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Remember that all denominations are heretical to a certain degree; some less, some more. What you are ought to remember is that many churches keep the things as they are and don't want anyone to scrutenize anything. So, if you aren't into studying scripture nor want to understand everything perfectly, go to your local IFBC and stick to it. If there is none, then just an independent Bible believing church that is not charismatic and you should be fine. Worst case scenario is that you have nothing left but Catholic parishes or Orthodox churches. They should be your emergency plan only.

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Thanks for the advice.

Trust me we're not the best to describe that. Nonetheless, for Catholicism:
Man was meant to love God. You may not know this because you do not know him, or if you do you know him as a fantasy or as a straw-man of righteous anger, but the philosophers of ancient Greece all affirmed that something cannot come from nothing, and that that something cannot be anything less than the infinite and perfect, eternal sustainers of all things. To them he was a philosophical abstraction, an anchor in order to make this contingent world make sense. To a little backwards tribe in some godforsaked desert, he was their God. He called them his chosen people, meant to bear his love as a sign for the whole world of the life we were meant to live, but they failed. So, he came down himself. He didn't blame us for what we did, but he knew that had become living insults to his love, and that insults to the infinite merit infinite punishment. But we could never know that, and he feared that we never would. So to prove that all of out woes had no real power, he took the worst of them onto himself, dying the most gruesome, agonizing, inconceivably painful death we have ever devised at the hands of those who claimed they loved him. It was the ultimate crime. And it did nothing to him; did not wound his life in the slightest. Because his life is eternal, and he want's to give that to us. Eternal life, with the full, infinite love of God, beyond our measure and comprehension. Nothing we do as men can merit that gift, and plenty we can do can loose it for us, but as long as we acknowledge that gift and mourn everything that separates us from it, then we can have it. Because God is our Father, and if we treat him like our father with all our power then he will treat us like children with all of his.
To preserve this message from those who would seek to pervert it, God charged St. Peter with the authority to protect God's children and guide them to heaven and protect them from hell, and to preserve the sacraments of confession, baptism, ordination, etc. There's too much to get into in one post, but what I will say is this. People throughout history have tried to sway men away from God's Church through their own interpretations of the Bible. They claim that the Bible itself is sufficient to learn about God, and that anyone can interpret it without the help of an earthly institution, which they claim is corrupt. All that you need to know is that countless miracles have been worked for those faithful to the apostolic (Catholic and Orthodox) churches as signs of God's grace. Protestants will claim that because we cling to the sacraments we are damned and forsaken, yet this is only because they don't have faith in God's miracles and the true authority they point too. God spoke to Israel through the prophets and to the Church through the Bible and the saints. Protestants have abanded the saints, there is no easy way to put it. I know I'm laying a lot on you with that but feel free to ask and I'll clarify.

1. Get a working knowledge of the different sects of Christianity. Some people will lie and say there’s like over 300,000,000 different groups. Those people just have a bone to pick, they’re usually either Muslims claiming Christianity is divided, or Catholics claiming Protestantism is divided. The claim isn’t true. Get a working knowledge of the Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed (Calvinist/Zwinglist), Methodist, and Evangelical (Born Again) Churches. You should also know about the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, just to avoid them. Have a basic understanding of these groups and their teachings
2. Visit a few different churches. Meet the priest/pastor and talk to him
3. Read Mere Christianity by CS Lewis and The Forgotten Trinity by James White. These books cover core Christian dogmas without being too sectarian. To be honest there are more books you should probably read that I’m not thinking of, I hope other anons help supplement my list with those
4. Read the Bible, New Testament first then Old Testament. Good translations include the KJV, ESV, HCSB (Protestant) RSVCE, NAB, NJB (Catholic), and OSB (Orthodox). It should be noted that the NKJV is a conservative Protestant Bible and the OSB is an Orthodox version of that, and the RSV is a conservative Protestant Bible and the Ignatius/RSVCE is a Catholic version of that. These conservative Protestant Bibles with Cathodox editions are about as close as you can get to an unbiased Bible. It should also be noted, there are differences in the book list between the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Bibles. These books are minor history books and a few chapters from Daniel. It’s a very minor issue that people like to exaggerate and pretend it’s a major issue. Don’t be deceived, there are major differences, but this isn’t one of them. The biggest issues between the churches are
1. View of salvation
2. View of the role of scripture vs tradition
3. View of icons/images in the church
You could be a good Catholic and never read the book of Maccabees. Alternatively, many Protestants (including Martin Luther) have praised the apocrypha as good books, just not scripture. The Russian Synodal Bible (the official Bible of the Russian Orthodox Church) doesn’t include all the apocrypha, such as Psalm 151. It’s a mild issue people like to exaggerate
5. Study church history and the history of different denoms. You should also read some of the apostolic fathers and church fathers at this point while studying their history
I’m at stage 5. I’m a cradle Catholic and continue to go to confession and mass, (though I am thinking of begoming Orthodox, I do believe the true Church is either Catholic or Orthodox and reject Protestantism). I’m saying this part so you know where this advice is coming from, as I don’t want to appear to be an unbiased outsider. I think you’ll come to a similar conclusion as me

In point 1, I forgot Anglican. Get a working knowledge of them too

Now hold up, without the missing books of Protestant Bibles OP would miss out ~400 years of Israelitic history and the link between the Old and the New Testament. Books like Esdras even contain prophecies of the coming Messiah and Ecclesiasticus/Sirach has great wisdom. He should definitely read an Catholic/Orthodox Bible or an Protestant with Apocrypha and read them in the correct order. Despite what some say, but the "Apocrypha" are Holy Scripture.

Now listen, you misguided reddit-spacer, I will say it as politely as possible: Fuck off already.

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They are holy scripture, but it’s a minor issue people like to exaggerate. The spirit of the word matters more than the letter. Also, the New Testament contains all Old Testament prophecies of Christ, with the Old Testament (in this specific case) serving as a prooftext that those prophecies are there. There are some Bibles that skip the entire Old Testament and only translate the New, you can be a good Christian while reading those. I would recommend reading the deuterocanon, but you’re not gonna go to Hell for not having read Tobit. It’s a very minor issue

Also I recommend you don't trust this advice. Not that you should take my word blindly, and as points out it is best that you don't make this decision blindly, but IFBC's commit the worst of abominations by denying the miracle given to all Christians, the Eucharist.

"I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." John 6:41-58
"While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom." Matt 26:17-30

At Mass, we have assurance from scripture that the body and blood of our communion become Jesus's real body and blood. Jesus is with us, body and soul, every Sunday. Catholics, per scripture, hold that the Eucharist (meaning thanksgiving) is real body and blood and most Protestants hold that Jesus is spiritually present in the Eucharist, but Baptists, although the pride themselves on scriptural accuracy, throw this teaching right out the window. If you want to know Jesus the way the Bible teaches, stay far away.

Good point I forgot to mention. Understand both salvation and the sacraments. Those are the biggest differences between the Catholic/Orthodox and Protestant Churches

Quality effortposting

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For C.S. Lewis I would also recommend Miracles, it's a really simple read that covers both the philosophical and supernatural proofs of Christianity in one stroke. It's basic, but it's also a phenomenal starting point.

bump

again

Read the Bible.
Repent of your sins.
Pray.

The most important thing is to seek God (Jehovah, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit). Seek and you will find.

If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

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This is a slow board – it usually takes a couple hours for something to fall off the first page. If you want to bump a thread, you only really need to do it once a day.

I'll quote something I heard in a show. "God is for people who have no use for freedom.". I don't, and I believe in God. So I commit to him.

While true, damn

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And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17b)

Simply say "I accept Jesus Chris as my savior!" and you're done.

An attack on the liberty of man is an assault on the authority of God, user

Abandon this board. The moderators ban and delete all comments that are anti-catholic. You may insult all other denominations but if you criticize Catholicism, the banhammer will get you.
Thats why this once lively bord is now a desert.

So if you are happy with bad half-pagan advices from all the half pagan catholics feel free to stay. But if you want to save your lifel leave

Excellent post

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It sounds like you're referring to the physical pain and torture here - can you really categorically say that it was as you say it was? I don't recall this ever being referenced in scripture. I've never heard any other Christians asert that it was the worst possible, imagineable, in all of history and all future. Sure, it would make sense if it was, but I've never heard this being pushed as a point by other Christians or scripture and, while honestly I really don't mean to disrespect the sacrifce Christ made, as I understand that yes, it was bad, very bad, I would say it it is conceivable that other people have suffered worse phsically through whatever forms of torture.

If you're referring to the wrath of God experienced on the cross, as oppossed to the physical suffering caused during the run up and during the crucifixion, then fair, no doubt, what Christ experienced on the cross, under the wrath of God, is indeed unimaginable, inconceivable, etc. and the no doubt the worst suffering it would be possible to experience. But it sounds like you're referring to the physical suffering and not that (wrath of God) aspect of it, so I am questionining and curious regarding your description of it.