Non-denominational Christians

[a_cermak]

Jack,

Please don’t let the posters on this board drive you away from the Church if you are attracted to it. Some of them are extremists. Learn what the Church teaches through the Catechism and perhaps relevant literature in your field. Maybe see if you can hunt up a Catholic hospital and talk to the resident ethicist or chaplain.

As far as non-denom Churches go, it depends. I’m acquainted with one non-denom Church in my area which is quite large and not at all Fundamentalist. They believe only in the Bible, of course like most non-denoms, but don’t have a real weird interpretation of it, don’t kick members out for sinning, and everyone seems to have a good time at services. For them, the battle cry is we believe in the Bible (really the New Testament, they don’t seem to do much with the OT) and whatever extra you believe is fine. They’re also not anti-Catholic, though anti-Catholicism is neither cool or prudent in my area (Chicago).

For me, when I went looking for a new Church, plagued by some of your concerns, I found the Episcopal Church, though the UMC and UCC were both on my list.

 

[jack_hawkins]

Jack,

Please don’t let the posters on this board drive you away from the Church if you are attracted to it. Some of them are extremists. Learn what the Church teaches through the Catechism and perhaps relevant literature in your field. Maybe see if you can hunt up a Catholic hospital and talk to the resident ethicist or chaplain.

As far as non-denom Churches go, it depends. I’m acquainted with one non-denom Church in my area which is quite large and not at all Fundamentalist. They believe only in the Bible, of course like most non-denoms, but don’t have a real weird interpretation of it, don’t kick members out for sinning, and everyone seems to have a good time at services. For them, the battle cry is we believe in the Bible (really the New Testament, they don’t seem to do much with the OT) and whatever extra you believe is fine. They’re also not anti-Catholic, though anti-Catholicism is neither cool or prudent in my area (Chicago).

For me, when I went looking for a new Church, plagued by some of your concerns, I found the Episcopal Church, though the UMC and UCC were both on my list.

Thanx:thumbsup: I appreciate the encouargement
I need to have that chat with our curate I keep on promising I’ll have
if Janice (my wife) would have joined me at the local CofE, I would have probably gone there. I attended Anglican services at boarding school, the words of Latimer and Ridley in the book of common prayer are so beautiful

 

[Janet_S]

Jack,

Please don’t let the posters on this board drive you away from the Church if you are attracted to it. Some of them are extremists. Learn what the Church teaches through the Catechism and perhaps relevant literature in your field. Maybe see if you can hunt up a Catholic hospital and talk to the resident ethicist or chaplain…

That’s good advice, and many of us have given Jack the same advice–read, study, pray, and learn what the Church teaches. Especially read the encyclicals Humanae Vitae, Evangelion Vitae, and Veritatas Splendor. Also helpful would be Pope JP II’s Theology of the Body.

There may be some extremists on this board. JMcRae is not one of them. He is stating what the Catholic Church teaches about IVF.

 

[jmcrae]

There may be some extremists on this board. JMcRae is not one of them. He is stating what the Catholic Church teaches about IVF.

Just waking up on Sunday mornings in time to go to Mass is enough to make one a “religious fanatic,” according to the prevailing views of society.

 

[Pryority7]

I disagree. The Catholic church is quite denominational. They exclued all other churches and the non-denominational church welcomes people of all denominations.

I beg to differ…

I know of a few Catholics who went and got in involved with nondenomination churches without forsaking their Catholic faith and over time became alienated by the people of that nondenom church. The Inclusivity you are talking about only applies if you decide to believe everything that particular church does. Without that, you’re out…

P7

 

[jack_hawkins]

Just waking up on Sunday mornings in time to go to Mass is enough to make one a “religious fanatic,” according to the prevailing views of society.

extremism is like obesity and old age - the definition depends on the person using the term
an extremist is someone more devout than you
a fat person weighs half a stone more than you
an old person is ten years older than you

 

[awantz]

I beg to differ…

I know of a few Catholics who went and got in involved with nondenomination churches without forsaking their Catholic faith and over time became alienated by the people of that nondenom church. The Inclusivity you are talking about only applies if you decide to believe everything that particular church does. Without that, you’re out…

P7

Not my nondenominational church. Sometimes I feel like they include him more than they do me. I believe everything the Catholic Church does just as much as he believes what my church does. Yet he is more welcome at his church than I am at his. One reason why my church calls itself a nondenominational church is because we welcome people of all denominations. We have Omish, Catholic, Menonite, Pentecostal, and many more denominations who are members of our nondenominational church. The only people who are members of my husband’s Catholic Church are Catholics.

 

[Pryority7]

I believe everything the Catholic Church does just as much as he believes what my church does. .

I’m not too sure what you mean by that statement, but if it is what I think it is, then you don’t sound like you’re aware of the sacraments of the Catholic Church and the important roles they take in the life of a believer.
Can you please clarify the above statement?

P7

 

[awantz]

I’m not too sure what you mean by that statement, but if it is what I think it is, then you don’t sound like you’re aware of the sacraments of the Catholic Church and the important roles they take in the life of a believer.
Can you please clarify the above statement?

P7

I am very aware of the sacraments. It’s kinda hard not to be when I have attended RCIA and attend mass every sunday and on every holy day of obligation.

 

[Freshman88]

I am very aware of the sacraments. It’s kinda hard not to be when I have attended RCIA and attend mass every sunday and on every holy day of obligation.

If you truly believed in everything the Church does, then you would believe in the Sacraments. If you believed in the Sacraments, then why aren’t you in the Church?

 

[Pryority7]

I am very aware of the sacraments. It’s kinda hard not to be when I have attended RCIA and attend mass every sunday and on every holy day of obligation.

Okay, well then, you must then need to understand that the Catholic Church is not exclusive…its the other churches that are…
The Sacraments are very important to the life of someone who lives the Catholic faith, which is also the Christian faith. This is faith we’re talking about, not a salad bar.
Seriously though, think about what you stated…if Catholics are going to this nondenom church, and if there is no prejudice against them, then why don’t they preach about the Eurcharist? Why don’t they talk about the Pope?
P7

 

[awantz]

If you truly believed in everything the Church does, then you would believe in the Sacraments. If you believed in the Sacraments, then why aren’t you in the Church?

I do believe in the sacraments. I believe in infant babtism, if I didn’t I wouldn’t be making plans now to have my son baptized after he is born. I agree with conformation for those coming into the Catholic Church. We do somthing similar to that at my church. I believe in the Eucharist for sure. My church believes in it as well. I believe in confession/reconciliation, but I don’t think it should be a requirement. That is the way it works at my church. People do it because they feel led by the Holy Spirit to do it and not because they are required by the church to do it. I believe in anointing of the sick. My church does that as well. I believe in Holy Orders. My church has somthing similar. I definitly believe in matrimony. I don’t know a church that doesn’t. My husband’s Priest and my Pastor performed are marriage together. I have not gone through conformation to join the Catholic Church, because I haven’t been led by the Holy Spirit to do so. Maybe someday, but not today.

 

[awantz]

Okay, well then, you must then need to understand that the Catholic Church is not exclusive…its the other churches that are…
The Sacraments are very important to the life of someone who lives the Catholic faith, which is also the Christian faith. This is faith we’re talking about, not a salad bar.
Seriously though, think about what you stated…if Catholics are going to this nondenom church, and if there is no prejudice against them, then why don’t they preach about the Eurcharist? Why don’t they talk about the Pope?
P7

When I look exclusive up in the dictionary I see, shutting out all others from admission or consideration. None of the churches I’ve attended have shut anyone out. So, you are wrong on that count. I know how important the sacraments are. The Catholic faith is one of the Christian faiths it is not the Christian faith. I don’t know about other nondenominational churches, but I know mine preaches about the Eucharist. They do talk about the Pope. I heard a lot about Pope John Paul II.

 

[jmcrae]

When I look exclusive up in the dictionary I see, shutting out all others from admission or consideration. None of the churches I’ve attended have shut anyone out. So, you are wrong on that count. I know how important the sacraments are. The Catholic faith is one of the Christian faiths it is not the Christian faith. I don’t know about other nondenominational churches, but I know mine preaches about the Eucharist. They do talk about the Pope. I heard a lot about Pope John Paul II.

Anybody who wants to can convert to the Catholic faith. We are people of literally every nation and language. We exclude no one. If anyone is excluded, it is because he excludes himself.

 

[awantz]

Anybody who wants to can convert to the Catholic faith. We exclude no one. If anyone is excluded, it is because he excludes himself.

The same goes for the non-denominational faith.

 

[isaac.madsen]

“Non-denominational”
“Catholic”

They’re both trying to achieve the same thing: universality. In other words, they want to accept all people. The problem with a lot of religions is they try to force people into them. I can’t say the Catholic church hasn’t done that. Just look at the crusades. It’s hard for any church to last 2000 years without doing damage to somebody at some point. Mormonism couldn’t even last 200 without that effect. Obviously both churches still exist today. Maybe to have a long-lasting church you have to kill a lot of people at some point? But I hardly think that is the case. Churches are human. They are prone to error and it is erroneous to claim otherwise.

 

[Pryority7]

I do believe in the sacraments. I believe in infant babtism, if I didn’t I wouldn’t be making plans now to have my son baptized after he is born. I agree with conformation for those coming into the Catholic Church. We do somthing similar to that at my church. I believe in the Eucharist for sure. My church believes in it as well. I believe in confession/reconciliation, but I don’t think it should be a requirement. That is the way it works at my church. People do it because they feel led by the Holy Spirit to do it and not because they are required by the church to do it. I believe in anointing of the sick. My church does that as well. I believe in Holy Orders. My church has somthing similar. I definitly believe in matrimony. I don’t know a church that doesn’t. My husband’s Priest and my Pastor performed are marriage together. I have not gone through conformation to join the Catholic Church, because I haven’t been led by the Holy Spirit to do so. Maybe someday, but not today.

Your church believes in the Eucharist? Tell me exactly what they believe in regards to the Eurcharist. I really want to know.
P7

 

[jmcrae]

“Non-denominational”
“Catholic”

They’re both trying to achieve the same thing: universality. In other words, they want to accept all people. The problem with a lot of religions is they try to force people into them. I can’t say the Catholic church hasn’t done that. Just look at the crusades.

The Crusades were in defense of Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem, who were being murdered as soon as they arrived to pay their homage to Christ at the various holy sites, and also in defense of Europe. If it weren’t for the Crusades, we’d all be speaking Farsi today.

Yes, there was a lot of overzealousness at times, and yes, when you give a lot of young men a lot of weapons and send them into the heat of battle, they don’t always behave like Christians.

It’s the same today - it’s probably a good thing we don’t judge democracy by the behaviour of the soldiers that defend it, because democracy would probably come out looking even worse than the Church when judged according to the behaviour of some of the soldiers who participated in the Crusades.

Churches are human. They are prone to error and it is erroneous to claim otherwise.

People - including people who belong to churches - are human. But the Church itself, along with its teachings, comes from God.

 

[isaac.madsen]

The Crusades were in defense of Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem, who were being murdered as soon as they arrived to pay their homage to Christ at the various holy sites, and also in defense of Europe. If it weren’t for the Crusades, we’d all be speaking Farsi today.

Certainly so. I wasn’t so much saying that it makes a religion wrong. War happens and it has done so as long as there have been humans from what I can tell. God seems to have asked the Hebrews to wipe out whole tribes and nations. Yet, many here believe they were his chosen people, and indeed that they still are.

Yes, there was a lot of overzealousness at times, and yes, when you give a lot of young men a lot of weapons and send them into the heat of battle, they don’t always behave like Christians.

Or like Muslims or Jews or Buddhists for that matter. Where you find religion, you will find extremists. (You can also find them where there isn’t religions.)

It’s the same today - it’s probably a good thing we don’t judge democracy by the behaviour of the soldiers that defend it, because democracy would probably come out looking even worse than the Church when judged according to the behaviour of some of the soldiers who participated in the Crusades.

Again, such is very likely.

People - including people who belong to churches - are human. But the Church itself, along with its teachings, comes from God.

Of which “Church” do you speak? Religion, even if it comes from God, is led by men, and is thus prone to error. That, however, doesn’t mean God is incapable of clearing up the errors.

 

[awantz]

Your church believes in the Eucharist? Tell me exactly what they believe in regards to the Eurcharist. I really want to know.
P7

We believe it is the actual body and blood of Christ, that Christ is present, and that it is very important to partake of.