Church VS Church?

A response that I have heard from a couple different ATS posters lately has been that one denomination of church loudly proclaims disdain for other denominations, that they are "going to hell" and such comments.

I have personally heard pastors preach that "sinners", "non-believers" and such will go to hell if they don't repent or accept God into their lives, but never have I heard them say that "all Baptists are going to hell...", or "all Catholics are going to hell..."

So, are these just anecdotal recounts of what people have "heard", or are there churches that actively promote themselves over other denominations?

I grew up just outside of a town with less than 300 people in it, and I know from the 1920's through the 1960's that "who you were" in that town was dictated by which type of church a person went to. At that time, they had active campaigns against one another such as REVIVALS on the same nights, church suppers for the town on the same nights, etc.

Thoughts?

JDub

EDIT: Spelling

[edit on 4/1/2006 by BlueTileSpook]

I was raised in a strict protestant home. I was taught that people who were not protestant would sadly go to hell because they didn't come to Jesus and God through the right channels. Catholics worshipped idols and didn't pray to God and the rest, well, they were just misinformed.

It sounds terribly silly now explaining it, but that's what I was taught. My mother was a very good Christian woman, I think she was just a leetle bit obsessive about it.

I played with 2 little Catholic girls next door and I wasn't allowed to attend their church and I remember thinking how sad it was that they'd be going to hell while I rejoiced in heaven.

I don't know how it is today because I gave up religion and church long ago, but that's how it was for me in the 60s.

My father met a girl after he graduated High School in the 60's while he was in Portland, Oregon doing his military service. The girl was Catholic and he was Minnonite (sp? Can't think at the moment). He called home after dating her for a while and one of my grandfather's first questions was, "What religion is she?" After he told him, my grandfather said one word. "No."

My grandfather and grandmother were both raised Amish, and both left the church at age 16 much to the chagrin of the rest of the family. They became Minnonites (sp? again...). When my father and mother met a few years later and married, then I came along, we attended a Quaker church, so my roots are similar to yours in that it was a pretty strict upbringing.

JDub

As a Christian there is no way I would be involved in a church that preached hate or condemned others to hell. The point is to follow the teachings of Christ and to show love and understanding to others. Most churches do just that.

Blessings....

Just to be clear, the churches we went to didn't preach hate or condemn others to hell, they were just your regular run-of-the-mill Baptist, and Methodist churches. I was just a very curious little girl and I would bug my mom with questions trying to understand all this religion business.

I was taught that there was only one way to get to heaven. That is by being 'saved', confessing my sins to Jesus (not some man in a booth) and asking for forgiveness, after which I was baptized.

So when I asked my mom if my little Catholic friends (they weren't "saved" or baptized - maybe sprinkled as babies) would get to heaven, she sadly told me no, not unless they are saved.



[edit on 1-4-2006 by Benevolent Heretic]

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
I was taught that there was only one way to get to heaven.

Me, too. You have to die first.

(I couldn't help myself.)

queenannie38 awesome link in your signature. Last month I was in the ICU, I stopped breathing and had to be on a ventilator (breathing machine) for 10 days. I had a near death experience and went to heaven where God told me I could stay in heaven or return to my body. Maybe I will post my story on that site.


[edit on 1-4-2006 by kinglizard]