[quote=“theposter”]recently, i got back into attending church every week. i think it keeps my weeks in sync and starts my new week off right. but there are problems in having a spiritual life here:
1.my wife (a non church goer) says it: in taiwan churches are full of rejects. the church has a naturally low bar for acceptance (come as you are ,God loves you). this makes it a haven for people who are sometimes rightfully social rejects. people who have no friends because they’re, quite frankly,… weird. or busybodies who love to gossip. another side is lots of old people. love old people, but i’m not there yet.
[color=green][b]2.politics:
Baptist churches are traditionally filled with old guys from chiang kai chek’s regime. KMT. wai sheng. pro unification. not an issue with me, but i hate politics.
presbyterian church- is actually the mother of the DPP. pro taiwan. pro “han ji”. not an issue with me, except they’re a little too forgiving of han ji. i hate politics anyway.[/b][/color]
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lights, bells, and whistles:
i like ling liang tang. i think they will break the grip of dao jiao on young people. they are a forward moving church and their momentum is growing. baptists could learn from them since baptists in taiwan have a giant stick up their … . but i sometimes wonder when i see this stuff- “where’s the beef”. substance. sustanence. i hope they’re doing both.
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catholics: don’t know much about taiwan catholics. the only priest i met had a real icky handshake.
all i wanted to say. your comments.[/quote]
You say you are going back to church because you want a spiritual life and you like the feeling it gives you for starting a new week. That’s fine and dandy.
But, then you go on to gripe about what Taiwan has to offer for Christian believing denominations. Your first gripe was your wife. Forget about the stuff about rejects, weirdos and old people. Your real problem, as you stated, is your wife’s disapproval. Please clarify, because I don’t want to assume. Do you mean that your wife is afraid of the social stigma that will be given to you for hanging out at church? That her social and familial circle views Christian churches as havens for degenerates and rejects, and as such will label you that as well? If this is the case, you need to have a serious heart to heart with your wife about your needs and your belief system. Last time I checked church wasn’t a place that you went to for social praise or popularity - it was a place you go to show humility, find spirituality, and worship.
Then you go on to talk about politics. What does it matter? So what,. Are you afraid that the church you chose to go to is going to affect your political standing? Most Christian churches are conservative in their beliefs and a lot have political agendas. You just need to surface above that and stick true to your real purpose for attending. No one will force you to mingle and schmooze with people of the opposite political spectrum.
Finally, you ask where the beef is. I take this to mean sermons, talks, etc. Because truly the beef is to be found through personal worship, study, and setting spiritual goals for yourself. If you are waiting for a third party to step in and hand feed you “the beef” you will never be satisfied. My advice to you is, if you don’t have a denominational allegiance or preference…pick the church that best fits your schedule, personal spiritual beliefs, and sense of comfort. Then stick with that.
Remember that religion or church isn’t a club…its a place to show humility and worship.
