Glad I found this place!

[Guest queequeg914]

I think with our recent theological discussions, I'd like to give you a bit of my background as far as religion goes.

I came to religion as a senior in high school, when my formerly atheist father converted. He and my mother forced me to go to church, and after a time, I became more and more interested in the Bible. Before that, my only knowledge of Jesus was that he was dead and there was a cross involved somehow and he made a bunch of fish and bread appear. And then there was an ark or something...

Anyway, after I became a new believer, I made the choice to go to a small private college to major in theology- I figured if I was making this big change in my life, I ought to know more about what it really entailed.

My college was made up of kids who had been going to church since they were in their mother's wombs. I had a lot of catch-up to do (hell, I didn't know the words to "Jesus loves the little children"- got made fun of for that one). My professors were all of the staunch reformation-movement Christian church/instrumental Church of Christ denomination. I had a great education- I learned koine Greek, some Hebrew, a lot of Reformation History- but there were a lot of things lacking. I learned nothing about the Catholic faith. I learned bits and pieces about the apocrypha and gnostics, but was discouraged from asking much. It was all a lot to take in, so I was ok with what I was learning. Anyway, graduated, got married- and then our best friend died two weeks to the day after our wedding. My husband had a breakdown. And I lost my faith. Actually, I guess I didn't lose it- I shoved it away. I wanted nothing to do with it.

Almost four years later, I'm recovering that longing for the Divine. I want to learn more. I want to expand my knowledge of the church and of faith outside of what I was originally taught. And I think this forum has a bunch of awesome posters that I can learn a ton from. Thank you so much for allowing me to be here. Millennium has helped trigger my curiosity towards faith once again- I guess it goes to show that God does indeed work how He will.

[hippyroo]

I think with our recent theological discussions, I'd like to give you a bit of my background as far as religion goes.

I came to religion as a senior in high school, when my formerly atheist father converted. He and my mother forced me to go to church, and after a time, I became more and more interested in the Bible. Before that, my only knowledge of Jesus was that he was dead and there was a cross involved somehow and he made a bunch of fish and bread appear. And then there was an ark or something...

Anyway, after I became a new believer, I made the choice to go to a small private college to major in theology- I figured if I was making this big change in my life, I ought to know more about what it really entailed.

My college was made up of kids who had been going to church since they were in their mother's wombs. I had a lot of catch-up to do (hell, I didn't know the words to "Jesus loves the little children"- got made fun of for that one). My professors were all of the staunch reformation-movement Christian church/instrumental Church of Christ denomination. I had a great education- I learned koine Greek, some Hebrew, a lot of Reformation History- but there were a lot of things lacking. I learned nothing about the Catholic faith. I learned bits and pieces about the apocrypha and gnostics, but was discouraged from asking much. It was all a lot to take in, so I was ok with what I was learning. Anyway, graduated, got married- and then our best friend died two weeks to the day after our wedding. My husband had a breakdown. And I lost my faith. Actually, I guess I didn't lose it- I shoved it away. I wanted nothing to do with it.

Almost four years later, I'm recovering that longing for the Divine. I want to learn more. I want to expand my knowledge of the church and of faith outside of what I was originally taught. And I think this forum has a bunch of awesome posters that I can learn a ton from. Thank you so much for allowing me to be here. Millennium has helped trigger my curiosity towards faith once again- I guess it goes to show that God does indeed work how He will.

There a lot of great books about the differences between the different denominations, but please remember; no church is perfect. In The Revelation God talks to each of the 7 churches and speaks to their failings. In fact the church is really the whole of all believers on the earth. Listen to people and then read the Bible yourself.

[Guest queequeg914]

There a lot of great books about the differences between the different denominations, but please remember; no church is perfect. In The Revelation God talks to each of the 7 churches and speaks to their failings. In fact the church is really the whole of all believers on the earth. Listen to people and then read the Bible yourself.

I'm trying to learn to trust myself more and to be more analytical of what I'm taught by others too. I know no church is perfect- after all, they are made up of people!

[ethsnafu]

I think with our recent theological discussions, I'd like to give you a bit of my background as far as religion goes.

I came to religion as a senior in high school, when my formerly atheist father converted. He and my mother forced me to go to church, and after a time, I became more and more interested in the Bible. Before that, my only knowledge of Jesus was that he was dead and there was a cross involved somehow and he made a bunch of fish and bread appear. And then there was an ark or something...

Anyway, after I became a new believer, I made the choice to go to a small private college to major in theology- I figured if I was making this big change in my life, I ought to know more about what it really entailed.

My college was made up of kids who had been going to church since they were in their mother's wombs. I had a lot of catch-up to do (hell, I didn't know the words to "Jesus loves the little children"- got made fun of for that one). My professors were all of the staunch reformation-movement Christian church/instrumental Church of Christ denomination. I had a great education- I learned koine Greek, some Hebrew, a lot of Reformation History- but there were a lot of things lacking. I learned nothing about the Catholic faith. I learned bits and pieces about the apocrypha and gnostics, but was discouraged from asking much. It was all a lot to take in, so I was ok with what I was learning. Anyway, graduated, got married- and then our best friend died two weeks to the day after our wedding. My husband had a breakdown. And I lost my faith. Actually, I guess I didn't lose it- I shoved it away. I wanted nothing to do with it.

Almost four years later, I'm recovering that longing for the Divine. I want to learn more. I want to expand my knowledge of the church and of faith outside of what I was originally taught. And I think this forum has a bunch of awesome posters that I can learn a ton from. Thank you so much for allowing me to be here. Millennium has helped trigger my curiosity towards faith once again- I guess it goes to show that God does indeed work how He will.

Gosh!

You are one educated soul. We have a lot to learn from you methinks. May I be presumptious and ask how a girl with a Theology Degree becomes a skin-care artist? My very best friend (how old am I) Lisa used her Theology Degree and is now a Prison Chaplain, the work she undertakes is so profound and I feel guilty for even considering that I could cure the world's ills with a few pills. Do you ever consider how you could utilise your study in a professional sense? I hope I am not being too inquistive I am just somewhat in awe of Theologians.

Best wishes,

Eth

[Guest queequeg914]

Gosh!

You are one educated soul. We have a lot to learn from you methinks. May I be presumptious and ask how a girl with a Theology Degree becomes a skin-care artist? My very best friend (how old am I) Lisa used her Theology Degree and is now a Prison Chaplain, the work she undertakes is so profound and I feel guilty for even considering that I could cure the world's ills with a few pills. Do you ever consider how you could utilise your study in a professional sense? I hope I am not being too inquistive I am just somewhat in awe of Theologians.

Best wishes,

Eth

I started at age 18 at a christian women's care clinic- a place for women dealing with rape, abuse, unwanted pregnancy...my job was to help the pregnant teenagers learn life skills to deal with their situations and to be a liaison in our STD clinic- helping scared people get through testing that can sometimes be painful. After almost six years, I was so burnt out by the misery around me that I couldn't deal with it anymore. I was frustrated by some co-workers' insistence that we only teach adolescents that the only way to not get pregnant was abstinence (refusing to give them any knowledge of birth control), by some co-workers' desire to start showing anti-abortion videos (which I believe are unnecessarily upsetting and judgemental), the board's refusal to provide STD treatment to the gay men's community (holy s***! we have assloads of free antibiotics and whathaveyou to treat STDs- and we did test and treat men for STDs if their girlfriend or wife brought them in! we had the resources, but it was "distasteful"...grrr..don't get me started) and by how hard people were towards women who made decisions they didn't agree with. And of course, there was the little fact that they were losing tons of money and I never knew if I'd get paid or not. I was at a conference in L.A. for work, and went into a MAC makeup store- it was like HEAVEN. I struck up a conversation with the makeup artist...and long story short, ended up training with MAC, working freelance to supplement my income at the women's center, and quit to go to the company I'm with now. I still volunteer for the center in a very limited capacity, and only as long as I'm allowed to actually minister- which I believe means loving and supporting women in crisis, helping them through, helping them find the resources they need to get through their trauma- not judging them or trying to control them.

sorry, ranting...

Edited April 11, 2008 by queequeg914