Restricting Christian-based Religions

Hmmm, honestly as a Latin rite Catholic I'd say Catholicism works whether it's before or after VII.

-LGBT people are fine, it's homosexual sex/marriage that's a sin. Still, there's a restriction there, undoubtedly

-No issues

-Define "equality". Only mean can be ordained, but women have a special calling to motherhood and all that entails. The roles are different, but we're still made in God's image. Still, again, there's undoubtedly a particular viewpoint there.

-Getting drunk is a sin, drinking is fine.

-Getting addicted to a drug can be sinful.

-Modesty is important

-Church every Sunday and on holy days of obligation. The Eucharist can only be received by Catholics in a state of grace (no mortal sins on their soul). You must receive reconciliation at least once a year (during Lent is required) and you really should every time you think you might have committed a mortal sin.

There's a LOT more than that. Being a Catholic should be a full time job.

Hmmm... I would be amiss if I did not include my own denomination. Let me preface with: I absolutely love my church, and having spent years "church-hopping" and studying various religions, I have finally found a church that best matches what I believe the Bible teaches. However, like any earthly institution, this church is not perfect, and I will be bringing up some of our flaws. This is not meant to be a negative reflection on this worldwide denomination but merely stating some of the issues we are in the process of (Lord willing) resolving. So here it goes:

Seventh-day Adventist - For the most part, we Adventists are rather conservative Protestants. We believe in the authority and relevancy of the Bible, and we also hold in high regard the writings of certain individuals, including Ellen White, who we believe was a prophet. Unfortunately, some Adventists have attempted to put her writings on equal standing as or above the Bible. It is almost guaranteed that within a single congregation, you will have a small number who will only quote Ellen White's writings (It is near impossible to hold a decent conversation with these people.), many who have disregarded White's writings altogether (The majority of these were raised Adventist and had White's writings shoved down their throats their whole lives, much of it taken out of context.), and then us rarer mdoerate-conservatives who accept White in her proper place as prophet. (A Biblical prophet's purpose was always to point God's people back to Him and His Word through warnings and insight.) I, myself, was somewhat hesitant to read her writings, though I accepted her as a prophet. It has taken nine years before I could develop an appreciation for her writings, but I now have a better understanding of their proper context. I read her work like I do the writings of other individuals who I believe to be inspired by the Lord... It can be helpful and inspiring, but my only authority is the Bible. Sola Scriptura.

We strongly promote "the health message" (as we call it) and encourage a healthy lifestyle. We teaching adhering to, at the very least, the dietary laws of Leviticus 11 regarding clean and unclean meats, and about half of Adventists worldwide are vegetarian or nearly vegetarian where a vegetarian diet is feasible. We also strongly disapprove of illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. We are second to only the Catholic church in the number of hospitals, clinics, and schools we operate around the world, and if you're an American, you may (or may not) be familiar with some of our biggest and most prominent hospitals: Loma Linda University Medical Center in California and Florida Hospital. Adventists were featured by National Geographic as one of the three longest living and healthy people groups in the world (the other two groups were from Okinawa, Japan, and Sardinia, Italy) after a U.S. National Institute on Aging. [source] I, myself, am now a wheat-free vegan for health purposes (severe allergy to diary and allergy to wheat), but that was a long personal journey and even many of my fellow Adventists would think I'm weird in that regard. Hahaha...

Though times are changing and most Adventists in North America and Europe would be considered more moderate (some even liberal), there are still some individuals or conservative congregations who disapprove of women wearing pants in church, make-up, jewelry, and many Adventists will not go to dances or movie theaters. There is actually a controversy in our church now over the ordination of women as pastors and elders; some regions of the world are staunchly opposed and others, like North America, are already accepting female pastors and elders. In fact, my congregation has two female elders, and when I was living in southern California, there were a number of female pastors. It is a highly contested issue that may (or may not) be resolved in 2015 at our next General Conference session. (I'm all for female pastors!) Despite this issue over ordination of women (which can get very heated), in all other regards we are extremely supportive of gender equality. In fact, our worldwide humanitarian branch, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), [source] is in the forefront of the battle for gender equality, stopping abuse and poverty, and educating women.

As for racial equality, we are also extremely accepting of races, but in America on the East Coast, we still have white conferences and black conferences... This is a huge issue among many, especially the younger Adventists, Adventists converts (like myself), or those from outside this region, but it is hold ever from before the Civil Rights Movement and so far the conferences have not been able to amicably merge... even though the divided conferences in South Africa have successfully merged. This issue is a massive headache and an embarrassment on the entire world church. I attend currently a congregation that is officially part of the "white" conference but is, in fact, extremely racial and ethnically diverse. Globally, we are a diverse people who respect individual cultures and customs while also having a sense of unity; it is said that an Adventist can got to almost any Adventist church in the world and feel at home. (I would exclude some unfriendly churches here in the US from that, though. I've traveled a lot, and we Adventists in the US need to improve on reflecting the love of Christ. I feel we, sadly, epitomize of the Laodicean church which has lost our first love [Christ].)

Though most of us are patriotic (some extremely so... and we hold all different political views), the majority of Adventists would be classified "conscience objector" and would prefer to serve in noncombatant roles within the military (if they volunteer at all), though there are a growing number of Adventists who may choose on an individual basis to serve in a combatant role. Usually, Adventists in a combatant role is someone who is already serving in the military and then converts. I'm from a military family so I am a bit basis. (My dad is a U.S. Marine.)

Perhaps our most noticeable difference with the majority of our Christen brethren is our day of worship. Seventh-day Adventists honor the 4th Commandment by observing the Biblical Sabbath; that is, Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. The majority of Adventists will not work during Sabbath, though some will if their profession is a life-and-death, emergency type job like doctors, nurses, etc. Due to a history of being fired for refusing to working during Sabbath, we Adventists have become strong proponents for religious liberties and we have a whole organization dedicated to seeking justice for those terminated from a job on the sole grounds of their religion. [source] Due to this, we often find ourselves on the opposite side of many of our fellow Protestants and Catholics in various legislative issues that we believe would pose a threat to individual freedoms, especially the freedom of conscience (the right to believe or not believe as dictated by the individual's conscience). As to be expected, we are very watchful for hints of legislation protecting Sunday as a day of rest while requiring work to be done during the Sabbath. Some may even say we are a bit paranoid on this subject and that in this day and age people don't lose their job over religious beliefs, but they do. In fact, just two weeks ago, an Adventist woman made headlines because the nursing home she had worked for for twenty years changed its policy and required ALL employees to alternate working weekends (Saturdays and Sundays). When she requested not to work on Sabbath (and she had never worked on a Sabbath in 20 years of working there), she was fired. The nursing home is being taken to court. In the 1990s, there was a long court battle in California when an Adventist man was hired with the state's agricultural department and then fired because of his religious belief in regards to the Sabbath. He eventually won on grounds of religious discrimination, but it took 13 years. There are hundreds of similar stories not only in the US but around the world.

Continuing on... Especially in Western societies, the Adventist church has ultra-conservatives, conservatives, moderates, liberals, and extra-liberals. It would probably be easier just to take a look at our Official Statements on the "big" topics like birth control, abortion, LGBT, etc. We do not condone certain behaviors that are clearly contrary to the Bible, but we believe it is the individual's right to choose. However, those who openly go against the teachings of the Bible are not to hold church offices or leadership positions within the church. Sadly, I can share stories of prejudice in regards to gender, race, or sexual orientation. I had an elder in one church not listen to something I said during a Bible study because I was a woman (it was a historical fact, and history is my forte), but when a (male) pastor said the exact same thing two weeks later, the elder accepted it without hesitating. An elder at a different church said something derogatory towards my mother, basically saying she "did not know Christ" because she wore make-up. My mom's face was badly scarred from severe cyst acne when she was a teen, and that comment hurt her very deeply. She showed up at the next meeting without make-up, her scars in full view and that elder never said a word of an apology. Then she went back to wearing make-up. I wear make-up, wear pants almost every Sabbath, was a church board member at 25, and even preached in a handful of times at various churches... and I'm a 27-year-old female. Then, of course, you have those who play the role while at church but do not actually follow through in their daily lives. When my family were brand new Adventists, we happily gave up unclean meats but continued to eat the clean meats. (The Bible records that Jesus Himself ate clean meats: certain fish, lamb, etc.) A few members of a different Adventist church tried to reprimand my family for not being vegetarians; one day we saw those very same individuals at a Golden Corral eating steak. So we have hypocrites, too, unfortunately. But all in all, I am not a part of this church because of the people (Just like any church or group, we have great people and we have not so great people.); I am a Seventh-day Adventist because of the truths that I believe this church holds and teaches, even if its own members in some places are turning their backs of these teachings.

Interestingly, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the fastest growing Christian denomination in North America [source] and our membership worldwide grows nearly a million each year. We are present in 204 out of 228 countries recognized by the United Nations. So in spite of our flaws, we must have something that is appealing to those who are seeking. I was a seeker and I found what I sought in this church.

You aren't the only one with Brethren background! My grandmother was unable to take communion with my family (just my family) when she visited, because her assembly is closed and we've been attending a non-denominational church and taking communion there. Even though there is no doctrinal reason my grandparents cannot be in fellowship with us! I cried about it, but I can't ask her to go against her local assembly.

So there is definitely some odd (even unBiblical?) restrictiveness in the Brethren movement, as in all, I suppose. No one is perfect, certainly.

(US Brethren, BTW. Unfortunately for my family, we live on the east coast, and the only assembly anywhere close is of the same splinter as my grandmother's, and my parents left that splinter nearly two decades ago.)