Hello Everyone,

I am new to this website so please don't be mad if this post is in the wrong section. I didn't see any section that fit my question.

First a little background on myself. When I was young my parent's were divorced so when I was with my mother I attended Catholic service, and when I was with my father I attended a Methodist service. I stop going when I was around 10. My aunts were into the Church and left the Methodist church for a church called themselves Reformed Church. I went a few times as a teenager but it didn't stick.

Later, around 18 years old, I started listening to KWAVE (Calvary Chapel). I went to Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa a few times but mainly just listed on the radio. I joined the military, forgot about God, and served in two wars.

Now I am home and I am searching for a new church. I decided to go to the local Calvary Chapel. Now I am doing research trying to learn more about the Faith. I have found multiple websites (including this one) that states Calvary Chapel is a cult that doesn't teach sound doctrine. I do not want to be apart of a church like that. But I have been to other Churches and I find them all boring.

The main thing that draws me to Calvary Chapel is that the songs they sing for worship are off the radio and sound good. I find hymns very demonic. I get chills when I hear a choir sing. Images of the exorcist and other horror movies come to mind.

My question to anyone and everyone is, what is a good solid Christian church that worships with music created this millennium? Or is this also something that is cultic?

See [www.culteducation.com]

That link doesn't help or apply to my question. I guess I should reclarify my question. What denomination is aproved by Rick Ross and Associates, and uses modern day songs of worship vice old hyms and choirs.

Don,

You are being very frank about what you are looking for. I seriously recommend you read the link on Warning Signs Rick has given you.

The Dilemma you seem to have is that you are searching for meaning and that you understand that both ethical organisations and unethical organisations, (cults being some of those), offer answers to the meaning of life.

My concern for you is that your discernment seems to be based on what feels or sounds good or bad. Intuition is what can hook a person into a cult. I suggest that in your investigations, critically examine doctrines and philosophy through reason. Also, don't accept the groups word on interpretation. Read peer reviews and critically test everything. Study the history of the group and of its leaders. The sound of the music or whether a setting is boring does not cut the mustard in determining what philosophy or theology appeals to you based on what is objectively true.

[b:ad8e382016]You won't get a recommendation of what Church or group to join here. That is your decision.[/b:ad8e382016] Take your time and read and don't be led by sounds and feelings and emotional associations with Hollywood movies.

Oz

OK, thank you for your replies. I guess what I am looking for is a positive answer. This website is negativly geared because it's the easy road. It's easy to take what someone else says and pick it apart. (People can do that even with Jesus' words). But it's very hard to actually stand up and say postive things, such as this is the ONLY way, or these are the ONLY true Churches.

Good luck with this site. Peace.

The overwhelming majority of churches don't generate complaints and are not listed or even mentioned here.

Within the the evangelical Christian movement this includes the Southern Baptist and American Baptist conventions, Evangelical Free Church, Church of the Nazarene and the Assemblies of God.

There are also other large Protestant denominations such as the United Methodists, Episcopalians, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and United Presbyterian Church that don't generate significant complaints.

These churches all have accredited educational requirements for their pastors and democratic church government that provides meaningful accountability.

This in large part prevents problems.

See [www.culteducation.com]

Note the serious problems Calvary has experienced and is experiencing right now in New Mexico.

Many of these situations could have been avoided if Calvary had educational requirements for pastors and meaningful accountability provided for them through democratic church government.

Perhaps some of the churches that have such safeguards are not as entertaining as Calvary, but they are a whole lot safer.

Don wrote:

Quote

I guess what I am looking for is a positive answer. This website is negativly geared because it's the easy road. It's easy to take what someone else says and pick it apart. (People can do that even with Jesus' words). But it's very hard to actually stand up and say postive things, such as this is the ONLY way, or these are the ONLY true Churches

Don,
This website provides an attempt of uncovering the truth about some unethical organisations and the damage they do to peoples lives - you may regard that as being negatively geared but I regard any attempt of uncovering truth by exposing psychological and or physical abuse and offering solutions as being a positive initiative.

It is by no means an easy road to critic cults because the majority of those who do this have suffered personally or through loved ones at the hands of unethical groups. Conversely, one could say it is easy to avoid reality and only look at the positive.

Personally, I seek the truth and that journey exposes both negative and positive aspects of life. To narrow ones focus on either one or the other is to be only half informed which can underpin a bias.

For me or others on this board to say that this or that church is the only true church would turn the board from a media that attempts to provide an unbiased basis to having an alliance toward a particular philosophy/religion. [b:f37f0d35bf]Such a stand would not work with cult survivors who need to develop their own critical reasoning again, rather than be told what to believe.[/b:f37f0d35bf]

The only practical advice I can give on this board is to suggest you take a short course on religious history at an accredited university to start building a firm base of knowledge. You may also want to do some uni courses in Logic. With this accademic training, you will be able to discern which religion to join rather than to be told. - Now, is this positive advice :)

Oz