Finally declaring a denomination???
Nov. 8th, 2004 02:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bluejeans07Lj-cut for uninterested individuals or for people who don't want to think about it.
All my years as a Christian, I never really chose a denomination for myself and where I fit in the broad spectrum of Christianity (Church of Jean's Twisted Beliefs seem hardly appropriate =P). Mostly I've hopped from church to church after leaving Oriental Mission Church, like Lake Avenue Church or Saddleback. OMC was a good church to start, but I soon realized that I never fit in there, it's too conservative for me and I got scolded or gently told I was 'wrong' by various pastors and teachers, and was never told WHY I was wrong. I despise that, I want to be told WHY I am wrong, I want someone to argue with me and give me solid reasons why I'm wrong as I would give back solid reasons why I believe I was right! Yet I never got that, I was only discouraged from asking more questions and then judged for my beliefs. I actually did try to believe everything that the pastors told me, but something in my heart kept saying, "No, this is wrong, it's not right. I can't agree to this. I can't be catagorized into believe this thing that I don't agree with is right."
I realized that I'm a liberal person at heart and that I follow what is largely catagorized as a conservative religion where I agree and believe in important matters of it (God, Jesus, Holy Trinity, Heaven, Hell, sin) but just CANNOT agree to certain lifestyle declarations of it (homosexuality, war, authorized killing, etc.) I read the Bible and often go "Okay, it's in the Bible, I HAVE to believe it" and still hear that voice saying "It's wrong, how can this be right? It doesn't seem fair." I struggled with this for a long time and I haven't picked up my Bible in over a year because of it. I pray to God every night and tell Him about my life and my problems, as well as my hopes and dreams. I love talking to God because He listens... but I'm not quite sure how to listen to God because to me, the Bible is flawed. I just can't agree to everything. I mean, my opinions aren't perfect but they make sense to me, and there are times when the Bible just doesn't make sense and I get confused and there's no one I can talk to about how I feel because of how I was shunned and ignored in OMC.
After just sitting on my butt and weighing options, I've decided to go on a search for liberal churches and denominations. I want to find a place where I'll be accepted and where I can learn more about God. I want a place where people can tell me that I can believe in these things and where I won't be forced into believing something I just can't agree with. I want to be able to be told that I'm wrong and I want people to debate with me why I'm wrong on certain things. I just want my religion to make sense to me and feel that what I believe in is as perfect as it can get, instead of full of holes and flaws that it makes me confused. To be confused to the point of wishing that I was built to believe in Eru the One and the Valar like all the characters in Middle Earth was just too much of a slap in the face. Of course, if Professor Tolkien heard me say that, he'd probably be shocked and then drag me to church to do Hail Marys and the like even though I'm not Catholic.
So two denominations I'm looking into are Episcopalian and Unitarian Universalism. I really liked the sound of Unitarian Universalism when I first heard of it, even if it was a silly girl saying that she belongs to "The be-nice-to-everyone-and-be-the-best-person-you-can-be-while-you're-here-and-hope-that-whoever-is-in-charge-up-there-isn't-as-petty-as-they-say religion." I found the main webpage (www.uua.org) and found the basics of the religion:
"# The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
# Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
# Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
# A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
# The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
# The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
# Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
# Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
# Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
# Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
# Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
# Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
# Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature."
I like the sound of it so far although there are certain parts where I picture myself sitting with love beads and peace signs. XD There are two churches that are within 2 miles of my place so I'm thinking about visiting one this weekend. On the personal webpage of one of them (located on Orange Grove) was a HUGE rainbow banner that had "FREEDOM OF MARRIAGE" written across the bottom so that made me super happy.
I'm still reading up on Episcopalian on www.episcopalian.org, but I think Mandy's parents follow this religion and some of the things she said to me about Episcopalian just makes sense to me (i.e. Revelations being a metaphor for spiritual growth instead of actual happenings.) I can't seem to find any Episcopalain churches save one in Pasadena and I feel a little iffy going to it since it's called the "All Saints Church" and I don't believe in worshiping Saints or the Virgin Mary. I may just go for a visit and check it out so maybe. I need to do more research.
If anyone has any suggestions for me, let me know.
All my years as a Christian, I never really chose a denomination for myself and where I fit in the broad spectrum of Christianity (Church of Jean's Twisted Beliefs seem hardly appropriate =P). Mostly I've hopped from church to church after leaving Oriental Mission Church, like Lake Avenue Church or Saddleback. OMC was a good church to start, but I soon realized that I never fit in there, it's too conservative for me and I got scolded or gently told I was 'wrong' by various pastors and teachers, and was never told WHY I was wrong. I despise that, I want to be told WHY I am wrong, I want someone to argue with me and give me solid reasons why I'm wrong as I would give back solid reasons why I believe I was right! Yet I never got that, I was only discouraged from asking more questions and then judged for my beliefs. I actually did try to believe everything that the pastors told me, but something in my heart kept saying, "No, this is wrong, it's not right. I can't agree to this. I can't be catagorized into believe this thing that I don't agree with is right."
I realized that I'm a liberal person at heart and that I follow what is largely catagorized as a conservative religion where I agree and believe in important matters of it (God, Jesus, Holy Trinity, Heaven, Hell, sin) but just CANNOT agree to certain lifestyle declarations of it (homosexuality, war, authorized killing, etc.) I read the Bible and often go "Okay, it's in the Bible, I HAVE to believe it" and still hear that voice saying "It's wrong, how can this be right? It doesn't seem fair." I struggled with this for a long time and I haven't picked up my Bible in over a year because of it. I pray to God every night and tell Him about my life and my problems, as well as my hopes and dreams. I love talking to God because He listens... but I'm not quite sure how to listen to God because to me, the Bible is flawed. I just can't agree to everything. I mean, my opinions aren't perfect but they make sense to me, and there are times when the Bible just doesn't make sense and I get confused and there's no one I can talk to about how I feel because of how I was shunned and ignored in OMC.
After just sitting on my butt and weighing options, I've decided to go on a search for liberal churches and denominations. I want to find a place where I'll be accepted and where I can learn more about God. I want a place where people can tell me that I can believe in these things and where I won't be forced into believing something I just can't agree with. I want to be able to be told that I'm wrong and I want people to debate with me why I'm wrong on certain things. I just want my religion to make sense to me and feel that what I believe in is as perfect as it can get, instead of full of holes and flaws that it makes me confused. To be confused to the point of wishing that I was built to believe in Eru the One and the Valar like all the characters in Middle Earth was just too much of a slap in the face. Of course, if Professor Tolkien heard me say that, he'd probably be shocked and then drag me to church to do Hail Marys and the like even though I'm not Catholic.
So two denominations I'm looking into are Episcopalian and Unitarian Universalism. I really liked the sound of Unitarian Universalism when I first heard of it, even if it was a silly girl saying that she belongs to "The be-nice-to-everyone-and-be-the-best-person-you-can-be-while-you're-here-and-hope-that-whoever-is-in-charge-up-there-isn't-as-petty-as-they-say religion." I found the main webpage (www.uua.org) and found the basics of the religion:
"# The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
# Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
# Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
# A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
# The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
# The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
# Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
# Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
# Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
# Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
# Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
# Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
# Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature."
I like the sound of it so far although there are certain parts where I picture myself sitting with love beads and peace signs. XD There are two churches that are within 2 miles of my place so I'm thinking about visiting one this weekend. On the personal webpage of one of them (located on Orange Grove) was a HUGE rainbow banner that had "FREEDOM OF MARRIAGE" written across the bottom so that made me super happy.
I'm still reading up on Episcopalian on www.episcopalian.org, but I think Mandy's parents follow this religion and some of the things she said to me about Episcopalian just makes sense to me (i.e. Revelations being a metaphor for spiritual growth instead of actual happenings.) I can't seem to find any Episcopalain churches save one in Pasadena and I feel a little iffy going to it since it's called the "All Saints Church" and I don't believe in worshiping Saints or the Virgin Mary. I may just go for a visit and check it out so maybe. I need to do more research.
If anyone has any suggestions for me, let me know.
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no subject
Date: 2004-11-09 10:28 am (UTC)Also, we had this um... very zealous and scary pastor who was in charge of the college group and used to be a gymnast and had been fasting for... like the entire month?! Or maybe it was more than that. And whenever he was preaching for the HS group, he kept yelling at us o_o;;;;
no subject
Date: 2004-11-09 11:31 pm (UTC)