Quote:
Originally Posted by
Flower http:///t/393378/what-exactly-is-gods-plan/60#post_3499617
A misinterpreted word is different than asking what an entire passage of scripture means. I do think it's good your pastor allows interaction instead of just preaching at the congregants.
The churches I attended back in the day, were always saying to read the book, and when I would ask for an explanation of something I read that showed a flaw in church doctrine, I would get an answer that completely disregarded another passage. I suppose if I didn't know the books and the other passages, their explanations would have sated my desire to understand, but I always ended up thinking the leader was just so unable to really understand the passages themselves...how could they teach anyone else?
LOL...I had this annoying habit of reading the entire chapter instead of a small paragraph or sentence. I was always being told that they wished all their congregants had such a passion, but then it never failed that they wanted me to just go away and find another church to attend. I used to think I had a duty to try and FIX the twisted scriptures they were teaching...then I finally understood another chapter and verse...it said "Get out of there my people" so I finally gave up arguing the books with them and left.
I went through 8 Baptist churches, 4 pentecostal churches (speaking in tongues as evidence of the holy ghost, yep I do that), and 3 Holiness churches (no make-up, no pants, no hair cutting, no jewelry..the list seems endless) and 2 messianic churches. Those were all Bible thumping dammed to hell if you didn't do things just right people, the Messianic mushed Judaism and Christianity...man that was a mess. The Tzittzit on the belt loops and the whole bit. Notice the numbers dropping...I got more and more intolerant as I went on my journey concerning twisted scriptures and twisted beliefs.
I have settled on Judaism, I am free to study and argue the points of scripture, The Rabbi encourages such discussions. There is no demand that we all think the same way, as long as we always remember there is but One God. I love the laws and traditions, learning them has given me great insight to what Paul was talking about, and where Jesus was getting his sermons from, and what he was trying to teach us. The Rabbi is not a perfect, all knowing leader, he is a man who knows what the laws are, and how to perform the traditional rituals. I found out how much our little congregation pays him a month...$11.00. (I am on the board as recording secretary, so I know) We have 32 families now, up from 27. He works for a living. He also thinks we each can make up our own minds on right and wrong....do the best you can concerning the laws is all that is ever asked of us. He lives the best he can, and hopes he is a good example to others. I'm finally happy with a place to worship, I fit right in.
As far back as I can remember...I knew the churches had real issues when it came to traditions and scriptures. I thought I could contribute to the church, but the church only wanted my money and my silent follow the leader mentality.
Modern Christianity is nothing like the original one...they were Jews who believed Messiah had come. Modern churches are a mush of pagan rituals, hints in word only of Judaism, and personal views. They do teach good moral behavior, and many go way overboard on with a control freak syndrome. The Holiness churches didn't like me wearing sandals, and when I pointed out that Jesus wore sandals, I was told I was not Jesus....I stayed 4 years in that church, I was not jumping from one to another church quickly... I actually tried with all my might to meld...I just couldn't. The Messianic church people actually brushed their feet off at me for refusing to believe Jesus was God himself (and they were sitting in MY house at a Bible study when they did it)...I was told that thinking he was just God's son was blasphemy and they told me I was not worthy to worship or study with them anymore...
I lost faith in the church but never God. He was always there I felt, leading me to the next step of the way. I was and am still convinced, that I was sent by him to go to each place of worship. I learned something new all along the way, and when I came to Judaism, I felt like I had climbed a mountain, and finally reached the top....and I am still learning more all the time.
This was from like 15 years ago when I lived in Montana. The person was using what they had studied as part of their basis for an interpretation. Like I said, long time ago and I don't remember specifics. Sounds like you had bad luck with churches LOL! My dad's family is all Mormon but thankfully he wasn't much of a follower so I was spared that. I only remember going one time when I was in Utah visiting him and my Grandma. When I was in the third grade my parents split up for the first time we got drug to my Uncle's church for about a year, Southern By God Baptist. That is the extent of my childhood churchifying but we were raised with the belief in God but it was at the hands of my Mom who really didn't buy into the brimstone and fire stuff. In my 20's I worked with some folks who were into a non denominational church and they sort of sucked me in. Like I said I had always believed, just wasn't a church goer and I still aint. The first church I really belonged to was a Calvery Baptist church which was bible thumper lite. They believed in the gifts and all that but didn't believe you had to recite the Gettysburg Address in Hebrew Pigmy Latin as a sign you are saved. The reason I chose that church was the first Sunday I attended the worship music was a rock band, electric guitars and everything and their first song was amazing grace to the tune of house of the rising sun complete with killer guitar solo. I guess there are worse reasons to pick a church LOL!
I went there for a couple years, met my first ex wife there but after we were married kind of fell away. Fast forward 5 years I was divorced, Moved from SoCal to Arizona to Northern Idaho to Western Montana and started going to an Assemblies of God church. Even got Baptized. But I started noticing this was more of a social gathering and grew uncomfortable with it as time went on. The thing that struck my about it was I was pretty involved with things there for about a year as far as some plays and stuff they did and when I dropped out not one person from that church ever called to ask why. Then I ended up at the other Calvery church there, held services in a old movie theater and end of hunting season they'd do a hunters banquet. What's not to like. Went there until I met my wife who was raised Lutheran and isn't comfortable with anything else. Well, I've been to a Christmas service, Easter Service and regular service. Nothing changes. Completely scripted. Not for me so we agree to disagree and don't attend church. It works for us. Especially considering our attitudes about issues that wouldn't be acceptable in most churches.
The end LOL! This is why I don't tend to get to involved in religion threads. I believe what I believe and think it's cool for others to do the same.
By the way, WHen I worked a union job our slug union rep was a convert to Judaism. He told about what he had to go through to convert. There was a panel that even included some Christian pastors which I found interesting. He said he felt he sealed the deal when the Rabbi asked him why he wanted to convert. His answer was "Judaism is the only organization I've come across I didn't feel worthy to join". He said the Rabbi grinned widely LOL!
