In seeking to answer the question of why we have over 400 religious denominations, I've concluded that it's a lack of accepting God's word as the all inclusive authority in religion.

Max Brennan identifies himself as pastor for St. Matthew United Methodist church in Ft. Worth, TX. He responded, in writing in the newspaper, to a tract he received stating there is no scriptural authority for sprinkling an infant. Obviously that response was directed at the mode of baptism, not the candidate. I have quoted only a portion of his response: "Heaven help us! - what kind of God would deny salvation to people because of the way in which they were baptized? As far as our eternal destiny is concerned, why would God care whether we were sprinkled, dunked, or soaked in dishwater! Yet sane folks do actually believe that God--who through the person of our Lord suffered the agony of the cross--and all on our behalf - would ship us off to hell on a technicality."

When God's word and Christ's comments are relegated to a mere technicality, it's no surprise that denominations exist. I wonder if Mr. Brennan believes that Nadab and Abihu were shipped off to hell on a technicality. Did Uzzah die because of some insignificant detail? Moses struck a rock and never resided in the promised land after forty years of faithful service - A technicality? Ananias and Sapphira lost their lives, because of deceit. All of these individuals testify to the fact that a loving God demands obedience. That obedience is always on God's terms and never on Man's subjectivism. Max Brennan will be judged by God's word and his sarcasm and ridicule of that word points him in a direction I'm sure he doesn't want to go.