I was speaking of the schism between the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox, Kevin.

The "Great Schism," or divide between the East and West happened in 1054, when Pope Leo IX and Eastern Patriarch Michael I excommunicated each other. The primary cause was a dispute over papal authority. The Eastern churches denied that the pope had any unique authority over them. There was also a dispute over the Nicene Creed. While the Western Church stated that the Holy Spirit came from the Father and the Son, the Eastern Church believed the Holy Spirit to be only of the Father.

It is from this kind of disagreement that schisms are made.

Really, as I said, I did not intend to write a detail history of Christianity. That's already been done by a number of scholars and historians, far better than I would be able, or care, to do.

My whole intent was to point out that there is no one "Christian Church" or Christian body of belief, therefore it is erroneous--and misleading--to regard the Christian religion as one single entity.

Clear enough?

Don Firth