Ever Been To A House Of Worship Outside Your Faith?

[Canuck Mormon]

I've been to LDS (of course), Muslim, Catholic, & Evangelical. I was the best man at my friends wedding in a Catholic church. He didn't tell me anything about the ceremony, and apparantly, I had a few lines I needed to say. I was so busy trying to say the right things, that I never really appeciated the ceremony. Plus when we met the Pastor beforehand, he smelled like alcohol. Not the best experience, but I do have a respect for the spirit that was present at all of these places, even if I didn't completely understand what was going on.

[shanstress70]

Plus when we met the Pastor beforehand, he smelled like alcohol.

Yep, when I was dating a guy in college who was Catholic, I started going to church with him sometimes. We once went to a St Patrick's Day party at the church where there were a few kegs of beer. That threw me for a loop! Not that I think it's bad... I just wasn't used to it.

[TXRed]

Been to several different Baptist churches, Catholic, Pentecostal, Methodist, Lutheran, Nazarene, etc., etc., etc. Always was asking everyone what THEY believed. Did not want them preaching to me, but I wanted to know what they believed. Spent plenty of time talking to the Jehovah's witnesses that were in my HS, and the one Buddhist. I found it very interesting to hear what others believed. Of course, when I met a lady who was LDS, we got into some deep discussions, and she listened to the spirit and told me about Baptism for the Dead which was the concept that I had been looking for. I was raised to believe that everyone needed to be Baptized, and my question was what happened to the people who had never learned about Jesus Christ. No one could answer that question to my satisfaction except the LDS. I have always believed in a loving Heavenly Father who would provide a way for all of us to return home to Him.

Peace,

TXRed

[JcDean78]

I was not born into the Church but rather a convert when I was a teen-ager. I am the only member in my family and my family has a lot of mixed religion though all Christian. Such as Protestant, Methodist, Baptist (lots of this one), Evangical, Presperterian, and so on. It is a really great experience to see other Churches. To see what puzzle pieces they have and how those values and beliefs shape their lives.

My wife and I were watching a TV preacher the other evening and he was sooo close to having the truth but then all of a sudden he lost the meaning and fell off the path in his speech.

This is in my opinion, a major reason why we are told to be respectful towards other peoples religion, because they contain pieces of the truth that we share.

[Fiannan]

One way to rephrase the original question might be to ask what religion you might want to visit that you have not.

Personally, I would like to visit a Wiccan ceremony -- sounds like it might be kinda cool.

[shanstress70]

I have always thought the Quakers' meeting sounds cool.

[prisonchaplain]

So, PC, do you believe we are praying to the same God? I know many Evangelicals don't.

Both answers (yes & no) could be justified, depending on how one took the question. I would say that we worship (pray to) the same God, but that we understand his nature and his plan of salvation quite differently. Differences are important to the Heavenly Father, so I am certain He is pleased that we ponder and discuss these issues with seriousness and urgency.

I think we are, because the thing in us that makes us seek Spiritual enlightenment, aka communicate with God, is the Light of Christ that is in all of us. Those of us that think we are correct about God's true nature, still don't know everything. So it's degrees of correctness we're talking about, right? I can't see Father turning His back on people trying to reach Him in the only way they know how.

Scripture--OT/NT/BoM all promise that those who seek God with a sincere heart will find him. Beyond this, I would point to Cain and Abel. Both worshipped the right God. But, they understood him differently. Cain was tragically wrong. His unwillingness to alter his course, when God pointed him back to the straight and narrow path of true worship, eventually made way for a spirit of bitterness--one that turned murderous. So, we must never be satisfied with our knowledge--always seeking to know him better and more fully.

Did I just say pretty much what you did, Rosewood? :)

[EricM]

I've been to LDS and Episcopal churches. My mom's side is mostly Episcopalian, so I ended up going to church with my great grandma when I was about 6. I think she was the oldest person in her congregation. I don't really remember anything about it, though, except for the sacrament being a little different.

I intend to visit other churches in due time, however.

[Jia]

I've been involved with many different faiths. I grew up LDS (until I was about 7) and then I was brought up Wiccan by one of my aunts, which I stayed loyal to until I was fifteen. I've also gone to church with my aunt (Nazarene) it was okay, but it didn't feel like church to me. Felt like just a bunch of people getting together to hang out. I joined the LDS church when I was fifteen, but since then I've also visited another church with one of my ex-boyfriends (before I was married) and he was a holy roller . . . freaked me out!

[sharyll]

I've been involved with many different faiths. I grew up LDS (until I was about 7) and then I was brought up Wiccan by one of my aunts, which I stayed loyal to until I was fifteen. I've also gone to church with my aunt (Nazarene) it was okay, but it didn't feel like church to me. Felt like just a bunch of people getting together to hang out. I joined the LDS church when I was fifteen, but since then I've also visited another church with one of my ex-boyfriends (before I was married) and he was a holy roller . . . freaked me out!

Yes I have been to various demonimations in the Christian faith. I have been to Catholic church a couple of times, LDS, Presbyterian (which I belonged to for a number of years), Vineyard Christian Fellowship, Four Square Church, Methodist (tried once), Lutheran, non denominations, and presently attend a Missionary & Christianary Alliance Church. It is funny - the "holy roller churches" I have been told I belong to are really mellow and you wouldn't even know they believed some of the things that those churches are associated with. On the other hand, some of the nondenominational churches I attended were really wild and at times total choas. I guess I don't see God being a God that causes choas. That is my opinion though. Anyway, outside of the faith I have gone to a Jewsih service once which was fascinating. It was fun to see where the orgins or our faith came from.

Sharyl

[Canuck Mormon]

I've attended prayers at a mosque. That was quite interesting. Did not understand what was being said, but it was interesting

I've been the best man at a Catholic Wedding. My friend (the groom) didn't tell me anything about the ceremony (I had various speaking parts) , so I couldn't concentrate on what was being said . Also very interesting. A lot of what I would call "pomp and circumstance" - no offence to any Catholics.

I've attended an couple of Evangelical weddings. One very nice and spiritual , the other quite strange and confusing.

Of course I've attended many LDS services as well.

I will be attending my first LDS Sealing this summer (my own)

I've always tried to be open minded about other religions so attending different services is a learning experience.

[Jia]

Pentacostal! That's the one I went to with my ex. They didn't like me there. While everyone was praying, one woman approached me and said, "You won't take him from us. We're stronger than you."

Woah! Crazy!

[prisonchaplain]

It is funny - the "holy roller churches" I have been told I belong to are really mellow and you wouldn't even know they believed some of the things that those churches are associated with. On the other hand, some of the nondenominational churches I attended were really wild and at times total choas. I guess I don't see God being a God that causes choas. That is my opinion though. Anyway, outside of the faith I have gone to a Jewsih service once which was fascinating. It was fun to see where the orgins or our faith came from.

Sharyl

When I was in college (Whitworth, a Presbyterian USA school), my professor once said: Paul was probably a Pentecostal Presbyterian. He did everything decently and in order, but spoke in tongues more than anyone.

I like that. God is not deaf, but He ain't nervous either.

[jimradictis]

I have been at a Buddhist temple but I did not enter it as they were closed. When I first moved to Florida I used to ride my bicycle everywhere, and one road in Kissimmee that I traversed for the orange trees had a beautiful temple there. I would often ride my bike through the property and admire it. I was raised a Catholic several years ago, and in my teenage years I attended a Church but I am not sure which it was.. My teacher (Ms. Steward) in Junior high had a great impact on my faith and explained a lot regarding Christianity to me it was a major blow to me when she said she could no longer discuss religion because the school board had taken a notice to her influence on me. It was a completely unexpected and I felt a little disappointed, but at the time I could not understand why she would place work above religion.

A few years later when I was around eighteen I had been waiting for one of my friends to get out of work in Dover. At the time I did not have a vehicle so I walked around downtown and while I did so I met a person who basically pleaded me to attend their Church.. I think it was non denominational. Out of curiosity and good timing I went there.. It was very different from any church I had been to in the past, during the services several people were waving their hands in the air and speaking various things that I could only interpret as gibberish. They later played a movie regarding the rapture, it was from the seventies and very poor quality I remember that it was actually being played from one of those old projectors that so many of us used in school for bus safety :)

My wife feels very uncomfortable in my Ward, I am not quite sure how to explain her feelings but when she does attend with me she will often get up from the sacrament and take our baby to another room to change her etc, she will not return until the last fifteen minutes or so. One time after sacrament she felt so uncomfortable that she started to to become somewhat vocal about it and wanted to leave asap. Respecting her wishes we left before the Doctrine Principles. She had wished to show me the religion she had been raised in as a child so we went to a Methodist church. Unfortunately, when we went to the Methodist church they did not have their normal services, the Giddeans were there instead asking for assistance with their services.