My understanding has always been that Methodists are the most liberal of the major Protestant religions, but I think it varies from congregation to congregation. Do you have any info from Methodist HQ? I’m going to have to do some research, too, on how big these religions are - my understanding is that Catholics are by far the largest denomination, at least in the US.
Yes, I’d heard they were on the verge of a split. Which is larger, the Southern or, for lack of a better term, the Northern? I’ll have to check this out.
Well, no, of course not. But my OT was that the majority of the “religous marketplace” is still decidedly not liberal.
Yes… and no. A church is much more than its religious dogma - it is a place of community, a place of reverence and respect, a place of spirituality, and a place to connect with others of a like mind. I also often mis-speak myself by joking that it’s a “come as you are” religion. In a way it is, but we also have “rules” - they’re just more liberal and lax than most others. If you’re interested, check out the link I posted above to our Purposes and Principles, or, as someone jokingly called it, “The 10 Suggestions.” It’s not so much that we take everyone for who they are, we challenge them to improve themselves humanly and spiritually (at least, that’s my take on it all).