mrsjones that sure looks like a lively and energetic church! It must be FUN to be there. And I bet the time goes by quickly....as opposed to those torturous Kingdom Hall sessions which feel like hours and hours and hours.....
Church vs Kingdom Hall
by snakeface 14 Replies latest jw experiences
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LV101
you veterans who've done the research and have found some good faiths or churches to attend/join -- can you recommend which type? i attended a neighborhood baptist church (newly formed) and it seemed fine but you stand for a very long time to sing. a lot of younger people who looked happy to be there --- good guitar music, drums, singers.
seems like many years ago when i did a very small amt. of research the methodist church looked OK --- pretty mainstream, but that's been about 14 yrs. or so.
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cofty
Try a little experiment before you join anything. Tell the elders that you love everything about the church and you are considering joining but you just want to know that its OK that you don't always agree with everything that is taught. Then mention a few things to see how they react.
Try one or two of the following just to test the waters, it doesn't matter what you actually think you are just trying to judge their reaction.
1. Tell them that like most christians in the world you accept evolution as a fact.
2. You love the bible very much and read it all the time and take it very seriously but you accept that it does contradict itself at times and that unscientific stories like the flood and the virgin birth were never meant to be taken literally.
3. Tell them you love and adore Jesus and accept that the bible teaches the deity of Jesus but you are sure the trinity is a post-biblical doctrine and not essential for salvation
4. You will never accept that eternal punishment in hell is taught in the bible or that it can be reconciled with a god of love.
Don't present these as things you need help with, they are firm conclusions and you have all the facts thank you. You are just checking they have no problem with you becoming a member while also holding some sincere views that may be different from those of the church leadership.
The point is, even if you have no problem with any of the above, the vast majority of churches require thought compliance exaclty as the Watchtower does. You will be required to supress your intellectual freedom and engage in "group think". That is too high a price to pay for me.
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garyneal
Cofty,
That's an excellent guideline for selecting the right church.
Sadly, I think that of all the guidelines you suggested, this one will probably be the one that the vast majority of churches will find an issue with.
2. You love the bible very much and read it all the time and take it very seriously but you accept that it does contradict itself at times and that unscientific stories like the flood and the virgin birth were never meant to be taken literally.
It's that virgin birth thing that many will have an issue with.
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snakeface
Well this particular denomination does not have any set of doctrines; you can believe whatever you wish. Like myself, the pastor does not perceive God as being an actual person or being. Therefore she does not believe the Bible is "inspired". But some people there do believe in God, the Bible, some may believe in the trinity, soul, hellfire etc. and still belong to some other religion.