Please help. Really struggling.

Corelli

I'm not a Christian, and it is attitudes like that which you have come across that are a main part of my dislike of the church. So thank you Billie S for showing there are reasonable open minded Christians too. My mother, much as I dearly love her and see her as an open minded woman, has some pretty strange views on gay people and as for women priests ... oh dear oh dear.

I do hope you find a church wih some like minded people as it always nice to be with people you can see eye to eye with and share activities with. IMHO. You say it is a small town? It would be nice to think there are some other options for you. Otherwise if you feel a need to worship you could go to the service but avoid the social activities.

OR find an assertivenss skills group? And find the ability to speak up for what you believe in? You never know, you might find some like minded people there who need support to speak up.

Billie-S

Money_maker wrote: »

Wow, bet you're a barrel of laughs:eek:

My mum was a good christian and churchgoer but never quite reached the stage of having to stay away from horoscopes:rotfl:

Reminds me of a friend who has connections with one religious group (imagine evangelists?) where those out of favour are described as 'walking with the devil' and healing prayers involve waving hands up and down in the air with the correct cries to him up there. Religion turns some into nutters.

This is what is bothering me somewhat, How looking at horoscopes and suchlike (like the tarot or witchy and wizardy type stuff) is frowned upon. (As WELL as people who don't believe, and gay people.) I struggle with trying to 'get' how people who claim to be good people (ie; Christians) can be so judgemental towards others, and like I said, I WANT to worship and go to Church sometimes, but it's hard with people like this. Then again, not EVERYONE is like this, so it's so hard! ARGH!

Errata

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I must admit that I do strongly believe that no Christian should read horoscopes, tarot cards or anything related and am surprised at any church that doesn't teach that.

Why on earth not? They're all nonsense and tomfoolery.

Torry_Quine

balletshoes wrote: »

I don't think it even needs to an alternative style church - I was brought up in the Church of Scotland and I've not once had anyone say anything around me, either in the pulpit, the sermon, or in Sunday school/church group meetings, about the occult or even that Halloween was a thing to be avoided (which is stuff I've read on here to be honest and was very surprised by!).

I don't know why people have to be judgmental, I couldn't in all honesty have sat around while these people discussed how teaching about the existence of homosexuality in junior school was unacceptable. I'm no good at hiding my feelings if I'm outraged, the expression on my face would have given me away.

I wish I were surprised by your upbringing in the Cof S but I'm not although there are some churches within it which are more traditional in their beliefs.

Saying for instance that you think children shouldn't be taught that homosexual activity is equal to heterosexual marriage isn't judgemental but not wanting your child to be taught something you believe is wrong. They sould be told it exists though and not ignored.

PasturesNew

I wasn't christened or anything, my parents said it was up to me to choose.... and they took/sent me to many Sunday schools .... nice sing song, colour in some pictures of Jesus, what's not to like?

I've been to Methodists, Baptists and a few random others.... but never the stranger sort. Just the sort of churches where you have a nice sing song, round goes the collection plate .... and off you go until next week.

balletshoes

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I certainly wouldn't call someone not a Christian as 'walking with the devil'! :eek: Religion can be abused as can many other things.

I must admit that I do strongly believe that no Christian should read horoscopes, tarot cards or anything related and am surprised at any church that doesn't teach that.

just out of interest, why do you strongly believe that? As I've said already on this thread, all this "thou shalt not read horoscopes" stuff is new to me, having grown up in the protestant church.

Billie-S

Corelli wrote: »

I'm not a Christian, and it is attitudes like that which you have come across that are a main part of my dislike of the church. So thank you Billie S for showing there are reasonable open minded Christians too. My mother, much as I dearly love her and see her as an open minded woman, has some pretty strange views on gay people and as for women priests ... oh dear oh dear.

I do hope you find a church wih some like minded people as it always nice to be with people you can see eye to eye with and share activities with. IMHO. You say it is a small town? It would be nice to think there are some other options for you. Otherwise if you feel a need to worship you could go to the service but avoid the social activities.

OR find an assertivenss skills group? And find the ability to speak up for what you believe in? You never know, you might find some like minded people there who need support to speak up.

Lovely post. Thank you

Torry_Quine

Billie-S wrote: »

This is what is bothering me somewhat, How looking at horoscopes and suchlike (like the tarot or witchy and wizardy type stuff) is frowned upon. (As WELL as people who don't believe, and gay people.) I struggle with trying to 'get' how people who claim to be good people (ie; Christians) can be so judgemental towards others, and like I said, I WANT to worship and go to Church sometimes, but it's hard with people like this. Then again, not EVERYONE is like this, so it's so hard! ARGH!

Being a Christian is hard though but we are all only human and not perfect.

As said before you need a more liberal church.

*max*

Errata wrote: »

Why on earth not? They're all nonsense and tomfoolery.

Maybe because being based, like religion, on belief and not evidence, they can be seen as competition...and therefore must be avoided? I have no idea, it's all complete nonsense to me anyway. Although I have to say I have never heard of murders committed, or wars started, by a mob of angry astrologers, so if I had to choose...

balletshoes

PasturesNew wrote: »

I wasn't christened or anything, my parents said it was up to me to choose....
and they took/sent me to many Sunday schools .... nice sing song, colour in some pictures of Jesus, what's not to like?

I've been to Methodists, Baptists and a few random others.... but never the stranger sort.
Just the sort of churches where you have a nice sing song, round goes the collection plate .... and off you go until next week.

yes, those are my impressions from my old church, I thought that was what happened in most churches (although I knew the service was a bit longer in the Catholic church so there must have been a bit more to it in theirs ).
Threads like these always make me realise how different people's ideas and experiences of church can be - and also makes me think that none of it can be all right or all wrong, so we really can't be judgemental about those experiences on behalf of others.