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The OP of this question appears, based only on the question, to not be affiliated with an organized Christian tradition. I could be wrong, but it got me thinking.

I have met people in the past who profess Christianity but do not adhere to any organized tradition. Which is a fancy way of saying they have no pastor and likely don't have any idea what pastor they should use when they need advice. I agree 100% that Christianity.SE isn't the place to go for personal advice that would traditionally be the province of a pastor, but for my own edificiation, where would such a person turn for insight into their issues? Or, are they basically out of luck because, rejecting all organized traditions, they are completely dependent on their personal relationship with God and other like-minded Christians for answers? Having been raised in a tradition that is very centralized and hierarchical, the idea of being adrift without someone to turn to is foreign to me.

Please note that I am NOT suggesting we change our rules in any way. I'm just curious what the greater Christian community suggests is the most appropriate recommendation for this situation. If, after such a question is put on hold, an OP asked where they should turn, what would you/we suggest?


EDIT: I apologize for my own poor research. It appears a similar question has already been asked by PyRulez. I apologize for the duplication and have flagged this question to be marked as a duplicate. However, I believe Peter Turner has come up with a simple addition to our VTC response that (at least in my opinion) fits the need as best we can.

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This is a hard question. We don't want to answer the OP's question, but we do want to be charitable. We forbid ourselves from proselytizing in comments under nebulous questions, so we can't offer any concrete advice to those who are adrift.

However, we could come to a consensus as to what a uniform non-denominational charitable response to Quo Vadis.

There are a number of opportunities for you to grow in your faith in communion with like-minded believers in your locality.

Now, that's just about as good as dropping the Bible on the floor and getting super inspired by what turns up...

Can such an insipid thing be eaten without salt?

Very appropriate, Job, I'll put some salt on my week-old Easter eggs.

But, I think it's better than nothing and it doesn't break the but can't i just say one thing rule.

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  • I quite like this proposal. It's been my experience that even skilled Googlists go a bit blind when emotions run high, and they rarely run higher than an issue that begs the blessings of God. As I said in my question, I'm a believer in the no-comment rule. I've been a pastor and it's hard enough when you sit face-to-face with time to counsel. Faceless and impersonal Internet chat (no matter how sincere) is simply too high a risk. And, yes, what one tradition suggests as a good answer may not be appropriate for the OP. I could wish the link were added to the standard close message.
    – JBH
    Commented Apr 5, 2018 at 4:05
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    I wonder if "church" in the search term is sufficiently neutral? For example, would a Jehovah's Witness have a basis for complaining that Kingdom Halls don't appear with that search? Also, extending what curiousdannii said on the other question, wouldn't this be in a sense encouraging them to check out other groups in their area, rather than dealing with the issue where they are? Would such advice make some readers more inclined toward church-hopping? Commented Apr 5, 2018 at 14:16
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    @nathaniel, I'd think that's a problem for the Search Engines synonymizers some Kingdom Halls probably do show up in searches. It'll probably come up under "Places of Worship" just as easily, but that might just be too generic. I don't know how it could help (or hurt) to encourage people to find a church at random, that's up to the Holy Spirit.
    – Peter Turner Mod
    Commented Apr 5, 2018 at 16:29

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