How many of you get confused as to what denomination you are actually in?

[FaithT]

I've never bothered to align to a denomination but I'd be interested in taking the quizzes to see where I align.

Anybody have a link to a Denom quiz?

 

[com7fy8]

if I'm truly Catholic.

First is how God wants us to be.

"be clothed with humility" (in 1 Peter 5:5)

"Be anxious for nothing" (in Philippians 4:6)

"swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (in James 1:19-20)

Jesus growing in us has us becoming the way God means this.

So, beliefs possibly are not the main thing; but what matters the most is how our *character* is becoming like Jesus so we are loving like Jesus. Jesus in us, then, shares with us how He is and loves.

We need the presence of Jesus in us, so He in us is sharing so.

"My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you," (Galatians 4:19)

So, whatever we might say about the Eucharist, God's word is clear how God wants us to have Jesus in us as our new inner Person. This is so we become "conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." (in Romans 8:29)

We are not only going to Heaven, then, but God is preparing us to be and to share so personally with Jesus and one another for all eternity as God's family.

So, all the time, then, we can be so sharing with Jesus in us, not only during certain scheduled events in church.

I've taken so many "what denomination are you" online polls, and each of them indicate I'm more aligned with Anglicanism than Catholicism.

The way I put it, a number of the earlier Protestant groups were "Catholic wannabes" > they wanted to be Catholic but without being controlled by the Pope. And so, we still see a number of groups who have somewhat Catholic services, minus the Pope. Lutherans, Episcopalians, and Anglicans can be like this, and maybe certain Methodists.

1. The Holy Eucharist: I struggle to believe the Eucharist is the literal body and blood of Christ without scientific evidence, though I see its biblical significance and feel incomplete without it at Mass.

What I got while I was a Catholic is the Eucharist is said to be the body of Jesus but experienced to be a round white piece of bread. And Jesus Himself is spiritually present in the Eucharist. And it is during the consecration of the Mass, when normal bread is changed by the Holy Spirit to become Christ's body with Jesus within. And I was told that the Eucharist ministers God's grace to the ones who eat it.

In any case, I offer > God's main purpose of grace is to change people into the likeness of Jesus, so we are pleasing to God like Jesus is so pleasing, and so we love the way Jesus in us grows us and matures us to love.

So, what we need to evaluate is whether or not such grace is really being ministered to us through the Catholic Eucharist and/or through whatever we are involved with.

And true unity comes with being and loving like Jesus in us. So, the battleground for having unity is not mainly beliefs and practices which are outward, or what group to be in.

 

[seeking.IAM]

Denomination to me has always been primarily a resource for practicing a faith. For example, in college I attended services of a denomination that held to certain theological beliefs somewhat different than my own. But, its minster was brilliant and giving stirring, thought provoking sermons. It was close to my student housing, and they were quite welcoming of college kids despite mostly being made up of very affluent, established persons (Rather irreverently, we college students called it "Our Lady of Cadillac.") Fast forward several decades later, I still don't agree with everything about my present denomination, but I love its worship liturgy. For me, it's always been more about the faith than the flavor.

I will say that I have seen folks confused about their denomination when attending churches who hide their affiliations. There is a trend I find disturbing for some denominational congregations to de-brand themselves to look more like a non-denom because non-denoms are growing when their own denomination is not. I once had a friend that went all the way through membership classes and joining a congregation, before I told him for the first time what denomination he had become a member of. That was both amusing and sad at the same time.

 

[dzheremi]

Those "Which denomination are you?" quizzes are silly and biased towards western Christianity. They do not usually even include any eastern churches outside of perhaps the Eastern Orthodox. Whenever I've taken one, that's what it has said I am, but that's clearly incorrect. Don't base anything on a silly online quiz.

 

[FireDragon76]

I'm not making an argument but just sharing why some catholics, such as myself struggle with the faith in regards to the Holy Eucharist. Science can't prove the Trinity but the difference here is that Holy Eucharist is a physical object. It's just when it is said to be literal then it is hard not to demand evidence. If there is no physical change in this physical object, then it's hard to believe. It isn't about what Jesus said but what he actually meant. It's hard not to believe that Holy Eucharist is primarily spiritual rather than literal. I don't know.

Luther said faith is what takes hold of Christ. So just "take and eat", and have faith that Jesus' words are true, "this is my body given for you".

 

[AlexB23]

Anybody have a link to a Denom quiz?

Here ya go, brother: Christian Denomination Quiz

 

[Cis.jd]

Luther said faith is what takes hold of Christ. So just "take and eat", and have faith that Jesus' words are true, "this is my body given for you".

It's not that i don't have faith, but more of confusion whether or not that statement is literal or figurative. I don't want to say it's a symbol or sound like i'm cosigning with the Baptists' on this. But how can I be 100% sure if he is saying that it is literally his physical body and blood especially without any scientific evidence for it? It being spiritually the body and blood is different on the other hand.

 

[Cis.jd]

First is how God wants us to be.

"be clothed with humility" (in 1 Peter 5:5)

"Be anxious for nothing" (in Philippians 4:6)

"swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (in James 1:19-20)

Jesus growing in us has us becoming the way God means this.

So, beliefs possibly are not the main thing; but what matters the most is how our *character* is becoming like Jesus so we are loving like Jesus. Jesus in us, then, shares with us how He is and loves.

We need the presence of Jesus in us, so He in us is sharing so.

"My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you," (Galatians 4:19)

So, whatever we might say about the Eucharist, God's word is clear how God wants us to have Jesus in us as our new inner Person. This is so we become "conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." (in Romans 8:29)

We are not only going to Heaven, then, but God is preparing us to be and to share so personally with Jesus and one another for all eternity as God's family.

So, all the time, then, we can be so sharing with Jesus in us, not only during certain scheduled events in church.

The way I put it, a number of the earlier Protestant groups were "Catholic wannabes" > they wanted to be Catholic but without being controlled by the Pope. And so, we still see a number of groups who have somewhat Catholic services, minus the Pope. Lutherans, Episcopalians, and Anglicans can be like this, and maybe certain Methodists.

What I got while I was a Catholic is the Eucharist is said to be the body of Jesus but experienced to be a round white piece of bread. And Jesus Himself is spiritually present in the Eucharist. And it is during the consecration of the Mass, when normal bread is changed by the Holy Spirit to become Christ's body with Jesus within. And I was told that the Eucharist ministers God's grace to the ones who eat it.

In any case, I offer > God's main purpose of grace is to change people into the likeness of Jesus, so we are pleasing to God like Jesus is so pleasing, and so we love the way Jesus in us grows us and matures us to love.

So, what we need to evaluate is whether or not such grace is really being ministered to us through the Catholic Eucharist and/or through whatever we are involved with.

And true unity comes with being and loving like Jesus in us. So, the battleground for having unity is not mainly beliefs and practices which are outward, or what group to be in.

For me, at the beginning, part of me does sometimes think that the way Catholicism was in regards to the eucharist was as to be an aid or a form of measure of discipline for Catholics to abstain from sin.

If you committed a moral sin, you can't take the Eucharist. This is in the scriptures 1 Corinthians 11:28-29 is an example.

Now, I can't wrap my brain around this as an example that the Holy Eucharist is literally Christ's body, but it shows that the respect that should be shown exceeds that of anything that would be symbolic.
Thing is, I felt this was more of a measure of abstaining. I remember that when I was in college, I fell into addiction to pornography and because of this I didn't take the Eucharist. Everytime I didn't take the Eucharist, I felt that I wasted my time going to church because for some reason I felt so incomplete for not taking it. It felt like this was some form of "main event" for me when going to mass and I never felt my time at church was complete until I did this. I could feel the shame and regret for my sins when I wasn't lined up ready to receive it, and because of this it helped boost my determination to stop this habitual sin, go to confession and just do my part in bettering myself so that I can actually feel worthy of being right in front of the bread to receive it.

 

[FireDragon76]

It's not that i don't have faith, but more of confusion whether or not that statement is literal or figurative. I don't want to say it's a symbol or sound like i'm cosigning with the Baptists' on this. But how can I be 100% sure if he is saying that it is literally his physical body and blood especially without any scientific evidence for it? It being spiritually the body and blood is different on the other hand.

The position when I was a Lutheran (ELCA) and in my current church (UCC) is that it isn't critical, in the sacrament we commune with Christ. The explanations reflect a different emphasis, but doesn't directly impact the grace of the sacrament.

I think bare memorialism isn't the correct interpretation though, and it isn't what any historic Protestant tradition, outside the Anabaptists, actually teaches. It's not merely bringing to mind Jesus death or a sign of fellowship, but involves a real participation in the life of Christ, though our senses cannot discern it.

 

[FireDragon76]

For me, at the beginning, part of me does sometimes think that the way Catholicism was in regards to the eucharist was as to be an aid or a form of measure of discipline for Catholics to abstain from sin.

If you committed a moral sin, you can't take the Eucharist. This is in the scriptures 1 Corinthians 11:28-29 is an example.

Now, I can't wrap my brain around this as an example that the Holy Eucharist is literally Christ's body, but it shows that the respect that should be shown exceeds that of anything that would be symbolic.
Thing is, I felt this was more of a measure of abstaining. I remember that when I was in college, I fell into addiction to pornography and because of this I didn't take the Eucharist. Everytime I didn't take the Eucharist, I felt that I wasted my time going to church because for some reason I felt so incomplete for not taking it. It felt like this was some form of "main event" for me when going to mass and I never felt my time at church was complete until I did this. I could feel the shame and regret for my sins when I wasn't lined up ready to receive it, and because of this it helped boost my determination to stop this habitual sin, go to confession and just do my part in bettering myself so that I can actually feel worthy of being right in front of the bread to receive it.

I used to be scrupulous about the sacrament many years ago, but the Lutheran teaching helped me realize nobody comes to the sacrament worthily. Lutherans also don't traditionally distinguish between mortal and venial sins- we engaged in too much self-deception and self-delusion to have the responsibility to make those kinds of distinctions, and we risk the greater sin of pride in trying to do so.

Some people probably should abstain- those who are at emnity with God or their neighbor and don't come to the sacrament looking for renewal. But somebody that is convicted of their sins needs grace.

 

[FaithT]

Here ya go, brother: Christian Denomination Quiz

Sister.

 

[AlexB23]

Sister.

Thanks. We are all brothers, and sisters in Christ.

 

[Fervent]

I'm rather ecumenical, in that I don't subscribe to any particular denomination but instead believe that Christ can be found in every truly Trinitarian worship. Belonging to the church is a mystical experience, rather than a worldly one.

So my theology is eclectic, I'm comfortable in the Southern Baptist church I worship in though I'm probably more theologically aligned with the Eastern Orthodox church down the street on most issues.

When it boils down to it, can there truly be division in Christ?

 

[RileyG]

I am a faithful Catholic, and will stay because of the Eucharist. I believe in Christ’s promise.

Be blessed

 

[FaithT]

Here ya go, brother: Christian Denomination Quiz

Do you have a link to a shorter quiz?

 

[AlexB23]

Do you have a link to a shorter quiz?

Well, the quiz has to be long in order for it to work.

Here is a 20 question quiz: What Denomination Am I? 2024 Accurate Christian Quiz | Question 1

 

[Valletta]

I used to be scrupulous about the sacrament many years ago, but the Lutheran teaching helped me realize nobody comes to the sacrament worthily. Lutherans also don't traditionally distinguish between mortal and venial sins- we engaged in too much self-deception and self-delusion to have the responsibility to make those kinds of distinctions, and we risk the greater sin of pride in trying to do so.

Some people probably should abstain- those who are at emnity with God or their neighbor and don't come to the sacrament looking for renewal. But somebody that is convicted of their sins needs grace.

For Catholics it is not usually difficult to distinguish a venial sin from a mortal sin, as a recall someone said to the effect it's like walking down a hall and encountering either a kitten or a lion. If in doubt you just go and confess it. We need the grace received through the sacrament of confession.

 

[FireDragon76]

For Catholics it is not usually difficult to distinguish a venial sin from a mortal sin, as a recall someone said to the effect it's like walking down a hall and encountering either a kitten or a lion. If in doubt you just go and confess it. We need the grace received through the sacrament of confession.

Lutherans have a more intense view of human depravity. According to Luther, sin permeates every aspect of our being, so that we are incapable of willing true righteousness to merit any kind of grace from God. Luther has been called "the doctor of sin". He was drawing from Augustine and Tauler on that point, human subjectivity and an introspective consciosuness, vs. the kind of theology you got out of the later Roman Catholic Church, which was focused on so-called "objectivity" and the philosophy of Aristotle.

Lutherans do have private confession, but it's used differently than in Roman Catholicism.

 

[The Barbarian]

I've identified as a Catholic for many years and am always ready to defend my faith. However, I sometimes question if I'm truly Catholic.
I've taken so many "what denomination are you" online polls, and each of them indicate I'm more aligned with Anglicanism than Catholicism. Anglicanism leads by just a hair.

My wife is Episcopalian and I respect and admire many things about her denomination. But I'm an old guy, once an altar boy (that's what they called us, then) and I still miss the Latin Mass.

When the priest says "The Lord be with you:", in my head I respond "et cum spiritu tuo."

 

[RileyG]

My wife is Episcopalian and I respect and admire many things about her denomination. But I'm an old guy, once an altar boy (that's what they called us, then) and I still miss the Latin Mass.

When the priest says "The Lord be with you:", in my head I respond "et cum spiritu tuo."

I love the traditional Latin Mass, and only have attended about 5 times.

It’s awesome you retained those responses!