Question for DU Christians

[gee double you bee]

First let me apologize ahead of time for painting with a broad brush, but I don't know a lot about the Christian faith, so please forgive me! (no pun intended)

I would like to start going to church, but I really have no idea about the differences between the various denominations. I would really like to walk in and listen to a sermon about faith, hope, kindness, acceptence and charity, and not walk in a listen to some fire and brimstone gay bashing for an hour. So my question is basically which church would I most likely get the kind of experience I'm looking for from? Thanks for any help! :)

By the way, this was inspired by those commercials by that church(?) giving a message of acceptance. Again, sorry for my ignorance on this subject.

I've long been turned off by the constant drum beat of hate that I normally see coming from religious people I see on tv, so I loved those commercials.

[BamaLefty]

1. Church of Christ

Says no instrumental music. CofC believe in a bible verse that reads, "Make music in your heart."

[yellowdogintexas]

16. the non instrumental Church of Christ is extremely fundy

don't go there, especially in the Southern half of the country

[Carson]

29. I'm a member of a non-instrumental church of Christ.

I've always been a bit confused as to what the collective DU means exactly by "fundy", but I like the simplicity of the CoC's message.

To each his/her own, of course.

[BamaLefty]

38. Yes... it is very conservative politically

And when they talk politics during the sermon (yes, it happens!) I leave and find another church.

The pre-election Repub pep talk really pissed me off! :evil:

[yellowdogintexas]

39. my experience has been strict literalist interpretation, which

included a gentleman of my acquaintance telling a child that dinosaurs had never existed because they weren't in the Bible


also, an attitude that they are the only ones entitled to reach Heaven because they practice immersion...and some congregations only believe the tank in their church is good enough. seriously.


Coming from the Methodist tradition of open communion for all believers, the first time I was refused Communion at one of their services, I knew something wasn't right.

I am just a whole lot more liberal ..and I am well acquainted with one specific congregation in my home town in Kentucky.
And I hope none of this offended you, because I would never want to do that. There are folks in that church that I have known all my life and am very fond of, and my sister married a man from that church so there are 4 people whom I love deeply (her and her family)...but I could never worship there regularly.

[susanna]

42. Regarding communion...

IMHO, Christ would have turned none away. So closed communion is a deal breaker for me. I won't go to a church that does that to people. I left my childhood church over just that issue. It just flies in the face of all Christ's words and deeds.

[Carson]

45. Not offended at all.

I was raised in the church (both grandfathers preachers, father an elder) and have never heard of a congregation insisting on a specific place to be immersed. That doctrine/belief is completely foreign to me. We have a baptismal "tank" in our church, but I've known people to use lakes, rivers, creeks, swimming pools...water is water.

As for the unbelief in dinosaurs, that's a new one on me as well.

I will, however, concur with the strict interpretation of the Bible. That is the main tenet of the CoC.

[Nikia]

33. I belonged to a Church of Christ that was instrumental

Church of Christ does usually tend towards Fundamentalism. Their main statement is "Where the scripture speaks, we speak. Where the scripture is silent, we are silent." Each church is autonomous though so there is variation.

[purduejake]

2. The UCC (United Church of Christ)...

Is the one who put out the commercial and got a lot of flack for one of them they put out where bouncers weren't letting in minorities and gays. You know, calling for tolerance is controvercial now days. Anyway, I haven't been to one of these churches but know many people who do and they seem to like it (I don't go to any church. My friends are all pretty liberal and wouldn't put up with any intolerance at church, so you may want to start there.

http://www.ucc.org

edit: link

[progmom]

3. Where do you live?

The First United Methodist Church is all about "open hearts, open minds" but I do know that some southern Methodist churches are a bit different.

[yellowdogintexas]

17. what city are you in , prog mom

my First United Methodist church is very liberal, a loving caring parish with great ministers ...Fort Worth Texas

The "Open Hearts, Open Minds" is actually a national theme, even though you are right, in the southeast you will find that the Methodist churches are somewhat more conservative than elsewhere (and even then it depends on the traditions of that congregation and the current minister and where he went to seminary)

[Bouncy Ball]

22. Yep

I am officially a Methodist but won't go to methodist churches anymore. Too conservative. The official creed of the church is fine by me, but I hear too many judgemental, hypocritical, hateful things said by other methodists. It turned me off totally.

Oh I live in Texas.

[yellowdogintexas]

25. what part of Texas, it is after all a big place

[progmom]

35. I'm in South East Michigan

And my congregation is very open and inviting. The minister and I have had many talks about the church's position on homosexuality (my brother is gay). I really like and respect my clergy, and love those Methodist hymns.

[Aristus]

44. The UMC in Washington State is not exactly liberal, but it is

relatively tolerant and welcoming. The Methodist Church has a strong belief in social justice.

And as progmom says, the hymns are really good. One of them, "This Is My Father's World" inspired Howard Shore's "Shire Theme" from his Lord Of The Rings soundtrack

[tuvor]

4. This probably doesn't answer your question

and I'm sure a lot of mainstream Christians will have trouble with it, but this ex-mainstreamer has taken a lot of comfort in the articles to be found at www.tentmaker.org.

"Jesus Christ, the saviour of ALL men, especially those who believe." 1Timothy 4:10

[faithnotgreed]

11. hey - as someone who believes, i think

the bible verse you include there is right on. thanks for sharing that. i dont know what you mean by ex-mainstreamer but it sounds like whatever you were formerly, you come from love and acceptance...

i was glad to read your post

[tuvor]

15. I'm glad you found it worthwhile.

Yes, I've been very lucky that way.

Cheers.

[rawtribe]

5. United church of Christ

did the add your thinking of

http://www.ucc.org/index2.html

[Coyote_Bandit]

6. The more politically liberal christian churches

are the unitarian universalists, the united church of Christ, and the Quakers (Society of Friends). I believe that being a Quaker (or Amish or Mennonite) can get you conscientious objector status. Non-denominational churces can be liberal or conservative but my experience is that they tend, more than likely, to be fundamentalist. Some Anglican (Episcopal), Methodist and Catholic churches are quite liberal but this varies and is certainly not consistent within the denomination.

All Christian churches should be liberal. Those that are not are deceived.

:evilgrin:

[blondeatlast]

7. Raised Presbyterian, I'm leaning Unitarian Universalist.

UU "churches" accept all faiths, Jew, Muslims, Christians, Pagans, Wiccans, etc.

Most have a universal "sermon" every week with a spritual subtext, then meditation/prayer.

[proudbluestater]

8. There is so much difference, even within the same faith!

I was raised a Lutheran in what is called the Missouri Synod. It is a group of very conservative churches and everything is hell fire and the devil. No women were allowed roles in the church other than choir membership.

A few years ago I decided I'd had enough and found the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Still Lutheran, but much more liberal. No fire and brimstome. More about loving their neighbor and helping each other out in times of trouble. Women are ordained ministers and play key roles in the church body.

What a difference within the same faith!

[Wapsie B]

10. I was raised a Missouri Lutheran

but my family switched to the ALC or what is now the ELCA. Yes it is much more moderate and some congregations can be liberal depending on where the church is, like a college town for example.
There's quite a difference just among Lutherans. The Missouri and Wisconsin Lutherans do not associate with any other denomination. Although the are as conservative as any denomination in the Promise Keepers they abhor ecumenical activities.

[susanna]

43. I was raised LCMS as well...

...and left for the same reasons you describe. It can be uncomfortable, because the rest of my family is still devout within that denomination. But I am altogether happier away from it. Because of my family's strong LCMS background, I shied away from ELCA. That would be like taunting them, in a sense. I did not want to do that.

My new husband is Presbyterian USA and I find myself very welcome within his church, and their focus to be on help vs. hellfire. So here I am. :-)

[realisticphish]

49. I grew up

(and currently am) ELCA. my grandfather is an ELCA pastor, and you should hear him talk about the missouri synod:)


:hippie: The Incorrigible Democrat

[faithnotgreed]

9. lutheran church that is "reconciled in christ". also quaker churches

though from my experience the quakers tend more to be the silent meetings where one meditates and shares out loud only as the spirit moves. i was raised in a quaker based church that had sermons and important social outreach

there are a couple great churches here in dc but in the smaller areas its usually harder to find.
for me, the unitarian didnt fill what i needed but i know that they do for many people. they are great and fill an important need

best wishes finding it is what you want and need. many are looking for different things but all of us want to find real connection in whatever form we choose.

on edit: i saw post # 8 regarding lutheran church. those that are "reconciled in Christ" will also belong to elca as poster mentioned.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. Go give the United Church of Christ a try

They are the ones who made the ad you saw.

Check them out at http://www.stillspeaking.com and at the national office website http://www.ucc.org

The UCC was the first church to ordain women and the first to ordain African Americans (both in the 1800s, though that was the Congregational Church, which is one of the ancestors of the UCC) and the first to ordain an openly gay man (1972) and, most likely, the first to ordain an openly gay woman as well.

Due to the Congregational polity of the UCC, you will find a lot of variance from one congregation to the next, but for the most part, they will be intellecutally stimulating and curious, open to diversity, accepting of differing viewpoints and differing people, and will have a strong ethic of social justice, social witness, and liberation theology.

It was also the UCC that fought the FCC to declare that the airwaves are owned by the public, and thus forced the equal access laws (whatever they're called) for all radio and television broadcasts using the public's airwaves.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. The following denominations are most likely to have liberal parishes:

United Church of Christ (plain old Church of Christ or the Campbellites is an evangelical denomination), American Baptist (not Southern Baptist), ELCA Lutheran, United Methodist, Unitarian-Universalist, Episcopal, Quaker.

The UUs are almost unfailingly liberal, but if they aren't explicitly religious enough for you (they're not for me), try one of the others. Quakers have no set liturgy or ordained clergy,and people speak as the spirit moves them. As for the other denominations, call their local headquarters and ask which churches in their district/diocese are the most liberal. They will know. In addition, there seems to be a parish for mavericks in every Catholic diocese.

Once you have a list, the only thing you can do is "church shop." Attend one of them each Sunday, and then stop by the coffee hour. Eventually you will find a church where the vibes are right, the service is inspiring, the sermon is meaningful, and the people are friendly at coffee hour. It's hard to explain, but you'll know when you find it.

Good luck! If nothing else, you'll get a quick course in comparative Christian denominations.

[Tsiyu]

19. Good question. Good Advice

and I love the Advent candles!

[njdemocrat106]

20. There are liberal Catholic parishes. I know.

I didn't realize how conservative my old parish was until I went to different parish one Sunday. My new parish is definitely more liberal, and we had a sermon where the topic was "change" and the priest ended it with "and on Election Day, I think we need a change" (He also called the Smear-boat Vet ads "dirty and cheap"). The reason I left my old parish was because the music was WAY too repetitive (yes, I know that might count as a stupid reason for leaving a church, but I swear we sang "City of God" every week. Just a few days ago, I checked out the website for my old parish, and what do you know? It started playing a midi of "City of God"!).

To the original poster, just keep attending a different service at a different denomination every week until you find one you feel comfortable and welcomed at. Feel free to keep us informed about your experiences, too.

[Hans Delbrook]

28. How did you find a more liberal parish?

Was it just a happy accident? The one I attend was horrible during the election. My husband and I felt most out of place there. On the Catholic forum it was recommended that we find a more liberal parish (a good idea) but I have no idea how to go about it. Maybe a less affluent area?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

34. As I said in my post, if it's a more liberal Catholic parish you want

call your diocesan office and ask which parish in the area is most liberal.

If you live in the Twin Cities, it's St. Joan of Arc. If you're in Portland, Oregon, it's St. Philip Neri. I know this because friends of mine attend these parishes. If you're located anywhere else, call your diocesan office. They will know, probably because they don't approve of it very much. :-)

[njdemocrat106]

36. Happy accident

I wasn't even looking for a liberal parish. Like I said, I tried a different parish (still nearby) mainly because we sang the same hymns week after week (stupid reason, I know). I liked what is now my current church a lot better than my old one, and I've been going ever since. My mom, who still goes to my old church, and who pretty much knows nothing of my political persuasions other than "that I like politics", came home with this "election guide" booklet for me to read that of course painted Bush in a positive manner and Kerry as an "immoral liberal". I had none of that crap in my current church. (By the way, I did convince her to vote Kerry despite that booklet).

[Left Is Write]

31. I belong to the ELCA.

ELCA stands for Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but don't let the word "evangelical" fool you. It's not evangelical in the sense of the fundamentalist, heavily witnessing "evangelical Christian" movement. It's "Evangelical" as in, originated from the Lutheran churches in Germany and other parts of Europe.

Anyway. ELCA churches are more likely to be liberal than any other Lutheran denomination. We are a welcoming church. Everyone is welcome to attend services at an ELCA church. Everyone. We do not view the Bible as the literal, inerrant Word Of God, but rather as a document divinely inspired, written by man, and open to interpretaton. You are highly unlikely to find any kind of fire and brimstone sermonizing in an ELCA church. Some congregations are more liberal than others; that's largely a regional community thing.

I agree with those who have suggested church shopping. Choose a few area churches that look promising, and a attend a service or two or three at each one until you get a feel for what might fit you the best. Also, don't hesitate to call the churches and ask to speak to the pastor or pastors, explain that you may be looking for a new church home, and that you may have some questions.

Good luck!

[Liberty Belle]

14. Methodists. We welcome every, including gays.

It's a stain of disohonor that Bush claims to be a Methodist, unfortunately.

I grew up going to Church of Christ, with a fire-and-brimstone preacher that totally turned me off. I married a Catholic, but we both stopped going there when the priest gave a sermon one day about how anyone who wasn't Catholic was going straight to hell.
We spent a few months church-shopping before finally settling in a UInited Methodist Church that preaches kindness, peace, and tolerance--the real Christian values, IMHO.

[yellowdogintexas]

18. My Methodist Sunday School class is full of recovering Catholics

as they call themselves. Quite a few of the couples in the class came from other traditions and discovered our church and felt at home here.

We are in Fort Worth and there are several large liberal UMC churches in the Fort Worth/Dallas area. Also, Univ Christian in FW, several Unitarian congregations and a Unity congregation in Dallas that is mostly gay.

Episcopalians here are very conservative, but very liberal in the north

[Abelman]

23. I'm a Methodist

at my core. I've found little infusions of Taoist and Buddhist belief within it. No purposefully, but parallels. The image of God as being in all living things, which I've gained at least from my church.

I've attended Catholic Mass. I hated it.

[Bouncy Ball]

24. Wow.

All but your last sentence I could have written myself. (I've never attended a Catholic mass.)

But the rest of it? Right on.

[njdemocrat106]

26. I don't hate Mass! To each his (or her) own

Then again, I've been going every week for God knows long ;-)

[Bouncy Ball]

21. Try a UU church

Universal Unitarian. I am a Christian and at this point, I actually wouldn't attend any other church but a UU one. I've been to MANY and belonged to a few different denominations and would only go UU.

They are very open and progressive. They welcome people of all faiths and atheists, etc.

[IndyPriest]

27. Gee: are you looking for more ritual or more bible?

The info in the posts above is pretty solid, in my experience.

Another thing you might want to consider is that Christianity tends to split between ritual and bible expressions. If you're looking for more bible preaching/teaching in the liberal tradition, I'd lean to the U Methodists and the Amer. Baptists. If you can find a Black Baptist church in the liberal tradition, I'd check it out. If, on the other hand, you're looking for more ritual, less bible, but still in the liberal tradition, look into a Catholic campus ministry/parish. Most larger universities have them. You won't get as much preaching on Sunday, but it'll most likely be up your alley.

As has been noted: church shop.

[Ms_Mary]

30. What about a unitarian universalist?

We don't have any here, but I hear good things.

[TrogL]

32. Episcopalean ( or Anglican)

Anglicanism is a big tent. Some of the evangelicals give me the creeps but mainstream or even high or Anglo-Catholic is pretty safe.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

37. Yes, I love being Episcopalian

We have the traditional liturgy, but most parishes are liberal socially, and nobody cares too much about the details of your beliefs.

I was brought up LCA Lutheran, but I find Episcopalians to be more single-friendly, probably as a result of their gay friendliness. In some Lutheran churches, you feel as if you have to have a spouse and two children to qualify for membership.

[LDS Jock]

40. check out this site... www.religioustolerance.org

link here so its clickable www.religioustolerance.org and you can read about all difference churches and denominations and make your own decisions. I've read about many churches, and been to almost every kind of church you can think of. Listen to the other posts on this thread. They are giving you some good advice. I just wanted to provide you with this link so you have something to learn more about them from a neutral site.

[another5bdem]

46. So are you LDS?

If you don't mind my asking.

[LDS Jock]

50. yes I am.. and I don't mind anyone asking

[More Than A Feeling]

41. Try the American Baptist Convention

Not the Southern Baptists! The ABC is the original organization from which the southern baptists split from over slavery.

My (female!) pastor is a total liberal, as is more than half of the congregation, as far as I can tell. Only one congregation, but the denomination is definitely not radical right

[liberalhistorian]

47. I'd say the

United Church of Christ, or a Friends (Quaker) Church. Just like with all denominations, though, each individual church may be different from the general denomination, so you'll have to find one you're comfortable with.

The Friends Church is usually very progressive and socially active (they sent members to the anti-repuke, anti-war rally at the repub convention in New York, as well as other protests and marches), but the local one I attended for a long time became far too fundie and right-wing, so I had to leave. The UCC is a good liberal, progressive denomination for the most part as well, although there are some more conservative individual churches.

[Zomby Woof]

48. I like boneless christians

With chips.

[Beware the Beast Man]

51. It's really a matter of calling.

You don't find a denomination, a denomination finds you. I never guessed that I would convert to Catholicism, but I did about two years ago. I guess the best thing to do is not take any denomination for face value; there are good and bad people everywhere. I wish you the best on your endeavor! :hi: