ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Religious denomination

Imagine you have a big puzzle with lots of different pieces. Each piece is unique and looks different from the others. Just like that, religion can also be seen as a puzzle with lots of different parts.

A religious denomination is like one of those puzzle pieces. It’s a group of people who have a particular way of believing in God or gods. Just like how some puzzle pieces match up with others, people who belong to the same religious denomination have similar beliefs and practices.

For example, let’s say you belong to a denomination called Protestantism. This means you believe in God and that Jesus is his son, but you don’t want a pope to lead your church. Meanwhile, your friend belongs to Catholicism. They might also believe in God and Jesus, but they think the pope is important to lead their church.

There are lots of different religious denominations, each with their own way of understanding and worshiping God. Some other examples might be Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism. Each one has their own set of beliefs and practices that make them unique.

Just like puzzle pieces come together to make a bigger picture, all these different religious denominations make up the bigger picture of religion. It might get a little confusing sometimes, but remember that everyone’s puzzle pieces are different!