Do you depend on your Pastor for salvation, or making it to heaven? What role should a Pastor play?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quakers

I was going to say the same thing. I have fond memories of the meditation aspect when attending with my grandmother as a child. The rotating facing bench meant that no one was above any one else. Sure they had staff to keep things running, but no one was screaming at me through a microphone while banging a lectern and putting on a show and having an altar call for the laying of hands and more loud praying in the name of Jesus!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I may have phrased it incorrectly but the general question I have given my experience with both faiths is how much do you rely on a Pastor?

I grew up Catholic and going to confession with the Priest for example to confess my sins versus praying directly to God for ultimate forgiveness.

What role should a Pastor if I continue as a nondenominational believer have in my life?

The church I most recently attended there was that pressure that if you were going to another church you were in the wrong House of God to be led to heaven.

If you prefer non-Catholic Christian, I encourage you to seek out a specific Protestant denomination that resonates with you. Given your prior experience, I think it would be safer for you to have a pastor who has received professional training, is subject to oversight, and operates within ethical and professional rules. All the big mainstream churches have that. Many of the nondenominational ones don't.

To your actual question - ministers are similar to professors. They are educated in spiritual matters and they have seen your situation many times over, so their guidance holds weight, but they are just human and therefore not perfect nor always right.

Good advice above, IMO. I m an atheist, former Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you discovered that your birth religion was a scam. Why are you rushing to find a slightly better scam? Walk away and join in love with humanity in this world that exists, not a dream of a different world.

Good advice.

+1 again - former catholic, now an atheist. But I senses that OP is still seeking "God". Maybe that will change, someday.