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I know there was an old thread, but we have alot of new people here, so if you did, or didnt attend church as a child, teenager, how did it change your outlook, good or bad, on life now?
I was raised in an Assembly of God background. My parents were very legalistic. The church we attend now is technically a non-denom church, but follows AG doctrine. However, the pastor is very "anti-legalistic". My parents have mellowed out a lot! Many of the things they were so uptight about before seem silly to them now. Don't get me wrong, they are still very serious about their faith. I think they just realize that many of the things legalistic people tout as being "from God" is really from man and should be treated as such.
I know there was an old thread, but we have alot of new people here, so if you did, or didnt attend church as a child, teenager, how did it change your outlook, good or bad, on life now?
Methodist. I recall going to their Sunday-school class as a 6 or 7 year old. One day we "guys" were loud and obnoxious, cutting up...giving the teacher a difficult time. Finally, in desperation, she said "let's pray". I distinctly remember her prayer: "Oh Lord, please allow these boys to see Heaven someday, before you send them all to Hell...."
They never did tell me how to become born-again. The Baptists finally told me how....at age 20...
I was brought up in a Presbyterian church as a child. My father was a Choir Director and all I saw of my father at church on Sunday was his hands waving as he conducted from a pit.
mid-70s--American Lutheran Church: I was baptised, and we attended when I was very small. More high-church Lutheran.
Late 70's-1980--Evangelical Free Church: Sunday School is the tiny bit I remember from this.
Early-late 80's--Lutheran Brethren Church: Low-church Lutheran, somewhat Pietistic. Aside from infant Baptism and confirmation, difficult to differentiate from the Evangelical Free.
Late 80's-early 90's--Evangelical Free Church (again). At this point, they were trying to put me through the non-confirmation equivalent of their confirmation. After a year-and-a-half of this, they switched pastors and wanted to start me over. I thought that was bunk. My mother died, and my attendance there became intermittent.
Mid-90's-Present--Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Free Lutheran Church (adulthood--attendance sporadic at best)
The "church-hopping" that we underwent when I was a kid impressed upon me the importance of faith in my parents' lives. Unfortunately, it also left me confused on various doctrines, and in time of crisis left me somewhat flat. Ultimately, after some pretty significant study, I decided on the Lutheran faith. These days, I attend a pretty conservative (for the ELCA) liturgical church with a high view of scripture and get quite a lot out of it.
I know there was an old thread, but we have alot of new people here, so if you did, or didnt attend church as a child, teenager, how did it change your outlook, good or bad, on life now?
For me it was a bonus point!!!!
But it really wouldn't matter to me now, because I'm a new creature in Christ Jesus and all old things have basically passed away that is,my past way of thinking so where I'm headed is this. I may have attended church and had bad or good experiences as a child, or may not have and still had some bad and good experiences as a child, Most times people that I have encountered have had awful experiences that affected their lives in ways I couldn't imagine. But the
story ends good here for all of us... We become brand new when we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord as our Righteousness!! for all who have tried to be righteous through deeds and work maybe in the church as a physical building. I'm glad to know that we are the church.
Last edited by yhwhshalomjr; 08-08-2007 at 04:47 PM..
Reason: mispelling
I attended both Catholic churches and French Huguenot Protestant temples on occasions as my family is "divided" religiously as well as Catholic schools. My family put more of an emphasis on letting me draw up my own decisions and I was never baptised as they believed it should be a conscious decision. I am still not baptised and an atheist after years of thinking deeply about religion, researching it and even praying for guidance. It never made sense to me. The more I read, thought about it the less it did make sense. I never felt the need for this kind of re-assurance about life I guess. We are born, we live, we die no biggie.
I went to a Baptist kindergarten. I tried a "Cristian Center" in High school, but I found science more appealing. Since then I've separated Church from State.
Loved my had, and his funeral too. He didn't have a church service and went it was done, a bulldozer came by and plowed him under. 1st rate....
I know there was an old thread, but we have alot of new people here, so if you did, or didnt attend church as a child, teenager, how did it change your outlook, good or bad, on life now?
When I was growing up my step-father was an atheist, and my mother said she believed, but the only time she used the Lord's name was in vein.
As a consequence I attended the nearest church to my house, and only when I felt like it, no one ever encouraged me to go. As a military kid I traveled allot, so I changed churches allot. I attended some Catholic services, non-denominational protestant services on military bases, Latter day Saint, Southern Baptist, Seventh day Adventist, I may have gone to others that I have forgotten.
One thing that stuck with me about all of those faiths is they did not like questions, I was to obey the preacher and never ask any questions. This attitude drove me away from the Church and God for many years, it wasn't until I found out that answers for the questions I had been asking really existed, and it was OK that I ask these questions that I was really able to give my heart to God.
In answer to my own question, my parents took me to a southern baptist church until I was 7 on Sunday mornings, and I went to a Assembly of God with my grandparents on Sunday night/wed night. The Assm of God pastor was the type that didnt believe his congregation should go to movies, skating, etc, etc, which I didnt agree with even then.
When I was 8, my parents joined a non-denom church, in which we attened until I was 13, the church split. Then we kinda church hopped for a while, I went to all kinds of church as a teen, not really to hear a message but friends went there..and girls. Attended a catholic class to become a catholic for a while (with a GF), also methodist, lutheran, Baptist, S. Baptist. Now Im non-denom.
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