NationStates Jolt Archive

Christianity has a huge number of denominations that exist for a huge number of reasons, but most Christians I know don't really think much about what their specific denomination means. Also, I don't know much about said various denominations, especially what they consist of in modern times. That's why I'm posting this query for the Christians of NS: What is your denomination, and why do you feel it is the right one for you? What differentiates it from other denominations? If you are a Protestant, please be specific about what type of Protestant, just saying Protestant isn't specific enough. If I get enough different responses I'll start up a poll.

Personally, I go to the Evangelical Free Church of Canada. I don't know I just have since I was little. I could theologically agree with Baptist, Alliance, and other similar denominations. I have some problems with Anglican, Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Reformed traditions though.

It would have been neat to have added a poll, so we could see how many are this or that.:)

I'm a non-denominational christian. In fact, I would go so far as to call myself an anti-denominational christian. *nod*

I'm a church of one.

Lutheran. I'm Lutheran because my daddy's Lutheran, but my first communion was in a Catholic curch, due to a misunderstanding. Anyhow, I've started to take communion where ever I go now because it is my opinion Jesus and God could care less. An interesting thing is that being Lutheran in the Nordic countries is pretty much like being Catholic but without the stigmatism that some people view it with. I like being Lutheran as its my family's tradition, but I also go regularly to Catholic churches, as that's my mom's side.

0.02 cents

Christianity has a huge number of denominations that exist for a huge number of reasons, but most Christians I know don't really think much about what their specific denomination means. Also, I don't know much about said various denominations, especially what they consist of in modern times. That's why I'm posting this query for the Christians of NS: What is your denomination, and why do you feel it is the right one for you? What differentiates it from other denominations? If you are a Protestant, please be specific about what type of Protestant, just saying Protestant isn't specific enough. If I get enough different responses I'll start up a poll.I started out as Baptist because that was the church my mother and siblings attended. then when I moved Islands. I started attending Protestant churches as well as some Catholic ones.

now, due to work schedules, I really don't attend church, and rely on Bible reading, prayer, and conversations with friends and Pastors.

Edited: I did have a period of Agnosticism (sp?) but for some reason, God missed my calls and he sent a reminder that he was still there.

So I guess I'm Christian... of no Denomination.

I'm a non-denominational christian. In fact, I would go so far as to call myself an anti-denominational christian. *nod*

I'm a church of one.
er... two...

well, I'm not Anti-Denominational... but pretty much the same.


we need more members... including women! :D

Grew up catholic, but then I saw the light and became agnostic...

Born a Catholic (not exactly strange given my location). Left all Deist religions for philosophy instead.

Grew up catholic, but then I saw the light and became agnostic...Pretty much the same here. My mother was a Presbyterian and my father a Catholic (pretty much a no-no in NI when they got married in the '60s, but anyway...). Given Catholic rules, I had to be raised a Catholic (though went to the occasional Presbyterian service - no better, no worse). At about the age of six or seven, though, I began questioning religion in general, and completely renounced Christianity about nine or ten. Been an atheist ever since.

Grew up Baptist, and I still go to a Southern Baptist church, but I think I'm more anti-denominational than anything.

Grew up(force-fed) Mormon, soon as I was old enough I turned Atheist.

I belong to the Episcopal Church of the USA because it respects gay rights, women's rights, social justice, and in general operates under a progressive interpretation of scripture that I'm proud of.

I am Roman Catholic. I enjoy the Church's 2000 year old traditions and teachings. I love the fact that the Catholic church has the most endepth theology of any religion, and as well they are the original Christian Church. However I do enjoy many of the gnostic texts as well, especially the Gospel of Thomas, and The Gospel of Mary.

I am Roman Catholic. I enjoy the Church's 2000 year old traditions and teachings. I love the fact that the Catholic church has the most endepth theology of any religion, and as well they are the original Christian Church. However I do enjoy many of the gnostic texts as well, especially the Gospel of Thomas, and The Gospel of Mary.
Orthodox church is just as old and original as the Catholic church, and just as much tradition and comprehensive theology...

er... two...

well, I'm not Anti-Denominational... but pretty much the same.


we need more members... including women! :D

Hmm... LG and JuNii... sign me up!

I come from a varied background with grandparents on one side being fundamentalists and on the other side being Quakers. I was raised with a liberal Quaker outlook, in a Presbyterian church and I've studied and enjoyed some Mennonite and Catholic theology. Recently I've started dealing more with the Baptist General Conference while I study theology a little more formally. I can't say I agree with them much, but I now understand where they're coming from and am able to respect them.

So...basically... I don't belong anywhere, but I'm happy everywhere.

Nazarene

my parents go to an Evangelical Free church now, but i was raised in a Nazarene church and that's the kind I attend now

http://www.nazarene.org/welcome/beliefs_index.html

Roman-Catholic...... baptized and all that. Don't really believe or anything :p

A lapsed Catholic.

Went through the whole process. Even considered the Priesthood.....

Was raised Presbyterian (PCUSA). Currently attend Christian (Church of Christ).

Protestant, but no specific branch. Thinking of converting to Catholicism.

Raised Anglican but agnostic, no one can prove anything either way, so why not put a foot in each door?

As a side note evangenlical churches worry me and my record for keeping Mormons at my door trying to convert me stands at three hours and 1 hour for Jehovahs.

Orthodox church is just as old and original as the Catholic church, and just as much tradition and comprehensive theology...

The Orthodox church split off from the Catholic CHurch around 400 ad when there was a disagreement from the APostles Creed. The Catholic CHurch is about 300 yeares older and there are many more theologians and writings from the Catholic church from St. augustine to the modern times

Born Roman Catholic. Not Christian any more. I'm more of a deignostic.

Though I've found that if I had to pick a Christian denomination I agree with most, it'd sitll be Catholics.

I, too, am a "church of one", as it were. I belong to no particular denomination, as I have theological and philosophical problems with all denominations I have studied in any depth at all.

Of course, to get completely technical, the Southern Baptists still count me as a member because I was baptised in a Southern Baptist church when I was little.

Born and raised Catholic from an Irish Catholic family with an impressive amount of sway over the Catholic community here. Before Confirmation my priest told me "Go forth, and be fruitful" (or, more closely "I think it'd be best for you to make sure this is something you're honestly committed to before you go into it") so I spent over two years learning about other religions and attending services and youth groups. Nothing really appealed to me like Catholicism, so I stuck with that.

Considered entering a Convent for awhile, but now that things are moving forward in a positive light with my boyfriend and I, who I think I have a great future with, I'll probably just go the family route.

I am Southern Baptist. The main 2 differences that we have with other denominations, is that we don't baptise babies and we believe once saved always saved.

There are a lot more, but those are the two that people complain to me about most often.


My husband was raised Church of Christ and converted to Southern Baptist, the only real difference we can find between the two is what we believe about baptism and the once saved always saved thing.

I guess I'll restate myself:
Catholic-Lutheran Christian Kinda Person

Non-denominational, attend Church of Christ.

I was raised Catholic. Many thought I would make a good priest. I now follow Native American/Mother Earth Based teachings. God and heaven and hell are all myths unworthy of concern.

the Grokdoc

Simonist']Born and raised Catholic from an Irish Catholic family with an impressive amount of sway over the Catholic community here. Before Confirmation my priest told me "Go forth, and be fruitful" (or, more closely "I think it'd be best for you to make sure this is something you're honestly committed to before you go into it") so I spent over two years learning about other religions and attending services and youth groups. Nothing really appealed to me like Catholicism, so I stuck with that.

Considered entering a Convent for awhile, but now that things are moving forward in a positive light with my boyfriend and I, who I think I have a great future with, I'll probably just go the family route.

Hey, you got lucky. A priest that actually gives a crap. Kudos to him, and to you.
*raises glass*

Me Iam Non-Denominational Christian with slight Messianic-Jewish Leanings , though I grew up as a High Church even wanting to become a monk that stuff

Hey, you got lucky. A priest that actually gives a crap. Kudos to him, and to you.
*raises glass*
Indeed, I did get lucky. It's one of the priests that I believe entered the clergy for all the right reasons and who's life was enriched a hundred times over for it. And it's because of that precedent that I fear my own reasons for entering the Convent wouldn't have been enough :(

But priests and people like that, they're the reason that I do defend my religion against people who see a tainted view of it, or who are determined to hate it without really understanding -- I'm not big on telling people they're wrong, especially in matters of opinion, I just feel I can inform them as to why they're a little less than right.

I'm a Roman Cathlolic is a strict Christian town in Northwestern, MN.


Sucks for me because there are not Catholic churches, just Christian.

I am Christian Reformed.

Non-denominational.... but I do go to protestant(or how ever you spell it) church.

I am a Roman Catholic.

I'd think im pretty non-denominational too, when I learned that many denominations try to use democracy to decided what the Bible "means", that was kind of my first clue that, you know what, Paul was totally right when he warned us to not split up the church. I mean, here we are today, splits in the church wider than the grand canyon so to speak, fighting has happened through the centuries, people got killed, other people lost track of actually looking at the Bible, I'm casting my vote for Paul being spot on with this issue :/. Besides, it's much easier to concentrate just on the Bible when you don't have to look up denominational doctrine too....

I'm ... an anti-denominational christian. *nod*

I'm a church of one.OH YEAH..??

then I am an anti-anti-demonimaniac Christian :D :D :p :D

Born into a large Roman Catholic/Hungarian Orthodox family, and when my parents, my older brother, and I moved to the South, we switched over to Southern Baptist. Yay!

I'm an RC too. People always said I would make a good priest as well, but I don't have, and never have had any interest in that idea. :p

Technically I'm a Roman Catholic, although when it comes down to Christian denominations I am a non-denominational Christian.

I belong to the Episcopal Church of the USA because it respects gay rights, women's rights, social justice, and in general operates under a progressive interpretation of scripture that I'm proud of.

As a baby eating athiest upon looking at the books a Episcopal website promoted. Even I would support the religion.

I am Roman Catholic. I enjoy the Church's 2000 year old traditions and teachings. I love the fact that the Catholic church has the most endepth theology of any religion, and as well they are the original Christian Church. However I do enjoy many of the gnostic texts as well, especially the Gospel of Thomas, and The Gospel of Mary.

I doubt they are "the original" Christian church my thinking is "the original" Christian church is some other church church that was either crushed or simply failed to take of like the Catholic church did.

Nazarene

my parents go to an Evangelical Free church now, but i was raised in a Nazarene church and that's the kind I attend now

http://www.nazarene.org/welcome/beliefs_index.html

An evil church

I rexamined my evaluation.

The Nararene church may be evil.

See my post later on.

Seems I may have jumped the gun.

Raised Anglican but agnostic, no one can prove anything either way, so why not put a foot in each door?

As a side note evangenlical churches worry me and my record for keeping Mormons at my door trying to convert me stands at three hours and 1 hour for Jehovahs.

Where are those Guiness Book OF World Records people when you need them.

Nazarene

my parents go to an Evangelical Free church now, but i was raised in a Nazarene church and that's the kind I attend now

http://www.nazarene.org/welcome/beliefs_index.html
An evil church

What was the point of that? In a thread that asked for, and got, a bunch of people to simply answer a question in the OP, you felt the need to out-of-the blue attack someone else’s church and call it evil. That is uncalled for and unwarranted, it would seem that you are simply trying to invoke an angry response. If you have something against someone else’s church, perhaps you should make your own thread.

I was raised Free Will Baptist..I occasionally go to a fwb church..But i see myself as more non-denom

dad is catholic, mom is protestant.. to make things worse we are irish, and im atheist, my family would make for the greatest tv reality show ever!

C of E by birth and baptism, non-denominational by choice. Although, I tend more towards an agnostic approach, since I don't think that the divine prescence can be interpreted or defined by human beings.

What was the point of that? In a thread that asked for, and got, a bunch of people to simply answer a question in the OP, you felt the need to out-of-the blue attack someone else’s church and call it evil. That is uncalled for and unwarranted, it would seem that you are simply trying to invoke an angry response. If you have something against someone else’s church, perhaps you should make your own thread.

I can explain


"We believe that our Lord will return, the dead will be raised, and the final judgment will take place."

Places the Church in a fundie George Bush voting mindset.

"We believe that the atonement through Jesus Christ is for the whole human race; and that whosoever repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ is justified and regenerated and saved from the dominion of sin."

Where does that leave the non converted?

"We believe that man is born with a fallen nature, and is, therefore, inclined to evil, and that continually."

That is where

It is in the belief statement in the link given. They are out there burning Harry Potter books.

Actually I don't believe in the consept of "evil" but I do believe in fundieism and the church looks to be on the side of the religious right in line with Pat Robertson.

Actually on second thought.

Perhaps I was a bit rash and in a bit of a rush to judgment.

The Fundie mindset has extensions to the beliefs I just mentioned.

"We believe that our Lord will return, the dead will be raised, and the final judgment will take place." In the fundie mindset this will take place very soon as in the next 10 years or less.

"We believe that the atonement through Jesus Christ is for the whole human race; and that whosoever repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ is justified and regenerated and saved from the dominion of sin."
In the fundie mindset those saved are easily distinguishable from the unsaved based on the ritual purity of the individuals ie. hasn't had a divorse. isn't smoking, isn't drinking, isn't a homophile, isn't living in sin, dose not look at porn etc.

"We believe that man is born with a fallen nature, and is, therefore, inclined to evil, and that continually." Fundie mindset believes that those who commit crimes where not Christians when they commited those crimes. The people who do bad things are the "Jesus Haters"

So on second thought my judgement was rash I was mistaken I am sorry.

I am part of the Coptic orthodox church the oldest of the old still remaining. We are part of the group known as the oriental Orthodox Church which includes Serbian, Indian, Armenian, Ethiopian, and Coptic (aka. Egyptian) the Catholic Church was an off shoot that developed during the time of Constantine. They deviated a little then the Protestants took it a few steps farther out of line.

This verges on a denomination-within-a-denomination, but that is the Protestant Church for you... Anyway, I am an Atlantic Baptist. The Baptist Church is divided into various regionally-based Conventions. They are not all the same. A Baptist from the Southern USA, from Eastern Asia, or from Ontario would have a different take on some things than an Atlantic Baptist would.

There are a bunch of basic precepts for being a Baptist, beyond everything in the various Christian Creeds, on which just about all denominations agree. I suppose one of the most visible things about us is the full-body immersion baptism. I find that to be an important symbol of death and resurrection in Christ. We take a pretty direct, egalitarian route when it comes to prayer- We believe that there is no heirarchy within humanity, so although a Pastor leads a congregation, s/he cannot intercede on their behalf. The basic idea is that Jesus is the bridge between us and God, not any other spiritual leader.

When we have Communion (At least in the Church I attended, it was typically once a month) we gladly share it with members of other denominations, and when I go to another Church where that is not the tradition I feel no qualms about taking the Holy Supper, as I feel it is my Saviour-given right to do so.

My particular congregation would eat a Sedar meal at Eastertime, I always found that meaningful. Music is an important part of our services, all year around. One thing that I have noticed as a difference between Churches of various denominations in Ontario (Where I was born and live now) and Nova Scotia (Where I lived for the past fourteen years) is that places in Ontario take the collection before the sermon, and they do it in reverse in Nova Scotia. It is not really a big deal, but I always thought that it was funny that the practice seems pretty widespread across each region.

Right now, I attend a Wesleyan Church, seeing as it is significantly closer to where I live and I find the style of service very similar to my old one. Those Wesleyans have a few beliefs at odds with my own (For one thing, they never drink, which is contrary to what Jesus himself did; although as a Baptist I usually avoid really overindulging). From my very limited experience of going to two Wesleyan Churches, I must say that Baptists tend to have better choirs, and since I used to sing in mine I miss it very much. More importantly, the Wesleyans believe that one can lose one's salvation, which is not my thing at all. Overall, though, the two Churches are along my lines. We Atlantic Baptists have a directive that one should always regularly attend Church, even if one moves away. I do not remember the exact text, but it says that the Church to which we go need not be Baptist, so long as we can excercise our beliefs there. Right now, I feel comfortable being a Baptist in a Wesleyan Church; and I hope that one day I will be able to visit the place where I used to go.

dad is catholic, mom is protestant.. to make things worse we are irish, and im atheist, my family would make for the greatest tv reality show ever!

Just in case you want a bit of my zany family history; my mother was born and raised Roman Catholic (She is of Irish descent), and my father a Presbyterian (Of Scottish descent). At some point my Mom had a falling-out with her Priest, and our immediate family became pretty much Protestant in practice. My older brother was baptised as an infant, I think I was, but my younger sister was not. My dad had to move for work, and we ended up in a small town living very close to a Baptist Church. We went there and it was amiable. Later, we moved to a city where we went to a Presbyterian Church for a while, but eventually settled in with another Baptist Church. It is important for us to be active in the Church, and I would go there at least four days a week for various activities, and very often more. My sister and I were Baptised (Coincidentally on my brother's birthday, so we all have an anniversary to celebrate then), and my mother as well.

P.S.: Wow, this post ended up quite long...

I'm Roman Catholic.

My own mind is my own church, bitch. Though I’m more of a deist with Christian influences than a Christian.

My own mind is my own church, bitch. Though I’m more of a deist with Christian influences than a Christian.

Bitch? Maybe not a christian :)

I prefer not to 'class' myself. At present I go to a Baptist Church, because I like that particular Church. If I didn't like it then I'd go somewhere else. I tend not to discriminate between the other Christian Churches. I have Christian friends from other denominations and it's no big deal for us. We go to the same camps, the same Christian Union and there's no problem.

I attend an Episcopal church.

I attend an Episcopal church.

You are the second one of this denomination.

http://www.anthology.com/EpiscopalResourceCenter
/wc.dll?main~bs~&idd=2&idc=1&idx=

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/ go to Episcopal Books & Resources

look up those books.

These are very progressive books I thought only the Unitarian Universilist where left of center but it seems that so are the Episcoalians.

Started out as Free Methodist. Shifted over to Orthodox out of respect to my wife's faith (which is much stronger than mine).

Episcopalians> all!!!

:p





j/k

I am Christian Reformed.
I suppose that I should be more specific. I am a five point Calvinist.

I suppose that I should be more specific. I am a five point Calvinist.

Or, as we Catholics put it, a heretic. ;)

(edit: No flame intended; actually I regard all religions as equal.

Non-denominational churches will accept any denomination, but generally prefer twentys or larger.;)

Or, as we Catholics put it, a heretic. ;)

(edit: No flame intended; actually I regard all religions as equal.
Yeah, a heretic. I like that.