to ask if I should do the Alpha course.

[Ohnoredundo]

Should I? Have any of you lot done it? If so was it a positive experience? Since the birth of my son I've been asking a lot of the 'big questions' and finding life all a bit confusing - could this course help me find an answer?

I can't remember homosexuality even coming up on the courses I ran, although it's a few years ago and my memory isn't great. If it had come up then we would have talked about it and I would have tried to direct people to various verses in the bible about it. I would never have said "It's wrong because God says it's wrong" because that's nonsense and unhelpful. I would have tried to explain why Christians believe it's wrong. I hope you'd find the same approach on any Alpha course. If you don't then it's not a very good course.

There's a subtle difference in how different Christians would lead the course, though. Personally I would have tried to explain why some Christians believe it's wrong, and why others don't.

"I would have tried to explain why Christians believe it's wrong."

Go with an open mind. I am sure all it will do is make you more sure of what you believe. I know people who have gone and ended up being atheists.

However, I recommend Christianity Explored instead - never done Alpha. It is a much better course, more intellectual and also the dude in the DVD is rather handsome (if you like the rugby type).

It's not a cult. It's not indoctrination. Where do people get these ideas from? Have they known people to become cult members or brain-washed from Alpha?????

I've done it myself. A non-threatening way to ask lots of questions and learn what the Bible actually says. You don't have to agree with all the answers. It's up to you. HTH

DH went to the Alpha course run by our church a few months ago. Nobody in our church is bigoted or extreme and neither is our Alpha course

Aftereight, you seem to believe that your own opinion is the only valid one. Why do you consider yourself so superior that you have some sort of special entitlement to go and tell everyone at an Alpha course that their opinions are outmoded, bigoted rubbish ?

I loved it. Lovely people.

Cleared up in my mind that I am DEFINITELY not a Christian and find Christianity a load of old tosh

But I found the answers I was looking for even if it ended up differently to how I expected at the start.

I find the attitude of religions to homosexuality deeply disturbing.

Could someone point me to the passages in the bible that clearly say homosexuality is a sin. I went to sunday school for 15 years ans I don't remember that bit!

Paul talks about it in Romans. It is difficult but I think non christians do get too hung up on the issue.

I am a christian but it is something I struggle with. Some people say they were born that way.

But I still think there is room for different points of view in the church and people should give it a chance and keep an open mind.

Here's a viewpoint from the LGCM (Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement), giving details on Biblical passages and how they interpret them.

If you genuinely want to learn about the bible or Christianity, take an evening class. Alpha is a recruitment drive.

Check out this course at the OU. It's got christianity as its main subject (but also offers some comparisons, which is very useful). It's a level 3 course, so unless you have some experience of university level studies it might be slightly advanced. You will learn a lot more about how some of the certainties of modern christianity came about than the Alpha people will ever tell you.

"them" would be holy trinity brompton and nicky gumble the founder/creator of the alpha course, totally charismatic evangelical Christians. nice man meet him once.
off shoot of the protestant faith so not all that surprising that c of e would take alpha on, but perhaps take it down a notch.

I wouldn't but then I don't like that sort of thing.

Pretty much what Birds said in direct response to your OP