What Christian

[donco6]

As most people know, Christianity comes in many varieties - some so disparate that others within the sect deny they're Christian at all. I'm wondering what flavor we have here at DU.

This list is by no means comprehensive, and I may have some errors, but it's pretty close:

Evangelical - Southern Baptists, Church of Christ, Churches of God in Christ, Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, National Baptist Church, National Progressive Baptist Church, and the Presbyterian Church in America. Many theologians would include the *conservative* members of such mainline denominations as the Episcopal Church, USA, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the United Methodist Church.

The names of a few American denominations -- for example: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod -- contain the word "Evangelical." However, they are mainline or liberal groups and are not part of the Evangelical movement.

Fundamentalist - Derivatively, a fundamentalist Christian is a Christian who holds the Bible to be infallible, historically accurate, and decisive in all issues of controversy that the Bible is believed to directly address; which was the central issue for which the Christian Fundamentalist movement has contended. Often belong to a Bible Church. Independent Baptists, House Church movement, anything called New Life, lots of Community Churches.

Charismatic - Assemblies of God, Pentacostals, Full Gospel, Foursquare Gospel - basically anyone who speaks in tongues and/or exhibits other visible "gifts of the spirit."

Catholic - In a league of their own.

Mainline Denom - The more liberal strains of Methodist, Lutheran, Congregational, Presbyterian, Episcopal, etc.

Other: The hard-to-place groups, like Jehovah's Witness, Mormons, The Way - basically, any group that claims to be Christian, but who aren't usually welcomed in the other categories listed.

[JohnKleeb]

1. Catholic

You should add Orthodox btw.

[AJ BENDER]

6. You forgot Total Goddam Atheist !

Religion Sucks Ass ! :puke:

[youngred]

25. thanks

really helpful to the dialogue :eyes:

[texastoast]

38. I think so too

But what about spirituality? Is it too based on myth?

[Catholic Sensation]

55. and if i were to say the same about atheism

my post would be removed

[donco6]

10. Done. Sorry. eom

[One Taste]

2. voted Catholic because that's what I was raised as...

since then I've grown up.;)

[Skittles]

3. I am sick of all of them

I just read in the Dallas Whoring News about the emergence of young conservative voters who think mixing church and state is just dandy. I am sick to death of religion.

[maveric]

4. Catholic

Not a "good" one but still adhere to some RC principles.

[IronLionZion]

5. apparently Catholics dominate

and I've been told too many times by Catholic Republicans that you can't be Catholic and a Democrat. It looks like DU is giving them the finger.

on edit: I'm Catholic too

[Kathy in Cambridge]

24. In Mass. we say you can't be Catholic and Republican

this area is predominantly Catholic, most vote Dem. I think it goes back to the Irish Catholic dominance of the Democratic Party.

[donco6]

27. I grew up Catholic in Kansas

and never knew of any Republican Catholics. It's all changed now, however.

[mrgorth]

31. Well

there's quite a split in catholicism. You've got the whole pro-life thing screwing things up and that just helps the freepers get rich, suburban, white catholics on their side. It's a fucking disgrace really.

[IronLionZion]

47. It is a disgrace

Republicans are always screwing the poor and denying social services like health care so you'd wonder why any Catholic would support them. When I ask about this all they say is abortion, abortion, abortion. As if there aren't any other issues.

[indypaul]

51. Simply tell them

how dare you believe you are brazen enough to claim you
are "sitting at the right hand of God" and pretending to
judge anyone. Beware of false prophets.

[Rockholm]

67. Episcopalian here!

[pagerbear]

7. Some would consider Episcopal/Anglican to be Catholic

...because its schism with Rome was not theological, but rather political. The two churches evolved in parallel, as opposed to the evolution of more mainline Protestant denominations, which branched off with the intention of changing things.

[Rowdyboy]

35. However, todays Episcopalians are more liberal than

modern Catholics, at least as far as acceptance of women and gays in the clergy is involved. We Episcopalians also support abortion rights so I consider us among the more leftist of the mainline sects.

While I love MANY Catholics, John Paul II has proved an enormous disappointment and I'm not happy with the direction the Catholic church is moving.

[pagerbear]

42. Oh, there are fundy Episcopalians, too!

As in the "Renewal" movement of the ECUSA

[Rowdyboy]

43. Certainly, some....

But the vast majority is more liberal than average, even in Mississippi

[ButterflyBlood]

8. correction

the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod -- contain the word "Evangelical." However, they are mainline or liberal groups and are not part of the Evangelical movement.

you are correct about the ELCA (which is my denomination), but the WELS are complete fundies. I don't know if they're part of the evangelical movement, but they are very hard right and fundamentalist. They don't even allow women to vote on church matters.

[donco6]

11. Thanks.

I pulled that off of a web definition, but had never heard of them.

[Minstrel Boy]

9. Christian Atheist

I read John Altizer's The Gospel of Christian Atheism in the mid-80s, and no theology since has made as much sense.

"Christianity has resisted the Word of its own proclamation by regressing to a primordial, an unfallen, and a nonhistorical Word. The Incarnation is only truly and actually real if it effects the death of the original sacred, the death of God himself."

http://www.religion-online.org/cgi-bin/relsearchd.dll/showbook?item_id=523

[usregimechange]

57. sounds damn interesting! n/t

[camero]

12. Religious

But can't stand organized religion. Too much us v. them and not enough love for one another.

[Indiana_Dem]

37. I'm with camero.

I have a personal relationship with God but I'm not a member of any organized religion--never have been. I went to a charismatic church for 5 years and received a lot of study but then made my own conclusions and have done my own research. I never became a member of anyplace though.

[daveskilt]

13. interesting choices for listing

Eastern orthodox for example has the 7th largest membership in the US mormons the 6th largest
also Im sure that many of the adherents of sects grouped together may not like their new arbitrary neighbors...ie baptist/methodist or mormon/JW.

Im interested to see how this breaks down...I would wonder how many are of non christian faiths or athiest or agnostic.

[donco6]

15. I'm surprised we don't have some Charismatics . . .

. . . even as lurkers.

I only had 8 slots, so I had to do some mixing. My former fundie bias crept out in the combinations.

[Jane Austin]

18. Episcopal Charismatics

There are quite a few of these around, and I imagine there are some other denominations that have Charismatic churches or services within a regular church.

[methinks2]

14. I was raised as a

Seventh Day Adventist. I had my children baptized in a Lutheran church. The last time I attended a church is was a community church. I find that most organized religion is patriarchal. As in women are not truly respected. In most religions Women are blamed for sin etc . . .
I just keep Jesus and Peace in my heart and don't bother with organized religion nowadays.

I find that as I get older I just don't have the patience for wing-nuts. Bunch of nuts who think that God wants them to do bad things. We have a bunch of them running the country right now. Like God wants them to kill children in foreign countries and make them democratic like us. Or God wants us to occupy this land and kill the other people who were here first. Bunch of crap! If you are a murderer, you are a murderer. God doesn't want you to commit murder. That's YOU who thinks is killing is cool. Okay. Bunch of damm nuts and killers. . . . whew, I feel better now.

[donco6]

17. You can rant anytime!

I agree with you. I used to belong to a very conservative church that would not allow women in any sort of leadership role - not even as a soloist!

I've since recovered.

[methinks2]

19. thanks

:hi:

[juajen]

26. Right on. I agree with you

I was raised Presbyterian/Baptist/Methodist. But my religion is all inside now. Don't like their holier-than-thou attitudes. God is love, and he is in all people who love their fellow man/woman. Period.

[jus_the_facts]

16. You should add...NONE OF THE ABOVE..and I don't mean atheist either......

.....I literally mean...THOSE WHO REFUSE TO BE CATAGORIZED BY ANY *RELIGION* OR *NON-RELIGION* PERIOD!

[icymist]

20. Raised Congregationalist

Now a reclaiming witch studing Native American ways!

[donco6]

22. Can men be witches?

Or is that frowned upon? I'm kinda curious about the Wicca movement.

[icymist]

23. Sure. Absolutely. Yes!

All are welcomed here! Have an open mind for your life will change!
:)

[kiahzero]

34. Of course they can

http://www.religioustolerance.org has a great amount of information about Wicca and other Neopagan Earth-based spiritualities. Take a look if you're interested.

[donco6]

39. Thank you

I will check it out.

[daveskilt]

45. I knew a guy called Nick the witch- on his business cards even

[PassingFair]

54. I like traffic lights, too

although my name's not Bamber.

[daveskilt]

59. Three weeks! before someone got the reference..

hmmm what to change it to now?

[Chovexani]

29. Blessed Be!

I was raised Baptist and was "born again" for a while--until I got tossed out of the youth group at my fundie "megachurch" for asking too many questions. :wtf:

Been a practicing witch for going on 8 years now. I follow a Hellenic path with some Eastern influence (mainly due to my martial arts training).

[Bridget Burke]

21. There are Charismatic Catholics

They follow Roman Catholic doctrine but use the Charismatic worship style. Here's the Houston Catholic Charismatic Center:

www.catholiccharismatic.com/hours.html

The Pentacostals began the movement but members of other denominations have adapted the style--the Roman Catholic movement began in 1967.

[FreeState]

28. Mormon

Was raised Momron. No longer active in the Church, but still on the records as a member.

BTW there are several members of my family that are Democrats and Mormon, but not very many:)

[donco6]

30. My good friend is a gay ex-Mormon

His family is really into it - we went to a baptism for one of his nieces - she was baptised by her father, who is evidently some sort of elder in the church. Interesting experience. I'm sure they were wondering who the gay contingent was.

[daveskilt]

44. Utah Democrats Kick ass!!

the most militant and informed democrats ever. They have to be living there. recognising another democrat when I lived in Utah was always a happy thing...like we shared some special bond of understanding among the barbarians.

[Zynx]

32. Catholic.

[tjwash]

33. Recovering southern baptist...

...which in the south are more Fundamentalist than Evangelical

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

36. Other- Christian Atheist.

Uh-oh!

[donco6]

40. Love your sign eom

[Kimber Scott]

41. Unitarian Universalist

I voted, "Other." Maybe, shouldn't have voted at all, as I don't consider myself Christian anymore.

[renegade000]

46. christian scientist

[LDS Jock]

48. Mormon guy here

But a Democrat. Thats a rarity in the Mormon Church.

[daveskilt]

49. plenty of mormon democrats

In fact the only times the LDS church ever instructed its members which way to vote - democrat (who were going to give them statehood in utah). even a few democrat mormon apostles tom perry? and marvin ashton?
of course they are outweighed by the oh so wacky boyd packers and ezra bensons. mormon democrats - the silent majority. ok probably not but hey there are more than you thought right?

[LDS Jock]

52. Senator Reid from NV

is another Mormon dem. If only there was a way to get rid of that bastard Orrin Hatch.

[GoneOffShore]

50. What about the Unitarians?

If I classified myself into a religious category, that's what I'd put, but lapsed as I consider myself an atheist.

[Az]

64. See my thread below

Yes, technically UUs are in the christian sect. In practice though, they never invite us to their parties.

[Blueshift]

53. I am a Christian Lutheran and damn proud of it.

[usregimechange]

56. It is always nice to be an "other"

:-(

[daveskilt]

60. what brand of other?

[Kathleen04]

58. Other, I guess...pretty much a non-denominational Christian n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

61. I go to a conservative, charismatic, evangelical church

I did not pick it out, that was hubby's doing and he won't give it up. If it was up to me I'd be Lutheran, Episcopalian, or Congregationalist I think. Definitely something far more liberal.

http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/liberalchristians.htm

[Bonhomme Richard]

62. Just another Irish Catholic

[Az]

63. Unitarian Universalism, christian only by a technicality

Both branches of UUism originated in Chrsitianity. Unitarianism was the offshoot of the Council of Nicea. Because they did not accept the notion that God, the Holy Ghost, and Jesus were all the same entity they were excommunicated.

Universalism is orignally based on the notion that Jesus died for everyone's sins. Period. There are not requirements. There is no catch. God's love was so great he forgave all.

Of course now these two sects have joined together and are home to all manner of belief. Their only common bond being tolerance and a desire to take the journet together with other open minded individuals.

[Stuckinthebush]

65. We have some UUs who would describe themselves as Christian

However, it is a very liberal definition of Christianity that does not accept the divinity of Jesus. It is more of a philosophical Christianity.

For the most part, the UUs are populated with agnostics and atheists who desire a community of tolerance devoted to social justice issues.

UUs also have a number of Wiccans, Buddhists, and neo-pagans.

It's a great group of folks!

[Az]

66. You can find nearly anything in UU

I have met very strong Christian UUs at some of the GAs. Its entirely regional. Each Church having its own flavor. The first UU Church I went to was ministers by the President of the American Humanist Association (atheists). The minister leaving the Church I now attend has a decidedly new age bent. All in all they are Churches for people more interested in the questions than the answers.

[Stuckinthebush]

68. You're losing your minister too, eh?

I guess it is in the air...ours is leaving as well.

I don't relish the search process.