Any other ENFP Christians? I'm an ENFP female and would love to know more who share similar beliefs! I have never met a woman that was a Christian ENFP that I was aware of...and would love to connect! Its hard for me to find women in my church I completely bond with besides our Love for Christ. I unfortunitly find myself debating with men about theories and its time i find a woman that is like me! Looking foward to posts

You do!

Oh man, get her on here! Im so excited So you must get along with her well being the same type? The only other ENFP I know who is a Christian is a guy...and we are really good friends. We have great talks and for hours!

I attended an evangelical christian church until a few years ago.... Then I realized that there were some things I didn't like. Primarily the religion part of belief.

1. What I call "the church of the hungry hippo" - I kind of think of it like the game Hungry, Hungry Hippos....where the entire goal of the church is to grab up as many souls as possible as fast as possible. There's nothing personal or really reassuring about a faith where sharing it is more like salesmanship or a collection agency than anything. -.-

2. Fear based evangelism. Let's bring the concept down to a human level. If you started dating someone because the only other alternative was being burned alive, would that be a very fulfilling relationship? Even if they were the most wonderful person on earth, being in any relationship based on fear of the alternative is both abusive and never as meaningful as it would be if you dated them because you wanted to.
>.> When a 13 year old kid's funeral turned into an altar-call for all of his terrified classmates who "could die tomorrow".....that was about the point I started taking a step back.

3. Verses out of context to make a point. It's so easy to take any sentence out of context to make it mean whatever you want it to mean.

4. Rejection of people based on how they look, how they dress, what they do for a living, or anything else that seems to define someone as "not one of us." There shouldn't be requirements for who can or cannot come in. If a prostitute walked in dressed to be out working the street and sat in the back pew, she should be just as welcome as a middle aged insurance salesman raised in the church.

A building is a building. IMO it should be more like a hospital for the soul than an obligation or a status symbol. The church is the people....which don't really need a building as anything but a place to congregate. The pastors, deacons, elders, or whatever else you choose to call them are just servants of the church who are there to make information more accessible and understandable....and to maintain a place of meeting that fits the needs of the people.

I'm with you Alysaria. I agree with the message, which to me is essentially to do you're best to unconditionally love. But much of the actual doctrine was, I think, added in by sj's who have a passion for making arbitrary rules followed by harsh punishments (trying.... to ..... unconditionally love). And it seems to me that your objections were shared by Jesus. Sweet irony.
 

I don't get much out of the building atmosphere. I feel more connected to something powerful (which is nebulous, but again loving) in nature, at a concert, in a book or a poem, etc....

But I think that whatever makes one more loving be it Jesus, Buddha or your dog (masters of unconditional love) is nothing but good.

I grew up in a very christian household, going to church etc. I was involved in the church community in my late teens as well. The more i got involved the more it turned me off.

I now dont go to church at all and i dont think of myself as religious although i continue to have the same belief in God being out there as a higher spirit. What turned my off was the institution itself, churches are there to grab money and power. It doesnt matter what the sect/cult is either, they are all the same. I am an orthodox christian, i have friends that are catholic, muslim, anglican, hillsong etc and its is always about money and power.

I dont need someone pontificating to me about how to live my life, God gave me all the gifts i need for that. I have a strong interest in spirituality though, i very much think that they way you treat the world is how you will be treated.

Posted By alysaria on 18 Nov 2010 11:20 AM

I attended an evangelical christian church until a few years ago.... Then I realized that there were some things I didn't like. Primarily the religion part of belief.

1. What I call "the church of the hungry hippo" - I kind of think of it like the game Hungry, Hungry Hippos....where the entire goal of the church is to grab up as many souls as possible as fast as possible. There's nothing personal or really reassuring about a faith where sharing it is more like salesmanship or a collection agency than anything. -.-

2. Fear based evangelism. Let's bring the concept down to a human level. If you started dating someone because the only other alternative was being burned alive, would that be a very fulfilling relationship? Even if they were the most wonderful person on earth, being in any relationship based on fear of the alternative is both abusive and never as meaningful as it would be if you dated them because you wanted to.
>.> When a 13 year old kid's funeral turned into an altar-call for all of his terrified classmates who "could die tomorrow".....that was about the point I started taking a step back.

3. Verses out of context to make a point. It's so easy to take any sentence out of context to make it mean whatever you want it to mean.

4. Rejection of people based on how they look, how they dress, what they do for a living, or anything else that seems to define someone as "not one of us." There shouldn't be requirements for who can or cannot come in. If a prostitute walked in dressed to be out working the street and sat in the back pew, she should be just as welcome as a middle aged insurance salesman raised in the church.

A building is a building. IMO it should be more like a hospital for the soul than an obligation or a status symbol. The church is the people....which don't really need a building as anything but a place to congregate. The pastors, deacons, elders, or whatever else you choose to call them are just servants of the church who are there to make information more accessible and understandable....and to maintain a place of meeting that fits the needs of the people.

Man! Im sorry for you that you were exposed to such a horrible church experience. I can assure you there are ones where you do feel the love of God (what didnt seem to be in the one(s) you have experienced) I agree with the hospital for souls, that is a good metaphor to use...and from what i believe that is what God wants it to be used for. As humans we are all imperfect...therefore anything we create is going to be imperfect. Unfortunately this includes our church establishments. But I can assure you God's way to man is perfect, and he is never changing. People inside the church are the same outside the church...liars, cheaters, manipulators. People are people, flawed. It is very sad when there is no presents of God in churches and in his people (i have left a few in the past). Today I go to a church that has no obligation, not fear based, open to all who want to know Christ & his love he offers. I am and ENPF and fight any form of being ruled and regulated & controlled...Believe me i would never be part of any church like that!

And, I think that the comment about the S's making religion...the athiest S's probably claim we made up "spirituality" as Ns. Humans naturally need order, churches offer that just like the streets lights and road markings do. It makes us feel secure...even as an N. I realize there are some churches and religions out there that are overly rule oriented and I think there is something wrong with that. But, there are plenty of churches out there at allow you to have a personal relationship with God as well as experience some order within their establishments.

Posted By Rogarn on 18 Nov 2010 02:02 PM
That is why I don't attend church anymore. I hear someone say, "I like God, I just don't like the fan club". I thought it was cute. I have always felt that Christianity was about a loving relationship with god as the ultimate goal. I separate myself from anything or anyone who opposes that goal for me.

Never stop beleiveing that!! You are on-point with that one.

Hi guys. Some of you guys might know I'm a Christian. Well, I thought I might throw in my two cents worth as well.

Firstly, I'm sorry to hear about your bad experiences with the chruch. Alysaria - wow, there are areas there where your old church needs to improve. You make a lot of very good points.

I very much liked your replies MarieBenash1.

Some thoughts I'd like to add - The church is made up of sinners. We only claim to have forgiveness through Christ and his sacrifical payment. It's Jesus who we look to and promote, not ourselves.

There's a lot more I'd like to say, but I'm finding it hard not to get into a sermon. So I'll try to refine my extra points and give them later when I have some free time.

In the meantime, keep rocking!

I don't think you can classify any particular personality type as being spiritual or not.

I believe in God, but I don't believe in religion. My philosophy is that faith is of God, but religion is of man. I do what I feel is right, and if there's a situation where I don't have a feeling about what is right, then I revert to my scriptural background. (I'm well versed in the scripture having grown up in an exceptionally religious family). I don't go to church because I feel that (at least in every church I've ever been to) it is structured in a way to benefit man, and isn't really centered around God. Also, the services usually bore me. Besides, I don't really like the idea of being a sheep in a flock (Being told what to think). I prefer to think of myself as a person who thinks for himself, or in a metaphorical sense, as a lion. I'm open to outside opinions, but when a preacher acts as if he knows the truth and is completely correct, while the people who disagree are not, I'm repulsed. We do not live in a world of absolutes, we live in a world of gray. Everything is based on perception. My perception is not someone else's perception. My right may not be someone else's right. If someone acts like their right should be my right, this irritates me. (I recently got into a deep argument with a close ESTJ friend about this because as an objectivist (Ayn Rand-Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged), he believes that he can use logic to discover an absolute right. I disagreed, and I will continue to disagree unless someone can convince me otherwise, which he didn't.) Basically, I have faith, but I am not religious.

Posted By Saru on 19 Dec 2010 09:53 AM
ENFP Christian here

I have noticed just in general, ENFP Christians tend to be very devout in God, but have much disdain for the Church itself.

I for one, am a believer in God, but not really the church. Reason being, is due to my orientation (gay), I know God loves me, but the Church has failed to show me that. As well as adding in their own little agendas.(Southern Virginia ftl) Although I'm not openly against the Church, in other words I'm not cemented in my opposittion. If someone can show me a congregation that is just open to loving people for they are, I would be gladdddd to join it.


And there's my two cents.

Well.. I am an SDA Christian, and I feel the same way at times. I believe that once you get a group of people, you form a clique, and that clique (because they are under the guise of religion) can become very self-righteous. They start to say that one is closer to God then another. They then judge other people and say that another individual is "worldly" or "not close to God." What right do we have to judge someone in their spiritual walk when we do not even know or understand that person %100? I believe this is a disgusting way to be. As a result, I like to explore church families that are more accepting of others. We should be encouraging each other in their own spiritual walk, not pulling others down or trying to correct others. I like this quote from a song by Casting Crowns:
"What this world needs is for us to care more about the inside than the outside
Have we become so blind that we can't see
God's gotta change her heart before He changes her shirt"

I'm not saying that I agree with or disagree with homosexuality, but I am saying that we need to be loving and accepting of others. God is love, and God changes a person from the inside out. No other human has the right to judge another.. That is the bottom line.. I'm sorry that you have had to go through that my friend.. Oh, and welcome to the forums..

Beloved, Jesus overcame death to build his church (Matt. 16: 18, 19). The church is so important and essential that Jesus "purchased the church of the Lord with his own blood" (Acts 20: 28).

...A few months ago I went through a serious called The Truth Profect. It went over how the church is a reflection of God's community...a reflection of His devine trinity. In the trinity there is the Father which is the head, the son who submits to the head, and the holy ghost who then submits to the son. The church body was created in this same way. The Leader of the church as the head, the elders who submit to the leader, and then the church community who then submit under them. The family unit can be seen in this way as well with the Father as the head, the mother submitting to him, then the children submitting under the mother. There is power in the family unit when devoted to Christ, and there is power in the church body when devoted to Christ. Each part is as important as the other. Is Jesus or the holy ghost less God than the Father? Satan tries to whisper lies about the importance of the church because he wants to take it out and devour it. I meet so many people who hate on the church establishment these days and it is very devistating. As Christians we need to be seeking God as our source of Love. Our greatest commandment is to Love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and with all our strength.’ The second to ‘Love our neighbor as ourself.’ If love isnt our number one goal we are going to have problems in a community of imperfect people. The only way to gain this agape/Godly love is to seek His face and be filled.

I'm an ITTJ female. I've been praying and looking for a Christian ENFP male for a long time. My best guy friend is an ENFP and really appreciate his creativity and ability to communicate and listen to me well. I would love to marry someone with this personality type. INTJ females are a bit rare but it's also hard to find ENFP males, especially ones that share your faith. I try to date guys more like me as they are more plentiful, but I know that I need the "F" and even though "P" can drive me a little batty at times, the laid back approach to life tend to help keep me calm. If you know of any in SC, please refer :-)