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I want to know why people attend the churches that they attend. If you are Catholic why? If you are Baptist why? If you are Methodist why? If you are Mormon why? All these Churches have belief systems. All have similarities and differances. Why do you attend a specific church? What keeps you going to the same sect week in and week out?
My thought is that you would have to have a lot of faith that the church you attend has the truth. Most churches have differances in what they believe. If God is not the author of confusion how does that all work out for you and your choice in a religion?
As I'm of the religion I started in I guess one could argue I'm just going with indoctrination. I think that would be wrong, but I suppose I can't a 100% prove it's not so.
From my perspective there being a God and an afterlife seems like more satisfying and in-line with human experience than they're not being one. If there is a God than that means some one or if you prefer some thing knows everything. If there is an afterlife where we see God it means we can have that knowledge available to us. If there is no afterlife we'll never know. Also if there is no afterlife there isn't really much justice in the Universe. Because that means many good people die young while some of the Nazi doctors lived into their eighties or nineties and they both end up in exactly the same circumstance. (Oblivion, except the Nazi doctors got to have more years of good times when they did exist) Also God/Supreme-Being has been experienced in multiple cultures in multiple times. I think I read a fairly significant minority of people, meaning too high to just be psychosis, claim a divine experience.
Now why one God rather than many might seem a bit harder to explain, but not that hard. Multiple gods bring unnecessary complications. Also there are reasons relating to my faith, which is Catholic.
Why Catholic rather than something else? Well as mentioned some might argue because I was raised that way, but I'm going to defer that for now. I guess to get to it though I should jump back from "God and an afterlife" to the specifics of Christianity rather than some other theistic religion with an afterlife.
One appeal is Christianity is universalizing. If a religion is correct, or as close to correct as possible. I feel it would make sense it would be as correct in India as in Israel. It shouldn't be particular or subjective. Another appeal is Christian ideas of humanity being flawed and prone to sin seems to me to fit the reality of our situation better than Islamic ideas that even the angels bow to humans or Dharmic notions about cosmos or karma or whatever. Also the Christian emphasis on self-sacrifice for the least of people I find very humane and noble. I guess you could argue I've been conditioned to think that, but I think I see value in it just from a human level. And there's likely more.
So why Catholicism in specific once Christian? Well of the Christian churches the ones that clearly, as in historically, continue from the Apostolic age are: Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and Assyrians. I know this sounds mean, but to me most Protestantism can be dismissed fairly easily as an offshoot of Catholicism created by Renaissance philosophers and that it clearly does not conform to even what we know of Pre-Nicene Christianity. (Mormonism can't be dismissed quite so easily as it more explicitly claims a revelation from God to restore Christianity. However Mormon practices also don't strike me as being in-line with early Christianity and some of their historical claims seem hard for me to find plausible) An exception to that is the Episcopalian/Anglican faith which, in high-church forms, does conform to the Councils to final Nicaea and contains archbishoporics that were once Catholic. Traditionally their succession is considered invalid, but for the sake of argument we can add them as a fifth.
Now of the five (Anglican, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Assyrian) why Catholicism? Even high-church form Anglicanism is essentially a schism created by the Tudors and Stuarts. It's something of a compromise between Catholicism and Protestantism. So if you're going to be an English-style schismatic Catholic you might as well just be Catholic from my perspective. Unless one sees something of great significance in Britain/England. Eastern Orthodoxy is appealing in many ways, but on looking into I found it somewhat lacking in the intellectual heft of Catholicism and also prone to ethnic particularism. Catholicism has ethnic parishes, but the ideal of universality and diverse peoples "as one" makes sense to me. Again Truth being Truth in India or Malta or whatever. Oriental Orthodox also has that particularity issue. Also many of the Orthodox seem to believe in "soul sleep" and reject Purgatory. That most human minds need preparation or cleansing before entering Heaven makes sense to me. If Heaven is so grand you might need time to adjust to that. The idea of "soul sleep", after the Resurrection, doesn't strike me as justified by the New Testament as Jesus tells the thief on the Cross he will be with him in Paradise that day. Granted that could be a special dispensation, but still "soul sleep" strikes me as fairly clearly being the situation of souls before the Resurrection.
Which I guess leaves Catholic and Assyrian. I don't think Assyrians accept Purgatory either. And although Assyrians at an early point included many peoples under one body, from the Kerait of Mongolia and Chinese converts to Chaldeans, this apparently didn't last as they're mostly all of certain ethnicities now.
Catholicism is one, apostolic, and "catholic" i.e. universal across cultures. People who aren't perfect don't necessarily go to Hell. People in "invincible ignorance" of the faith are generally believed to not go to Hell or go to a really nice part of it anyway. (Limbo where they can have pure human happiness, although they are barred from any hope of seeing God or having all questions answered. The current Pope emphasizes that Limbo is not something Catholics must believe, and personally he does not believe it, but he has not condemned or banned it either so far as I know) It is continuous. As atheism is no longer an option to me, atheism also being universalizing in its way as it sees the "Truth" of godlessness as not being culturally specific and it is applicable to diverse places, Catholicism is pretty much it. Bear in mind this is all IMO, etc. And I'm not the greatest apologist in the world so some of this might sound either overly cold-blooded or ridiculously mushy/emotional depending on where you're coming from.
Last edited by Thomas R.; 08-16-2011 at 04:16 AM..
I am a Mormon for a number of reasons, the first of which being that I was born to Mormon parents, who taught me what they believed to be true and encouraged me to be baptized and confirmed at the age of eight. For a number of years, that is pretty much the only reason why I was a Mormon.
I am almost 63 years old now. A lot has happened in the forty-five years since I was baptized. I am a Mormon today, not because I was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church at the age of eight, but because I am convinced that the teachings of the Church are true and that the authority Jesus Christ gave to His Apostles anciently is again on the earth. Everything I have read on the subject of the early Church has convinced me that a universal apostasy did, in fact, take place soon after the deaths of the Apostles. Throughout the New Testament, these twelve chosen men warned that this was to happen. Paul seemed particularly concerned about the infant Church and frequently voiced his concerns to the early Christians. Among his statements to Christ's followers, are these:
Acts 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition…
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel…
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears…
Paul made it absolutely clear that the flock would not only be attacked, it would not be spared, that Christ would not return to the earth until this universal "falling away" or "apostasy" had taken place, that these things were already beginning to take place as he spoke, and that the doctrines taught by the Savior would, in time, cease to endure.
When I came to realize that the Church Jesus Christ had established had ceased to exist in its original form, I began to understand why it was so essential that He be a part of the re-establishment of that Church. While the Apostles predicted that a universal Apostasy would take place following their deaths, they also spoke of hope in a Restoration of that which was lost. As recorded in Acts 3:19-21, Peter prophesied of this restitution or “apokatastasis” also translated as reconstitution, restoration or re-establishment "when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”
He did not specifically state when it would take place. However, he did say that Christ will not return until “the restitution of all things” had occurred. In other words, the second coming will take place after “all things” have been restored. The two events will not take place simultaneously. The Greek word for “until”, as used in this instance, is “achri.” It denotes completion of an act or event as in the statement, “You can’t go to the movies until you’ve cleaned your room.” Other examples of this usage are found in Luke 1:20, Romans 8:22 and Revelation 17:17.
In Revelation 14:6, John too spoke of the Restoration, when he described seeing "another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people…"
Upon becoming convinced that a Restoration of the original Church had been foretold, I stopped to consider just how many churches on the earth today claim to be that Church. Of course, I knew that mine did. But were the doctrines I'd always been taught really taught anciently? Study and prayer convinced me that they were, and I grew to love learning what the Christians of Jesus' day really believed. Amazingly, so much of what I read confirmed in my mind that they believed very much what I had been taught to believe! The Church of Jesus Christ really does exist on the earth today, and if He were to attend one of our worship services, He would find nothing amiss about what we believe or teach.
I am a Mormon because I desperately need what the Church of Jesus Christ has to offer me -- direction and purpose in my everyday life, consolation and comfort in times of trial and sorrow, and hope for something amazingly wonderful after I die. I've often thought that if the Church isn't true, it should be! The doctrines of the Church help me understand that God didn't place me here on earth for His amusement, nor did He create me out of a need for my eternal praise and adoration. He created me for an entirely unselfish reason -- that I might have joy! He created me because He wanted me to be able to have all the blessings He could possibly bestow on me. He is not offended by my desire to be like Him. He is honored to know that I love Him so much that I want to be everything He has given me the potential to be. He doesn't look at me as a vile, depraved creature but as His daughter, as a daughter who occasionally makes mistakes, but whom He loves dearly in spite of my failures. He is the perfect parent, and when I stop to think about how much my earthly parents loved me and what they would have done for me, I realize that His love for me must exceed anything I can imagine.
I love knowing that His Plan is not limited to those who were fortunate enough to hear the restored gospel during their lifetimes, but allows for every man, woman and child who has ever lived to hear the good news before it is too late. I cherish my understanding of what is happening today in the Spirit World and am so grateful that He has provided a way for all of us to return to His presence someday. Billions have lived and died, having never heard of Jesus Christ. How, never having heard of Him, could they possibly be accepted to believe in Him or trust Him to save them? How wonderful that God is going to give them a chance to not only hear His gospel, but to actually make a decision themselves to accept it! What relief they must feel when they realize that they can repent of their sins and be forgiven of them!
I am a Mormon because I believe we as Latter-day Saints are taught to practice what we preach. I spend a great deal of time online, on religious discussion forums and am always so gratified to see the way in which the LDS members of the forums conduct themselves. Our love for God is real and that means it must extend to our brothers and sisters who are not members of our Church. There is not a day that goes by that we cannot show them what we stand for. Sometimes it involves nothing more than patiently explaining what we believe to a hostile listener. At other times, it involves service to someone less fortunate, or a donation to the Church's Humanitarian Fund. But it's true Christianity in action. It is not just a once a week Church, but a way of life, a wonderful, fulfilling, satisfying way of life.
I guess, in summary, I am a Mormon because...
1. I was born into a Mormon household where I was taught by example by good parents who loved me and wanted only the best for me.
2. I am convinced that both an Apostasy and a Restoration are realities.
3. I find the doctrines the Church teaches to answer my questions. I find no gaping holes in them or mysteries that "we're not supposed to understand" in its teachings.
4. I am lifted up rather than brought down by its message.
5. I can, and am expected to, put its teachings into practice every day of my life.
My thought is that you would have to have a lot of faith that the church you attend has the truth. Most churches have differances in what they believe. If God is not the author of confusion how does that all work out for you and your choice in a religion?
95% of churches have the truth, they just differ on minor points like mode of baptism, order or worship, style of music, which color of carpet to use, etc.
Presbyterian at heart. I am involed with a Lutheran and an Assembly of God church. They both teach the same things, just in a different style
First, I need to address the OP's assumption: "My thought is that you would have to have a lot of faith that the church you attend has the truth."
I DON'T believe that my church has the truth. I don't think any church has the truth. Or, more accurately, none of them have the whole truth. We are unable to attain that level of truth, because we are humans. However, each of us strives toward that truth, albeit in different ways.
I was raised in the Reformed Church of America, a descendant of the Dutch Reformed Church, and abandoned my connections with that church as an adult. In my mid-thirties, I began to attend a small Episcopal Church simply because I was pregnant and my divorced-Catholic husband decided it would be a good idea to go to a church so we could get the baby baptized. He was doing carpentry work on the rectory of this church and liked the priest. Now there's a deep reason to choose a church, eh? But that's how life works. Seemingly unrelated events can lead you someplace you never thought you'd go.
My ex soon lost interest in attending church, but I liked the church, the priest, his sermons, the small and friendly congregation, the historical elements of the Episcopal Church, the ritual of the Eucharist, the fact that it is a socially-conscious church, and the fact that reason is viewed by this church as a gift from God that you are expected to use. I was confirmed as an Episcopalian at the age of 35.
That was a number of years ago, and in between that time I stopped going to church and tried very hard to stop believing altogether; however, life events and spiritual experiences that I won't go into here prevented me from giving up my beliefs, although they've changed, or more accurately, deepened. Last year I moved to a new area and found another small, warm, Episcopal church where I feel very much at home and learn a great deal from its priests.
I've been to the local Quaker Meeting House, and one thing that stuck with me was one of the Friends' saying "I cannot tell another how to experience God. I can only know how I experience God." That statement pretty much summarizes the answer to the question as to why I attend the church that I do, and I appreciate the other posters before me on this thread sharing the information about their churches, as well.
I see this question as having two parts, the first asking specifically about the Church building one attends and the second more subtle being the reason for choosing your religious affiliation.
In Islam the church part is a bit moot. We go to a Mosque to pray. all Mosques are the same, the prayers for the given time are identical in every Mosque. so My answer is I go to what ever Mosque I am near at prayer time.
The second part is I am Muslim, because I sincerely believe it to be the truth.
I see this question as having two parts, the first asking specifically about the Church building one attends and the second more subtle being the reason for choosing your religious affiliation.
In Islam the church part is a bit moot. We go to a Mosque to pray. all Mosques are the same, the prayers for the given time are identical in every Mosque. so My answer is I go to what ever Mosque I am near at prayer time.
The second part is I am Muslim, because I sincerely believe it to be the truth.
Sorry for the misunderstaning in what a church is. Chances are this can be interpreted in many ways. For me the building is just that, a place of worship nothing more. The church to me is the organization around a set of beliefs and ideals. The people are the church. The teachings are the church. If the building was destroyed today the church would still stand.
Sorry for the misunderstaning in what a church is. Chances are this can be interpreted in many ways. For me the building is just that, a place of worship nothing more. The church to me is the organization around a set of beliefs and ideals. The people are the church. The teachings are the church. If the building was destroyed today the church would still stand.
I think many people see "the Church" as also being comprised of the minister and the congregation. If you're a Methodist, for instance, you might feel like you don't fit in well with the other parishoners or you might not care for the pastor. So, you change "churches"; that doesn't mean you change religions.
Of course, if you're a Mormon, it doesn't work that way, since for Mormons, the specific building where you go to worship is determined by where you live.
95% of churches have the truth, they just differ on minor points like mode of baptism, order or worship, style of music, which color of carpet to use, etc.
Presbyterian at heart. I am involed with a Lutheran and an Assembly of God church. They both teach the same things, just in a different style
If you are Baptist or Mormon you would only agree that someone was baptized if they were completly immersed in the water meaning that sprinking or some other means is not being baptized. As a Presbyterian you would not be considered baptized in those churches. In the Catholic Church you need to be baptized as a Baby yet the Mormon's believe that a baby can't be baptized as it has done nothing wrong and is innocent in the eyes of God. The Lutherans and I would assume most protestant Churches believe that the Catholics are wrong. Seems like a lot of confusion to me.
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