- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
If you are anything like me, your attempt to StayLDS is sometimes met with a need to get away from it once in awhile. I feel that way today. I’d like to be able to go to church and at the same time, have a different experience… even if it’s just for a day. Does anyone have thoughts about what other religions might offer a good alternative to people like us who have a strong affinity with the LDS church? I’m not looking for Preacher-focused evengelical churches. Just a basic Christian church where I can go and soak up some Christian thought and not feel guilty going behind the back of my LDS friends.
On Own Now wrote:If you are anything like me, your attempt to StayLDS is sometimes met with a need to get away from it once in awhile. I feel that way today. I’d like to be able to go to church and at the same time, have a different experience… even if it’s just for a day.
Does anyone have thoughts about what other religions might offer a good alternative to people like us who have a strong affinity with the LDS church? I’m not looking for Preacher-focused evengelical churches. Just a basic Christian church where I can go and soak up some Christian thought and not feel guilty going behind the back of my LDS friends.
Believe it or not… the Muslims. But I’m not sure how easy it is to ‘pop along and sit in the back.’ I’ve never been.
Also, Buddhist temples are places of serenity and reflection. Especially if there’s a group of monks singing/chanting while you’re there.
For Christian. Do they have congregational churches in USA? It will largely depend on the congregation (obviously), but they tend to work as a collective, rather than following a strong preacher.
Buddhism. But.
I think if you have issues with the LDS church, you are going to have issues with most religions.
Religion is just a tool to deliver spirituality. They all fail to some extent. IMO.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2
There are some churches that really are non-denominational and non-evangelical. They tend to focus on basic teachings and either are organized around a community or a particular charismatic preacher. Honestly, I don’t like most of the alternatives I’ve seen when it comes to their ability to provide a strong foundation for youth and not be evangelical, literal, fundamentalist (at heart), etc.
I like the Disciples of Christ, but they don’t attract many teenagers and young adults – which says something important, imo.
I think you need to look at what other churches and denominations actually teach and preach and find one that matches your own view – and, frankly, the theology of Protestantism just doesn’t appeal to me in any way (and theology is important to me), so I’m not a good source for a recommendation.
I’m not looking to convert to another church. I’m LDS. Today, I just really wanted to stop in at some other church for a one-time visit, just to hear something different and have a chance to reflect a bit. I realized that I couldn’t think of where to go. I’ve been to Catholic Mass before and enjoyed it, but also felt out of place, not knowing what to do when, so just sat in the back.
I’ll have to look up a Buddhist Temple in my neighborhood and see what’s up there.
I think what I was really missing today is a chance to sort of contemplate. That’s not something I can really do at an LDS meeting. Sure, there is the 7.5 minutes of the sacrament… I guess I was just in a mood to be a little uplifted in a different way… again… not long-term… just for today. The LDS church is fine. I just felt like I needed to shake it up a bit, as I frequently feel that I am sleepwalking through the service, and looking at my watch too much for it to be really worthwhile.
I love Mass. Went to midnight mass on Christmas Eve this year. I enjoy many religious services.
I enjoy reading Buddhist texts.
Our family does sedar during Easter.
I understand what you are looking for.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2
I don’t know if you will ever find a religion. You may have to make this journey on your own…we may have to transcend ALL religions. Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2
I like to go to other churches for the social experience so when I want to visit another church, I pick one that one of my friends attend. I like finding out what other churches are teaching and how they run things and comparing them to the LDS church. For all the talk about how “different” we are from other churches, we don’t seem to be that different from many of them. I always make it clear to my friend what I am doing so they don’t get any ideas about me converting or anything. I was quite impressed by my friend’s church the other day. I haven’t had a chance to attend hers, but I was quite surprised when she took me out to the parking lot of our apartment building and showed me the car her church had given her. She’s been driving an old pick up that looks like it belongs in a junk yard. She even had to tie down the hood so it wouldn’t fly up while she was driving
😆 . They also gave her $100, presumably so she could register the car. I don’t know what year the car is, but it looks like a very nice one.So anyway, for all the talk we do about serving others in our church, I think we might be able to learn a thing or two from other churches. If we weren’t so busy trumpeting our good works for all the hear, we might have more time to serve others on a personal basis.
Called to Serve wrote:So anyway, for all the talk we do about serving others in our church, I think we might be able to learn a thing or two from other churches. If we weren’t so busy trumpeting our good works for all the hear, we might have more time to serve others on a personal basis.
I mostly agree with your statement on the local level, the Assembly of God church that I visit does so much for the community. (Like giving clothes to the homeless, furniture to the displaced and starting over, new beginnings classes for addicts, and a moving van that they use to help out.) When it was our time to move apartments, the Assembly of God church provided the van and the driver and the LDS church provided the EQ muscle. I was nervous about it at first but it seemed to work well.
So my point is that some congregations really catch fire of the spirit of service and some don’t. In our church it is difficult for this to happpen because we are so regimented that it would be difficult for this to happen organically. I suppose our church service may center more around duty than generosity, and we discharge our duty in the direction we feel is expected of us. So on the local level, I believe that some churches significantly outperform us in terms of community service. However on the macro-organizational level I am very impressed by what our organization can churn out in terms of railcars and boatloads of hygene kits. I believe that in our ability to band together for a common cause and get the mormon production machine churning there are not many churches that can match us. (I am also aware that Catholic Charities seem to do alot.)
On Own Now, You may want to try a bahai church. I understand that they accept truth from all religions while believing there own interpretation of overarching truth as superior and all-encompasing (sound familiar
:think: ).On Own Now wrote:I’m not looking to convert to another church. I’m LDS. Today,
I just really wanted to stop in at some other church for a one-time visit, just to hear something different and have a chance to reflect a bit.I realized that I couldn’t think of where to go…I’ve been to Catholic Mass before and enjoyed it, but also felt out of place, not knowing what to do when, so just sat in the back…I think what I was really missing today is a chance to sort of contemplate. That’s not something I can really do at an LDS meeting. Sure, there is the 7.5 minutes of the sacrament… I guess I was just in a mood to be a little uplifted in a different way… again… not long-term…I just felt like I needed to shake it up a bit, as I frequently feel that I am sleepwalking… It sounds like the Unitarian Universalist churches are probably the most compatible with what the majority of ex-Mormons and non-believing Mormons actually believe (or not) after losing faith in the LDS doctrines; so you could try visiting their meetings if there is one in your area. The United Church of Christ also sounds like it is a very tolerant and accepting church compared to others. My guess is that most popular Christian churches are probably more friendly than the LDS Church toward the idea that it’s perfectly alright for people to believe something different than what they preach except for maybe the JWs and some of the most extreme Baptist and Evangelical congregations that emphasize strict literal interpretation of the Bible.
I have gone to an all black church a few times with some co workers and found that to be really refreashing. It is not like I was going to convert. But the music and singing was so different and I found it very uplifting. Just an idea. The most interesting church I’ve attended was some holy roller type of thing where people were wailing and falling over and stuff. I was young when I went there and didn’t appreciate it. It was a little frightening for me. But now that I’m more open minded, I wouldn’t mind. I think I could just enjoy watching the “show.” I just want the damn chorister to speed it up a bit. Not sure why so many think an up tempo is not spiritual. My wife and just chatted about this..we both would love it if the church had us stand up and really melt out the hymns…once in a blue moon they will do it on the 4th of july or we thank thee o God for a prophet…and I love it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
Maybe they are worried about the poor inexperienced piano player trying to keep up. 
Quote:Maybe they are worried about the poor inexperienced piano player trying to keep up.
I’m sure that is sometimes the case, but not always.
Personally I have told my children the songs they are to sing at my funeral, and have told them that if they sing them too slowly (they are up tempo songs) that I will personally arise from my casket and lead them at the proper tempo myself.
I have listened to songs at funeral tempo my whole life, so at my funeral we will sing songs at the correct tempo.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.