I DON'T GET IT. IS IT JUST ME?

As a radio guy, I've lived in a bunch of different cities and, although I've been a member, I've never stuck with one denomination.

I think it's funny that Christian regard their denomination more than simply being a Christian. Baptists ONLY go to a Baptist church, even if they move to another city and Pentecostals ONLY go to a Pentecostal church.

Alot of stuff confuses me about God, partly because of denominations. They each believe something slightly different - and neither are willing to budge on their beliefs.

So who's right? They tell me they are both right and the other church has "it all wrong". (I've actually been told that by pastors.)

One Christian friend attends a church that claims their church is not a denomination, and they told me they don't approve of "denominations" because denominations aren't doing what the Bible says. But THEY are.

I've been part of a few churches. A Pentecostal church, vineyard church, missionary church and alliance churches. I feel like I have a good perspective of Jesus and I like the fact that different pastors and friends have poured into me. I'm not a one-denomination type of guy. But, I still have a lot of questions about how God moves. Is it just me? By asking these questions, I feel like a heathen.

Like, how come we keep praying for the same thing every day? A salavation. A healing. A relationship. Didn't God hear us the first time? I know he did - so why be a pest? Ya I know - we pray for our benefit, not His. Ya ya.

We pray for healing of cancer but people die anyway. I know they're eventually going to die, but if we prayed for healing and God didn't heal, why do we make excuses for God, like, "oh He answered the prayer in His way. We don't understand His ways". Uh huh. What does that mean?

Why do churches disagree about the role of women in the church? I'm told "it's very clear. Just read the Bible". Ya right - then why do you guys disagree?

I won't even mention tongues. Who's right on that issue? Well, one church is right and one is wrong. It can't be both.

Why did Jesus speak in parables? Why didn't he just explain it? Now we all argue about what He really was really saying.

Like the final words of Jesus ....in the three gospels "the final words" are all recorded differently. If they were FINAL words, how can they be different? Wouldn't the saviour of the world want his final words remembered accurately? Or did the writers of the Bible mess it up? Listen, if I was on my deathbed and my kids were by my side, I'm sure they would both want to remember MY finals words and not a misquote from someone else. Instead, we have a variation of his final words.

We each read God's stories with a different interpretation. Even the church denominations (including the church that doesn't think its a denomination) disagree on these subjects.

Is it ok to have questions, after being saved for 20 years? I think I have more questions every year and I don't really get any answers. Am I being irreverent?