Hellobee Boards

I converted to Catholicism in college. Although I grew up in a Protestant household, I never really connected to Protestantism; Catholicism is a better fit for me, overall.

One thing that really helped me was taking a couple religion classes in college. We covered all the major religions/philosophies of the world, and I realized that (probably due to my upbringing) Christianity was the most comfortable/realistic for me. From there it was pretty easy to see that Protestantism didn't fit, and the more I learned about Catholicism, the more I felt comfortable with it. And here we are today.

If you never have before, I would suggest learning a little bit about some of the major religions of the world. Maybe just read the Wikipedia pages so you understand the basic tenets of each faoth and so you can make a decision on what fits you/your beliefs best. If you grew up with some Christian influences, you might just look into the differences between Protestantism and Catholicism, since you already have a base knowledge there. Once you have an idea of where you want to be, it'll be a little easier, I think, to determine the specific sect or church within that religion that fits best.

In college I found myself being really drawn to the same religion as my then boyfriend (now dh) and I wanted to make sure that I wasn't just blindly following his recommendation. I took the same quiz as @MrsTal: and it came up as my number one recommendation despite it being a slightly out there choice (Quaker). I attended services through college and for some time afterwards before moving to a new state where it is much harder to find-- I used to live outside of Philadelphia. I wish I could find a similar community here but honestly, I haven't looked that hard.

My second recommendation on that quiz was something my cousin also suggested and she has a very similar belief system to my own so we have been meaning to check it out but haven't yet.

I also thought about asking an acquaintance if I could go to church with her. Anyone I know who attends services regularly seems to be always open to having someone join them, so if you are at all outgoing just start attaching yourself to neighbors :).

If you have any questions about Quakers though I am happy to help if I can! I found them to be a lovely, open group of people and they were happy to have visitors.

@MrsTal: That quiz was really cool. I had no idea there was a term for what I am - secular humanist.

@TheSwissWifeStyle: That is my outlook exactly!

@Cole: I would love to hear more of your expiernce with the QUakers as well I had a professor that talked to us about BC he identified himself as one and it seemed really interesting and something I might possibly be into

@artbee: I haven't! I've seen previews for it. Worth watching?

@rahlyrah: I think so. They follow 3 girls, all different stories and have different viewpoints on religion, appropriate behavior, etc. I find it interesting.

@stargal: @Beyond2: I attended a small meeting house that while heated was pretty no frills otherwise. The benches (pews?) are all oriented towards the center of the room rather than an alter, someone was asked to bring flowers weekly, often they were backyard bouquets or something else simple. People would meander their way in saying hello, finding a spot and then would just settle in quietly. At the starting time people just seem to naturally quiet down.

The basic jist of the "service" is that everyone sits in silence unless they feel moved to speak. People would share experiences they had recently, stories they had been told, questions they had been pondering etc. One of the major elements is the idea that God is a light who shines in all of us and all of us are equally qualified to share meaningful information. There isn't a minister of any type although there are certainly people who are heavily involved and those that just come from time to time and everyone in between.

Before I attended services I thought it sounded a bit absurd (I was brought up Catholic) and I was afraid that it was going to be people spouting Bible verses and very didactic stories etc. Instead it leaned more towards the pondering of life through the everyday, aging parents, little ones who discovered a little piece of the world, just God in simple life.

Occasionally someone would share something and then another person would share their response or their take on it, other times the thought was just left out there for people to think about. Essentially you are doing the opposite of meditating-- purposefully thinking about your thoughts and sharing when something strikes you as being good to share. Once a meeting was completely silent-- so we sat for a full hour in silence. Other times they compared it to popcorn-- people popping up all the time, but mostly it was a handful of people mixed in with stretches of silence. At the end someone will offer to shake hands with their neighbor and then everyone shakes hands with their neighbor to signify the end of the service.

All in all I really loved it and I hope to find a similar community again. I never really delved in to the Sunday school and the conversion elements of it but I would eventually like to do so. We actually had a Quaker wedding which I just loved. We prepared our family and friends for the idea (most thought we were nuts) and then just went for it. It turned out so beautifully, people were able to share their thoughts with us and reflect on their own marriages etc. and it was just a perfect way for us to start our own marriage.

Two other notes-- I felt like two things I heard all the time before learning more was the idea that Quakers are very simple and the pacifism issue. I was really afraid of the "simple" idea, like I was going to be ostracized for wearing clothes that were too intricate or having too expensive of a car or something like that, while there wasn't anyone flashy there it was genuinely just not ever a concern. The meeting house my husband's family attended was in an affluent area and had many luxury cars in the parking lot and people just seemed like average upper middle class people there. Pacifism was never even brought up during any of the services I attended and I am fairly certain there was a bit of a split in that regard around WWII so some people seem to be on the fence about that element.

I don't dislike anything about my religion--if I did, I wouldn't follow it!

I am a non-denominational Christian, but I refer to myself as a "Jesus girl." I do my best to model my life after him and love others the way he did.

I like how welcoming my church (United Church of Canada) is - they have very liberal beliefs that align with mine. I would say the only thing I dislike is how there aren't a lot of young people in my congregation. I'm hoping once I have a LO it will be easier to meet other families that way.

@Cole: thank you so much for sharing. I really like what I hear
. jist looked up and found a meeting house close to where i live that i might go check out.

I dislike the politics. I haven't regularly gone to church since moving to Louisville because I can't find one that I feel comfortable at. I suppose I am still pining for my old church, which was truly awesome. I was raised Baptist but prefer contemporary and non-denominational Christian churches.

@MrsTal: I took that quiz and was surprised at the results! It has suggested the Mormon/Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for me.

All churches will have issues, so I suggest looking past the people that make up a religion or that are sitting in an actual church building. Look at the spiritual and relational aspects of the religion. People are imperfect, and if you let the other people in any particular religion define it or steer you away, you'll never find one you love!

I LOVE being a Christian. I go to a non-demoninational church, but church is just a supplement to the relationship that I cultivate in my personal life. I don't rely totally on the church or its members to develop my opinions or beliefs. I was raised as a Christian, but I choose daily to be a Jesus girl, as @Rainbow Sprinkles would say! I have such joy and peace in my life simply because of the relationship I have with a loving, redemptive God!

@wheres_c: see...that! Overseas, we have Islamic banking options, but in the US, it's really hard. To answer your question: not all Muslims follow it, simply because its hard to over here. Can you imagine trying to find a home mortgage without interest here?

I am a Christian and love pretty much everything about it - I love the faith, the hope, the actual relationship with God, the belief in heaven etc... The only thing I have a hard time with is other Christians - those who hurt people and leave everyone else skeptical and judging us. But we're not perfect and I realize my faith is more about ME and my personal relationship with my Creator and less about my relationship with other Christians! So that's what's important to me

I love my faith and I know it won't ever change. I 100% wholeheartedly believe in it. I would die for my faith.

I am a non denominational Christian. I love it because to me it isn't religion, it is a relationship. The hope is amazing and the love of God is never ending. I love watching God turn the most impossible situations into something amazing. I love going through trials knowing that there is a reason for it and it is always for something good. I love that my family that I have gained in church have been far more supportive and caring than the majority of my blood relatives. I love knowing that God has a plan for everything is the only thing that keeps me going since my plans never work.
What I don't like is the people who claim Christianity but are judgmental, hateful and pick and choose what they feel like is important out of the bible.

@MrsTal: that's a neat quiz! I got orthodox Quakerism - we don't have that here, but it seems like a good fit. We're currently looking at church shopping and I'm a little nervous too.

@mrsjazz: We have several close friends who attend a local UU church and their Sunday School classes sound awesome for kids- one of my friends teaches the middle schoolers, and hearing her talk about the kinds of discussions they have makes me want to send LO there!

@jmarionsmith: I think a UU church sounds perfect for you guys to check out. One of the things I loved about growing up UU was that in our "Sunday school" classes, we learned about all the major world religions, so I feel like I have a pretty good working knowledge that a lot of people don't get. There are people in the UU church who identify as Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, atheist, Wiccan, etc etc. Sad to say we haven't explored locally yet, but I'd certainly be up for checking out some services with you if you want!