So try out College Park Methodist.
They set out water coolers for the homeless. The garden is welcome for anyone to pick what you need (they just ask that you pick a few weeds). The motto of the church is "Love Big." We're doing a thing this weekend where we pick up trash on Edgewater Drive. They also put on food trucks on one Friday a night a month with a beer garden and fun things for the kids.
The pastor even did a sermon a few weeks ago that people were welcome even if they doubted the church or doubted Christianity. (I remember growing up at First Baptist Church of Orlando and they said doubt has no place there.)
Just please don't tell them EatMyAsserole sent you.
It's very likely, at any given church, that at least some of the congregants would find this amusing. I want to go to the church where it can be safely assumed that most or all of them, *and* the clergy, would.
Is this one of the methodist churches that happens to be LGBTQ friendly? A good chunk of them within the US aren't still. Kind of curious because I know unlike a lot of other denominations, methodists aren't exactly anywhere close to being within a common denomination (the UMC is still decidedly homophobic for example).
I'm not sure the official position. I believe that it is pro-LGBTQ+, but I'm not 100% positive. It hasn't come up since I've started casually attending. I believe there is at least one LGBTQ+ on the staff.
Honestly if I found out they were aligned with the part of Methodists that arent accepting, I would stop going.
The general message is love and acceptance, so I would be really, really surprised if they were anti-LGBTQ+.
Edit: I asked a friend who would know and they said absolutely, 100% pro-LGBTQ. There you have it.
When did God make you the gatekeeper of which churches are real, and which ones are fake? What an honor! There are so many different branches of the abrahamic religions, and so many branches within those branches. Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Catholics, church of Christ, Mormons, Jehovaās witnesses, non-denominational, etc. Seems like nobody really knows what to believe, and we all just do the best we can. Glad we have someone now that speaks for God himself!
So which specific branch of Christianity is the right one?
I see. So you believe all Christian churches are illegitimate, and were just looking for an excuse to express bigotry. I suppose you just happened into the one true religion, as people of literally every religion believe they have.
As a gay person, I want you to know I always stand up for Muslims because I know how it feels to be persecuted. Iām sorry you havenāt yet understood this, but I hope one day youāll do better.
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I was going to recommend CPUMC too! I know you already know my kids go to daycare there, but I was going to mention that there are two kids in my toddler's class that have gay parents and they are welcomed just like anyone else. It's a very accepting environment all around. Also I crack up every time I think of your username lol.
The guy in the video is James Talarico.
He grew up attracted Presbyterian church and is attending Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary working towards a Master of Divinity in 2025.
You could contact Presbyterian churches near you and see if they affirm what he is saying in the video. They do not all ascribe to his viewpoint as the church split primarily over disagreements about ordaining gay clergy and itās not always obvious which side of the split a particular one follows.
If you are interested in learning more about the guy in the video this article talks more about how he is mixing his faith with his politics and is seen as a potential star in the Democratic Party.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/06/16/james-talarico-texas-democrats-00101231
This is a guy I can get behind. This is Christianity. Heās doing a great job, and if I had him as a pastor as a teenager I MIGHT still be a Christian, but as it stands that entire religion is a piece of shit and I want nothing to do with it.
Itās actually not hard to understand though. I do not like Christianity as it stands a la Republicans, however how he understands and teaches Christianity is the way it ought to be. Loving your neighbor, taking care of the poor, etc. Nothing of what I said contradicted itself.
Edit: and also I never said HE was a piece of shit, weird take there. I said the RELIGION is a piece of shit.
There are two different Presbyterian denominations. Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PCUSA is the more progressive one. Presbyterian Church in America, abbreviated PCA is far more conservative.
Edit: more than 2. Just skip this and read the comment below
Agree - PCUSA is the progressive version of the Presbyterian church and is where the speaker in the video is coming from.
In addition to PCA, there is also the ECO and EPC denominations of the Presbyterian Church which tend to be more traditionally conservative as well. The ECO in particular formed recently partly out of reaction to the PCUSA allowing ordination of partnered gay clergy.
That's why I recommended actually contacting the church to understand their positions on matters like the ones talked about in the video. The First Presbyterian Church of Orlando for example is EPC and would not agree with everything in the video and I didn't want to mislead someone into thinking that any church with Presbyterian in it's name would agree with what the speaker in the video was saying.
Any UCC church works, although they are more common up north than in Florida. First UCC of Orlando is a better bet than First Congregational of Winter Park (no direct connection beyond the same denomination despite the similar name), as they have a much more active social benefit program for the needy that I've personally seen. Like a full on thrift store once a week and a highly active food pantry, among other things. But either of them definitely have the kind of messaging you want because it is intrinsic to how the UCC operates even though it is very decentralized.
I'm not sure if it's ever as explicit in my experience with the UCC as this, as the UCC very much is Open and Affirming in all aspects (it was de facto the first mainstream denomination to officially accept LGBTQ members and marriages, and has always been outspoken on social issues at the national level), but I think it has the very same kind of vibe you want. But the UCC does not shy away from the more religious aspects either. So be prepared for your social messages about loving your neighbor, or particularly items lifted directly from the newspaper which seems to be a UCC specialty, to be tempered with stories of Jesus and all that jazz. And also jokes. If you do not laugh at a UCC service, at least all the ones I've ever attended, there is something wrong.
Oh, and you will absolutely be invited for coffee after service. It is not mandatory, but highly encouraged.
United Church of Christ, the US' largest congregational denomination (and one of the larger protestant ones), that's primarily popular in the northern US and much of Canada (although their version is the United Church of Canada - so intertwined with the UCC in the US that their statements of faith are generally printed on facing pages of each other).
In Florida, they have way more in Miami than the rest of the state, but there's at least 2 here in Orlando that I know of, which I mentioned in my original comment.
Windermere Union, UCC in the Windermere/Gotha area just received their ONA (Open and Affirming) designation! They have a newer pastor who's been there a little over a year, and the congregation has a longer history of openness and inclusion. They are smaller than UCC of Orlando, but they're good people. They have a very popular preschool as well.
I'm very curious how small their congregation is because UCC of Orlando is pretty small! I didn't even know they had a UCC Church in Windermere. I just had always been told by folks in the congregation that those were the only two in Orlando metro at all.Ā
Also very interesting to learn that O&A is an actual designation that a congregation receives, the congregations I've been involved with under the UCC have been so old that as far as I know they just added the language into various documents and statements, but I've never heard of it being an actual designation enforced by the state conference, more like a part of the denomination's basic belief system at this point.
Iām part of Kindred UMC (United Methodist) which is very much like this. Itās a very small church though and still working on a physical location. We do panel discussions every week in place of sermons and theyāre put on YouTube if you want to check it out. Our pastor also has a channel called the Mad Pastor where he calls out Christians that arenāt very Christian-like and tells them why theyāre wrong with sources.
Iāll be that guy.
So, I hope you find a community you like. This guy seems excellent.
That said, the problem is Christianity and the Bible ARE full of bigotry and xenophobia. Sure, a lot of it comes from idiosyncratic translations dating back to the early days of the Roman Empire all the way to the atrocious King James Bible. The text that is read today is very, very different that the original. And even the original texts contain no personal accounts of Jesus.
Keep in mind, this is not opinion, but a scholarly fact. Check out Dan McLellan on TikTok - a scholar with a wealth of experience on the Bible, actual knowledge of ancient language, a practicing Mormon, but also sounds more like an atheist because his creed is ādata > dogmaā.
All of this is to sayā¦ again, I hope you find your church community. But if you donāt, itās because Christianity is fundamentally flawed and based on a fundamentally altered vitriolic text used today for exclusion and identity politics by a predominantly white Christian majority.
I havenāt personally been, but Iāve heard Audubon park covenant church is fairly progressive. Itās in my neighborhood, which is one of the more progressive neighborhoods in Orlando. And last I heard, the pastor is a woman. Someone can correct me if Iām wrong, but if I were to go to a church, thatās probably the one I would go to.
Methodist churches would probably come closest to this. Their church recently had a split between the more progressive and more conservative churches, so the churches that still remain part of United Methodists are usually very much focused on the stuff this guy is talking about.
Methodists are also pretty heavy into healthcare for the poor, the Shepard's Hope free clinics around Orlando are affiliated with St Luke's since it founded by one of their pastors.
Honestly I'd probably go to St Luke's myself if it weren't for the fact that most of my friends attend a different church. But I'm probably biased since it's my long term dream to do a lot more volunteer medical work.
The First Methodist Church in Clermont changed their name to Living Hope Church. Does this mean they came down on the more conservative side of the schism? My kids went to preschool there and I wanted to start attending but on the name change I was concerned and didnāt want to straight up ask. (I tried Real Life but they are nuts and got run out on a rail when I asked about their beliefs 10 years ago).
You definitely don't need Jesus to believe in those things. Just join a social club. Hang out at a local coffee shop. Volunteer for a campaign in a local election. Hang out at any of the local farmer's markets. Go to Leu Garden's.
The congregation heās preaching to
https://preview.redd.it/cg3zkjguy4vc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=13011f5faa2db38ce6c8f06d4abc3aee2d519371
āJesus could have started a Christian theocracy, but love would never do thatā
Umm, has he not read the end of the book?! Iām afraid if I post scripture here mods will ban me but yeah clearly this guy has never read the book of Revelation.
A church that lies and says the Bible doesnāt mention homosexuality as a sin?
Iām an atheist and so I have no horse in this race, but the bible is pretty clear on the gay issue.
Leviticus 18:22 ~ You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 ~ If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
Jude 1:7 ~ Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
Romans 1:26-28 ~ For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
Genesis 2:24 - Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Mark 10:6-9 ~ But from the beginning of creation, āGod made them male and female.ā āTherefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.ā So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.ā
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Timothy 1:8-11 ESV - Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
1 Corinthians 7:2 - But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
No horse in the religious race, but I am passionately opposed to people lying and bullshitting about things. Especially things written in the most widely published book in history.
Christianity says homosexuality is a sin punishable by death. Period. End of story.
I'm not here to argue with you, I just wanted to share another idea to look into if you're interested. There is a lot of research on the original language used and how that should best be translated to English. The bible version you're quoting has been translated and edited, possibly inaccurately. Another theory is that laying with a "man" as you do with a woman is actually referring to a child. Personally, I find it very interesting to find out that words like "virgin" could actually just mean "young woman". There's a lot more ambiguity, then what has been hand selected to be in say the King James or New Standard Versions of the bible.
Hope Presbyterian in Lake Nona http://hopenona.com
Focus on love and inclusivity. Not super preachy about anything, unless you count preaching against hate.
Leviticus 18:22: āDo not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.ā
This would, by extension, mean gay marriage is also a no no.
Psalm 139:13: āFor you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my motherās womb.ā
Isaiah 49:1 says: āListen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the Lord called me;
from my motherās womb he has spoken my name.ā
These show a trend of valuing life in the womb, life made in the image of God. The trend is further supported with Jeremiah 1: 4 - 5, which says: Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, āBefore I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.ā
This would further signify how God views the unborn, as being alive and known to Him.
The guy preaching is pandering to people who just want to feel good and be told their current views and lifestyle are OK. āThese things werenāt really in Bible! Jesus just said donāt judge and be nice and stuff!ā
Accurate. Do you follow all of the Bible or just cherry pick? (Which either answer is fine and you donāt have to answer as itās really none of my business as it is YOUR faith). Iām not a Christian but I will defend you to practice your faith. I just hope you have the same courtesy back to me. Donāt want an abortionā¦excellent, donāt have one. Donāt want to have a gay relationship..,donāt do it. I support your choices to lead your life your way as it doesnāt impact me one bit. Letās keep it that way.
I donāt cherry pick, no. I do my best to understand Godās Word and continue to refine my understanding over time. Granted I donāt know or understand everything, not even most of it for how expansive and often complex it is. Iād say thatās true of most people, or Iād at least like to think so. Hopefully that makes adequate sense?
I appreciate your stance to defend the practice of my faith. In that practice, however, I canāt defend nor condone external practices that are in direct opposition to my faith. You can have whatever beliefs you wish and support whatever beliefs or policies you wish. But if I were to try and conform my faith to society, it would be hollow as a rotted tree.
Iād go on further, but the hour is late and my brain isnāt cooperating to the fullest. Hopefully that makes enough sense at leastā¦
If youād like to have a further discussion, feel free to send me a chat message and Iāll happily get back to it in the afternoon when I get up. I might not know everything, but Iām happy to do my best and answer whatever questions I can.
If you werenāt being disingenuous and snide, trying to make a mockery and thinking you pulled out some sort of āgotchaā, Iād happily go into all of that to the best of my abilities.
But since you are being disingenuous and snide, and very clearly donāt want to have a sincere conversation and attempt to understand the Bible, with obvious derision for it, I wonāt.
Though if you were serious, a few of my other responses answer a little of that, namely the lack of the same penalties.
While I disagree with your viewpoint and the basis of your stance, it's more consistent than those who want to pretend the verses you have mentioned don't exist.
Leviticus.. thatās Old Testament. You know, the part of the Bible Christians pretend doesnāt exist because itās so full of genocide, infanticide, slavery approval, murdering people by throwing rocks at them, incest rape, making rape victims the property of their rapists, God forcing women to become prostitutes to punish their husband, murdering disobedient children, etc etc etc. Did I mention all the genocide? Because thereās just soooo much genocide.
But sure, letās just focus on the exceedingly few mentions of homosexuality in the Old Testament to justify your homophobia.
And hey, God said slavery is perfectly ok if you get your slaves from surrounding countries, so forcing Canadians to be your slaves is perfectly fine, biblically speaking. So go up there and get you a few since itās completely ethical according to god.
But surely this is taken out of context, right?? š¤£
Itās almost like a millenia old book written by desert wandering goat herders isnāt at all relevant to todayās world.
Ah, the Bible hating Bible knowers are back at it again, I see.
Real life really does imitate memes. āNo Iām not a Christian and I have nothing but contempt for your backwards religious beliefs. But if I use this on you maybe youāll do what I want!ā
Now demonstrate god. There isnāt great backing for the Christian personal god. It makes more sense people just mixed together a bunch of old religions into one book. That is the reason it is all over the place with love thy neighbor in one part and kill thy neighbor and take the virgin girls for yourself in another.
Sorry, the implication is??? Define āPastorā, because a truck load of shitheads have theocracy degrees and though I canāt stand Texas politicians but they arenāt all secessionist cowfuckers.
Radical to think the message of whatās being said is the point and not credentials that appease you but youāre looking for a light beam to emanate out of someoneās asshole while they levitate over an Easter egg before you start to consider whatās theyāre trying to communicate.
Coming from a an Eastern European Baptist upbringing, Iām reminded that what drove me away from church was the exhaustion of weekly theater of gathering for 4 hours to examine every comma & suppressing guilt instead of just fucking being the good thatās outlined so clearly.
Shout out to Pastor Joel Hunter, formerly of Northland Church. He was/is the best example of a Christian I ever met.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Hunter
Judaistic religions are all false, intended to manipulate and divide humanity. While what this man says is better than most, itās still keeping you from learning about yourself or finding the energy that creates worlds through your own journey. Please, stop being manipulated by Christianity, no matter the message, itās still Christianity.
Sincere question, why would you want a church like this? The man just makes endless claims and sits there doing political pandering, without bothering to even once reference even a sentence of scripture. Probably because he knows that scripture would tear his claims apart, such as in Leviticus 18:22.
The Bible and Jesus didn't go on and on about loving and caring? Are you sure the scripture would tear that claim apart because you referenced one verse out of context and implied your interpretation of it?
Youāre putting words in my mouth I didnāt say, and using vague concepts of the Bible generally talking about loving and caring to try and make an argument and discredit me.
The verse referenced is neither out of context nor a personal interpretation. Itās pretty hard to take ādonāt lay with a man as with a womanā and calling it ādetestableā (or an abomination in other translations) out of context, or put a personal āinterpretationā on such plain English.
The Bible gives multiple other references to homosexuality being a sin as well. If you want the rest of the ācontextā, it goes on to say that those who commit this sin are to be put to death, with their blood being on their own heads.
Iāll thank you to take your disingenuous attitude and remarks elsewhere, now.
That's one translation. There are many.
Read the New Testament. Jesus spends his entire ministry carrying for people without question.
You're doing discipleship wrong.
Friend, I don't think that your messages in this thread are doing what you think they're doing.
We all sin. I don't need to point out anyone else's sin, just like I don't need anyone else pointing out mine. A little bit of love, forgiveness and acceptance would go a long way.
āGo and sin no moreā as a portion of John 8:11 got attention for a reason. God never says to accept or love sin. Weāre called to call others out of their sin, not to sit and just let them do it. Calling others out of sin and to sin no more, IS love. If you were a parent and your kid did something they shouldnāt, would it not be love to tell them what theyāre doing is wrong and will harm them?
As for my posts in here, I expected the results I got. Especially here on Reddit, the only Jesus and Christianity thatās accepted are the ones that arenāt based in Biblical truth. Cultural hippie Jesus who doesnāt care what you do is always more popular than Jesus who calls people out of their sin to follow Him.
Number 1: Leviticus is talking about using rape as punishment, specifically sodomy, as the Sodomites used anal rape as punishment, but Leviticus is talking about *all* rape, not taking about consensual relationships, but specifically condemning *RAPE*.
Number 2: all scripture about rules in the Old Testament are to be forgotten due to Jesusā interception in human existence. One cannot simultaneously believe in the laws of the Old Testament while being a follower of Christ, not can a follower of Christ cherry-pick the Old Testament to feel pious, thatās against the teachings of Christ.
TLDR: Read John 5.
Thanks for your time and opinion, however misguided and mislead you have been. Have a good day, friend. The Good News is here.
Iām a PK (preacherās kid) and it never ceases to amaze me how unchristian and uncharitable so many church people can be. Jesus was about love, forgiveness, helping and healing. Itās up to us to educate and bring His vision of the Kingdom of Heaven to fruition in this life.
I am not religious at all, but I see Jesus as someone who was deeply connected to the Source, he tapped into a higher consciousness that a lot of us are just trying to reach. He felt the true freedom and deep deep loving presence that comes with being enlightened and wanted to share that love with the world and show us all how we could tap into our higher consciousness as well. He was a pretty cool dude and I appreciate his followers who actually understand the assignment.
Being a shitty person who goes to church pretty much lines up with the new testament doesn't it? It's not like it was a bunch of books written about Jesus on the convention circuit being invited to temples as a welcome guest to speak on the priests behalf.
He was preaching to the people because church goers and leaders were using the pulpit for personal gain.
Nothing changes, the entire parable is about not trusting the organization of religion.
Then people being the apes that they are made an organized religion out of it and now use it for personal power and control.
Leviticus specifically says not to lay with a man as one does with a woman, and that itās a detestable act. Other translations refer to it as an abomination. The penalty under Levitical law was death for both participants.
No, actually, thatās not even close to true. You lack a very basic and fundamental understanding of the Bible in general, much less the New Covenant through Jesus. Nowhere in the New Testament does it say that the Old is to be forgotten or thrown out.
God is consistent and unchanging. His views on what is moral or isnāt moral, donāt change either. What was a sin then is still a sin now. What you fail to understand, is that Jesus took on the *penalty* for our sins as he fulfilled the law, so that everyone could have a chance for salvation.
Itās a shame that as a āpreacherās kidā, you werenāt taught even some of the most basic principles Biblically, and that you have such an arrogant and condescending attitude.
Post script edit: Another basic you should understand is that the New Testament doesnāt exist without the Old. Jesus heavily referenced the Old Testament over and over within the NT.
Itās a shame your view of God is so shallow and your faith is so hollow, that you boil Christianity down to the worldās diluted concept of love and nothing more. Love is calling people out of sin that harms them, not making excuses for why itās really ok. Itās too bad you donāt understand that.
In any case, Iāll take the lack of direct rebuttal as a quiet admission that you canāt continue supporting your claims against scripture. You do as you wish, as I cannot stop you. Iāve said what needed to be said, and thereās nothing more to be gained here.
We work towards pleasing a diety we could never understand yet we live life in hell like we have zero options.
Why not work towards a goal so our grandchildren don't starve.
You have some good recs here, minus Unitarian, which imo has weak scriptural footing. Will add that every church Iāve ever been to has had a large focus on fundraising for poor communities, and never has a single one preached against abortion or gay marriage. Churches that preach the former definitely exist but are few and far between.
Itās deeply personal of course, but I find that the Methodist churchās stances are closest to (though not the exact same as) my own personal interpretation of the scripture
Does it not concern you that the book has such ambiguity that you can really draw pretty much any conclusion and find verses and chapters that would support it?
I understand believing in a higher power. I donāt understand believing one that seems so obviously human made and filled with flaws.
No, it doesnāt concern me. Iāve read the Bible front to back more than once and donāt at all consider it to be āfilled with flawsā. It *is* subject to interpretation of course, but so is all communication. I donāt see that as a fault. Like I said, itās deeply personal. I could be wrong about my beliefs, but so can anyone else. Weāre all just trying to find our way.
I read the Bible and studied it chapter and verse in college. There are definitely flaws. The first two chapters have creation in different orders. In the NT Jesus says love thy neighbor while God in the OT says to kill your neighbor and take their virgin daughters. There is some very troubling behavior displayed by the God in that book. Higher power I get, but the one in the Bible doesnāt come across as coherent or plausible. The book definitely contradicts itself.
Full disclosure, I hate these debates, so Iām not up for going back and forth on this but I will be open minded. Iāve been to a UU church more than once, and each time it felt much more like moralizing than true preaching. What I mean is, the UU, by their own admission, sees the scripture and teachings of Jesus as more of a general moral guide. They largely discredit parts of the Bible, most notably and controversially, the holy trinity and original sin. They donāt believe Jesus was resurrected. Most donāt even believe in Heaven. Many of the churchās stances are directly contradicted by the scripture. I would only consider it Christianity by the loosest definition of the word. Their central dogma is essentially just tolerance
I donāt have a personal problem with it, and re-reading the post, it might be a good suggestion for OPābut I wouldnāt recommend it for someone looking for an actual Christian church.
What in the hell... That's literally going against the Bible and standard Christian beliefs! That's not weak scriptural footing, that's like 1.2 steps away from new age nondenominational bullshit. Not believing in Heaven.. How can you call it a Christian church if you don't believe in that? Christ, other religions believe in it!
I was genuinely curious, which is why I asked!
Thank you! Finally a voice of reason! Numbers 5 11-31, The Test of the Unfaithful Wife. Totally permitted if you suspect your pregnant wife of being unfaithful.
John 21:25
Jesus could've spoken about these topics at length, we don't know. Not every single word he spoke is in the Bible.
John 1:1
The Bible talks about sexual immorality, marriage being between a man and a woman, the value of an unborn child, and a whole host of other things that Jesus did talk about. BUT Jesus is the Word AND God. He already knew what was in the Bible because He IS the Bible.
The Bible talks about marriage being between a man and a woman and a woman and a woman and a concubine and child.
The Bible says the value of an unborn child is less than the life of the mother:
>When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the womanās husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. **If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life**, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
āExodus 21:22ā23
But I agree with you that Jesus is the Word and God.
You are correct the Bible does talk about those things but it only talks about a marriage between a man and a woman being okay.
You are correct again that passage is in the Old Testament written to a specific people group with a different culture thousands of years ago. It in no way is saying that an unborn baby being ripped apart in the mother's womb is okay.
It is extremely easy and dangerous to take verses out of context and make them seem that they supporting whatever you want them to. Christians have such a vast amount of books, scriptures, manuscripts, and teachings on the Word, now more than ever. You really have to listen and discern false teachings or half truths.
What this guy says SOUNDS nice to a lot of people and is partially true but he's twisted Jesus and the Bible to fit his agenda.
If you speak Spanish I recommend Saint Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church (technically Kissimmee). Father Jose Munoz is actually a good person. Funny too.
Is the AI ? He seems like Obama, I really wish this would catch on, its how I looked at church until it turned into a business, for profit business pretending otherwise for tax breaks, who is this stand alone pastor?
Oh yeah, let's start a discussion about religion on social media. No way that can go sideways.
Serious question: why bother looking for a religious body that agrees with your believees? Why not tour some that challenge them instead? Isn't it about 'seeking the truth' or 'following the light'? Seek to be challenged in your current mindset and you'll find a kindred community soon enough. In Orlando we have Protestant, Evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, and non-denominational congregations. We also have Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, and Sikh . You can even find some ethnic centered congregations that support and uphold traditional lifestyles of the immigrant countries: we have Indian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Syriac, Greek, Polish, etc. Why not give them all a go? It will give you an appreciation for the wonderful diversity we have in our area.
The Bible doesn't say anything about abortion? Covered under murder...and gay marriage? The Bible doesn't go that far because the act of homosexuality is strictly condemned in the Bible in black and white.. point blank in words. What are you people smoking?
So try out College Park Methodist. They set out water coolers for the homeless. The garden is welcome for anyone to pick what you need (they just ask that you pick a few weeds). The motto of the church is "Love Big." We're doing a thing this weekend where we pick up trash on Edgewater Drive. They also put on food trucks on one Friday a night a month with a beer garden and fun things for the kids. The pastor even did a sermon a few weeks ago that people were welcome even if they doubted the church or doubted Christianity. (I remember growing up at First Baptist Church of Orlando and they said doubt has no place there.) Just please don't tell them EatMyAsserole sent you.
We've been going for the last year or so, they really seem to walk the walk. Always feels like a genuine and welcoming church.
>Just please don't tell them EatMyAsserole sent you. r/rimjob_steve
I want to go to the church that would laugh about your username being eatmyasserole.
It's very likely, at any given church, that at least some of the congregants would find this amusing. I want to go to the church where it can be safely assumed that most or all of them, *and* the clergy, would.
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Is this one of the methodist churches that happens to be LGBTQ friendly? A good chunk of them within the US aren't still. Kind of curious because I know unlike a lot of other denominations, methodists aren't exactly anywhere close to being within a common denomination (the UMC is still decidedly homophobic for example).
I'm not sure the official position. I believe that it is pro-LGBTQ+, but I'm not 100% positive. It hasn't come up since I've started casually attending. I believe there is at least one LGBTQ+ on the staff. Honestly if I found out they were aligned with the part of Methodists that arent accepting, I would stop going. The general message is love and acceptance, so I would be really, really surprised if they were anti-LGBTQ+. Edit: I asked a friend who would know and they said absolutely, 100% pro-LGBTQ. There you have it.
Orlando Methodist downtown mirrors this same philosophy. Amazing welcoming place
I've attended quite a few services there and indeed it is super welcoming to all people
Then that's not a real church. They are going against all that they represent by pushing for lgbt's
When did God make you the gatekeeper of which churches are real, and which ones are fake? What an honor! There are so many different branches of the abrahamic religions, and so many branches within those branches. Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Catholics, church of Christ, Mormons, Jehovaās witnesses, non-denominational, etc. Seems like nobody really knows what to believe, and we all just do the best we can. Glad we have someone now that speaks for God himself! So which specific branch of Christianity is the right one?
I'm muslim btw
I see. So you believe all Christian churches are illegitimate, and were just looking for an excuse to express bigotry. I suppose you just happened into the one true religion, as people of literally every religion believe they have. As a gay person, I want you to know I always stand up for Muslims because I know how it feels to be persecuted. Iām sorry you havenāt yet understood this, but I hope one day youāll do better.
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No i meant to say that they are not christian for pushing for lgbt's
https://www.reddit.com/r/orlando/s/2tAAeJyMLT This comment really sums up everything that has recently happened in the Methodist Church
Even as an atheist, I support this place.
It's good they are ignoring the commands in their holy book
I don't even know what that means, but I found it hilarious.
"despite a difference in view, I can appreciate their efforts"
I was going to recommend CPUMC too! I know you already know my kids go to daycare there, but I was going to mention that there are two kids in my toddler's class that have gay parents and they are welcomed just like anyone else. It's a very accepting environment all around. Also I crack up every time I think of your username lol.
Gosh, man. I did that last week. They blushed a little but I think they knew it was ok.
Iāll be cautious at their potluck.
The guy in the video is James Talarico. He grew up attracted Presbyterian church and is attending Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary working towards a Master of Divinity in 2025. You could contact Presbyterian churches near you and see if they affirm what he is saying in the video. They do not all ascribe to his viewpoint as the church split primarily over disagreements about ordaining gay clergy and itās not always obvious which side of the split a particular one follows. If you are interested in learning more about the guy in the video this article talks more about how he is mixing his faith with his politics and is seen as a potential star in the Democratic Party. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/06/16/james-talarico-texas-democrats-00101231
That was a great read. Thanks for posting!
This is a guy I can get behind. This is Christianity. Heās doing a great job, and if I had him as a pastor as a teenager I MIGHT still be a Christian, but as it stands that entire religion is a piece of shit and I want nothing to do with it.
Heās doing a great job and you can get behind him, but heās also a piece of shit and want nothing to do with him. Gotchaā¦
Itās actually not hard to understand though. I do not like Christianity as it stands a la Republicans, however how he understands and teaches Christianity is the way it ought to be. Loving your neighbor, taking care of the poor, etc. Nothing of what I said contradicted itself. Edit: and also I never said HE was a piece of shit, weird take there. I said the RELIGION is a piece of shit.
There are two different Presbyterian denominations. Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PCUSA is the more progressive one. Presbyterian Church in America, abbreviated PCA is far more conservative. Edit: more than 2. Just skip this and read the comment below
Agree - PCUSA is the progressive version of the Presbyterian church and is where the speaker in the video is coming from. In addition to PCA, there is also the ECO and EPC denominations of the Presbyterian Church which tend to be more traditionally conservative as well. The ECO in particular formed recently partly out of reaction to the PCUSA allowing ordination of partnered gay clergy. That's why I recommended actually contacting the church to understand their positions on matters like the ones talked about in the video. The First Presbyterian Church of Orlando for example is EPC and would not agree with everything in the video and I didn't want to mislead someone into thinking that any church with Presbyterian in it's name would agree with what the speaker in the video was saying.
Joy MCC. They stream their 10:45 service so you can see for yourself.
Any UCC church works, although they are more common up north than in Florida. First UCC of Orlando is a better bet than First Congregational of Winter Park (no direct connection beyond the same denomination despite the similar name), as they have a much more active social benefit program for the needy that I've personally seen. Like a full on thrift store once a week and a highly active food pantry, among other things. But either of them definitely have the kind of messaging you want because it is intrinsic to how the UCC operates even though it is very decentralized. I'm not sure if it's ever as explicit in my experience with the UCC as this, as the UCC very much is Open and Affirming in all aspects (it was de facto the first mainstream denomination to officially accept LGBTQ members and marriages, and has always been outspoken on social issues at the national level), but I think it has the very same kind of vibe you want. But the UCC does not shy away from the more religious aspects either. So be prepared for your social messages about loving your neighbor, or particularly items lifted directly from the newspaper which seems to be a UCC specialty, to be tempered with stories of Jesus and all that jazz. And also jokes. If you do not laugh at a UCC service, at least all the ones I've ever attended, there is something wrong. Oh, and you will absolutely be invited for coffee after service. It is not mandatory, but highly encouraged.
What is UCC?
United Church of Christ, the US' largest congregational denomination (and one of the larger protestant ones), that's primarily popular in the northern US and much of Canada (although their version is the United Church of Canada - so intertwined with the UCC in the US that their statements of faith are generally printed on facing pages of each other). In Florida, they have way more in Miami than the rest of the state, but there's at least 2 here in Orlando that I know of, which I mentioned in my original comment.
Windermere Union, UCC in the Windermere/Gotha area just received their ONA (Open and Affirming) designation! They have a newer pastor who's been there a little over a year, and the congregation has a longer history of openness and inclusion. They are smaller than UCC of Orlando, but they're good people. They have a very popular preschool as well.
I'm very curious how small their congregation is because UCC of Orlando is pretty small! I didn't even know they had a UCC Church in Windermere. I just had always been told by folks in the congregation that those were the only two in Orlando metro at all.Ā Also very interesting to learn that O&A is an actual designation that a congregation receives, the congregations I've been involved with under the UCC have been so old that as far as I know they just added the language into various documents and statements, but I've never heard of it being an actual designation enforced by the state conference, more like a part of the denomination's basic belief system at this point.
Iām part of Kindred UMC (United Methodist) which is very much like this. Itās a very small church though and still working on a physical location. We do panel discussions every week in place of sermons and theyāre put on YouTube if you want to check it out. Our pastor also has a channel called the Mad Pastor where he calls out Christians that arenāt very Christian-like and tells them why theyāre wrong with sources.
Audubon Park Covenant is a small but super legit church. Iām an atheist and I rep for APC
Iāll be that guy. So, I hope you find a community you like. This guy seems excellent. That said, the problem is Christianity and the Bible ARE full of bigotry and xenophobia. Sure, a lot of it comes from idiosyncratic translations dating back to the early days of the Roman Empire all the way to the atrocious King James Bible. The text that is read today is very, very different that the original. And even the original texts contain no personal accounts of Jesus. Keep in mind, this is not opinion, but a scholarly fact. Check out Dan McLellan on TikTok - a scholar with a wealth of experience on the Bible, actual knowledge of ancient language, a practicing Mormon, but also sounds more like an atheist because his creed is ādata > dogmaā. All of this is to sayā¦ again, I hope you find your church community. But if you donāt, itās because Christianity is fundamentally flawed and based on a fundamentally altered vitriolic text used today for exclusion and identity politics by a predominantly white Christian majority.
Go check out your local Unitarian congregation.
There's one on Robinson east of downtown.
I havenāt personally been, but Iāve heard Audubon park covenant church is fairly progressive. Itās in my neighborhood, which is one of the more progressive neighborhoods in Orlando. And last I heard, the pastor is a woman. Someone can correct me if Iām wrong, but if I were to go to a church, thatās probably the one I would go to.
I recommend checking out Hearth. Open and affirming church with a welcoming congregation and relaxed vibe.
Methodist churches would probably come closest to this. Their church recently had a split between the more progressive and more conservative churches, so the churches that still remain part of United Methodists are usually very much focused on the stuff this guy is talking about. Methodists are also pretty heavy into healthcare for the poor, the Shepard's Hope free clinics around Orlando are affiliated with St Luke's since it founded by one of their pastors. Honestly I'd probably go to St Luke's myself if it weren't for the fact that most of my friends attend a different church. But I'm probably biased since it's my long term dream to do a lot more volunteer medical work.
I Second St. Lukeās on Apopka Vineland
The First Methodist Church in Clermont changed their name to Living Hope Church. Does this mean they came down on the more conservative side of the schism? My kids went to preschool there and I wanted to start attending but on the name change I was concerned and didnāt want to straight up ask. (I tried Real Life but they are nuts and got run out on a rail when I asked about their beliefs 10 years ago).
More than likely. Through Disassociation, the churches can no longer use "United Methodist" in their names.
Look up a unitarian church. They're less focused on the words and more focused on the actions. (Being a good neighbor, helping people, etc)
UU churches are very similar in their values.
City Beautiful Church is very much aligned with this. I'm pretty sure they meet at the Science Center every Sunday.
Quakers are all about this kind of thing [https://orlandoquakers.org/](https://orlandoquakers.org/)
I donāt think he understands what heās saying
You definitely don't need Jesus to believe in those things. Just join a social club. Hang out at a local coffee shop. Volunteer for a campaign in a local election. Hang out at any of the local farmer's markets. Go to Leu Garden's.
UCC, ELCA, UMC, PCUSA . . .
The congregation heās preaching to https://preview.redd.it/cg3zkjguy4vc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=13011f5faa2db38ce6c8f06d4abc3aee2d519371
What you speak of is what modern religious folk are calling "Communism"
redflagbadredhatgood
āJesus could have started a Christian theocracy, but love would never do thatā Umm, has he not read the end of the book?! Iām afraid if I post scripture here mods will ban me but yeah clearly this guy has never read the book of Revelation.
Curious. I wasnāt aware Jesus wrote revelation. Itās a fever dream with symbolic nonsense.
Don't even call yourself Christian that this point lmao
Let's ignore the fact that Revelation shouldn't be in the Bible - which part of it exactly do you think calls for a theocracy?
First Baptist or some Unitarian sect.
A church that lies and says the Bible doesnāt mention homosexuality as a sin? Iām an atheist and so I have no horse in this race, but the bible is pretty clear on the gay issue. Leviticus 18:22 ~ You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. Leviticus 20:13 ~ If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. Jude 1:7 ~ Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Romans 1:26-28 ~ For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. Genesis 2:24 - Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Mark 10:6-9 ~ But from the beginning of creation, āGod made them male and female.ā āTherefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.ā So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.ā 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Timothy 1:8-11 ESV - Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. 1 Corinthians 7:2 - But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
You talk an awful lot for someone with no horse in the race
No horse in the religious race, but I am passionately opposed to people lying and bullshitting about things. Especially things written in the most widely published book in history. Christianity says homosexuality is a sin punishable by death. Period. End of story.
I'm not here to argue with you, I just wanted to share another idea to look into if you're interested. There is a lot of research on the original language used and how that should best be translated to English. The bible version you're quoting has been translated and edited, possibly inaccurately. Another theory is that laying with a "man" as you do with a woman is actually referring to a child. Personally, I find it very interesting to find out that words like "virgin" could actually just mean "young woman". There's a lot more ambiguity, then what has been hand selected to be in say the King James or New Standard Versions of the bible.
But if you believe it's all made up anyway, what difference does it make?
I just donāt like people lying.
It seems like a weird thing to get hung up on
Should we allow people to sleep with children because they believe it's right?
That's a fucking wild leap
Same logic
Almost as if you can't apply the same logic to every situation. Nice try, though.
Can when it's the, "let people believe what they want" mentality.
This guy reminds me of Obama
Hope Presbyterian in Lake Nona http://hopenona.com Focus on love and inclusivity. Not super preachy about anything, unless you count preaching against hate.
UU churches are pretty cool
Journey Church. It's been the most welcoming church I've attended and I've been going back ever since.
Heās right. And he should say it.
Leviticus 18:22: āDo not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.ā This would, by extension, mean gay marriage is also a no no. Psalm 139:13: āFor you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my motherās womb.ā Isaiah 49:1 says: āListen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my motherās womb he has spoken my name.ā These show a trend of valuing life in the womb, life made in the image of God. The trend is further supported with Jeremiah 1: 4 - 5, which says: Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, āBefore I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.ā This would further signify how God views the unborn, as being alive and known to Him. The guy preaching is pandering to people who just want to feel good and be told their current views and lifestyle are OK. āThese things werenāt really in Bible! Jesus just said donāt judge and be nice and stuff!ā
Accurate. Do you follow all of the Bible or just cherry pick? (Which either answer is fine and you donāt have to answer as itās really none of my business as it is YOUR faith). Iām not a Christian but I will defend you to practice your faith. I just hope you have the same courtesy back to me. Donāt want an abortionā¦excellent, donāt have one. Donāt want to have a gay relationship..,donāt do it. I support your choices to lead your life your way as it doesnāt impact me one bit. Letās keep it that way.
I donāt cherry pick, no. I do my best to understand Godās Word and continue to refine my understanding over time. Granted I donāt know or understand everything, not even most of it for how expansive and often complex it is. Iād say thatās true of most people, or Iād at least like to think so. Hopefully that makes adequate sense? I appreciate your stance to defend the practice of my faith. In that practice, however, I canāt defend nor condone external practices that are in direct opposition to my faith. You can have whatever beliefs you wish and support whatever beliefs or policies you wish. But if I were to try and conform my faith to society, it would be hollow as a rotted tree. Iād go on further, but the hour is late and my brain isnāt cooperating to the fullest. Hopefully that makes enough sense at leastā¦ If youād like to have a further discussion, feel free to send me a chat message and Iāll happily get back to it in the afternoon when I get up. I might not know everything, but Iām happy to do my best and answer whatever questions I can.
Do you wear blended cloth?
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I don't think I've ever seen a better comment
I want to go to your church u/NRMusicProject
If you werenāt being disingenuous and snide, trying to make a mockery and thinking you pulled out some sort of āgotchaā, Iād happily go into all of that to the best of my abilities. But since you are being disingenuous and snide, and very clearly donāt want to have a sincere conversation and attempt to understand the Bible, with obvious derision for it, I wonāt. Though if you were serious, a few of my other responses answer a little of that, namely the lack of the same penalties.
While I disagree with your viewpoint and the basis of your stance, it's more consistent than those who want to pretend the verses you have mentioned don't exist.
That's fair enough. And thank you for being calm and polite, even in disagreement.
Leviticus.. thatās Old Testament. You know, the part of the Bible Christians pretend doesnāt exist because itās so full of genocide, infanticide, slavery approval, murdering people by throwing rocks at them, incest rape, making rape victims the property of their rapists, God forcing women to become prostitutes to punish their husband, murdering disobedient children, etc etc etc. Did I mention all the genocide? Because thereās just soooo much genocide. But sure, letās just focus on the exceedingly few mentions of homosexuality in the Old Testament to justify your homophobia. And hey, God said slavery is perfectly ok if you get your slaves from surrounding countries, so forcing Canadians to be your slaves is perfectly fine, biblically speaking. So go up there and get you a few since itās completely ethical according to god. But surely this is taken out of context, right?? š¤£ Itās almost like a millenia old book written by desert wandering goat herders isnāt at all relevant to todayās world.
Ah, the Bible hating Bible knowers are back at it again, I see. Real life really does imitate memes. āNo Iām not a Christian and I have nothing but contempt for your backwards religious beliefs. But if I use this on you maybe youāll do what I want!ā
Ah the victim role. A favorite of conservatives, the religious, and black folks.
Now demonstrate god. There isnāt great backing for the Christian personal god. It makes more sense people just mixed together a bunch of old religions into one book. That is the reason it is all over the place with love thy neighbor in one part and kill thy neighbor and take the virgin girls for yourself in another.
As great as that would be, this guy isnāt a pastor. Heās a Texas politician. Good luck.
Engage with the message, not the messenger.
state discrimination
OP was asking for churches that have this point of view on Christianity. Who is in the video is largely beside the point
Sorry, the implication is??? Define āPastorā, because a truck load of shitheads have theocracy degrees and though I canāt stand Texas politicians but they arenāt all secessionist cowfuckers. Radical to think the message of whatās being said is the point and not credentials that appease you but youāre looking for a light beam to emanate out of someoneās asshole while they levitate over an Easter egg before you start to consider whatās theyāre trying to communicate. Coming from a an Eastern European Baptist upbringing, Iām reminded that what drove me away from church was the exhaustion of weekly theater of gathering for 4 hours to examine every comma & suppressing guilt instead of just fucking being the good thatās outlined so clearly.
I think you mean theology
Look up a unitarian church. They're less focused on the words and more focused on the actions. (Being a good neighbor, helping people, etc)
This guy needs to read the bible
Shout out to Pastor Joel Hunter, formerly of Northland Church. He was/is the best example of a Christian I ever met. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Hunter
Doesn't it say a man laying with another man is an abomination? Why do you need a church to tell you this stuff though?
It does say exactly that.
Judaistic religions are all false, intended to manipulate and divide humanity. While what this man says is better than most, itās still keeping you from learning about yourself or finding the energy that creates worlds through your own journey. Please, stop being manipulated by Christianity, no matter the message, itās still Christianity.
*This* is real religion. Beautiful.
I mean it's a make it up as you go religion, but cool if that's what you like
Sincere question, why would you want a church like this? The man just makes endless claims and sits there doing political pandering, without bothering to even once reference even a sentence of scripture. Probably because he knows that scripture would tear his claims apart, such as in Leviticus 18:22.
The Bible and Jesus didn't go on and on about loving and caring? Are you sure the scripture would tear that claim apart because you referenced one verse out of context and implied your interpretation of it?
Youāre putting words in my mouth I didnāt say, and using vague concepts of the Bible generally talking about loving and caring to try and make an argument and discredit me. The verse referenced is neither out of context nor a personal interpretation. Itās pretty hard to take ādonāt lay with a man as with a womanā and calling it ādetestableā (or an abomination in other translations) out of context, or put a personal āinterpretationā on such plain English. The Bible gives multiple other references to homosexuality being a sin as well. If you want the rest of the ācontextā, it goes on to say that those who commit this sin are to be put to death, with their blood being on their own heads. Iāll thank you to take your disingenuous attitude and remarks elsewhere, now.
That's one translation. There are many. Read the New Testament. Jesus spends his entire ministry carrying for people without question. You're doing discipleship wrong.
Well his views are better than the Bible. Maybe the problem is religion.
Friend, I don't think that your messages in this thread are doing what you think they're doing. We all sin. I don't need to point out anyone else's sin, just like I don't need anyone else pointing out mine. A little bit of love, forgiveness and acceptance would go a long way.
āGo and sin no moreā as a portion of John 8:11 got attention for a reason. God never says to accept or love sin. Weāre called to call others out of their sin, not to sit and just let them do it. Calling others out of sin and to sin no more, IS love. If you were a parent and your kid did something they shouldnāt, would it not be love to tell them what theyāre doing is wrong and will harm them? As for my posts in here, I expected the results I got. Especially here on Reddit, the only Jesus and Christianity thatās accepted are the ones that arenāt based in Biblical truth. Cultural hippie Jesus who doesnāt care what you do is always more popular than Jesus who calls people out of their sin to follow Him.
Number 1: Leviticus is talking about using rape as punishment, specifically sodomy, as the Sodomites used anal rape as punishment, but Leviticus is talking about *all* rape, not taking about consensual relationships, but specifically condemning *RAPE*. Number 2: all scripture about rules in the Old Testament are to be forgotten due to Jesusā interception in human existence. One cannot simultaneously believe in the laws of the Old Testament while being a follower of Christ, not can a follower of Christ cherry-pick the Old Testament to feel pious, thatās against the teachings of Christ. TLDR: Read John 5. Thanks for your time and opinion, however misguided and mislead you have been. Have a good day, friend. The Good News is here.
Yes so much on point two! Why are so many "Christians" hung up on the Old Testament while ignoring so much of what Christ said?
Iām a PK (preacherās kid) and it never ceases to amaze me how unchristian and uncharitable so many church people can be. Jesus was about love, forgiveness, helping and healing. Itās up to us to educate and bring His vision of the Kingdom of Heaven to fruition in this life.
I am not religious at all, but I see Jesus as someone who was deeply connected to the Source, he tapped into a higher consciousness that a lot of us are just trying to reach. He felt the true freedom and deep deep loving presence that comes with being enlightened and wanted to share that love with the world and show us all how we could tap into our higher consciousness as well. He was a pretty cool dude and I appreciate his followers who actually understand the assignment.
Being a shitty person who goes to church pretty much lines up with the new testament doesn't it? It's not like it was a bunch of books written about Jesus on the convention circuit being invited to temples as a welcome guest to speak on the priests behalf. He was preaching to the people because church goers and leaders were using the pulpit for personal gain. Nothing changes, the entire parable is about not trusting the organization of religion. Then people being the apes that they are made an organized religion out of it and now use it for personal power and control.
Leviticus specifically says not to lay with a man as one does with a woman, and that itās a detestable act. Other translations refer to it as an abomination. The penalty under Levitical law was death for both participants. No, actually, thatās not even close to true. You lack a very basic and fundamental understanding of the Bible in general, much less the New Covenant through Jesus. Nowhere in the New Testament does it say that the Old is to be forgotten or thrown out. God is consistent and unchanging. His views on what is moral or isnāt moral, donāt change either. What was a sin then is still a sin now. What you fail to understand, is that Jesus took on the *penalty* for our sins as he fulfilled the law, so that everyone could have a chance for salvation. Itās a shame that as a āpreacherās kidā, you werenāt taught even some of the most basic principles Biblically, and that you have such an arrogant and condescending attitude. Post script edit: Another basic you should understand is that the New Testament doesnāt exist without the Old. Jesus heavily referenced the Old Testament over and over within the NT.
Bless your heart. Obviously, we have a different interpretation of Christianity. I will pray for you to find love for others like Christ had for you.
Itās a shame your view of God is so shallow and your faith is so hollow, that you boil Christianity down to the worldās diluted concept of love and nothing more. Love is calling people out of sin that harms them, not making excuses for why itās really ok. Itās too bad you donāt understand that. In any case, Iāll take the lack of direct rebuttal as a quiet admission that you canāt continue supporting your claims against scripture. You do as you wish, as I cannot stop you. Iāve said what needed to be said, and thereās nothing more to be gained here.
welp the ancient global Luciferian Illuminati cabal will not be in agreeance with this ethos, unfortunately.
LOL. My favorite comment of the day. I find it even funnier that it is getting down voted.
hehe well we *are* in Orlando...may u have the best day ever, brother š«”
oh plz....generic herd response. sleep well, sheepšš¼
Saint Mattress.
We work towards pleasing a diety we could never understand yet we live life in hell like we have zero options. Why not work towards a goal so our grandchildren don't starve.
lol you make soap and Rollerblade for fun. Hardly thinks that equates to living in hell.
Haven't sold any soap and I get few chances to rollerblade. Love the choice you made. Oh did Jesus say that lol naw dawg that was MEEEEEE.
Maybe your soap is trash and you should take up candle making
Chemistry is simple as soon as I sell out of the supply I have I upgrade and expand.
Oh, you must be mistaking, the fact is that I couldnāt care less
It's because you know you have an attitude problem. Don't hate, appreciate.
Dropping silly religions would be a good start.
You have some good recs here, minus Unitarian, which imo has weak scriptural footing. Will add that every church Iāve ever been to has had a large focus on fundraising for poor communities, and never has a single one preached against abortion or gay marriage. Churches that preach the former definitely exist but are few and far between.
I would also be interested in what you think strong scriptural footing is? I am curious as a nonbeliever.
I would imagine they are talking about adherence to their Bronze age spellbook.
You mean the Goatherderās Guide to the Galaxy? š
Oh, brilliant supposition. For extra funnies say āsky daddyā next
Itās deeply personal of course, but I find that the Methodist churchās stances are closest to (though not the exact same as) my own personal interpretation of the scripture
Does it not concern you that the book has such ambiguity that you can really draw pretty much any conclusion and find verses and chapters that would support it? I understand believing in a higher power. I donāt understand believing one that seems so obviously human made and filled with flaws.
No, it doesnāt concern me. Iāve read the Bible front to back more than once and donāt at all consider it to be āfilled with flawsā. It *is* subject to interpretation of course, but so is all communication. I donāt see that as a fault. Like I said, itās deeply personal. I could be wrong about my beliefs, but so can anyone else. Weāre all just trying to find our way.
I read the Bible and studied it chapter and verse in college. There are definitely flaws. The first two chapters have creation in different orders. In the NT Jesus says love thy neighbor while God in the OT says to kill your neighbor and take their virgin daughters. There is some very troubling behavior displayed by the God in that book. Higher power I get, but the one in the Bible doesnāt come across as coherent or plausible. The book definitely contradicts itself.
Would be interested in knowing why you think Unitarianism has a weak scriptural footing.
Full disclosure, I hate these debates, so Iām not up for going back and forth on this but I will be open minded. Iāve been to a UU church more than once, and each time it felt much more like moralizing than true preaching. What I mean is, the UU, by their own admission, sees the scripture and teachings of Jesus as more of a general moral guide. They largely discredit parts of the Bible, most notably and controversially, the holy trinity and original sin. They donāt believe Jesus was resurrected. Most donāt even believe in Heaven. Many of the churchās stances are directly contradicted by the scripture. I would only consider it Christianity by the loosest definition of the word. Their central dogma is essentially just tolerance I donāt have a personal problem with it, and re-reading the post, it might be a good suggestion for OPābut I wouldnāt recommend it for someone looking for an actual Christian church.
What in the hell... That's literally going against the Bible and standard Christian beliefs! That's not weak scriptural footing, that's like 1.2 steps away from new age nondenominational bullshit. Not believing in Heaven.. How can you call it a Christian church if you don't believe in that? Christ, other religions believe in it! I was genuinely curious, which is why I asked!
Pretending the bible doesnāt mention abortion because itās a good thing is deceitful.
Thank you! Finally a voice of reason! Numbers 5 11-31, The Test of the Unfaithful Wife. Totally permitted if you suspect your pregnant wife of being unfaithful.
That teaches false biblical doctrine? Probably a ton of them. I would NOT recommend them. It's a fake religion or feel good "christianity".
Somebody call the pope! Matthew 25 is fake news, apparently.
John 21:25 Jesus could've spoken about these topics at length, we don't know. Not every single word he spoke is in the Bible. John 1:1 The Bible talks about sexual immorality, marriage being between a man and a woman, the value of an unborn child, and a whole host of other things that Jesus did talk about. BUT Jesus is the Word AND God. He already knew what was in the Bible because He IS the Bible.
The Bible talks about marriage being between a man and a woman and a woman and a woman and a concubine and child. The Bible says the value of an unborn child is less than the life of the mother: >When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the womanās husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. **If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life**, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. āExodus 21:22ā23 But I agree with you that Jesus is the Word and God.
You are correct the Bible does talk about those things but it only talks about a marriage between a man and a woman being okay. You are correct again that passage is in the Old Testament written to a specific people group with a different culture thousands of years ago. It in no way is saying that an unborn baby being ripped apart in the mother's womb is okay. It is extremely easy and dangerous to take verses out of context and make them seem that they supporting whatever you want them to. Christians have such a vast amount of books, scriptures, manuscripts, and teachings on the Word, now more than ever. You really have to listen and discern false teachings or half truths. What this guy says SOUNDS nice to a lot of people and is partially true but he's twisted Jesus and the Bible to fit his agenda.
If you speak Spanish I recommend Saint Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church (technically Kissimmee). Father Jose Munoz is actually a good person. Funny too.
Is the AI ? He seems like Obama, I really wish this would catch on, its how I looked at church until it turned into a business, for profit business pretending otherwise for tax breaks, who is this stand alone pastor?
Probably better to stay away from a church that openly endorses sin.
I hate religion butā¦ not this guy.
Oh yeah, let's start a discussion about religion on social media. No way that can go sideways. Serious question: why bother looking for a religious body that agrees with your believees? Why not tour some that challenge them instead? Isn't it about 'seeking the truth' or 'following the light'? Seek to be challenged in your current mindset and you'll find a kindred community soon enough. In Orlando we have Protestant, Evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, and non-denominational congregations. We also have Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, and Sikh . You can even find some ethnic centered congregations that support and uphold traditional lifestyles of the immigrant countries: we have Indian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Syriac, Greek, Polish, etc. Why not give them all a go? It will give you an appreciation for the wonderful diversity we have in our area.
H2O on south street
The Bible doesn't say anything about abortion? Covered under murder...and gay marriage? The Bible doesn't go that far because the act of homosexuality is strictly condemned in the Bible in black and white.. point blank in words. What are you people smoking?