by digderidoo 10 Replies latest jw friends
I have been considering attending a meeting at a local pentecostal church and wondered if anyone has any experience of them and would appreciate peoples views.
The only thing that is stopping me attending is the thought of it being another religion. You know growing up be told 'false religion' is bad and all that.
Yours Paul
Well, going for a meeting there does not mean you are instantly converted. So check it out, and if it feels good, thats good. If not leave
A friend of mine, also an ex-JW (her mom left when she was a child), attended a Pentecostal church for a while. The church she attended was pretty strict on things like apperance (women wore long skirts, long-sleeved blouses, high necks, weren't supposed to cut their hair), entertainment, etc. I have no idea if they were typical of Pentecostal chuches.
It's very simliar to the charismatic movement. It's main focus is on a direct personal expierance with God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit (as seen in the story of pentecost in the NT). There are many variations.
I have had a few experiences with Pentecostalism, mostly before I became JW. I found it to be an atmosphere which readily encouraged credulity, among other things.
There are different disciplines of Pentacostals. The name, of course, comes from the NT event where the gathered disciples were visited by the Holy Spirit, which appeared as a tongue of fire over each ones head. This caused them to be able to speak in various languages they had never known before. This in turn enabled them to go and preach to foriegners.
Today, members are very much into emotional displays of "possesion" by the HS at their services and a conservative lifestyle. At some point you will be encouraged to come before the congregation in an emotional state of ecstasy and declare your being "born again" in the HS.
You asked for views? Here's mine - Gag me with a spoon.
When I was a kid I thought they were the people that had pennies in their shoes...
Hey, how was I to know?
When I have a seizure I tell folks ..."I'm not an epileptic, I'm a Pentacostal!!!"
Interesting comments. I have to go offline now but will check on any other posts tomorrow.
Thanks Paul
Pentecostalism at religioustolerance.org: http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_pent.htm
Lots of good information there, including links to some Pentecostal denominations' own website.s
Based on that article, it sounds like the church my friend attended was part of the United Pentecostal Church International, which "holds many non-traditional beliefs, that conflict with other denominations within Pentecostalism," including the dress and hair codes and the prohibitions on movies and television.
If you really want to visit the church, then do it. This is a time of self discovery.
