Ever since I was younger I’ve always liked going to Church, but I think it was just for the music because whenever I go now I leave thoroughly pissed. Sometimes I feel that religion fuels hatred. The one thing that gets me the most is when my pastor preaches about the lord and acceptance, but than basically turns around and says ‘Oh, but if your gay your going to hell so change’. It makes me so angry. If God is so accepting than why should it matter? He’ll take the mentally ill, the sinners that got themselves saved and just about anyone else who excepts Jesus, but he won’t take someone who’s homosexual? No. That’s not my God and I refuse to believe so.

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Originally posted by speed:
NO they don't.
Religion needs to be absolute to survive, if it's not absolute there's no point in believing in it. Therefore, it is incompatible with anything resembling variety and diference.

My feelings exactly.

Besides what speed said, religions thrive when they have something/someone who is "out to get them." Like the gays or people who don't believe in their religion. It bonds them. "Look, they're trying to destroy us! We must be strong in the face of dissent!" *shrugs* I know that many religious people are accepting, but I think religions are inherently unaccepting.

NO they don't.
Religion needs to be absolute to survive, if it's not absolute there's no point in believing in it. Therefore, it is incompatible with anything resembling variety and diference.

everything is how you interpret it.

find a different church with a different pastor (like mine weeee) and you might view religion differently.

I agree try not to generalize. it's like saying all homosexuals are flamboyant. lol.

Even among the same denomination churches can be radically different, so let's not generalize them all...

Religion has always been a scapegoat solution to social affairs. Homosexuality, abortion, sex.. it all has the simple answer of God says 'no'. Its impossible to argue with and very influential.. people are dying for their opinions to be given to them. Organized religion most certainly will do that for them.

i prefer places of worship where you dont need to go hear someone give sermons..temples, churches, monastries should all be places to just make you reflect in your own way..
though am a hindu i went to a catholic school and i never minded doing cathecism(sp?)..but what i hated was when fathers and brothers used to talk about how life is like a rainbow and relate everything in life to either sunshine or rain..

That's why I'm a Unversalist Catholic (Congregation: 1) I practice catholic but I hold that all forms of peaceful worship, worship the same guy and he won't get to particuler over who worshipped, how where and in what language (not to mention what name they used for the big guy)

That's exactly why I don't go to church....I know that God excepts all including hmosexuas, be people can't understand that unless you are one...So, if you're leaving there pissed, you should stop going, and just listen to christian music (or whatever it is you like) stations and buy the cds.

Preachers can be hypocrites. That's one of the main reasons why I left the church I've been going to for a year and a half. I think that you don't necessarily have to go to church to have faith or worship. For example, there is FCA in schools and they still have worship. Just follow your heart and God and you can't go wrong.

Going to a different church would be my suggestion.

You do not need to go to church. It does not matter what you have faith in as long as you have faith.

Welcome to the truth. That is one of the reasons I left the church.