This is not meant to be a religious bashing thread. I am not an atheist, but i'm not super religious by any means. With the exception of the last 6-8 weeks, I probably only went to church once a year, if that, for the last decade.

Recently I started going to my better half's church because she wants to get married there, someday. The first service i went to was during the Charlottesville ordeal. The pastor started to make a passive remark about Trump/North Korea. It was not direct, but his tone seemed to paint Trump as the bad guy. He didn't really finish his thought, because in his mind i guess, Charlottesville was more important. He kept referring to Antifa as Anti-racists. My blood was nearly boiling. I felt like Al Pacino when he stuck his finger in the Holy water in Devil's Advocate.


The next service I attended was around hurricane Irma. I told my better half i would walk out in the middle of the service, if the pastor blames the hurricane on Trump. The pastor did not blame the hurricane on Trump. Instead, it must have been LBGT week. With the message being... Accept Bruce Jenner, and all gays in general. I don't really care what two men do. I don't care what two women do (unless i have a million dollars, then i hope it's me at the same time). Membership in the church (this church, anyway) is obviously down from when i went as a child. Maybe this is the new marketing strategy, but i wanted to share this article with the pastor, as the LGBT community may not share his sentiment. https://pjmedia.com/faith/2017/07/20/lgbt-megadonor-targets-christians-were-going-to-punish-the-wicked/

Last week I checked in for Round 3. The main pastor is on vacation. Overall, I thought the service was less politicized. Towards the end the pastor mentioned the good ole days, but said the church was striving for Egypt, and they have the perfect congregation, so the don't need to strive for Egypt. That reminded me when the CEO of Sears said they have all the customers they need. http://www.twice.com/content/sears-lampert-we-have-all-customers-we-need/65019 I hang around for about an hour after service because the future spousal unit is more involved with classes, volunteer stuff, etc. Right around the time she was rapping up, I ran into the substitute pastor. The pastor said "I'd shake your hand, but I just washed mine". I tried not to take it as an insult, so I contemplated it for a while.
Dressed in Sunday best? Check
Showered before leaving the basement? Check
Haircut that would anger Hippes? More than likely
Wow,I guess it was meant to be an insult.

Anyway, I'm probably not going back  to this church until they are under different management. Maybe i'll look for another church between now and then. I'm certain I was I in the Twilight Zone, but I'm curious to hear what church is like for the frequent churchgoers in here.

My Church is a King James Bible and a personal Relationship with Jesus Christ which whom I "try" and mostly "Fail" to pattern my life after.

the rest is just a building we pay money for that usually houses like minded people - some good, some bad and pure evil is always in attendance.

The guy probably meant his hand was wet...

There is too much PC, non Bible based preaching these days.  Find a new one, they are out there.

I'm LCMS and go just about every week (leaving for today's service shortly).

I've been to a few different denominations and read up on a bunch of others, but have always found LCMS to be the optimal combination of conservative doctrine for me.

If you don't like what you're hearing where you are, try another denomination.

Not a fan of religion or politics. Putting them together is just going full retard. 


I was in my old church last week for the first time in probably a year. My grandma's funeral. 

It's not a bad church, and I have no problem being in there, I just don't believe it. 

There is a new Dean there though that I've met a couple times, he is actually pretty good. He's definitely trying to captivate the younger generation and there is a lot more in english now. He also does a good job of explaining the reasoning behind certain things and rituals. Which I actually do find interesting. 

It's very very difficult to find a group of like minded believers these days who want to serve Jesus.  Way too much derp out there.  Keep looking mindful of the fact that it's His church........

The older I got the more and more I realized my Catholic Church leans to the left on most everything. I stopped going after I realized I was only interested in eye fucking the talent there repenting for their sins of that weekend.

I now spend my time connecting with The Lord while in the woods or on the water.

The current SJW Pope sure isn't helping them any.

Find another church.

If the dude up the front is politicking instead of sermonising there's a problem. Jesus said his kingdom isn't of this world. If the minister is more interested in solving the problems of a fallen world without Christ than he is in Christ, it's time to find a new church.

I WAS Methodist until......

http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/gun-violence

Some elements of the Catholic Church lean left, sure, and they tend to espouse beliefs contrary to Catholic doctrine.  You can also find more traditional Catholics who keep to the Church's theology and tend to be politically conservative as well.  My own parish is an example of the latter, my previous parish an example of the former.  The Church's actual doctrines are not Leftist; the Left certainly seeks to undermine the church for that reason, and they've succeeded in some quarters, but they have a long way to go if they want to fully succeed, and I doubt that they will, despite Pope Francis.

Attend a KJV church with a Bible college, mission board and a a food distribution warehouse that has delivered over 750,000 lbs. of water, food, and cleaning supplies to Texas, Florida and now sending teams and supplies to the Caribbean. Terrific pastor and congreation, America lovers.

At least have a heart-to-heart talk with her and see how she reacts.  She may hate it as much as you do.

If not, eject.  Eject now!  It will get worse if you marry her.

Sounds like a United Methodist Church to me.

I was raised and baptised as a Methodist . . . but the "United Methodist Church" abandoned me years ago.

They support the World Council of Churches (a Communist front) and preach LGBT and women's rights and such from the pulpit.

And they stopped singing the great old hymns longs ago.

I don't need them in my life, and they don't seem to miss me.

I've heard the pastor at the church i have been attending was saying anti-gun stuff as well, but have not been there for any of it. The closest thing I've heard was the chior singing "Lord You Have Come to the Lakeshore". They said something about not having weapons in the boat. I discussed it with my better half after the service and said .

Picking a church requires shopping around a bit.

My family moved to a new town decades ago.
While attending various churches, one in particular stood out.
We got looks and stares as if we were tracking dog shit across the floor. (no, we weren't)
We were groomed and dressed properly.

Apparently if your great great grandfather didn't move there and marry his sister - you don't belong there.
Fuck small town assholes.

LCMS for the win!  Leaving with my boys here in about an hour.  Will be carrying my 1911, and likely be joking around with the associate pastor about his poor choice of carrying a wheel gun in an ankle holster for the 87th week in a row  My boys and I truly feel our church is home for us.

May I suggest Southern Baptist? My pastor carries a King James Bible and a gun. He's a humble family man with a gift for preaching. The church he leads is not perfect. None of them are.

(Before reading, remember that theological liberalism/conservatism is not the same as political liberalism/conservatism.)

What denomination?

Most of the mainline denominations have either had their split, Presbyterians for example, or are currently going through a split, like the Episcopalians.

Ibtss. 

 

Went to a Southern Baptist for a few years. They wanted me to be a deacon since I was young and was a decent person. Also the new preacher was near my age and I guess they were planning for the long term.

Well the family that held the purse strings got upset and caused a huge deal about something, I still ain't sure what. Well they ended up running off half the deacons, the youth ministor, and the preacher.

The amount of hate and bitterness I saw changed my views of churches and havent been back since.

Every time I go to my wife's church I get asked why I don't come more often.

Though she's never told them, I think they are figuring out I'm a heathen.

https://www.lds.org/?lang=eng

I'm going shooting with the guys at my church after church.

SBC FTW.

Your motivation for going to church seems like a bad reason to go. Place on top of that, going to a denomination that has lost it's way. Then top it with a pastor that is clueless.
Sounds like the perfect recipe for someone to reject the whole mess.

I know I would if I were in your position.

There are many great people, in great churches, there for the right reasons. Go find one of them, if you really believe.

Ultimately though, Christianity isn't about church, it's about finding peace between man and God.(Rom. 5:1).

I'm an atheist, but I attended my wife's home town church when we went on vacation. My MIL is a devout Christian, so I go to church when we visit my wife's family.
I actually enjoyed the sermon. On top of that, the pastor and I talked after the service and I found out he's a big space exploration nerd like I am. I had a really good time.

^This.^

If the "pastor" thinks it's his show, it will be. You're wasting your time there and it will only drive a wedge between you and God and the future Misses.

I'm Catholic and I've had my share of experiences with misguided priests/parishes. For example, my wife was brought up in another denomination but attended RCIA to join the Catholic church before we married. I attended classes with her and it was an absolute joke at this parish where we'd begun attending Mass. I made sure to call the bishop's office and let his diocesan RCIA director know that after several months of instruction and only 1 week to go, we'd barely cracked a bible and had never once referred to the catechism. My fiancé had no idea what the Church believed or why we believed it. It was week after week of "how does Jesus make you feel?" I was disgusted and furious. Later that year both the pastor and associate pastor were simultaneously reassigned to different parishes in different towns.

Years later, the wife and I live in the same town but attend a different parish. Very blue-collar congregation and the pastor is very in-tune with his parish. Every Sunday is a very inviting homily that reminds us of God's love and our responsibilities as His people (and as parents, tons of children in this parish). No politics and no wishy-washy "whatever you do is okay." Love and responsibility.

OP, sounds like a liberal mainline church.

If you want something different, try conservative non denominational, southern baptist, or maybe church of the Nazarene.

I only attend church if I have to (weddings, funerals, visiting my folks). In the last few years I’ve heard a catholic priest go off on an anti-gay marriage tirade during a weddding ceremony . I’ve also heard my parents’ pastor claim that the Earth is 10,000 years old and anyone who denies that fact denies the word of god.

I actually like when the preacher goes full retard... makes the sermon more entertaining. Most of the time though it’s just the same-old stuff.

My pastor is right wing and we have had people leave our congregation because of the bible based position on gays and lesbians..It is a sin in the eyes of God to be involved in one of these relationships..and so is cohabitation and sex outside of marriage.

I drove past one yesterday.

This...although Western district decided to play power games with our Pastor, forcing him into retirement. We are looking at a Wisconsin Synod church now.

OP, I am atheist.  

Find a different church.  The pastor is preaching his rhetoric, not what the book says, if he is presenting an opinion on ANTIFA, Trump or LGBTs causing hurricanes.  


Follow @Old_Painless es lead if you want to be religious.

They really fuck up traffic flow around 11 on Sundays.

Don't marry her until you both find a good church or she decides to leave bad churches on her own.

I attend a Synagogue and it's beautiful and so are the people there. People are people though and you'll always have that element to deal with. My Rabbi is well known and we seem to attract the spooky spirituals sometimes but we have a tight congregation almost as a family. Something you have to contend with in the Christian church and even in some Synagogues is the Pastor or Rabbi teaching man made traditions that are not biblically based or worse their political beliefs even when they go against what the bible says. That's when it's time to leave and search for another place to worship. Just remember when people say you don't have to attend church to honor G-d ? Actually you do. Read your bible and it will tell you. I think it might also be one of the Ten Commandments as well but I could be wrong lol or am I funny when you think about the 10 Commandments and honoring the Sabbath. G-d placed that before thou shalt not kill. Funny huh ? Who would have thunk it

Nevermind.

My church is God's earth.  Not a fan of social clubs.

My wife and I have a church we call home, and many of the pastors know how to preach very effectively, without bashing you in the least.  As weekly attendance runs about 12,000 people, they do a lot of community support and often give $10k a week to a family who has significant needs and they do so cheerfully.  They also have a few free medical clinics they staff in various cities around here.

Recently, one of the ministers came back home after several years of living in another state, and they were preaching on Sunday evening while my wife was doing childcare.  I can honestly say that the sermon he had written and taught from was probably one of the most memorable ones I had ever heard.  I am glad they do a podcast of the previous week's worship and teaching, because it allows the live teaching to be used in posterity.

Well written.

There are many many churches out there just like this in every denomination. I love our little small town church. The pastor sticks to the good word, doesn't preach politics. Very very little BS in the drama department, and they are well known and generally ignored LOL.

My Catholic priest rides a Harley, owns and shoots guns, plus voted for Trump and Roy Moore in the last elections.  He is not a fan of Francis.  The Catholic Church is not all leftists.

Forgive me as I'm out of Practice but I thought it was about keeping the
Sabbath holy.   I don't recall a you must attend a church.  Of course the Catholic Church I grew up said not attending church was a
Sin.

The most recent was a sweat lodge. There was no such bullshit.

Screw that church OP. Remember, where two men congregate, there is the church.  It is not some building but where people meet for spiritual purposes.

My thoughts, as well. That or he could smell the troll.

My recent experience with church has been great. I try to make it there every Sunday.

Didn't go to church much when I was a young adult, but now it's much more a regular part of life.

I never hear politics discussed during the church service, maybe because it is LCMS.

One of the pastors likes to hunt elk and deer, and enjoys a beer now and then.

I will be in church this morning, to hear the WORD.