Why are you Baptist, Anglican, Lutheran, etc....

I was born and raised in my church - however I came to the point of wanting to read what others had to say and then -- eventually also wanting to know what other Christian churches had to say about my church.

That was a long time ago. Since then I have collected a lot of information about a lot of different ways to view the Gospel and to view Christianity.

The Good News is that I have found that exegesis works! It is bold, observable, obvious and available and as obvious as the message of John the baptizer and Christ to the Jews of the first century.

A simple test is with the literal creation week of Genesis 1-2:3. Even those whose doctrines require that they object to it - can easily be caught "admitting" that the text is easily seen to direct the reader to a literal week - just as the Exodus 20 summary that God provides of that same timeline in Gen 1-2:3 shows us.

This principle of exegesis means that those who oppose must cling to their beliefs "inspite" of the wording of the text ... not "because" of it.

In Christ,

Bob

 

I was born into a Catholic family. Most of use were social catholics, but my NaNa (can you tell we are Italian?) was a very strong catholic.

When my parents divorced, church took a back seat to everything else in our lives. We stopped attending church.

I met my wife in high school. By this time I considered myself and agnostic athiest.

She asked me what I thought the meaning of life was. I told her to be a good person and live a good life. She said it was to live life for God. I said ok and moved on (Hey, she was quite attractive, no need to offend her).

This got me to thinking about religion once again and I started to do quite a bit of research. Research that I continue today (never stop learning, thinking and asking questions).

One night, it hit me that there had to be a god simply because of morals (offtopic, but intersting if you care) and all of the sudden I just felt God there with me. I had no idea what I was doing, but I remember praying and praying and praying and praying and basically "waking" up about 2 hours later, saved. I was a completely different person at that point. Everyone instantly noticed the change, including my wife (we were just friends then).

We started to date about a month later and we got married quite a few years later (after college, my grad school and her medical school).

That is my story of how I was saved.

Why do I attend the church I do? Basically because I feel the teachings are biblical and the pastor has a firm grasp of teaching from the bible.

What do I consider myself? Christian. No denomination needed.

jason

 

But now that you know the truth - would you ever consider going back to the RCC?

In Christ,

Bob

 

But being raised a Catholic - did you think that "teachings that are Bible based" was "the whole point"? Why didn't you simply go to what you were raised to think was the "true church" no matter what the Bible says - since that is how you were raised?

How did you get to the point of valuing doctrines whose strength was in "Sola Scriptura" when you were not raised that way?

In Christ,

Bob

 

But being raised a Catholic - did you think that "teachings that are Bible based" was "the whole point"? Why didn't you simply go to what you were raised to think was the "true church" no matter what the Bible says - since that is how you were raised?

How did you get to the point of valuing doctrines whose strength was in "Sola Scriptura" when you were not raised that way?

In Christ,

Bob </font>[/QUOTE]When I wasn't a christian, the only things I valued as always true were reason and information. I thought, as most scientists do, that if you had enough information and enough time to reason it out, the solution would present itself and you would be able to make sense of it all.

When I became a christian, I quickly realized that God in no way intended one to give up reason and information. These are tools that can lead one to God! For me, that was the only way. I am not a particularrly feeling person; I do not trust emotions and in particular, my emotions. I know this is a limitation of who I am and I deal with it.

So when I became a christian, I quickly tried to absorb as much information as possible. I read every thing I could. I read about almost every denomination (except the mormons, which I am not sure is a true denomination anyway), every sect, every schism. I was trying to assimilate everything and seek the truth. I was approaching religion the way I would a mathematical proof, a programming problem or a chemical reaction. That is how I am.

In doing so I realized that the only thing that never fails is the bible. The bible has never been proven wrong (historically etc etc) and the bible doesn't contradict itself (unlike most religions and men of religion (think infallibility)).

The only problem I had at that point was then to find the truth in the bible, but that is what all christians must do anyway. I then decided that I would follow God, seeking him through the bible, prayer, devotiona and fellowship. I am still open to going to a different church, it just doesn't seem plausible at this point though. I feel (even though I normally don't trust my feelings) that God has shown me where he wants me with the gifts he has given me.

That being said, I still have strong reasons to object to many teachings in different denominations as I think they are not only non-biblical, but non-christian.

So, that is why I attend a non-denominational church.

Does that help?

jason

 

I am a Primitive Baptist because I agree with its teachings and its practices, though I may disagree with some views some of my brethren hold about certain things like Double Predestination.
I was born a Roman Catholic in Roman Catholic Philippines, but have always felt that I was not in the right church and so in my prayers I always asked the Lord to bring me to His church, I drifted to atheism as a natural consequence of constant company with Marxists in the struggle against the dictatorship of the Marcos regime in the very early 70's.
In 1973, I was converted in a Bible Baptist church in the south of my country, "baptized" a month later.
In 1997, I came to the United States, where I first heard the doctrines of Grace in a strongly Calvinistic church, not PB.
In the fall of 1998, my wife and I started going to a PB church, and in January 1999, this 5'9" 250 pounder was baptized by a 5'5"160 pounder in a baptistery with water at about 38F, in a small PB church in Lovettsville, Virginia.

 

I'm the only member of my family who's Baptist. Others are Calvarean, Catholic, Presbyterian, and Reformed. Quite an eclectic bunch. The most important thing is we're all saved Christians. I'm from a family where I can count the number of unsaved folks on no fingers. I guess I have my spirit filled mother to thank for that, who herself had an evangelical father.

I became born again in, of all things, a Catholic high school, thanks to a priest, who, filled with the Holy Spirit, refused to give up on me in a time of rebellion. I eventually chose the Baptist faith after much consideration and prayer. Particularly, the SBC faith and message, as well as the distinctives, align with my own personal beliefs very closely. On those few points where I disagree with the SBC, I accept them as a matter of obligation and adherence. If you hadn't guessed, I take my denominational affiliation very seriously.

 

Ok then I will ask the same question again --


But being raised a Catholic - did you think that "teachings that are Bible based" was "the whole point"? Why didn't you simply go to what you were raised to think was the "true church" no matter what the Bible says - since that is how you were raised?

How did you get to the point of valuing doctrines whose strength was in "Sola Scriptura" when you were not raised that way?


In Christ,

Bob

 

Why we are members of a Full Gospel/Pentecostal church? When my husband and I were engaged, we went on to search for a church that would fit both of us. He was raised Dutch Reformed and I was raised Full gospel. We have visited all the churches here in Apeldoorn to see how a service was done, how many old/young people there were and what options there were for members to find or develop their ministry or calling. We tasted the atmosphere and thought about what the preacher preached. The first year of our marriage we have been members of our present church, while also visiting a Dutch Reformed church until the latter got a new preacher who was very liberal and also practising gay. We wanted to do that again this summer and visited a church in a small town not far from where we live. That church was ministered by the former preacher of the church we stopped attending. There are true and spiritfilled Christians everywhere and the fact that we are members of our present church has something to do with us feeling at home there and the church meeting our standards very closely. I know in our city there are wonderful things going on, such as preachers coming together for fellowship, prayer and to set up activities lead by all the churches in Apeldoorn. I think Christians coming together is a good thing. You do not have to agree to every form. After all, it is the sacrifice of Christ and the guidance of the Spirit that makes us one.

Mirjam

 

I attend a Messianic Jewish synagogue (even though I'm not Jewish by birth). I used to be Baptist, but as I kept reading scripture I came to the realization (IMO anyway), that the Baptist church is not sola scriptura though many of its members claim to be.

One of the biggest things that changed my mind was the practice of Shabbat or Sabbath keeping (yes, and on the 7th day even!).

The other (though it may not seem important to most) was that though the Christian world calls Him "Jesus", His name is "Y'shua" which in Hebrew means Salvation (which makes Matth. 1:21 make a whole lot more sense, since the Messiah's name is based on what He will do!).

Since coming to Messianic Judaism (which I believe is the completion of Judaism), I think my walk with the Lord has gone from being 'a part' of my life to being 'the center of my life'. I'm no where near where I want to be in my walk, but believe I'm headed in the right direction.

Shalom Yall!
Cotton

 

Maybe I am missing it - what exactly was the problem with the RCC. What statement about God and Christ turned you away? What exactly were they saying or what were you discovering about history that lead you to the light?

In Christ,

Bob

 

I am a Southern Baptist, and very glad of it. But I was not raised as one.

In fact, I was not raised as anything. My mom had a falling out with the leadership of a church, and we never went back. I was five.

I grew up a child of science and evolution. I became involved in fantasy role-playing games (you name it, I played it). I was as atheistic as you could get.

I started dating Karen my senior year of high school. I had dated her best friend (that is how we met), and couldn't stand her. But we started talking, and I figured out she wasn't as bad as I thought. I asked her out, but her dad's condition was if we went out on Saturday, I had to be at church on Sunday.

I decided I could zone out for an hour or so, so I agreed. We dated for a couple of months, then got engaged. We were engaged for a year, then were married. After marriage, my attendance faltered to once a month or so. But my wife, mother-in-law, and many others kept praying.

Finally, after almost four years of marriage, I accepted the Lord. We attended a Southern Baptist church, but I had never really listened to what the pastor said. And I didn't take my salvation seriously for several years.

After six or seven years, the Lord had wore me down to the point that I couldn't run anymore. I accepted the call to preach. And I dove headfirst into the Bible. I read every free minute, digesting it all. I followed the doctrines, great and small. And I listened to what the Spirit had to say.

After a year or so, I stepped back to see where I stood. I took inventory of what I had learned, and what I believed. It lined up with what the Southern Baptists believe, so I am one today.

I could probably be one of several different kinds of Baptist (I am extremely conservative, moreso than most SBC), but I feel I am where God wants me to be.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

I am a Fundamentalist Independent Bible Believing Christian. I attend an independent church. I don't believe in entangled humanly designed alliances. Corruption at the head always filters down to the fingers and toes...

 

Bob -

Was this question to me or someone else...?

Thanks,
jason