Religious Affiliation

Ive saw several of you posting things about your beliefs or church, so I am curious.........LOL! who is what?

I am in the process of converting to Catholisicm (did I spell that right) myself.
I also consider myself somewhat pagan..........

so everyone, whats your faith?

I am Christian, but I don't belong to any denomination. We stopped going to church when my parents split up. It's not that we aren't spiritual, but we were just kind of disgusted by the fact that everyone who previously liked us, all of a sudden wouldn't even make eye contact with us on Sundays. I attended a UCC church when we lived in Philly, and I liked that a lot. When my dd is old enough to understand religion, I plan on taking her to one of those churches.

hey jess, whats UCC?

United Church of Christ. It was nice because they didn't care if you were gay, straight, married, whatever. I'm not saying that they are the only church who is like that, but they had a very nice way of making everyone feel welcome.

wonder if there is a difference between united and just plain church of christ? we have ALOT of church of christers around here! oh, jemmor is one!!!!

did they have music in the service?

I don't know. It might be the same thing. We did have some music, but it wasn't going on all the time.

[Lissa]

Originally Posted by CoyoteQueen

wonder if there is a difference between united and just plain church of christ? we have ALOT of church of christers around here! oh, jemmor is one!!!!

did they have music in the service?

United Church of Christ and Church of Christ, are two very different identities. Actually there isn't a central Church of Christ(like the Vatican is to the Catholic Church) so pretty much every church of Christ can be different, unfortunately many are liberal and some are conservative, so you can't judge one by another.

The basis behind the church of Christ is the Bible and nothing but, no human creeds or traditions. Musical insterments are a big debate and the easy way to identify a liberal one is their presence. As we have no examples of musical insterments being used in worship in the New Testament they are largely avoided, with congregational A Cappella singing being the form of musical worship. ("Eph 5:19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart." says to sing, not play insterments)

If you haven't guessed yet, I am a member of a church of Christ, but I'm not a church of Christer. Another way to tell a liberal vs a conservative member is their willingness to assume that title. I am not a member of any denomination, I am simply a member of the Lord's church as explained in the New Testament. I speak where the Bible speaks and remain silent where it is silent. Thus I do not believe in musical insterments being used in worship, I do not believe women should be allowed to preach (our role is elsewhere), and I believe that God left the path to Salvation in it's perfect form in the written Word and there is nothing more needed, thus human creeds and traditions are a hinderance to our ability to attain salvation. 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." John 12:48 - "The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day." Mat 15:8-9 "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" I'm not willing to risk my soul creeds and traditions, Mat 7:21-23 : "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' " So I put my faith in the Bible and nothing but.

I have no denominational affilliation, I am simply a member of the Lord's church that happens to meet at a place called the University church of Christ in San Marcos, Texas.

[pope1982]

Thelma When I first saw the topic title, I could have sworn it said "Religious Affliction"!

Technically, my fiance' and I were both raised Catholic. Went through all the motions... baptism, communion, Sunday school, confession...
Haven't stepped foot in any kind of church in some years though.

Catholics, especially Roman Catholics are very strict and getting married is a huge process so we are hiring an ordained Catholic Priest to come to us, at our location to perform the ceremony.

Oh Marylin, I wanted an answer, no problem!

LOL! @ Lissa, I promise not to call you a Church of Christer!!!

We have Church of Christ on every corner in Tn so I am somewhat a little familiar with the belief. As mentioned my best friend is one. She was FLABBERGASTED when I started RCIA to become Catholic. I use to live over near Henderson Tn, and their University is there.

Becky, I know what you mean!! LOL! just try joining the Catholic church when you have been married before I can't even participate in the sacrements until that marriage is anuled. Which I am in the process of now. Its been interesting. But Father is awesome! I have so enjoyed it.

Heather, I already know your beliefs and how your gonna convert to catholicism anyway, *wink* so dont sweat it!!!!!

"Heather, I already know your beliefs and how your gonna convert to catholicism anyway, *wink* so dont sweat it!!!!!"


Um yeah, that's gonna happen! No organized religion for me. If the people I hate most and who have stabbed me in the back repeatedly are all in "heaven", then how is Heaven "heaven" if I won't even like the people there? But if all of my friends and loved ones (outside of my family) are going straight to Hell, then can it really be that bad of a place? I mean, why would I want to spend eternity with those I hate in "heaven", and never see the ones I love? I know it sounds stupid, but so is the ridiculous judgement and backstabbing that's gone on at every church I've been to! If god decides to stop hating me, and I feel like believing in him again, it won't be in a church!

[Dobie]

I have a strong belief in God, but do not attend an organized church. I used to belong to a very small (30 members) church - but was told that I had lost my salvation when I divorced my husband who had been beating me up and refused to get help (said it was the medication he was on and there was nothing he could do about it - I just needed to learn not to aggravate him.) He didn't want the divorce, so he was allowed to stay and I was kicked out.

I think I made it worse when I told the elders that I thought that their sin (taking on the role of God and declaring that I had lost my salvation) - was worse than mine.

I do not believe that God would want me to stay in a relationship where I was being physically abused.

[pearl]

i'm with you there, dobie.
i go to a methodist church but my beliefs are not traditional. i believe the life of jesus was an inspiration, and that there have been several prophets that we can learn from the life of. i try to follow those teachings.
i don't literally take the immaculate conception as reality, but i also think it doesn't matter what we believe about what or how things really happened back then. how a person lives their life is more important.
my main way to live life is take care of myself, help other people, and take care of the earth.
i like a lot of things other rreligions say...buddhism, taoism, etc.
i get a lot of spiritual things from nature, my friendships, the way the whole universe works, and music; i see a lot of god there.

[Janet]

My family are members of the First Church of the Nazarene. I started there as a child. Now, I attend (and not every Sunday) a nice country church a couple miles from us...Hopewell United Methodist Church. The people there are all my neighbors and a lot of the families whose kids ride my bus. It's not very big, maybe 100 or less members, but it sure feels good to be there.

aw Dobie, I'm sorry! Thats what I tell my mom........she is a charismatic holy rolling believer, and when she found out I was converting to the "great whore in the book of revelations!" she almost had a stroke. In fact I need testimony from family members as to why my previous marriage ended. Getting testimony from family members so you can become catholic when they think you should have stayed in the relationship has proven difficult in the extreme. Never mind that he settled arguments by pointing a gun in my face on more than one occasion. Had I had the sense god gave a monkey he would have done time for aggravated felony domestic assault. But its in the past now, and I wish him only blessings.
Anyway, after we split, most of my former friends and family totaly turned against me. So I told my mom, that while I would never set myself on the level of god himself, that like him when he said "these wounds I got in the house of my friends". thats me. every bad thing that has ever happened to me has been at the hand of a so called christian. I have learned that most have forgotten that christian is suppose to mean christ like.
My desire to become catholic, is that they are an extremely formal church and I believe it is a human need to have a ritual of worship. I find that there. My personal convictions of my inner soul are simply between god and myself. he knows me, the good the bad and the ugly, and amazingly enough he still sent his son to die for me. thats all I need.
Thanks for sharing Dobie. I needed that! {huggie}