I imagine most people think the denomination they belong to is more right than the others or they would belong to the others.

I was in the Baptist Church. I left because I was introduced to the Church of God. I have read the Statement of Faith and agreed with it, I love that we are allowed to worship freely. I think the people are wonderful and genuine. I do not feel that my denomination is the only one going to heaven. I feel salvation is based upon an individual, not what is written on the church door. I am glad for all the different denominations because we are each individual personalities with different needs. A lot of people would be left out if we could only go to one Church. If you want to pray out loud, keep quiet, listen to music or not, should not indicate whether you go to heaven. Your belief should be based on the HOLY Bible and the commandments of GOD. (NOT JUST THE TEN) If we stand by GOD and realize that each Church has it’s good and bad then we can finally start praying for Christian Unification not seperation. It will take us all to fight against the evil before us.

In all these churches the central message has always been the same – Jesus is the only way to get to heaven, and he loves all people. There are also many differences in doctrine, but they are minor in the face of the big message, and usually have human origins. People need to realize that.

God loves all people, and those that are actively seeking him need to find their way to get to that one true path. Publicly criticizing a faith makes you look like a holier than thou jerk to be honest. People have free will for a reason, and God made people different for a reason. The denomination thing is overrated. I truly do not believe that any church has it 100% correct. I don’t even believe that is possible.

There is only one path to heaven (through Jesus). However there are many roads that lead to that one path, and people need to find their own way.

Just look at Sonny, a self-professing atheist, now a devout Christian. Someone else might have grown up Catholic and attended church all their life and been just as committed. There are many others who may have stumbled into their church though some tragedy or triumph in life. It doesn’t matter as long as you get to the right place.

Just picture many streams running into a river and that river running into the ocean. Ultimately they all get there because they are allowed to flow, and not blocked by those who don’t understand or believe that they are the only ones entitled to the water.

Chris

When I was a child I was one of those bus kids we hear about. Not churched at home the traditional way or maybe the way kids that had parents that went to church were treated at home.
My daddy was the same on Mon. as he was on Sun., a hard working man that did what he said he would do to the best of his ability. If he wasn’t going to give it his all he wouldn’t do it. He was not to proud to know his limitations and he didn’t mind asking for help and offering his whenever someone needed it. He had that view about going to church he had seen alot of things that church people did that didn’t seem church like-he thought that churches were full of two-faced people. He never told us we couldn’t go to church but he was always watchful of us. He was interested in what those people were trying to teach us-as he used to say. I think that alot of times people go to the churches that they do because family goes there. If it’s good enough for mom and dad it’s good enough for me kind of or as parents we go to check out the church that has caught our child’s fancy-just to keep a check on them of course. Family tends to invite family wether you see eye to eye on everything or not-blood being thicker than water and all. And we do seem to accept the flaws in our own family quicker that in the stranger off the street-especially if they like different music than we choose to listen to, wear different clothes styles than we do or are a different skin tone I would go to church with Cheryl one of my best friends because we were friends and we enjoyed spending time together. As we grew older and apart in our interests I no longer went to church nor did she. I went to Westwood for a while. I went there so I could play softball with their ladies. They had a l service a week attendance rule and so I went on Sun. a.m., both Sunday School and Preaching. I never even thought of attending one or the other. I have always thought of them as one service–who knows why. I enjoyed the services and I would just sit there and cry not really realizing how badly God wanted a real relationship with me. Just feeling stupid that I couldn’t get through the song service without crying–oh how God was trying to minister his love to me and all I could think of was-everyone thinks I am such a baby, but you know noone ever even asked me if I needed the Lord they took me in as a player, member of their class, but never as a member of the family of God. And I guess I was so full of myself at that time I didn’t even realize that had I died I would have probably busted HELL wide open. One of my most sincere prayers is that I not let anyone slip through my life and not be concerned with their eternity.

I met Yogi and his family came here to ACOG and his mother would always invite us to church. Opal started to comming. She and Candy would walk to church and usually Mr. and Mrs. Massey would bring them home afterwards (always asking where we were and telling us they missed us). Yogi and I would come to special events and programs and I enjoyed the services so I begam comming regularly. I have been here 25+ years. I have love the feedom to express our love for the Lord here wether it is to jump and run or sit and cry or do a combination of the two.

I know our demonination may not be perfect but it is perfect for me. I do like to understand the scriptures and I like to know the applications-for I know ignorance is not bliss-however I do not strain at knats either. Salvation is the key. Love binds us together. Differences challenges us to grow together. Acceptance of each other-warts and all-over comes fears of rejcetion. No one need to feel left out or cast away. Please pray for me to be a better person. More loving and kind. Willing to go the distance and run the race placed before me.

Chris. I really like your stream view also.

Love you all,

Nancy

Thank you, it is the only way I can accept that what God says is true. He created diversity, so why would he then require us to all be exactly the same?