What have your beliefs cost you?

TheLightWithin said:
Another question about that... in such a community, are obedience, repentance and salvation (however conceived) also seen as communal? Or are they seen as individual responsibilities and destinies?
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Both, individual and communal, as the community supports the individual, and vice versa. "No man is an island", and all that ...

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It's easy to criticise religion, especially if you're not religious, but really it's universal.

Try expressing your political freedom to be a communist in the McCarthy era or the earlier Red Scare era.

Try expressing your rights to determine pregnancy in certain contemporary American circles.

America does seem to have the tendency to push things too, and sometimes beyond, their logical limits.

Asking someone to wear a face-mask is seen as an invasion of civil liberties! In the Far East it's common sense.
 
bowwow said:
I have researched that before. They aren't very active around here. There are some in Massachusetts and they only meet during winter. I think there were others meeting in homes a few towns over.

If I remember correctly, there were other things that they believed that I didn't agree with, so I never pursued it.

People are abandoning 'church' these days. The last few I've been to - one Congregational church, etc. had horrible pastors.
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The United Church of God - and H. W. Armstrong offshoot (there are a few) is also non-Trinitarian. They have a small house fellowship about 35 miles away in Tilton, NH. I just don't care for the church as it holds to all the OT dietary restrictions, etc. They do have some good info esp. on eschatology. However, I disagree with so many eschatologists these days as they blame everything on 'Rome'.

I also reject todays infatuation with Dispensationalism.
 
bowwow said:
The United Church of God - and H. W. Armstrong offshoot (there are a few) is also non-Trinitarian. They have a small house fellowship about 35 miles away in Tilton, NH. I just don't care for the church as it holds to all the OT dietary restrictions, etc. They do have some good info esp. on eschatology. However, I disagree with so many eschatologists these days as they blame everything on 'Rome'.

I also reject todays infatuation with Dispensationalism.
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This reference might be a little bit of help Group Directory - Unitarian Christian Alliance
Or this one, if you haven't already seen it Christadelphians in North America
 
The map showed the UU in Concord, NH. I will be visiting there once I get situated here in my new place. The Christadelphians - I remember now. I contacted the fellowship in Goffstown, NH and the guy wasn't very kind at all. Right away after asking about the fellowship he went off on me telling me what is and what is not accepted in his church. They have only a handful of members.

Looks like the Concord, NH UCC is where I'd fit in best.

There is a local UCC nearby that I attended three times. I played 'Wayfaring Strangers' there on harmonica a couple years ago. I just didn't find the place very welcoming. The pastor is a young lady who I kind of liked but it was the other congregants who turned me off. I will visit again sometime. Lots of the UCC churches are hurting on attendance. this one maybe has between 10-20 people max.

 
TheLightWithin said:
There are a few in New York State. I don't know where you are.
There are various ones across the country. I think they are more common in the UK and Down Under, interestingly.

There are also Church of God 7th Day, United Church of God, Restored Church of God, really various offshoots of the old Armstrong churches. There are a scattered few others. You could PM me if you want more information.

I had started a thread on Heterodoxy. It didn't really go where I thought it might, but you could look at it and add to it.

Heterodoxy and "Heresy"

I wonder about the concept of "heresy" and what members here think about it. Divergent views are, I guess, perceived as a threat to an organized religion's power over people... I try to get my head around why some ideas are less tolerated than others, when does heterodoxy become heresy, or when...
www.interfaith.org www.interfaith.org
There are many threads here about the Trinity and why people agree or disagree with it.
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Replying to myself, my last line might not have been clear -
What I mean was there are many threads on this forum containing discussions about the Trinity and whether people agree or disagree and try to explain.
My one thread about Heterodoxy doesn't really get far, but it's there, for what it's worth.
 
bowwow said:
The map showed the UU in Concord, NH. I will be visiting there once I get situated here in my new place. The Christadelphians - I remember now. I contacted the fellowship in Goffstown, NH and the guy wasn't very kind at all. Right away after asking about the fellowship he went off on me telling me what is and what is not accepted in his church. They have only a handful of members.

Looks like the Concord, NH UCC is where I'd fit in best.

There is a local UCC nearby that I attended three times. I played 'Wayfaring Strangers' there on harmonica a couple years ago. I just didn't find the place very welcoming. The pastor is a young lady who I kind of liked but it was the other congregants who turned me off. I will visit again sometime. Lots of the UCC churches are hurting on attendance. this one maybe has between 10-20 people max.

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It can be hard to find the right place, I know.
 
OP: What have your beliefs cost you?

Nothing (I am an atheist Hindu). Just that I do not believe in Gods/Goddesses, soul, rebirth, heaven and hell. The family is theists. They know my views. They bear with it, I bear with their views. Life goes on.
 
Aupmanyav said:
OP: What have your beliefs cost you?

Nothing (I am an atheist Hindu). Just that I do not believe in Gods/Goddesses, soul, rebirth, heaven and hell. The family is theists. They know my views. They bear with it, I bear with their views. Life goes on.
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I fully understand. I was friends with a co-worker for 15 years who was Atheist. We often did lunch together. We got along great. I don't call myself a 'Christian' because it associates me with too many people I just don't care for - like John MacArthur and the like. Besides, many 'Christians condemn me for rejecting Trinity. And quite honestly - I can't stand most of them. I really do have a very unfavorable opinion of 'Christians'.
 
bowwow said:
I fully understand. I was friends with a co-worker for 15 years who was Atheist. We often did lunch together. We got along great. I don't call myself a 'Christian' because it associates me with too many people I just don't care for - like John MacArthur and the like. Besides, many 'Christians condemn me for rejecting Trinity. And quite honestly - I can't stand most of them. I really do have a very unfavorable opinion of 'Christians'.
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While I find this a little relatable, I would point out "Christian" as an identity marker covers a really wide population of people, some with widely varying beliefs and perspectives.
 
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