Question to Unbelievers/Atheist etc..what is the?

Question

Good Morning everyone,

I'd like to ask many of my Atheist/unbelievers friends a question. Looking at all the different denominations within Christianity
such as Catholic, Baptist, Pentacostal, Assembly of God etc...

What's the one you like best?
&
What's the one you really dislike the most?

serious answer only....I'm not looking for answers like: they are all bad etc...nothing like that

Answer 1

Sorry, I am not going to say that all are bad, as I am not a christian. And for that matter I am not at all a believer of any religion. What I feel is that it does not matter what relegion or how you put your faith in god as long you believe in him in true sense ( just think that if you just believe that he exists and he listens to you) even which never would require you to go to a church or any other place of worship as I beleive that the best place to worship god is your own heart.

Let me know your thoughts about it.

Answer 2

As a Jewish person, I don't know much about the differences between the denominations except the schism between Catholics and Protestants. I grew up in a neighborhood which was part Jewish and part Catholic, so I guess I'm more familiar with Catholicism. But I have to say I was extremely offended by the Southern Baptists and their campaign a few years ago to convert Jews which they announced at Rosh Hashanah, our holiest days. I thought that took an awful lot of chutzpah (Yiddish for nerve) I wonder how successful they were?

Answer 3

LIKES:
For Architecture: The Episcopalians, the Greek and Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholics
For Poetic Liturgy: The Episcopalians
For Social Activism: It used to be the Methodists, but now more the United Church of Christ (UCC), the Salvation Army, and the Unitarians
For Music: Any church wealthy enough to have a pipe organ and to hire well trained, creative organist, choir director and semi-professional choir
For Openness & Respect: The Unitarians and the Quakers
For Connection to the Environment: Ahmish and Mennonites
For Acceptance of Gay People: The Unitarians and the United Church of Christ (UCC)
For Art: The Greek or Eastern Orthodox & Roman Catholics

DISLIKES:
For Poor Taste in Art & Architecture: Jehovah's Witnesses, Quakers, any megachurch
For Boring Liturgy and Music: Any mainline protestant church
For Promoting Ignorance: Southern Baptists, and any denomination that declares the inerrancy of the Bible and insists on the inclusion of intelligent design or creation science in public education
For Oppression of Women: Southern Baptists, Church of Christ (Not the UCC), Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Roman Catholics
For Oppression of Gay People: Southern Baptists, Church of Christ (Not the UCC), Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Roman Catholics
For Pure Obnoxiousness: Any Church that uses Chick Tracks (or their ilk) as an evangelism tool
For Sitting on the Fence on Social Issues: The Methodists, the Presbyterians (all of them), the Lutherans (all of them)
For Fear-Mongering: The Southern Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses
For Selling Out to the Government: The Southern Baptists

Answer 4

I am agnostic, and to me, the denominations don't have the significance that they apparently have to you. However, I have the most problems with any denomination that has as its primary motive the changing of other people's beliefs. From my personal experience I've found that Southern Baptists seem to try to do this, based on an assumption that people who don't believe that Jesus died on the cross to cleanse them of their sins will not have everlasting life (i.e., will burn in hell).

If you assume that not believing that Christ died on the cross to purge you of your sins results in your burning in hell, then I guess I understand why you would want to try to convert people. Unfortunately, I have a problem with the logic of a religion that thinks I can "choose" how I interpret reality, and would therefore "condemn" me for something I do not believe, as if I could just "decide" to believe something I don't. Most Christians have no concept of the notion that I cannot simply change whether or not I believe Jesus was a deity. Following a belief system or way of life is something I can choose. Assuming someone is a deity, that's another matter.

The one I like the most would be Unitarianism, which seems to be the most accepting of other religions and ideas, assuming you consider Unitarianism to even be a sect of Christianity.

Answer 5

First of all, Pentecostal is a category, not a denomination, and it includes denominations like Assemblies of God.

It is the Pentecostals I abhor, for two reasons:

1) Their religion incorporates a lot of reactionary political and social views, which they confuse with religious doctrine; and

2) They confuse emotional intoxication with "being filled with the Holy Spirit". It's not-- it's just emotion. And they make absurd spectacles of themselves such that they got the label "Holy Rollers". I've also seen bumper stickers that mock them that say, "Bark if You Love Jesus". Really, they need to get a grip! Sad, repressed, fearful people who need Divine Approval to feel anything at all, and they hold it all in till they get to church, when they let it all out in a disgusting manner.

As for demoninations I'm more okay with, I'd say Quaker and Unitarian, but most Christians will deny they even count.

Answer 6

hmmm....

Methodists seem more openminded, so that's a big plus to me.

But I've got to give Catholicism a nod for not always having their finger in the political wind regarding their dogma. Misguided? OH Yeah! But a little more consistent than the others.
Oh, there have been hypocrisies and inconsistencies there, but in order to find them, you usually have to dig back further than most other denominations have even been in existance.


In reality, I think that all of christianity is a myth, so I don't really care much about these differences.

Answer 7

Even though I am not religious at all...

I like the Unitarian Universalists religion the most. They are very liberal and free thinking people.--They accept EVERYONE, even non believers. They do not care what your religious background is or even what you believe. They believe that everyone goes to heaven--and no not threaten going to hell for sinners-like most religions do. They do not try to scare people into being religious...they accept you for who you are and just want you to be a good person... it's that simple...

Now the opposite of this to me, is Catholicism-- no acceptance for anyone that is catholic-- don't even think about being gay/lesbian, divorced, or any other religion. If you aren't catholic and you go to a service-following their rules, you aren't even allowed to participate in parts of the service--it's ridiculous if you ask me-- anyone that wants to worship should be allowed to---Also, this religion seems to ba based on money-- it seems more like a business-- I was at a catholic baptism 2 weeks ago and the entire service was about how to donate money to a catholic fund-- I left disgusted--yet again-- from a religious place.... Catholic law is EXREMELY closed minded--the pope even wants to ban rock music--i mean come on....

Seriouslsy, overall, I think religion is crap--- It is a business that I do not buy into--- It's a money stealing crutch that people lean on so that they feel good in the hell-like world that we live in today... Poeple go to church because they are scared--and they think they will be saved by going there... i think people need to wake up already....

Sorry if this offends anyone...but he asked the question.... and i felt the need to share...

Answer 8

I think that it is "looking at the different denominations" that led me to the conclusion that we're making all this "god" stuff up. I do rather like the notion of the Anglicans basing their approach on "Scripture, Tradition and Reason." The idea of reason being introduced into religious thought is appealling, though contradictory.

Answer 9

I like the Quakers! A nice British invention, no formal ministry and no formal worship. And they don't come knocking at your door insulting you for being gay and then having the temerity to tell you that they will pray for you. You never have a large caliber hand gun when you need one do you? Yes I like the Quakers.

Answer 10

i dislike Catholicism. I honestly believe they worship the pope and priests and bishops instead of GOD!!!!! And they are hypocritical. NO divorce, but many have affairs (UH commandment SEVEN PEOPLE) - They ANNUL marriages after like 25 years thus saying your 25 years together NEVER HAPPENED!!!!!

I like Baptist, they're volatile, tear sh*t up, and SING LIKE MOFOS.