Funny how all my denominational friends are amazed by the singing.
And my wife wears makeup.
There are a few fundamental differences between the denominational world and the church that go well beyond squabbling about baptism and instrumental music.
One big thing being the necessity and role of obedience in salvation. Denominational churches are almost universally Calvinist, and have a huge aversion to the notion that any action a person might take could have an effect on their salvation. They believe quite erroneously that obedience precludes faith and only after you are firmly esconced in irreversible salvation can the o-word be mentioned, and then always with the qualifier that it can never affect your salvation.
Disagree with that basic tenet in any way, and "legalist" will simply be the most polite epitaph hurled in your direction. I do so enjoy certain denominational preachers going on national television shows and characterizing members of the church of Christ as wild-eyed cultists swapping wives on compounds down in Texas and use only pig dung as a hair care product. It's really quite entertaining. And I suppose calling the church of Christ a cult is a lot easier than trying to explain to a bunch of atheist reporters why the monotonous religious disagreement you have with these people makes them servants of Lucifer.
In truth, God requires obedience, but that is not to say that being obedient earns your salvation. Most denominationalists are unwilling in the extreme to acknowledge that fact in debate, prefering to deal with a universe of only two possibilities: Faith only vs. hair-splitting legalism. Again, its that boogeyman everyone loves to shoot vs. the actual debate the boors most people.
Baptism and instrumental music are merely the favorite whipping boys of the faith-only crowd, the effigy they burn to make their point, the theater the masses "get."
Explaining to those who are misinformed is beneficial. Trying to argue with those who are only here to castigate is a waste of time.
You can usually tell which is which by the tone and depth of their comments.
So answer the honest questions and ignore the ranting of the others. Just remember that our Lord and His apostles faced the same attitudes and ridicule in the first century. (Matt. 5:11-12)
I used to go to a Church of Christ in high school, for about a year. No instruments, no makeup. The singing was nice, but not everyone can carry a tune, which blows the harmonies right out of the water.
The real crime was that they never told me about believing Jesus for salvation. It was all about getting water baptized, (dunked of course) acting the right way, going to the right church, bla bla bla. It took me four years and a lot of self inflicted pain to finally get born again.
Now, I go to a non-denominational church, and I'm in the worship band. We play mostly Vineyard type stuff with a hymn thrown in every now and then- and we've been known to throw the entire planned service out the window and just 'waste' the whole time on Jesus instead. It's a blast!
And the women that need to, wear makeup.
BWAHAHAHAHA
I take it you don't get out much?
Huh??? You obviously haven't been out on these threads much and do not understand the Reformed belief. And, like Alex stated, Protestant churches are NOT universally Calvinists.