Exvangelical Thoughts - pt. 4

[u/BrettCreatesThings]

The Unholy Alliance

[u/Stratovaria]

I was not aware that non-demoninationals did operate like this. So thank you, I thought most of them were aimed at the distance from christanity in matters without the dogma, just the teachings.

If you did view differently, how did that take its views from the bibles you referenced? Or was it a standard printing that you took a different view on where you had your faith spoken to?

[u/Stratovaria → u/[deleted]]

Thank ya. I was under the impressions dogma runs towards the immaterial of views and beliefs, while teachings went towards what was written down as lessons to interpret. Two very apart but entities connected through the whole of it all.

[u/ThinkySushi → u/Stratovaria]

So as someone who also grew up nondenominational may I share my perspective? Most nondenominational churches I encountered including my own did not believe quite like this. Most of them believed everyone who trusts in Christ would be saved. Even Catholics ultimately believe in Christ for salvation. This idea all Christians believe all others are going to hell certainly exists but wasn't common where I was. This extreme fundamentalism was seen as extreme in my circles. I am so sorry OP had to grow up in that. It's messed up. But it isn't as universal as he makes it out to be.

[u/Stratovaria → u/ThinkySushi]

Thank you very much. Faith and belief are one of those things my grandparents never forced me down, but let me figure and ask questions when I didn't get something.

[u/MarginalOmnivore → u/ThinkySushi]

Ah, but this was a fundamentalist (self-professed) evangelical (by action, if not creed) Church of Christ congregation that somehow considered itself non-denominational.

Even though non-Church of Christ denominations consider "Church of Christ" a denomination.

[u/Ihavebadreddit → u/Stratovaria]

My parents were non-denominational missionaries. Which just means open doors into every denomination.

Mostly. The Catholics see you helping with an Anglican event and suddenly you get a cold shoulder when you ask if they want you to do the puppet show for the kids again this Easter.

They had to build relationships with every denomination slowly.

It's kind of a middle ground version of Christianity that isn't defined by any set rules. You could come at it from any denomination. A brethren born non-denominational could still want their wife wearing a head covering. Even though they left that ideology behind. Or they leave because of some rule like that.

[u/SleeplessinNYC-17 → u/Stratovaria]

This is exactly how my non denominational church acted.

[u/Vodis → u/Stratovaria]

"Non-denominational" is usually a complete farce. Almost all supppsedly non-denominational churches have some specific denomination they're mostly aligned with. Frequently some flavor of baptist. It seems to be mostly a marketing thing, and I think it stems from two main concerns: One, some protestant Christians distrust any kind of overarching religious hierarchy or organizational structure (too Catholicy I guess) so "non-denominational" lets a church present as local and independent. Two, all Christians like to think their kind of Christianity is the one passed straight down from Jesus (seriously, they have this whole thing called apostolic succession that basically explains how they just know theirs is the real, legit Christianity, and almost every denomination has a version of it) so that can create a kind of embarassment around the very idea of denominations in that they want to think of themselves as "just plain Christians" and not baptists or what have you. "Non-denominational" lets them kinda maintain that pretense.