Islam surpasses Roman Catholicism as world's largest religion

[afleitch]

WTF?

Roman Catholicism is a religion?

Excuse me?

Phil will you just calm down

Xahar is correct; Catholicsm is a branch of Christianity. It is not a stand alone religion. It is wrong for you to assume it is (and you're doing a disservice to non-Catholic Christians) . It is merely the largest church of the Christian faith.

[afleitch]

WTF?

Roman Catholicism is a religion?

Excuse me?

Phil will you just calm down

Xahar is correct; Catholicsm is a branch of Christianity. It is not a stand alone religion. It is wrong for you to assume it is.

Yes, it's a branch of Christianity but it is also a single religion with it's own doctrines, leadership, etc.

Er...no it's not Phil

[afleitch]

Er...then argue with the countless people who keep the data and refer to Roman Catholicism as the "largest single religion."

So your saying Catholicsm is a religion. Is Anglicanism a religion? Is Presbyterianism a religion?  No all three are part of the one bloody religion; Christianity, Phil.

As I've said before talking about Catholicism is a stand alone religion does a disservice to non-Catholic Christians who understand that they are part of a wide and varied faith.

[afleitch]

Er...then argue with the countless people who keep the data and refer to Roman Catholicism as the "largest single religion."

So your saying Catholicsm is a religion. Is Anglicanism a religion? Is Presbyterianism a religion?  No all three are part of the one bloody religion; Christianity, Phil.

As I've said before talking about Catholicism is a stand alone religion does a disservice to non-Catholic Christians who understand that they are part of a wide and varied faith.

Ok, you ignored how countless people disagree with you but whatever.

Yes, I believe Anglicanism, Presbyterianism, etc. are religions that are part of a larger faith community and the umbrella religion of Christianity.

So they are religions that are part of another religion? What!?! They're denominations Phil

[afleitch]

Then explain to me why these denominations are analyzed as "single religions" for recording purposes.

You answered your own question - for recording purposes only. In the same way the UK Census and the police have different ethnicity and religious labels. For recording purposes.

Catholicism is church within the Christian religion. Simple as that.

[afleitch]

Then explain to me why these denominations are analyzed as "single religions" for recording purposes.

You answered your own question - for recording purposes only.

Why refer to it as a religion then?

I consider my Catholic church to be a religion with it's own beliefs, leadership, etc. within the larger faith of Christianity. Just because I consider myself Catholic doesn't mean I don't consider myself part of the larger Christian faith.

So you are differentiating between two types of religion, which we can call the "greater religion" (Christianity), and the "lesser religion" (Catholicism). That makes sense, I guess. But shouldn't Islam be compared to the greater religion, rather than the lesser religion?

Good point. Im assuming your talking about the Abrahamic faiths as a whole?