Hey, I'm sorry that your experience of church wasn't a good one.
But, I cannot help but ask what it is you're looking for?
A few ideas come to mind, but as I write them, please know that I am not claiming that they are yours...
Maybe this is just a surface argument (as childish as it sounds) to a deeper longing to connect with God. Just as our physical body hungers for food/water, our mind hungers after knowledge, heart longs for love/acceptance, so, too, does our soul hunger after something that only one thing can quench it's craving. Only, that something is Someone--God. Maybe you go to church after church longing to connect, but are so basing this search on how it is presented to you behind a pulpit that, being disappointed, are turned away to skepticism or mockery towards Christianity. God doesn't just hear us in the walls of a church; He doesn't only speak to us as we sit before a pastor. The crux of the matter is, do you really want to find what your soul's longing for? C.C. Lewis once stated that, “If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair”. Do you feel that there's something in you that is grasping for some sort of connection with God, and that by going to church you'll feel spiritual?
Maybe you’re expecting to be entertained. You’re from the U.K.? I’ve never been there, but maybe it’s similar to over here in America: we want to be entertained. If you're looking to be entertained, look to see when the next circus is coming to town. I think that it's become the norm to want to be entertained; we expect to be entertained in order for anyone to get their desired response from us. Our desire to be entertained has crossed over the bounds of movies and games and has seeped into all areas of life. We demand it. That and comfort. These two ideas truly imprison us in our own world and keep us from ever venturing out and see that there's more to life than our own selves and our own wants. And, not just more, but oftentimes greater.
At the same time, though, if you're seriously searching for truth, why not start asking questions? The hard ones that may be nagging at the back of your mind. After the church service, why not approach the pastor with your sincere questions/concerns and have a reasonable discussion with him? But, don't expect him to have the answers that you want to hear, let alone have an answer to everything you ask. Those, only God knows. But, do you really think that you must understand everything, or, that your minute mind will be able to handle knowing everything?
What it comes down to is the heart.
Do you really know what it means to be a Christian?
But, than again, maybe you just posted this topic because you were bored…
Nonetheless, if you have time, check out these messages from this pastor:
http://www.gracelbmedia.org/

I do go to church. What I see as the most important factor in choosing where to plug-in at a church is whether or not the pastor is teaching straight from the Word of God (the Bible) and not candy coating the truth. Second, I want to grow and be challenged in my faith, so a pastor should be teaching in a way that opens to this outcome.

The church won’t be responsible for our individual choice of accepting Jesus as our Savior and following after Him (but the pastor will be responsible for teaching false doctrine).

I do hope that you look into the matter of Who Jesus is and stop looking at the church and holding them responsible for your bad experience. Those churches will always be around, but you and I are not guaranteed tomorrow. Fill free to send a message my way if you have any questions/comments. I can't guarantee that I have all the answers (because I don't), though. :-) But, what I do know and have come to believe and find myself convinced of, that I can share with you.

Hey, thanks for your response!

I do see where your coming from, but there's more!
Looking on the outside, one would only see from that angle.
It's in gettting to know Jesus that my perspective is coming from.
It's one thing to know all the facts about someone; it's another thing to get to know the person on a more intimate level.
Jesus spoke with authority because He was God in human form. In the book of Matthew, He shows that authority as He speaks to the crowds with, "you have heard it said...but I tell you...".
This is a matter of Truth (obviously, Buddhist philosophy and Christian doctrine disagree on the crucial issues. They contradict!). And, that's what I'm after--Truth.
C.S. Lewis once said, "If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair". I'm sure Buddhist thought has brought up some good and useful ideas about living here on earth, but, I'm looking for more. There's got to be more than just this life spent here on earth. Christianity does the best job in explaining the hard and important questions. Doesn't mean I'll understand everything (I honestly don't think our brains could handle understanding everything), but what I need to know, I'd rather let God worry about keeping the earth spinning at the right degree away from the sun, my heart beating, and the world events fall into place.
Oh, I do study and I do read, but one must be grounded in something so as not to be swept away by every little thing that appears to sound better (i.e. being open-minded). I've come to believe that one must have something to compare other things with, but if the foundation (in my case, Christianity) is uprooted, it would mean that I should plant my roots elsewhere. So far, in my 23 years of life, the foundations have been shaken, but never rooted.

As a side note, there was a reason for Jesus' death that for those who would come to place their faith in Him would see and understand. The Bible is not some fairy tail; it's not just a history book. It's the Word of God (I don't expect you to take my word for it, but in my journey of seeking truth, I have become convinced that It is so).


As for your comment about Bush (like him or hate him), it's funny that we're so easy to put the blame of someone else, but the reality is, we're all responsible for getting ourselves in debt! Take a step back and look at society! We spend money we don't have and think we're entitled to have what we want. Of course, you're excluded if you've never had a credit card! :-) But, that's for another topic/discussion! :-)

I enjoy these conversations! Keeps me on my toes!
I may be young ;-) but that doesn't mean I ignorant. I don't know it all, but when I ask God for wisdom, He has yet to say "no". Yeah, I may be, as what is politically right to say, "close-minded", but Jesus even said that the road to eternal life is narrow, and not many travel it for it is difficult (Matthew 7:13-24).
Again, thanks for your comments!

Every one has beliefs, whether they vocalize them or not.
The fact of the matter is Truth.
They all can't be true.
If they weren't blind, they'd see that what they were touching was in fact an elephant.
Only God can open their eyes.
The question is, do they want to see?

hahaha! :-D

Hm, have you really read through the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, ans John?)
Jesus wasn't preaching to live a good life here on earth and that's it! He had His eyes set forward towards the cross, knowing that through His death and resurrection many, by grace through faith, would be saved from sin and eternal death (apart from God). (Check out John 3: 1-21). Jesus didn't come to bring peace on earth; He came to reconcile man with God (actually, throughout the whole Bible runs this theme), but all will not receive ( Matthew 10: 34-39, John 14:6). Everything Jesus did, He did for a purpose. This world is going to pass away; our bodies can't keep from aging; ten out of ten people die. This life we live here on earth is not the only life we'll be living. There is an eternal life that each and every one of us is going to live once we breath our last breath, this side of eternity; the question is, where will you spend it? That is the big picture. You're just looking at the details, that, yes, are good, but will not give you passage to heaven.

I encourage you to really read through the Gospels because I really do think you'll come out with a different view.


(of course, there are so many ways to branch out from what I've written above, but I'm just focusing on the question at hand. Fill free to message me or ask questions! :-)