Have you looked into going to an Episcopalian church? I would suggest trying an Episcopalian Church. I wish you the best in your search!
- Winter
P.S. I do yoga and meditation too (which is basically just relaxing the mind to destress) - as well as my other Catholic friends - my sister is a devout Catholic and a certified yoga instructor. Sometimes you just have to just discern and keep perspective. Good luck again!
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I found myself missing the Catholic Mass experience that just made me feel good somehow, but the majority of the Catholic beliefs are not intune with my personal beliefs. I then found another church that was just a Christian church that I thought might be more liberal but I am beginning to find they are more conservative than I thought. I don't know where I belong but I feel that I must belong somewhere. I consider myself to be an extremely liberal person, I am very open and accepting of all people and all walks of life, but, I still find myself clinging to certain Catholic ways such as wanting the sacrements and prayers I am used to and the beautiful churches where I feel closest to God, perhaps its odd but I find myself unable to pray in the Bible Church where I go now, I feel far away from God there but in the Catholic church I was at I felt so close to God but I also felt like I was lying to myself attending Catholic church when my beliefs were not in line with the Catholic faith. these are my beliefs:
- Divorce is allowed and accepted
- Gay/Lesbian people should be accepted
- Meditation, Yoga, Accupuncture, Etc. are allowed and accepted, I don't think all new age activities are gateways to demons and evil (as I was told at a Catholic conference that scared me away from the Catholic faith)
- I love beautiful large churches that make me feel close to God
- I enjoy contemporary worship music
- I believe in God, Jesus, etc
- Sex should be taken very seriously and be between loving partners in a commited relationship but not necessarily married
- I believe in forgiveness and acceptance of all people who want forgiveness and acceptance
Hi, Princess Jenny. Thank you for taking the time to give us such a complete overview. Yes, the Episcopal Church would most likely be the closest to what you have in mind. Not all Episcopal parishes, dioceses, and people are as liberal as you are, but within the Episcopal family, many certainly are.
I say that only to suggest that since parishes vary from one to another you might still have to do some comparing, but I concur that no other church would seem as close to the profile you have shared with us as is the Episcopal Church. By the way, some of what you believe in is not the official stance of the Episcopal Church USA, but neither are you likely to be made to feel that you are in the clutches of Satan, etc. for holding them.
The only item on your list that might be a trifle hard to find could be the contemporary worship music, but even this is possible.
Yeah I have been trying to visit the Episcopal church in my town, there is only one and its doors are always locked. I found this interesting because it was the first time I have visited a church during daytime weekday hours and been locked out. I think I am going to call and see if I can find out their hours so I can talk to someone. I can't attend a service this weekend anyway because I am going on a retreat starting tonight. Yeah the main thing with me when I look for a church is acceptance. Not just that they would accept me with all my newfangled notions haha but that they would accept other people too because I believe we are all God's children no matter what. As far as contemporary music, yeah, I do like it and its nice to have it at a service but it is one of my lesser things I am looking for, I am happy with hymns as well, I mainly want to find a place where I can feel close to God and yet not feel judged. Maybe its just me but I do feel closer to God when I am in a big church with statues and stained glass and the like. I know some people think those things are unnecessary but they help people like me who are very visual get in the right mindset to relax and pray. I feel like when I look at visual representations I can understand things better, that is what I liked about the Catholic church at the time, there was a statue of Jesus and I liked that I could look into his eyes sort of when I would go there, Idk, thats just me though.
Yeah I have been trying to visit the Episcopal church in my town, there is only one and its doors are always locked. I found this interesting because it was the first time I have visited a church during daytime weekday hours and been locked out.
There was a time when the church doors were always open for private meditation, but few churches can risk that in our times when thieves will steal anything that is portable, including the eavestroughs. Really. I wouldn't fault any church for having locked doors today, although it's a shame that we've come to this. Many of us didn't lock our own homes' doors in an earlier time, too.
I think I am going to call and see if I can find out their hours so I can talk to someone. I can't attend a service this weekend anyway because I am going on a retreat starting tonight. Yeah the main thing with me when I look for a church is acceptance. Not just that they would accept me with all my newfangled notions haha but that they would accept other people too because I believe we are all God's children no matter what. As far as contemporary music, yeah, I do like it and its nice to have it at a service but it is one of my lesser things I am looking for, I am happy with hymns as well, I mainly want to find a place where I can feel close to God and yet not feel judged.
Yes, this is the way to go. A visit to the premises might give you some clues, but speaking with the rector--which I'm sure he or she will be happy to do--is the best approach, no matter which church we're speaking of.
Maybe its just me but I do feel closer to God when I am in a big church with statues and stained glass and the like. I know some people think those things are unnecessary but they help people like me who are very visual get in the right mindset to relax and pray. I feel like when I look at visual representations I can understand things better, that is what I liked about the Catholic church at the time, there was a statue of Jesus and I liked that I could look into his eyes sort of when I would go there, Idk, thats just me though.
That's a very common feeling...and not at all wrong. After all, the reasonf for there being stained glass windows in the first place is exactly that--to create a mood or feeling. It's sometimes said that the purpose was to instruct the uneducated through the pictures in glass, but that is actually only a secondary reason.
- Divorce is allowed and accepted
- Gay/Lesbian people should be accepted
- Meditation, Yoga, Accupuncture, Etc. are allowed and accepted, I don't think all new age activities are gateways to demons and evil (as I was told at a Catholic conference that scared me away from the Catholic faith)
- I love beautiful large churches that make me feel close to God
- I enjoy contemporary worship music
- I believe in God, Jesus, etc
- Sex should be taken very seriously and be between loving partners in a commited relationship but not necessarily married
- I believe in forgiveness and acceptance of all people who want forgiveness and acceptance
Before trying to find a church that fits your belief system, you should compare it with God's Word and see if your beliefs are in line with Jesus Christ.
According to the Bible, divorce is permitted but not necessarily accepted under one circumstance. (Matthew 5:31-32)
When it comes to homosexuality, homosexuals are accepted into the church if they are trying to turn away from their sinful lifestyle (repent). Look at these passages to see what God thinks of homosexuality. (1Cor 6:9-10, Romans 1:26-27)
I could go into other points but I will just leave it at that. Remember to first seek the Kingdom and His Righteousness and all things will be given to you. Wherever you end up going, just continue to read God's Holy Word and let the Holy Spirit lead you down the right path. God bless.
Curtis, this is one forum on which we don't evaluate the merits of our inquirers' religious values. When they come here to ask which church most closely matches the beliefs they have already come to accept--usually after they've spend considerable time in study and after having received advice from others on the Bible, how to approach God, etc.--they are asking us to direct them. Sometimes the inquirers do say that they are confused or up in the air about something or other, and that might allow us a little latitude, but the basic purpose is to direct them. For many people, being able to tell which is which among the various churches out there is almost more daunting an undertaking than anything else.
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Last edited by Albion; 20th March 2009 at 07:03 PM.
Curtis, this is one forum on which we don't evaluate the merits of our inquirers' religious values. When they come here to ask which church most closely matches the beliefs they have already come to accept--usually after they've spend considerable time in study and after having received advice from others on the Bible, how to approach God, etc.--they are asking us to direct them. Sometimes the inquirers do say that they are confused or up in the air about something or other, and that might allow us a little latitude, but the basic purpose is to direct them. For many people, being able to tell which is which among the various churches out there is almost more daunting an undertaking than anything else.
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I wasn't fully aware of that rule or anything but, after reading your post, it does seem like it would fall into that category since the OP was about being confused about religion and not sure where to go. Point taken though.
I wasn't fully aware of that rule or anything but, after reading your post, it does seem like it would fall into that category since the OP was about being confused about religion and not sure where to go. Point taken though.
Thanks, Curtis. Her "confusion" turned out to be essentially over 1) to stay a Catholic although holding unCatholic beliefs or else 2) to find another church which retains the same "feel" but does not condemn those beliefs. It's not a generalized confusion, despite what we all thought at first when reading the title of the thread.
When we're told at the close of her message, "I want to find a place where I belong and people who are like me that i can talk to," that's our directive.
I don't think you've been with us before, so I want to say "Welcome!" I'm sorry to have sounded sharp if I did, but lots of folks take the purpose of the forum the wrong way, which I can easily understand because it's not like the others on CF. In fairness to you, we have often had to caution others who did much more than you would have, for example making direct "pitches" for their church or actually putting the inquirers down. Your message was considerate and quite unlike those others.
Religion is Confusing Me and I feel lost 
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