and put back on Earth	Theist	Yes
Chinese religion	A varied cultural religion practiced traditionally on a town-by-town and region-by-region basis	Atheist	Reincarnation until escape	None
Christadelphians	Bible-based Christianity	Monotheist	Heaven or hell	The Bible
Christian Apostolic Church in Zion	Fundamentalist Anti-science flat-earth Christian cult, who also predicted the End of the World would occur 4 different times	Theist	Heaven or hell	The Bible
Christianity	Belief that a single creator god had a son, Jesus Christ, born to a human mother, and that Jesus' crucifixion by the Romans brings salvation	Monotheist	Heaven or hell	The Bible
Concerned Christians	Fundamentalist Christians active in USA, Israel and Greece who expected the end of the world in year 2000, starting with a nuclear attack on the USA, which they appeared to be trying to instigate themselves	Theist	Heaven or hell	The Bible
Confucianism	A collection of ethical and moral teachings	Atheist		None
Dami Xuanjiao	A millenarian cult based on the belief that Jesus would return to judge survivors in 1999. Suspected of being on the verge of mass suicide after predictions of the end of the world failed in year 2000	Theist	Yes
deism	Belief in a single creator god who is not "personal" and does not have human emotions, and which many believers say does not interact with the world	Monotheist	Not defined	None
Divine Lightmission	A self-help religious group involving meditation, with few fixed beliefs	Hard to tell		None
Druidism	Celtic religion in prehistoric England, famous for building Stonehenge. Modern reconstructed Druidism is part of the neo-pagan range of religions	Not known	Not known	None
Druze	A semi-secretive esoteric religion with features of a Mystery Religion	Monotheist		Qur'an, Rasa'il al-hikma (Epistles of Wisdom)
dualism	Belief that either (1) There is a good and evil god of equal, or almost-equal power, or (2) there are two gods, such as a male and female one	Dualist	Not defined	Multifaceted
Ebionites	1st century Jewish Christians, possibly the earliest form of Christianity to exist	Monotheist		Early version of the Gospel of Matthew
Eckankar	New Age religion, a mix of Sant Mat, Theosophy and Scientology	Monotheist	Reincarnation until escape	Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad
Gnosticism	The belief that we must escape from this world, which was created and is ruled by an inferior and unworthy god, and reunite with the true god	Polytheist		Multifaceted
Hare Krishna	The embracing of Krishna through correct living, honesty, spiritual life and austerity	Polytheist	Reincarnation until escape	Various Indian scriptures
Heathenism	Modern uptake of Nordic religion. Part of the neo-pagan range of religions	Polytheist		None
Heaven's Gate	Apocalyptic suicide cult who combined Biblical eschatology with New Age and ideas about UFOs. All 39 members committed suicide in San Diego, USA in 1997	Theist	Yes
Hinduism	Cultural religion of India which was historically decentralized and disparate and not a single belief system. Western influence made it into a single religion, an identity which Hindus now accept.	Polytheist	Reincarnation until escape	Multifaceted
Hookers for Jesus / The Family of God	Sexually promiscuous group who fell foul of police suspicion. As is often the case, increasing pressure from outside resulted in the group retreating even further into insanity, and they became The Family, predicting the end of the world	Theist	Heaven or hell	The Bible
Humanism	An organized form of atheism where moral and ethical goodness is emphasized	Atheist	None	None
Islam	Strict monotheism taught by Muhammad, the world's 2nd largest religion	Monotheist	Heaven or hell	Qur'an and Hadiths
Jain	Beliefs include non-violence and equality of all living things	Atheist	Reincarnation until escape	Multifaceted
Jedi Knights	A campaign saw many put this down as their religion on the UK census in 2001. Midichlorians exist in all living beings, which create a 'living force' that can be interacted with	Animist	Select few	None
Jehovah's Witnesses	A 140-year-old Christian fundamentalist/literalist organisation famous for preaching that the world is about to end (nowadays - because of the existence of the United Nations)	Monotheist	Other	The Bible
Judaism	Organized Judaism emerged from Babylonian writings. Belief that God has a special contract with a Hebrew tribe, involving many specific rules of behaviour	Monotheist	Yes	Tanakh and Talmud
Mennonite	A Protestant Christian denomination	Monotheist	Heaven or hell	The Bible
Mithraism	Roman mystery religion that believed that the Son of the Sun was a saviour who was sacrificed for the good of all	Monotheist	Yes	Not known
monotheism	Belief in a single creator god	Theist	Not defined	Multifaceted
Mysticism	The belief that God is unknowable but accessible, and that doctrinal religion hampers spiritual growth	Not defined	Not defined	Multifaceted
Native American Church	Beliefs vary from tribe to tribe and are sometimes noticeably Christian	Monotheist		None
New Age	A disparate and diverse collection of popular beliefs and practices	Not defined	Other	None
no religion	The rise secularisation has seen public and private religion decline throughout the developed world	Not defined	Not defined	None
occultism	Normally existing within other belief systems, occult systems concentrate on esoteric meanings in texts, often with magical undertones	Not defined	Not defined	Multifaceted
Order of the Solar Temple	Apocalyptic suicide cult, with mass suicides in Switzerland, France and Quebec, in preparation for Jesus' second coming	Theist	Yes	The Bible and other
Paganism	Part of the neo-pagan range of religions	Polytheist	Yes	None
pantheism	God is everywhere, and everything, but is not transcendent and may have no distinct consciousness	Monotheist		None
People's Temple	Apocalyptic suicide cult that imploded, resulting in the deaths of over 600 adults and 276 children	Theist	Heaven or hell	The Bible
polytheism	Belief in multiple gods, often in some form of hierarchy	Theist	Not defined	Multifaceted
Raja Yoga	An astika school of Hindu philosophy based around mastering and quieting the mind, involving meditation	Polytheist		The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Rastafarian	God (called Jah) fathered a black Jesus; marijuana use in rituals	Monotheist		The Bible (generally)
Ravidassia	Souls are part of the divine and proper living allows us to realize God	Monotheist		Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji
Salvation Army	Christian organisation of evangelists organised along military lines, famous for charity work	Monotheist	Heaven or hell	The Bible
Santería	A combination of West African, Caribbean beliefs with some elements of Roman Catholicism	Monotheist		None
Satanism	An atheist religion that uses dark and evil symbology for self-development and anti-religious purposes - Satan itself is not a real being, just a symbol.	Atheist	None	Writings of founder and leaders
Scientology	Derived from the writings of science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, a series of practices called Dianetics is used to clear minds of alien influences and attain a state of mental perfection	Atheist	Reincarnation	Writings of founder and leaders
Shamanism	Belief that Shamans need to keep good relations with tribal ancestor spirits for the good fortune of the whole tribe	Not defined	Yes	None
Shinto	Official collection of practices in Japan, more cultural than religious	Atheist		Various
Sikhism	Prayer, meditation and self control to become a soldier of God.	Monotheist	Reincarnation until escape	Sri Guru Granth Sahib and others
Spiritualism	The belief that the souls of the dead communicate with the living, mostly through Mediums, but, suffered serious credibility problems with the original founders admitted to fraudulently inventing the 'rappings' that formed the communications	Not defined	Yes	None
Taoism	A relaxed and peaceful religion based on following and accepting the flow of life	Atheist	None	Tao Te Ching
theism	The belief in god(s)			Multifaceted
Thelema	A magical system of discerning True Will with inspiration from a host of Egyptian gods	Polytheist		Book of the Law
Theosophy	Mired in fraud arrests and exposés, the Spiritualism scene had soured, so Madame Blavatsky reinvented her routine as a new religion, using an Indian theme.		Yes
Traditional African Church	A range of Churches ranging from mostly Christian, to those mostly encapsulating native African spirituality	Monotheist		The Bible
Unification Church	Sun Myung Moon embodied the Second Coming of Christ, and his commercialist church runs a media empire	Monotheist	Heaven or hell	The Bible and The Exposition of the Divine Principle
Unitarianism	A liberal and non-Trinitarian Christian church	Monotheist		The Bible
Unitarian-Universalism	A liberal and diverse pluralist religion accepting of believers without needing them to leave their current religions	Not defined	Heaven or hell	Multifaceted
Unitas Fratrum	A Protestant Christian denomination	Monotheist	Heaven or hell	The Bible
Universalism	Belief that all people go to heaven	Theist	Heaven or hell	Multifaceted
Voodoo	A traditional religion from Haiti with an ethical focus on combating greed and promoting honour	Deist		None
Wicca	Neo-pagan organisation based around reconstructed elements of folklore	Dualist	Not defined	None
Witchcraft	A description of various cultural practices, which are often part of a parent belief system	Not defined	Not defined	Multifaceted
Yezidism	An ancient religion. Malek Taus looks after the world with 6 other angels. Heavily persecuted by Muslims and accused of Devil Worship.	Monotheist	Reincarnation	Yezidi Book of Revelation & Black Book
Zhu Shen Jiao	As this group got more and more excited about establishing a Kingdom of God, in the approach to year 2000, its leaders were arrested amid fears that it would turn into a suicide cult	Theist	Yes
Zoroastrianism	An ancient dualistic religion from Iran with one good god (Ahura Mazda) and one evil one (Ahriman)	Dualist		Avesta

Back in Saddam's regime, the Marsh Arabs were accused of treachery during the war and he had the Marshes drained off. This resulted in the 3,474-square mile wetlands getting reduced to a little more than 270 square miles. Iraq has declared that it will work hard towards expanding the wetlands to at least 2,316 square miles. Thanks to UNESCO, environmental activists, and the pro-active efforts of the Iraqi government, the marshes have regained

Read more at World Religion News: "Is this the Garden of Eden? Suspected Location Becomes World Heritage Site" http://wp.me/p45VCq-7Ek

The once almost-extinct marshlands are home to rich flora and fauna. In fact, 40 different species of birds can be found in these marshes. This area is now gaining popularity as being the area where the Garden of Eden once flourished. However, skeptics point out the following reasons why this may not be true. Rivers change their course over time. As such the Tigris and Euphrates rivers may not be flowing now where they used to flow when the Creation took place. The rivers may not be the original Tigris and Euphrates at all, and may have just been given those names in recent times. Noah’s flood, if it did occur, would have completely changed the topography of the earth. Whether this is really the Garden or not will always remain a point of debate. In any case, the positive side of the attention it is receiving is that the Marsh Arabs may receive better facilities and the rich flora and fauna of the Wetlands will be better protected in the future.

Read more at World Religion News: "Is this the Garden of Eden? Suspected Location Becomes World Heritage Site" http://wp.me/p45VCq-7Ek

The once almost-extinct marshlands are home to rich flora and fauna. In fact, 40 different species of birds can be found in these marshes. This area is now gaining popularity as being the area where the Garden of Eden once flourished. However, skeptics point out the following reasons why this may not be true. Rivers change their course over time. As such the Tigris and Euphrates rivers may not be flowing now where they used to flow when the Creation took place. The rivers may not be the original Tigris and Euphrates at all, and may have just been given those names in recent times. Noah’s flood, if it did occur, would have completely changed the topography of the earth. Whether this is really the Garden or not will always remain a point of debate. In any case, the positive side of the attention it is receiving is that the Marsh Arabs may receive better facilities and the rich flora and fauna of the Wetlands will be better protected in the future.

Read more at World Religion News: "Is this the Garden of Eden? Suspected Location Becomes World Heritage Site" http://wp.me/p45VCq-7Ek