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Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians believe to be the Messiah, as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. It has an estimated 1.9 billion adherents, or about one-third of the total world population.

It shares with Judaism the Hebrew Scriptures (called the Old Testament by Christians), and is referred to as an Abrahamic religion, along with Judaism and Islam.

In the Bible, the word "Christian" is first mentioned in Acts 11:26: "For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch Jesus' disciples were first called Christians" (Gr. χριστιανοί, from Christ Gr. Χριστός, which means "the anointed"). (Verses within the Bible are cited by the book the verse is from, followed by the chapter, a colon, and the verse number itself. Acts 11:26 refers to the book of Acts, chapter eleven, verse twenty-six.)

As a result of various disagreements including the East-West Schism and the Protestant Reformation, Christianity has become divided into many bodies of faith or communions, whose beliefs and practices may vary greatly. The largest are the Roman Catholic Church (both the Latin and the Eastern Rites) and the Eastern Orthodox Church, but the body of Christians includes many other groups such as the other Eastern churches such as Oriental Orthodoxy, the various Protestant denominations and the African Initiated churches. There are also various distinct churches separating themselves from such classification, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also called Mormons), Jehovah's Witnesses, Quakers, Christian Science and other groups. Collectively, the various denominations and groups form the largest religion on Earth.

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Luis Fernando Castillo Méndez,
current patriarch of ICAN

The Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church (ICAB - Igreja Católica Apostólica Brasileira) is an independent Catholic church established in 1945 by Brazilian Bishop Dom Carlos Duarte Costa, a former Roman Catholic bishop of Botucatu.

The denomination has 48 dioceses and claims 500,000-700,000 members. Its current head is Patriarch Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez, with Dom Josivaldo Pereira de Oliveira serving as President of the National Council. It is the mother church of the Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic National Churches (ICAN -Igrejas Católicas Apostólicas Nacionais), a loose communion of churches in 14 countries.

The Church accepts the Nicene, Apostles', and Athanasian creeds, and observes seven sacraments (baptism, Eucharist, confirmation, penance, unction, ordination, and matrimony). ICAB practices open communion for all Christians who acknowledge the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The Church acknowledges divorce as a reality of life and permitted in Holy Scripture, and will marry divorced persons and baptize the children of divorced or single parents or someone else.

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In the news

• February 26, 2008 - The Our Lady of the Rosary Church is scheduled to open in Qatar and be that country's first church in 14 centuries (CathNews)
• February 25, 2008 - Larry Norman dies of heart failure at the age of 60 (Christianity Today) See more from Christianity on WikiNews

Did you know?

• ...that some Catholics and Prayer Book Anglicans will refrain from eating the meat of warm blooded animals on Fridays, and will often choose fish instead?
  
• ...that in the Roman Catholic Church, there are seven sacraments; baptism, penance and reconciliation (informally called Confession), Eucharist (informally called Communion), Confirmation (in Eastern Catholic Churches and the Orthodox Church, equivalent to chrismation), Holy Matrimony (i.e. marriage), Holy Orders (becoming a priest) and Anointing of the Sick (also called Extreme Unction)?
• ... that Jesus mothere gave birth when she was 13 years old.
  Archive | Suggest a DYK?...

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Adoniram Judson was an American Baptist missionary who labored for almost forty years in Burma (now known as Myanmar). At the age of 25, Adoniram Judson was the first Protestant missionary sent from North America to preach in Burma. His mission and work led to the formation of the first Baptist association in America, inspired many Americans to become or support missionaries, translated the Bible into Burmese, and established a number of Baptist churches in Burma. He is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the "first missionary to Burma," but he was actually preceded by James Chater and Richard Mardon who arrived in 1807. They were followed by Felix Carey. However, since those who came earlier did not remain very long, Judson is remembered as the first significant missionary there, as well as one of the group of the very first missionaries from America to travel overseas.

On January 11, 1811 Judson embarked at Boston on the ship "Packet," bound to Liverpool, to visit the London Missionary Society, since at that time there was no American missionary sending agency. However, the trip was complicated by a French privateer, "L'Invincible Napoleon" which captured the ship and took everyone prisoner. They put in at Le Passage, in Spain, and were conveyed to Bayonne, in France, where, after a short imprisonment, Judson was permitted to "remain at large." On April 16 Judson arrived in Paris, crossed the English Channel from Morlaix to Dartmouth and arrived in London on May 3rd. He soon visited the Missionary Seminary at Gosport. Judson returned to New York aboard the "Augustus," arriving in August of 1811.

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John 1:1-14 (KJV)

Main article: John 1

See also: John 1:1

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

² The same was in the beginning with God.

³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

⁵ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

⁷ The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

⁹ That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

¹³ Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

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