This alleged " corruption " and resistance to reform by the traditional, especially Catholic, churches may sometimes be called The Great Apostasy by some religious groups.

Smith taught that this Great Apostasy was complete and required a full restoration, or, more accurately, re-establishment, of the original church.

They believed that other Churches departed in a Great Apostasy from the original faith on major points, and that the original faith could be restored through a generally literal interpretation of the Bible and a sincere commitment to follow its teachings.

Stone and Campbell believed that the division among Christian sects had been caused by a Great Apostasy ( or falling away ) from the original teachings of Jesus, and that the correct principles of Christianity could be re-established by " restoring " practices described in the New Testament.

Mormonism describes itself as falling within world Christianity, but as a distinct restored dispensation, through which it characterises itself as the only true form of the Christian religion to be in existence since the time of the Great Apostasy.

Apostasy is the rejection of Christ by one who has been a Christian ....", though many believe that Biblically this is impossible (' once saved, forever saved ').

Most Adventist groups in the Millerite tradition hold similar beliefs about the Great Apostasy as other Restorationist types of Christian faith.

Smith and his associates intended that the Church of Christ would be a restoration of the 1st century Christian church, which Smith taught had fallen from God's favor and authority because of a Great Apostasy.

Smith and his associates asserted that the Church of Christ was a restoration of the 1st-century Christian church, which Smith claimed had fallen from God's favor and authority because of what he called a " Great Apostasy ".

# Apostasy: refers to members who " repeatedly act in clear, open, and deliberate public opposition to the Church or its leaders " and also includes those who repeatedly present information as church doctrine that is not church doctrine and those who repeatedly follow the teachings of apostate sects or those who formally join another church.

Apostasy, the rejection of one's old religion, is also criminalized in a number of countries, notably Afghanistan with Abdul Rahman being the first to face the death penalty for converting to Christianity.

The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society and its precursor organization, Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society, considers the Great Apostasy to have properly begun before the death of the last Apostle, along with the warning signs and precursors starting shortly after Jesus ' ascension.

Sedevancantists and certain other traditionalist Catholics believe that the Great Apostasy began at the time of the Second Vatican Council, or with the election of Pope John XXIII, or shortly thereafter.

The Early Church Fathers also predicted a future Great Apostasy in the Church, for example Hippolytus: " And the churches too will wail with a mighty lamentation, because neither oblation nor incense is attended to, nor a service acceptable to God ; but the sanctuaries of the churches will become like a garden-watcher's hut, and the Holy Body and Blood of Christ will not be shown in those days.

According to churches that consider ecumenical council decisions final, trinitarianism was infallibly defined at the First Ecumenical Council ( the Council of Nicaea ) in 325 A. D. Nontrinitarians disagree with the findings of the Council for various reasons, including the belief that the Bible as they understand it takes precedence over creeds, or that there was a Great Apostasy prior to the Council.

There was less emphasis on the Great Apostasy and a growing belief that the First Vision itself was not necessarily identical with Joseph Smith's later reconstructions and interpretations of the vision, what one RLDS Church Historian has called " genuine historical sophistication.

Mormons maintain that this apostasy was prophesied of within the Bible ( see and Great Apostasy ), which prophecy warned that an apostasy would occur prior to the second coming and was therefore in keeping with God's plan for mankind.

This group believes very explicitly that the " Great Apostasy " began in AD 325 with the Council of Nicaea and continued until June 13, 1903, when Bishop Ambrose Jessup Tomlinson restored the Church, and that in the interim there was no actual theocratic governmental formed ( as Jesus formed it ) Church of God upon the earth, but that born-again people were abundant and continued to be " saved " or " born again " according to the Bible.

* Apostasy Within: The Demonic in the ( Catholic ) American Church, Christopher Publishing House, Hanover, 1989 ISBN 0-8158-0447-4 ( in collaboration with Paul Trinchard S. T. D.

There he planned the strategy of the Campaign of the Apostasy to deal with the various enemies who occupied the entire land of Arabia except for the small area in the possession of the Muslims.

Major. Dump is now a Moderator on the forum, and his work with Apostasy remains unchanged.

** " Apostasy in the UK " ( with John Ridgway, in Judge Dredd Megazine # 212-213, 2003 )

A common belief held by Restorationists was that the other divisions of Christianity had introduced doctrinal defects into Christianity, which was known as the Great Apostasy.

" Apostasy is symbolized as Israel the faithless spouse turning away from Yahweh her marriage partner to purse the advances of other gods ( Jeremiah 2: 1-3 ; Ezekiel 16 ).

Apostasy convictions are sometimes meted out not only for openly renouncing the religion of one's birth, but also for criticizing clerical rule ( as in the case of Aghajari ), defaming Islam, conversion from Islam, attempting to lead others away from Islam, among other reasons.

The Great Apostasy is a term used by some religious groups to describe a general fallen state of traditional Christianity, especially the Papacy, because they claim it allowed the traditional Roman mysteries and deities of solar monism such as Mithras and Sol Invictus and idol worship back into the church, and is not representative of the faith founded by Jesus and his twelve Apostles: in short, in their opinion, the church has fallen into apostasy.

These various groups differ as to exactly when the Great Apostasy took place and what the exact errors or changes were, but all of them make a similar claim that true Christianity was generally lost until it was disclosed again in themselves.

Most groups subscribing to the theory of a Great Apostasy generally concur in this thesis.

Apostasy ( turning from Christ ) is only committed through a deliberate, willful rejection of Jesus and renunciation of saving faith.

* Judgement: Apostasy leads to judgement.

Apostasy in Islam and stoning to death in Islam are controversial topics.

Apostasy, on the part of the husband or wife, ends a Muslim marriage in this way.

He became convinced that the ordinances, having been lost in the Apostasy Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, could not be validly restored without a special divine commission.

Apostasy (; ( apostasia ), ' a defection or revolt ', from ἀπό, apo, ' away, apart ', στάσις, stasis, ' stand, ' standing ') is the formal disaffiliation from or abandonment or renunciation of a religion by a person.

Apostasy is generally not a self-definition: very few former believers call themselves apostates because of the pejorative implications of the term.

" Apostasy is the antonym of conversion ; it is deconversion.

Apostasy is certainly a biblical concept, but the implications of the teaching have been hotly debated.

Apostasy is legal in secular Muslim countries such as Turkey.

During the Ridda wars ( Wars of Apostasy ), Uthman remained at Medina, acting as Abu Bakr's adviser.

In their case, the term Great Apostasy is used more technically than above, directed in a sweeping way over all of Christianity beyond their group, indicating that true Christianity has not been preserved, but rather restored.

Theological controversy also had a polluting effect, according to this view of Apostasy as a gradual process, rather than a cataclysmic event.

According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( LDS Church ), the Great Apostasy started not long after Jesus ' ascension and continued until Joseph Smith's First Vision in 1820.

The Catholic Church also believes in a future event termed " The Great Apostasy " based on Biblical teachings.