Please don't turn this into a soapbox thread.

Can anyone recommend a liberal church that eschews judgement, hellfire, etc.

I am mostly just interested in the social benefits of a church.

No, I am not interested in the Unitarian Church - those idiots have a hymn to the UN ffs.

11/15/2011 10:41:32 AM

http://thechurch.co.uk/

only downside is that it's in London.

11/15/2011 10:44:34 AM

Basically, if the church mentions hell, I want no part of it.

Also not into those hipster churches that seemed to be in vogue back in 2002

11/15/2011 10:49:01 AM

If you just want a church for the social benefits and not the actual religion, why not just join a social or civic organization? Kind of sounds like you're trying to use a screwdriver to drive a nail.

11/15/2011 10:50:19 AM

lol I came in here to suggest the unitarians

11/15/2011 10:58:19 AM

I go to the UU church on Wade Avenue and they're pretty conservative as far as UU congregations go. They sometimes come up with this hippie dippy crap that makes me go but I like the sermons because they remind me more of college lectures but free and you don't get a degree after x amount of time If they actually have a hymn about the UN, I have never heard or seen it. I will admit that some of the UU congregations I've visited in NY and NJ have been weird as hell.

The various social groups (biking group, book club, volunteer groups, etc) they have are also nice for meeting like minded people, but really if that's all you're looking for you'd be just as good going to a club for your hobbies.

I have heard that Pullen Memorial Baptist on Hillsborough Street is a very progressive church but have not checked it out myself.

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 11:08 AM. Reason : a]

11/15/2011 11:07:07 AM

While I can't help with any specific recommendations, have you tried googling non-denominational churches in the area? They tend to be more liberal, accepting, etc..

11/15/2011 11:08:07 AM

Quote :

"Basically, if the church mentions hell, I want no part of it."

I mean, even Buddhism talks about Hell so you might be SOL. Why not join one of the bajillion social or civic clubs in the area like NCStatePride suggested? Independent Weekly can be a good starting point for seeing what groups regularly meet in the area. Or there's always http://www.meetup.com/

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 11:12 AM. Reason : a]

11/15/2011 11:11:45 AM

Quote :

"Basically, if the church mentions hell, I want no part of it."

then it isn't church.

11/15/2011 11:20:28 AM

http://marshill.org

I think it'd be cool to find a secular organization to join, but I have a feeling the members would be self selected douches.

11/15/2011 11:31:20 AM

To me, a church that doesn't mention hell is not a church, to me

11/15/2011 11:42:38 AM

I think it depends on the organization. Worst case you go for one meeting, learn they're douchebags, and never go back lol.

11/15/2011 11:42:38 AM

If I might ask, why do you want to find a church that lacks the occasional talk of the devil and hell? I can understand not wanting to hear it every sermon, but are you looking for religion or a hangout spot?

11/15/2011 11:47:29 AM

Not everyone believes in hell, but they still believe in a higher being or general morals/human rights.

There are a lot of churches that focus more on living a purpose-driven life than in fearing god and fearing hell.

11/15/2011 11:50:47 AM

I'd also like to give a shoot out for meetup.com for meeting people and it's social benefits.

11/15/2011 12:02:54 PM

Quote :

"Not everyone believes in hell, but they still believe in a higher being or general morals/human rights. There are a lot of churches that focus more on living a purpose-driven life than in fearing god and fearing hell."

This.

11/15/2011 12:11:16 PM

^^The only problem is that the prospect of meeting total strangers scares the shit out of me.

Luckily, there is a Social Anxiety meetup in raleigh.

11/15/2011 12:13:31 PM

I'd look at the bigger churches in the area for this type of thing.

Usually mega-churches in urban/suburban areas tend to focus solely on the positives, modelling themselves more on Rick Warren/Joel Osteen-style sermons that are focused on building a positive state-of-mind and seeking joy in life. It's how they become so large: a positive message always attracts more people than a fire & brimstone one.

Additionally, as to whether they're "liberal" or not, I'd keep an open mind and see - another bonus of a very large church is that modern politics aren't even brought up, as it endangers their 501(c)(3) status, and because they're more highly visible than a small church, they don't even want to risk getting in trouble.

Sounds like a large church is for you - and as to denomination, I'd recommend either Methodist or non-denominational, given what you've said. The biggest non-denom I know of in this area is Crossroads Fellowship in Cary.

If you're feeling adventurous and just want to check out a big church, Providence Baptist in Raleigh and Colonial Baptist in Cary are huge, and definitely focus more on the positives than the negatives, while having tons of social opportunities. They are baptist, which is a turnoff for some, but I think you'd probably enjoy it, at least for the one week trial run.

Good luck! I moved here about 16 months ago and still haven't found a home... though I can't stand contemporary christian music, and prefer "bible" based churches to social based churches.

11/15/2011 12:26:06 PM

I recommend The Summit. We've been going on and off for a few years now. They have multiple campuses around the area, so there's probably one near you. The sermon is prerecorded, so it'll basically be the same nomatter which location you go to.

It's large, and like someone else said, really reminds me of a college lecture. Pastor J.D. seems to be a pretty normal, down-to-earth kind of guy and is a great speaker. I definitely enjoy going there.

11/15/2011 12:41:14 PM

Quote :

"Not everyone believes in hell, but they still believe in a higher being or general morals/human rights. There are a lot of churches that focus more on living a purpose-driven life than in fearing god and fearing hell."

At some point in time the "church" becomes to counter to what is in their holy book that it's not really a church anymore, just an institution that appreciates the concept of a higher being.

I mean, if you want a church, find a church. If you want a social group, go find one of the many, many social groups that exist. If you would like a vaguely religious organization that has social function, they have those too. Most philanthropic organizations are that way.

Otherwise, still sounds like the whole "driving a nail with a screwdriver" thing. "I want a church, but I don't want them to teach Christianity." ...

11/15/2011 1:40:05 PM

Perhaps the original poster meant "spiritual assembly hall" rather than "church", since "church" is a strictly Christian thing. Seems to be an issue of semantics.

11/15/2011 1:55:02 PM

I suggest you read Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God and then re-prioritize your life, son.

11/15/2011 2:16:10 PM

What are the social benefits of church that you can't get anywhere else? You're life might be better if you just got rid of bronze age religions anyway. Hooray science.

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 2:33 PM. Reason : life]

11/15/2011 2:32:46 PM

Not sure if it's what you're looking for or not but Pullen Baptist is pretty liberal (at least by Baptist standards). Still a pretty typical style service but they are known for being socially liberal (homosexuality and the like).

11/15/2011 2:46:57 PM

So little insight by certain people posting in this thread.

Assuming heaven exists, why should a person focus on hell? Given a limited amount of time on this earth, what point does it serve to study the bad? Can't one accomplish more by focusing on the good?

Does the church need to be the only source of benefits for a person to seek those benefits through a church? Why then, should a person seek those benefits elsewhere if they know a church can provide what they're looking for?

Y'all can't just let somebody pursue their own beliefs and be happy without trying to make them look like a jackass for it. Who does that really reflect upon?

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 2:51 PM. Reason : s]

11/15/2011 2:50:14 PM

^because there is no such thing as innocuous religion. It influences (especially in the present) our politics. The majority of people who are against a woman's right to chose are against it because of their religion, it is the reason stem cell research isn't being funded the way it should, it is the reason creationism is being taught in science classes in certain areas and it is why, most recently congress spent time to re-affirm "In God We Trust" on our money instead of using the time to fix much more pressing issues.

11/15/2011 2:54:25 PM

first words of the thread

Quote :

"Please don't turn this into a soapbox thread."

i could give a shit what you believe, practice, or otherwise... but at least have the decency to abide by the OP's wishes. Stop being dicks.

If you wanna debate it, go to the soapbox or create your own thread. Otherwise, shut up.

11/15/2011 3:04:03 PM

Quote :

"The majority of people who are against a woman's right to chose are against it because of their religion"

Did the thought ever cross your mind that their religion might concur with their beliefs rather than dictating them?

Quote :

"it is the reason stem cell research isn't being funded the way it should"

That's democracy for you. Not everybody is going to agree 100% of the time. Take away religion and it could be capitalists or welfare recipients demanding that money, libertarians demanding that the government keep their hands out of the people's pockets, yadda yadda yadda. Sounds like you want to live in a dictatorship where you are the dictator.

Quote :

"it is why, most recently congress spent time to re-affirm "In God We Trust" on our money instead of using the time to fix much more pressing issues."

I'm not familiar with that incident, however if "In God We Trust" is on our money does it not take someone from the Atheist camp raising a stink in order for Congress to waste their time on it?


^ Ha ha...Like that ever stood a chance. Hopefully he'll still get the info he is looking for.

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 3:11 PM. Reason : l]

11/15/2011 3:07:51 PM

Skack, I'm not sure if that was one question or twenty questions, but I'll give it a shot:

Q: Why should you focus on Hell instead of Heaven?
A: Well, if you find a church that is actually following what's in their Christian holy book, the "focus" shouldn't be on either. Matt 22:23-33 has a reference to a story where some religious scholars tried making up a hypothetical situation to trap Jesus in his own doctrine and what is interesting is that Jesus didn't *just* point out that they were trying to place a trap and He did *just* answer the question; He also points out that the religious leaders should know better and understand what is in the scriptures. In other words, Jesus told them that all they need to know about the whole "Heaven and Hell" topic has already been given to us in scripture. Jesus actually doesn't give a lot of detail on anything concerning Heaven and Hell aside from confirming what already exists. This kind of implies that the focus is NOT on heaven and hell. If Jesus' own ministry wasn't "focused" on Heaven or Hell, then I don't see why a church should run themselves any differently.

Q: "Does the church need to be the only source of benefits for a person to seek those benefits through a church?"
A: No, because the purpose of a church family is the growth as a follower in Christ... not the organizer of the community oyster bake. The idea of a church "needing" to be the center of every social event in our lives is completely a Western-World thing.

And for the only thing relevant to the OP...

Q: "Y'all can't just let somebody pursue their own beliefs and be happy without trying to make them look like a jackass for it. Who does that really reflect upon?"
A: I mean, when you have someone asking about a church that basically doesn't teach Christianity... how would you respond? Don't make it sound like it's someone pursuing his own beliefs because the OP flat-out states "I am mostly just interested in the social benefits". People aren't criticizing what he's doing; they're criticizing how he's going about it.

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 3:13 PM. Reason : .]

11/15/2011 3:12:27 PM

People still use dollar bills and coins? How retro.

11/15/2011 3:12:29 PM

Jaycees

11/15/2011 3:39:30 PM

Quote :

"I'm not familiar with that incident, however if "In God We Trust" is on our money does it not take someone from the Atheist camp raising a stink in order for Congress to waste their time on it?"

Nope, it's because the President said the motto of the US was E Pluribus Unum

So the right said, silly president, no it isn't and we are going to vote to make sure the motto is re-affirmed as "In God We Trust"

Quote :

"Did the thought ever cross your mind that their religion might concur with their beliefs rather than dictating them?"

No, their religion dictates it. A large portion don't chose their religion, they are what their parents are. No such thing as a religious baby.

11/15/2011 4:25:08 PM

I meant religiously liberal. I'm a hard right tea party nutjob myself so hopefully the church would keep politics to a minimum.

I agree with everyone that is saying that a church that doesn't preach hell and all that isn't really a christian church bla bla bla. The thing is, I'm an atheist. I just have a lot of respect for christianity and although I could try a secular social club, my first choice is to do this in a church setting if possible.

I realize this is a tall order. If it helps, I'd probably be ok with trying out catholic or maybe even mormon churches - but I have a hard time imagining them to be more liberal than liberal protestant churches.

Quote :

"Not everyone believes in hell, but they still believe in a higher being or general morals/human rights. There are a lot of churches that focus more on living a purpose-driven life than in fearing god and fearing hell."

That's the kind of church I'm looking for.

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 5:04 PM. Reason : ]

11/15/2011 5:02:21 PM

I would say come to my church but I don't know where you live.

My church is based a lot on building community, seeing beauty in the brokeness, and also serving inside and outside of the church. I know there is a lot of talk about Jesus and things of such but honestly I have never in my life felt so at home at a church and felt I could actually be me. I don't know if my church would be what you are looking for but there is def more of encouraging people to live a full life than scaring them into belief.

Warehouse 242 in Charlotte is where I go.

11/15/2011 5:22:59 PM

LOL, I just looked up The Summit Church and they described EXACTLY the kind of church I am looking for, much better than I ever could have done.

Quote :

"This is not a church where you can plop down, navel gaze, get your religion-itch scratched, and stuff your belly full of Bible bon-bons."

Well, that's the kind of church I want to attend! FIND ME ONE INTERNET!

11/15/2011 5:24:46 PM

You trolling, bro.

11/15/2011 5:27:59 PM

No, I'm actually not. If I were trolling I would have put this in soapbox or chit chat

11/15/2011 5:29:11 PM

I hope not in the lounge.

11/15/2011 5:29:17 PM

I did the whole, "I'm an atheist" crap in college and now I'm kind of bored with it. I'll never really believe in god but it would be nice to get back to my roots a little and plus get some good networking in the community.

11/15/2011 5:33:26 PM

Where do you live? My sister's brother-in-law and his boyfriend go to Avent Ferry United Methodist Church and love it. I've never been, so I can't tell you what they preach about, but if a homosexual couple loves it they have to be fairly liberal.

11/15/2011 5:39:46 PM

^^ Well you've gotten seven church suggestions in this thread so far which will keep you busy for the next two months checking them out

11/15/2011 5:45:39 PM

Quote :

"Basically, if the church mentions hell, I want no part of it."

Quote :

"liberal church"

Quote :

"interested in the social benefits of a church."

These are all WRONG reasons to go to church. You might as well stay home.

11/15/2011 6:06:47 PM

I agree Ansonian and I hear what you're saying. Still, I have to believe these types of churches exist if all the other ones make such a point of distancing themselves from them.

I appreciate the recommendations that have been made thus far. That Methodist church that Elise recommended sounds particularly promising

11/15/2011 6:24:29 PM

Unitarian Universalist http://www.uua.org/ , United Church of Christ http://www.ucc.org/ or maybe a Buddhist temple http://www.superpages.com/yellowpages/C-Buddhist+Temples/S-NC/T-Raleigh/

11/15/2011 6:24:32 PM

C.S. Lewis once said that "the church is the only organization that exists for the benefit of non-members."

I don't see why someone would ever suggest "not" to attend church.

http://gracecommchurch.com/

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 6:28 PM. Reason : .]

11/15/2011 6:26:48 PM

Quote :

"The thing is, I'm an atheist. I just have a lot of respect for christianity and although I could try a secular social club, my first choice is to do this in a church setting if possible."

W

T

F

11/15/2011 6:51:06 PM

Plenty of atheists in the pews. What's the big surprise?

11/15/2011 7:24:07 PM

Agree that UU is utterly pointless. I cannot imagine why anyone would go to a UU church. Of course, they sounds like a pretty good fit for what you want, and I don't really understand that, either.

Quote :

"It's large, and like someone else said, really reminds me of a college lecture. Pastor J.D. seems to be a pretty normal, down-to-earth kind of guy and is a great speaker. I definitely enjoy going there. "

Quote :

"The thing is, I'm an atheist. I just have a lot of respect for christianity and although I could try a secular social club, my first choice is to do this in a church setting if possible."

I don't know that I'd self-identify as an atheist. I would say that I'm not religious...there may or may not be a God; I certainly don't think the Bible is accurate. Still, across the religious spectrum, I'd say that I'm close enough to you that I can relate.

I have been to the Summit a few times--the main church where the service actually takes place live; my dad (very conservative Christian, both religiously and politically) went there. They run a "contemporary" service, which is kinda fruity in my opinion, and the congregation does the "raise your hands and close your eyes like you're in some kind of trance" or something, which I've always thought is a pretty lame show.

That said, the pastor (JD) is very good; probably tied for the best I've ever heard (the other was a total theology nerd with a Ph.D. who was a seminary professor, and widely regarded as probably the most brilliant dude there). Summit is definitely not a liberal church, especially do the point of rejecting the doctrine of hell, but they might still be worth at least spending a Sunday morning on to check out.


Of course, I can't fathom why an atheist would want to attend church just for the social aspect to begin with.

11/15/2011 7:43:14 PM

Church of Scientology Mission
8226 Pence Rd
Charlotte, NC

11/15/2011 8:02:40 PM

Quote :

"Agree that UU is utterly pointless. I cannot imagine why anyone would go to a UU church."

To meet with a group of like-minded people to better ourselves and our community. Not a whole lot different from other religions.

11/15/2011 8:51:44 PM