Why do Protestants and evangelicals choose their specific church or denomination to the exclusion of others?

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It’s not a matter of me wanting to hold on to a certain sin and hopping from church to church until I can find one that affirms me in my sin. It’s an argument I often hear coming from catholics (that I want to hold on to as much sin as I can). That’s not the reason I am non-denominational, though.
Agreed, that’s one of the more…IDK, insulting things I’ve heard.
Ecumenism has its limits. They are not interested in seeing how much we have in common, nor in “meeting us halfway”. They’re right, we’re wrong, their way or the highway.
You’re going to get that everywhere…, even if its the vocal minority. I’ve heard IRL and read on here the exact same opinion from Catholics about non-Catholics.
 
It’s not a matter of me wanting to hold on to a certain sin and hopping from church to church until I can find one that affirms me in my sin. It’s an argument I often hear coming from catholics (that I want to hold on to as much sin as I can). That’s not the reason I am non-denominational, though.
I don’t think it’s a case of “wanting to hold onto as much sin as I can”. I think it’s more like “finding a church that doesn’t call X a sin, so I can continue to do X and not feel bad about it”.
  • Because that’s how they were raised.
  • Because they didn’t like how they were raised, and want something different.
  • Because they like that church the best.
  • Because they are convinced that their church has the truth.
  • Because they are convinced that only their church has the truth.
  • Because they like the pastor.
  • Because they like the people who go there.
  • Because the services are enjoyable.
  • Because this church doesn’t require them to donate as much money as other churches would.
  • Because it caters to their ethnicity or social class.
Some might choose a church fellowship for the five-fold ministry you cite, but some choose a church for more superficial reasons. “God is calling me to this church” is noble, “I like this church” is not necessarily ignoble, but it is less serious and selfless than answering a perceived divine call to be at this church and not some other one.

In all fairness, Catholics these days often choose individual parishes for some of these very same reasons.
 
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I don’t think it’s a case of “wanting to hold onto as much sin as I can”. I think it’s more like “finding a church that doesn’t call X a sin, so I can continue to do X and not feel bad about it”.
I’d say that is highly inaccurate and again pretty insulting…at least for the majority.

Sure…there may be a minority that may do go “church shopping” for that, but like I said…I think it’s the minority.
 
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I don’t think it’s a case of “wanting to hold onto as much sin as I can”. I think it’s more like “finding a church that doesn’t call X a sin, so I can continue to do X and not feel bad about it”.

In all fairness, Catholics these days often choose individual parishes for some of these very same reasons.
I have read some about that.
 
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Same with my Grandpa, he claims that after God created everything, he said that all of it was very good. And that when you die it’s not going to matter which denomination you held.
 
I don’t think it’s a case of “wanting to hold onto as much sin as I can”. I think it’s more like “finding a church that doesn’t call X a sin, so I can continue to do X and not feel bad about it”.
I agree, it would be a minority.

I will try to rephrase what I was talking about, to illustrate more clearly what I meant to say. Let’s say a person likes doing X. Some people tell him that X is a sin. He is of two minds. He really doesn’t see anything wrong with X, but he does realize that some people disapprove of X. He might have a doubt now and then that perhaps X is sinful, but he’s not strongly convicted of it. The more he hears that X is a sin, it annoys him, and a small part of him is troubled by this, but only a small part. After all, a lot of people do X, and that has to count for something. He’d really like to keep doing X. Church ABC condemns X. Church XYZ doesn’t. He chooses Church XYZ and is happy there. He doesn’t worry about X being a sin anymore.

That’s what I was trying to get at. If that is still insulting to anyone, I have said all I can say.
 
What you say is very true. All one has to do is look at doctrines such as homosexuality and see people leaving one church for the other.

There are as many reasons for church hopping as there are Protestant churches. It’s not a bash on anyone’s faith or love for God, it’s just the truth, and the fruits of that are plain to see when you can see ten churches one road.
 
Yeah…I guess they believe in polygamy. Very interesting indeed…
 
I agree, it would be a minority.
I wouldn’t hazard a guess at to how much of a “minority” it is. Just taking a wild guess, based upon anecdotal evidence, I would say that most PBEs “pick a church” based upon how much they feel inspired or edified by it, whether they feel like “God is calling me to be there”, and how agreeable they find the fellowship or worship. None of these are “bad” reasons, and to be fair, some Catholics choose a parish (to which they are not ascribed geographically by canon law as Latin Rite Catholics) for precisely these reasons. I attend my present parish (which is not my geographical one) because the liturgy is very traditional, the priests can be counted on to be solidly orthodox, I am never put into awkward situations by being pressured to receive from an EMHC (they use them sparingly), the parish is diverse and has an urban feel, and it reminds me of the parish I grew up in 40+ years ago.

I do realize, though, that there are people who choose denominations and parishes because those entities don’t condemn things that are a part of their lifestyle. To use one of the most obvious modern examples, many gay people like the Episcopal church because the mainline denomination (as opposed to some conservative, traditional “continuing Anglican” churches) does not condemn gay sex, and in fact performs same-sex weddings. I am merely stating the fact, neither endorsing nor condemning this, though anyone who knows me is well, well aware of how I view this situation (which is identical with how traditional Catholicism, and not just Catholicism, “views this situation”).
 
I do realize, though, that there are people who choose denominations and parishes because those entities don’t condemn things that are a part of their lifestyle.
I agree, but I think it’s being wayyy over-sold as a reason someone chooses their specific church. IMHO, for most of us, it’s because that’s what we were born into, it’s what we believe and that’s the place we belong.
 
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