glassjester
Well-known member
Well, I'll give a quick answer here on this. Years ago I used to be a member of a Pentecostal church. I was young, and it was a meeting place as much as anything to begin with but after a while it smacked of indoctrination. 'Turn or burn' was effectively the message and without going into detail there was one case that just sickened me and questioning any aspect of certain doctrine was discouraged. That seems to be the case with most 'organized religion' in my experience.
I guess that's an understandable reaction to that type of experience.
Just be aware, as I'm sure you are, that not every religious body "enforces" their teachings in such a manner. I had quite the opposite experience when determining whether to be confirmed in the Catholic Church. Everything I read, and everyone I talked to actually encouraged me to question and critically think about any teaching of the Church - especially if I didn't understand it, or doubted it.
In fact, that's how I eventually made the decision to enter an RCIA program (that's how adults enter the Church), and be confirmed in the Church when I was 22. By doubting, questioning, and reading up on Church teaching, I actually became convinced of its veracity.