schism

A schism is basically a break up. A divorce. A separation.

Members of religions are prone to have schisms, usually over a minor point of doctrine. The CRC and RCA broke apart because the Dutch immigrants who became the CRC didn't think Christians should be members of lodges.

One might argue, I suppose, that the history of Christianity is one of separation. First, Christians separated from Jews. Then Orthodox (eastern) Christianity separated from the Roman Catholic Church. After that came the Reformation which created Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Anabaptists, Arminians and a big bunch of others that I can't remember. After that comes Methodists, Baptists and Pentecostals.

At least.

I'm sure that there are entire branches of Christianity that I am skipping in this little digression. I'd pick on other religions too (I doubt they're much different), but Christianity is what I know best, eh?

One of my theology profs once argued that schism is not necessarily bad. It allows people with irreconcilable differences to concentrate on something other than the difference. Once a denomination splits, they can work on fulfilling their responsibilities as Christians (ranging from social justice to evangelism) rather than pointless fighting.

Someday, once the anger has past, they may even come together in different (yet Christian) groups in a spirit of ecumenism.

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a new note to add to the thoughts on schism:

To begin, we start with one distinctive riff. It represents a sense of harmony unity and calamity in one. Inturrupting the peaceful existence of this "being" is the introduction/presence/birth, whichever you will, of the new presence symbolised through Adam's guitar work. While both of the beings harmonise, one can still feel the building tension between the two "persons". This finally errupts into the heavy, pseudo undertow feel, in which the two fly back and forth drowning each other out. It eventually passes into the conclusion in which both collide and merge into a single riff/existance where, despite retaining their differences, enter a near perfect synergy...

The final riff ensues... The song and being are complete.

Schism (?), n. [OE. scisme, OF. cisme, scisme, F. schisme, L. schisma, Gr. , fr. to split; akin to L. scindere, Skr. child, and prob. to E. shed, v.t. (which see); cf. Rescind, Schedule, Zest.]

Division or separation; specifically Eccl., permanent division or separation in the Christian church; breach of unity among people of the same religious faith; the offense of seeking to produce division in a church without justifiable cause.

Set bounds to our passions by reason, to our errors by truth, and to our schisms by charity. Eikon Basilike.

Greek schism Eccl., the separation of the Greek and Roman churches. -- Great schism, ∨ Western schism Eccl. a schism in the church in the latter part of the 14th century, on account of rival claimants to the papal throne. -- Schism act Law, an act of the English Parliament requiring all teachers to conform to the Established Church, -- passed in 1714, repealed in 1719.

© Webster 1913.