I was baptised as a Protestant, as a child I attended church. My family doesn't believe that you have to go to church to pray so we kind of cut that short I guess. However, I'd really like to start going again. I want to find my faith in god. I'd like to know if there are certain rules to following this faith. I know it's not necessarily as strict as the catholic religion on what you can and cannot do. Like drinking, premarital sex... etc. If anyone can shed a little light on the religion i'd really appreciate it.
with the marley & rizla sig, perhaps you should try http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/forumdisplay.php?f=99
I'm pretty sure sex before marriage is a no no. But, then it all depends on how liberal you are within your faith. All Christian denominations have their own 'rules' but they vary depending on whether what is said in the Bible is meant to be taken literally or not.
Christianity is a practice with the aim of finding satisfaction and fulfillment with the world and each other. It is done by forgiving the world your critical assessments against it, thus opening pathways of appreciation, love. We choose such a practice because we are dissatisfied with life. There are people who do not as a rule experience existential angst. It is not for everyone.
Someone, possibly R.A.Wilson. once said 'the church of england (Anglican protestants) is the only church in the world that don't care about your politics or your religion'. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it's not that wide of the mark. Certainly there's more leeway in how you interpret the meaning of Christianity than with Catholicism, and generally it is less strict and authoritarian - they have women priests etc. There are some now calling for Gay bishops,typically in the UK and America, but in Africa, where the majority of Anglicans are today, they tend to be more moralistic/traditionalist. (their attitudes towards sex in particular are conditioned by the HIV thing which is widespread in Africa, and they think liberalization and recognition of gay clergy would send the wrong message) So in Anglicanism at least there is a kind of split between the traditionalists and the liberals. But that's only one branch of protestantism, I don't really know a lot about many of the others.
Good advice , but to decide between churches, you'd also have to get to know a bit about the different ones and what they stand for etc.
I'm no expert, but I would assume that to be a true follower of your religion, you must at least know what is contained in your particular club's most important writings. You may find things in that book that you never expected to be there. I know I did.
Well, I said 'good advice' when you suggested reading it.....so this looks like argument for arguments sake to me.
No. I disagree with picking a religion, when you haven't read the source documents. I don't very much agree with believing something because this group of people does. Just because you think my advice was good, doesn't mean I think yours was. Sorry pal; but that's life.
turn that crucifix towards hell and join the church of satan, you can have all the sin and vice you can carry out + there's free dental! all we require is your soul and your participation in the end war, and these days that's asking for a lot less then all the other guys
If you want to stay protestant, then it is just how involved you wish to be in your religiousness. Protest-ant is a sect that basically was formed over a general protest about the way the church conducted business. Thus it is largely personal opinion based. I find most people now a days that do not go to church just say they are protestant. That is how I was raised. Although I am not going to raise my children that way... Read the bible, form your own opinions. Know your religion, and know what you disagree with and agree with in terms of what other sects of the Catholic faith organize around and believe so you can ask yourself what is better for you.