[muawiyah]

The most conservative sort of C of C congregations select from the "elect", which means you have to be born into a family whose members belong. Then, at age 11 or 12 or thereabouts you might be selected for baptism.

The less conservative congregations pretty much demand a non-Baptist background ~ maybe something like the independent Christian Church or even Disciples of Christ ~ so that you can be considered to be a Christian in the tradition of Stone or Campbell.

I'd like to know if Thompson's church had musical instruments, or was "non instrumental".

[yukong]

You should really know something about the churches of Christ before you start spewing untruths such as those in your post. I have been a member of the church of Christ for about 35 years and I have attended numerous congregations all over the south and southwest, and I have never heard or seen or even sniffed a hint of the untruths you stated above.

And members of the churches of Christ that I know, and I know a lot, do not believe they are the only ones going to Heaven. They believe that anyone who follows the Word of God is going to Heaven.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

Oh, please, just tell me we're not going to start with the music now. I for one grew up main-line protestant and have always loved the pipe organ and Bach's hymns -- I'm particularly fond of Handel's "Messiah" and Gounod's (sp?) "Ave Maria" and have sung both, but that doesn't mean that someone who likes Gregorian Chant or a soul-ish rendition of "The Old Rugged Cross" or "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" is off my A-List. It also doesn't mean Trappist Monks who live lives of silence are off the short list either. If it's just curiosity, then I hope you find out -- if it means that Fred is going to have to learn to sing or give it up, then I'm begging you, don't go there.

[Sloth]

The most conservative sort of C of C congregations select from the "elect", which means you have to be born into a family whose members belong. Then, at age 11 or 12 or thereabouts you might be selected for baptism. The less conservative congregations pretty much demand a non-Baptist background ~ maybe something like the independent Christian Church or even Disciples of Christ ~ so that you can be considered to be a Christian in the tradition of Stone or Campbell.

As someone who has attended conservative coC congregations all my life, I can say without qualification that you have been smoking some bad crack.