Churches of Christendom worse than JWs.

by Undecided 13 Replies latest jw friends

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  Undecided

  Hi All,

  My wife is a saved Christain. She believes all that crap. Her sister playes the piano and sings in the churches. I have been attending the church with her for about a year. I even helped in building the new church, at least a few days. I was interested in seeing just what goes on in those religious churches.

  It's been interesting to see the workings in those places. At first it seemed that there was love among the people. After a while there was a rift between some of the members and several left. The church was completed and there was a lot of work done by the pastor and several of the members to accomplish this. Now the pastor is leaving, he wasn't given a salary and he was working in another town about 45 miles away. The assistant paster can't handle the job either, so I don't know what will become of the church. My wife doesn't like the way the little control group handles things, so she isn't too happy there either. Her sister was the pianist, but she left when some of the members in the choir criticized her playing.

  She went to another church and recently was called a bitch in the church by the pastors girlfriend. She was jealous because the pastor had asked her to go to dinner with him. He is 89 yrs old and she is 56. She went just as a friend. It's funny to me to see what is going on in the name of God. I went to the home comming at this church recently and it was really pathetic to see what was going on there.
  The guy who was leading the singing is living with another member on weekends, they are not married. One of the guys playing for them is a drunk. I don't really care what they do, but they proclaim themselves to be so righteous and Christlike.

  I've about seen all I care to see in the local churches. If there is a God, I don't think he would be in any of these institutions.
  I'm happy sitting in my swing in the back yard, to hell with all religion.

  Ken P.
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  target

  Ken P.
  <<to hell with all religion>>

  AMEN. I don't have a swing in my back yard yet, but I am working on it.

  Target
• 

  Grout

  Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the map of the human genome.
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  Mum

  Hi, Undecided. You don't sound too "undecided" from your post. It's interesting that you still hold to the JW dichotomy of "JW's versus 'churches of Christendom.'" Life is very disappointing, isn't it. Most of my pretty illusions flew away some time ago.

  However, I believe that some discord and disagreement make life a lot more interesting that the bland German soldier conformity of JW's.
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  Stephanus

  Christendom's churches don't have a rigid conformity like the Dubs, so you'll find good and bad in all of them. It's because of something you won't find in Dubdom - freedom. You are free to leave if you can't cope with certain aspects of the church and its people, and start again at the church up the road. And no shunning! Sure, you'll drift away from your old circle, but you'll grow a new one. As one who's been affiliated with lots of churches and a member of five, I don't get too worried anymore about finding the perfect church - it doesn't exist! The feeling you have that there should be one and that you are angry because the one you tried wasn't it is probably a hangover from your Dub days. Just find a crowd you get on with and stick to it.
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  AmazingProgeny

  It is too bad that such stuff happens in churches. I have been to two churches that had some problems that caused rifts and people chose to leave. It is an unfortunate part of church life.

  However, I don't think that they are any worse than the JWs. It is a different style of fighting, but it still exists. All large groups of people, in real life or on the internet, are going to run into some sort of conflict. I am sure that this board has had many such conflicts. It is all just a part of human nature.

  Thanfully, I have found a church that is doing good. I have not seen any fights or disagreements. The people in the church work hard to get along and allow everyone to have their own opinions. I am sure that I'll see some conflicts, but I will stick around.

  I hope that things will improve with that church and that, if you want, you will be able to find a group that you will feel at home with.

  AmazingProgeny
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  Satanus

  undecided

  I'm with steph on this. Try to dump the old wt judgemental/grading habit. Try to see all as your brothers, just that most aren't where you are mentally. It appears there is room on this earth for every kind of wierdo to do his own thing, even one like me.

  SS
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  Rex B13

  Good advice and very humble, SS.
  Rex
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  Undecided

  Hi All,

  I guess I expect to see more of a spiritual nature, because it's supposed to be guided by the perfect spirit of God. I hear so often from the members that God led me to do such and such, and yet it seems that the leading is comming from their own whims and desires.
  Is God's spirit leading religion or not? If so, why so much wrong direction, expectations etc. This occured even in the early congregations soon after Christ died. I just can't see any real direction of a God in the religions of the world, if so he must be confused as to his purpose, as each religion has it's own view of God's will for them.

  I still think I will be just as spiritual sitting in my back yard in the swing contemplating the universe from nature and not listening to the dogma of some religion.

  At least for now.

  Ken P.
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  Stephanus

  God's Spirit isn't supposed to lead religion but people. You'll know the ones so led by their actions. The quiet, peaceful, loving, gentle, tolerant ones. They exist - just not on a huge scale. But it only takes one such person to make a huge difference.