Hmmmm
 

Shreveport is known as the bible thumping city let's post here!!! I know we aren't all heathens heh :D

How about what religion are you and what church do you attend? I'll post first

Non-Denomination - Word of Life Church

Episcopal (with a dash of Zen) ;)

The universe is my church...
 

...And life is my religion. I have never understood the need to physically go somewhere to find peace and understanding, Scarlett. I have found that if we do not first seek these from within, we will never find them. Organized ritual may work for some, but not me.

really to each his/her own on religion. I can only say we will find out once we make it to heaven.

We will all be judged by GOD and from there we know where we will be.

I think "organized ritual" helps to build faith in some people, but it actually bores others to the point of maybe having a negative effect. I like churches where the congregation shows a bit of passion towards their belief. Its hard to stir the soul at a church were you can hear a pin drop while the congregation whispers hymns. I'm not Knocking anyone. I'm a Whisper singer! Can't sing a note - so I figure I am doing others a favor. But I do want to hear others sing! Otherwise what's the point? Plus I know I should sing anyway, even though I don't think I'm good at it. I should at least try. But you go first! hehe

I'm more in line with Father Walton.. of Walton's Mountain. The dad never went to church with the rest of the family. But he was closest to God, standing on top of Walton's mountain. It wasn't that he wasn't a religious man, that's just how he showed his faith.

I can go for some of that downright crazy Gospel Music.. saw some incredible gospel music down at the Jazz Fest this year in New Orleans.

There was more than one biblical character who when out into the wilderness or up the mountain for revelation or enlightenment (and sometimes punishment). As I recall, these include Moses, Jacob, and Jesus. The first of course were Adam and Eve. Others might include Cain and Able.

God bless you and yours Shreveopolis!

Read your Bible for yourself
 

I will post second and say that the churches that I have visited in this town
have pastors that tell jokes and talk about themselves and how much money
you can send them. They will read two or three verses not chapters and then go into there spin zone that headquarters of there RELIGION has told
them to do in order to keep there job. What sayeth the Word not what sayth the preahcer. If your preacher is teaching stright from the Bible then God Speed to him and his flock and I know there out there. I can get more in
15 mins of reading the Word than weeks of stories from a man that relys
on emotionalism and religionism .No I have not been in all churches and I am sure that
there are lots of study groups that read the Word. I research the Bible for
myself and I dont let some stuffed shirt tell me what to think. The people
in the churches are there because they thirst for the Word of God but
SOME preachers use scare tatics to get those American dollars instead
of feeding the sheep the Word of God.

Father Walton was well on the mark. Religion is a man made thing that
was put in place so that man could control other men :-) The blinders
are coming off and the sons of oil (Olive) or the children that belive in the
living God of Israel are searching the history book and fining out who we
are and where we came from. Very exciting times in which we live. The
Stone Kingdom is at hand !

Of some interest. Mt. Maria was where Abraham took Isaac to be placed
on the altar. Golgotha or Mt. Maria one in the same is where they killed
Christ only to rise and defeat death. Death is one of Satans names and
he has plenty of names. Yet another Mt. is the Mt. of Olives which is
where Christ foot shall touch down at the second advent.

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. That could be music or prayer or reading
His Word aloud and I am sure you sing with the best of them.

Granted GOD is the ONLY judge of our eternal soul ! God did send us a
big Letter telling us how to have those blessings called the Bible.

I can find the Lord every where I go and I dont need a building to talk to
Him and outdoors is one of the best places to be what could me more
natural. Is not the Lord Super Natural !

There is much truth in what you are saying, especially regarding Sunday service. But also don't forget the good works that many local churches perform on top of the sermons. Preachers visit the ill in hospitals, and perform funeral ceremonies, and so on. You would have to pay me a million to do that as my job day in and day out without blowing my brains out. But that's me. Others have a much higher calling, and sometimes I think I'm still searching for mine. Sometimes I feel like I would like to do something besides sit for an hour and listen. Maybe I have too much ADD, LOL. I might get more out of an interactive bible study class than a sermon where there is no Q&A. My wife attends to a bible study program so I get to talk to her about it. She helped explain the story of Jacob's pillar to me after you brought it up.