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There are many good reasons not to attend a church. The main one is that they usually insist that you believe everything they teach and often try to find ways to make you feel that without them, you are without God. There are too many people in church who are confused about God and his true character. They will want you to join and become a paying member. Etc...
These are excuses, not reasons. You are making an excuse based on how you feel that other people expect you to behave.
In other words, imagine entering a library, having being told all your life that the librarians expect perfect silence. You have Tourette's. You expect to be thrown out based on this information. Too bad this information is bogus.
Are there churches with small-minded people? Yes. But you have the option of shopping around. If your church seems too mercenary, screw them and pick another one.
Many churches do NOT have a tight doctrine, and do not demand membership dues. I have been at my church for several years and still am like "I'm not being a member (mainly because whenever I do become a member at a church, it seems like something messes up and we have to move)."
There are many good reasons not to attend a church. The main one is that they usually insist that you believe everything they teach and often try to find ways to make you feel that without them, you are without God. There are too many people in church who are confused about God and his true character. They will want you to join and become a paying member. Etc...
One of the things I love most about my church is that we all know we don't have to agree on everything to love Christ, and seek to know Him more intimately, and that we don't let those disagreements come between us and divide us. The more I engage with other Christians here, the more I realize how exceedingly rare that is, that saddens me.
One of the things I love most about my church is that we all know we don't have to agree on everything to love Christ, and seek to know Him more intimately, and that we don't let those disagreements come between us and divide us. The more I engage with other Christians here, the more I realize how exceedingly rare that is, that saddens me.
That is how it is in real life for me, too. I would not attend any other type of church.
One of the things I love most about my church is that we all know we don't have to agree on everything to love Christ, and seek to know Him more intimately, and that we don't let those disagreements come between us and divide us. The more I engage with other Christians here, the more I realize how exceedingly rare that is, that saddens me.
I belng to a mega-church. With that many prople, I guarantee not everyone agrees on everything, especially politically. We do tell our new members our basic, core beliefs, before they join. I can't imagine someone joining if they disagreed with those basics. Maybe, but that's on them if so.
I belng to a mega-church. With that many prople, I guarantee not everyone agrees on everything, especially politically. We do tell our new members our basic, core beliefs, before they join. I can't imagine someone joining if they disagreed with those basics. Maybe, but that's on them if so.
We do agree on the basics. But not everything.
For example, because I am trans and a lesbian, there are some in my church who are uncomfortable with me there, but my pastor won't allow me to be pushed out or marginalized, and is working toward a bigger place at the table for me, so I can do more to serve, and to foster more understanding.
There about 200-ish people that go to ours. We don't have membership in the traditional sense, because we all believe we are all part of the body of Christ, so for us membership in the church would be redundant.
Edit to add: Liberalism is an idea, it can't be defeated.
Essentially, the liberals are not the LGBT/woman/black-friendly people you come to believe. They just use people to get elected. Who defended the victims of Orlando? Wasn't Hillary. (Gasp) it was Trump.
I am also trans and lesbian, btw. But I go to a (relatively) conservative church, voted conservative. After I got completely jaded about Hillary. Oddly, I voted initially for Hillary in the polls. In the span of time from the polls to the election, I learned better.
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I am also trans and lesbian, btw. But I go to a (relatively) conservative church, voted conservative. After I got completely jaded about Hillary. Oddly, I voted initially for Hillary in the polls. In the span of time from the polls to the election, I learned better.
Which proves my point that hip, modern, non-denominational (at first glance, sometimes) Evangelical Christian Megachurches are nothing but GOP meetinghouses/indoctrination centers. Not a real church, just masquerading as one!
Essentially, the liberals are not the LGBT/woman/black-friendly people you come to believe. They just use people to get elected. Who defended the victims of Orlando? Wasn't Hillary. (Gasp) it was Trump.
I am also trans and lesbian, btw. But I go to a (relatively) conservative church, voted conservative. After I got completely jaded about Hillary. Oddly, I voted initially for Hillary in the polls. In the span of time from the polls to the election, I learned better.
I don't think geekigurl, and certainly not I, mean "Democrat" when we refer to ourselves as being liberal Christians. It has nothing to do with political party affiliation.
Personally, I see both parties as two sides of the same box, and I think the box needs to be crushed and recycled. But that's not for this forum.
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