If I love Christ and I've been saved...how come I feel really weird about my church?

[GregoryP]

So I was basically living life in the most egregious fashion possible. Things like strip clubs, prostitutes, getting piss drunk, wandering aimlessly looking for trouble, doing whatever I pleased. I finally hit rock bottom and lost most of my money and all my friends whom I had partied with. The only thing I knew to do was to turn to Jesus and ask for salvation.

I went to a church that I found online. Everybody is so nice they are, we have great people, but they are all like really traditional. I prayed the Lord's prayer and was saved, and then subsequently baptized as a profession of my new devotion to God. During the past 3 weeks, I love going to church and hearing their sermons that make a lot of sense, but I've noticed a few things.

Having only known I wanted to go to a Baptist church, I went to this church but now I found out they are an Independent Baptist Fundamentalist church, which doesn't bother me per se. But some of the decans have really strong beliefs about how any music is evil, that even having a sip of beer is evil and that all non-believers are going to Hell. That stuff kinda bothers me. But what bothers me the most is how they talk about lust or promiscuous sex, basically any sin...being just as bad as some monster killer who is on death row. They say that if he believes and is saved, though he killed a bunch of people, he'll still go to heaven, but my loving parents who gave me life and love me...will not go to heaven unless they become converts. What do I do?

I really want to get right with God and he really is always in my thoughts, but I'm not gonna take the Bible literally as in not having a few beers during the Superbowl. As if God hates that I enjoy the taste of beer? What would you guys do? I gave this huge speech during my baptism how I love everybody at the Church, and I do...but they're just a little too extreme. Do I keep going and just keep my mouth shut? I told them I questioned going to war and I got like a few weird looks, like they might actually believe God actually could have told Bush to go to war and that killing is necessary. That's so not Christ-like. And they're always asking me to come in and work at the Church if I have the time, which I love doing, but I just don't want to be taken advantage of by this Church.

Again, the Church is beautiful and I feel really good when I'm inside this House of God, but I don't want to become brainwashed into all their beliefs. I'm more of a Buddhist...I like moderation, a centered view of life, not singing some hymns like one of their sheep. PLEASE!!! I really need your advice. I definitely want to get to heaven, but I don't support the theory that murderers who say some prayer will go there before my dear family members that are sooo soooo moral. Should I join a new Church? Am I even a true Baptist or Protestant? Or is this whole Fundamentalist stuff messing me up, this King James Bible take literally everything propaganda. Please let me know your thoughts. I'm afraid to read the Bible they recommended cuz I think this might not be the best place.

Gregster

[plas]

does everyone in your church preach like jesus did?

[mmmmmHippy®mmmmm]

You don't choose who or what gets into heaven.

neither does your church. God does. and quite frankly, I wouldn't worry about not getting into heaven, because you have good intentions, and you love God enough to type all that.