Differences in Protestants

So many differrent branches... what are the major differences HB? I have been going to an Episcopal Church lately and like it. I enjoy the rituals (but they are not as ritualistic as Catholics), the receptive reading, the taking of communion and their basic belief in the Bible of "Judge not lest ye be judged." (Which is what ran me away from the Baptist Church with a bad taste and bitterness toward them.)

My main confusion comes from trying to understand how Baptists/Methodists differ from The Episcopal Church and from Lutherans.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, that He died for my sins, that there no other way to get to heaven except thru Him and that faith, not deeds get you to heaven; and finally, that one must be 'born again' to have everlasting life. Do all 3 of the above mentioned groups follow that same belief system?

 

I know Baptists are part of the 'Priesthood of the Believer' camp. Do you know if the Baptists you experienced were fundies or moderates? I'm a moderate.

 

Southern Baptist born and bred. Fundy. My first memory was of a pretty little girl that moved into our neighborhood when I was in the 1st grade. I asked my mother if I could invite her to church with us and she said I could, but that her mother probably wouldn't let her because they were Catholic. The next Sunday, I asked my Sunday School teacher if Catholics went to hell and she told me "yes." My faith in "the church" (organized religion) has been on a downhill fall ever since.

I'm still interested to find out the exact differences between Baptists, Methodists, Presbys, Episcopalians and Lutherans.

 

Weekly alcohol consumption.

 

Sad that one lay person could have that much effect on you. I think that's why I strive to keep my eyes on Jesus. The rest of us all mess up and say and do the wrong things.
Mathmajors, that was a great answer and my chuckle for the day!

 

Fred,
been wondering for a while now, and now that you're around for a while in conjunction with us having this forum -

what's kept your faith intact, given your lifestyle? I know that people have used the bible to condemn homosecuality, where my personal belief is that that was social code moreso than word of God and that in the end, God loves all. I know there are homosexuals here who have obviously had issues with faith, and I've dealt with it with a friend of mine as well (actually, a girl I dated, which is far too long a story to get into).
I guess I was just wondering where that line is, what kept you into faith despite there being words that could be used to criticize you.

Also, just to stay on topic in some fashion, my belief of the way people act in religion is kinda dismissive, but it's the idea that their actions are theirs, and no matter how much they think they're doing a service to God by acting that way, if they're not bringing honor to their faith, they're not in service by doing so. I've met more than my share of people who felt like, since they had faith, they were better than I was, regardless of what my faith was. I have to guess that's how those people are, and it'd be their job or material posessions leading them to that same snobbism if they weren't using the religion.

 

Mosts catholics I know, including myself will probably end up in hell. I would think that the priests as well as most parents of the kids at my school would have no problem with and even encourage attending a protestant church. However it would not count as the required weekly attendance of mass.

 

That's easy Mag- I know the truth. I know I was born gay and how can it be a sin to be born? I believe that everyone has a reason to be here and has a reason to every aspect of their being (color, sex, sexual orientation) and a reason for everything they go through.

Man is not perfect. The Bible was not written by God/Christ. Man wrote it as directed by Him. Over the years it was translated from language to language and I believe that man's personal point of view played a part in it.

I'm not saying it's ok to go out and screw around, but I don't think it's any more wrong for a gay person to do it as it is for a breeder to do it.

I look at it like this... Why are some people left handed? It's not genetic and it's not a choice. Left handed people were burned for being witches at one time. Our society can't explain homosexuality and it's not PC to burn us at the stake- so they deem us a devient. I think it's all in the physical structure of the brain. It's been proven that the hypothylmus of the brain is smaller in gay men than in straight men and larger in lesbians than in straight women.

Just because science hasn't discovered the physical/chemical explanation for homosexuality doesn't mean one doesn't exist. It's much easier for man to blame it on personal choice instead of saying they don't know the reason.

I personally think that all people have certain tasks to complete and lessons to learn while they are here. Who knows, maybe my spirit needed to be born into a gay man's body and life to accomplish the lessons and tasks I need to complete.

 

yep gotta stay for the nicean creed or it's not a mass. if you get there late you can stand in the vestibule and sneak out early and cut half an hour off your time.

 

This is what hard-headed Baptists (even moderates) fail to grasp. I am amazed at the denial.