I still seem to struggle finding friends my own age.
If you are the age shown on your profile, it might just be the phase of life everyone's in. When I was thirty, I was getting four hours of sleep and barely hanging on. Doing things with friends was a rare treat. We can pray that God will bring good people into your life.
no longer identify with your parents
That has a cult-like ring to it, so maybe that's part of the problem you were seeing. It is not wrong to question how a church operates. We see terrible offenses come up in the news, and gasp... but then how often have we heard Christians encourage accountability of leadership? Instead, it seems to fly the opposite direction.
I remember when one of the major scandals came out in the news. I didn't know the evangelist so watched one of their services to see how the church was faring after the shock. Instead of elders rallying to cover, and minister to those hurt, the offending pastor was back in the pulpit teaching people they need to obey any way!
Atrocious, offensive, abominable behavior.
And then a peer of that pastor in another state did the same thing for his service that week.
But if we read through the whole Bible -not just the New Testament -- we see that God is displeased by dishonesty, undeserved gain, and impurity within His temple.
Read through the major prophets, and their prophecies are full of criticism against religious leaders.
Jesus spoke out against religious leaders who tricked parishioners -- calling them a brood of vipers, and whitewashed fences.
I am not trying to steer you away from church, lol, but to show that God is not behind blind obedience.
Change was promised and I don't see it.
Sometimes positive teaching and power in praise are taught, because they do have an effect on mood. There are some simple principles of distraction, choosing not to get caught up in negative patterns, showing gratefulness ... that do work for people. And there is also the power of God (oh yeah) but that's not quite what you are saying. The focus is on promises people make.
What do you think about churches using bait and switch tactics
I seem to be overly sensitive to fakery, and will remove myself from a situation if I find myself asked to be part of it. That doesn't always pay off, but it keeps my head clear.
I had some great examples back in my teens, of members who stood by a church even when a cult-like wave had taken over. They declined going to certain meetings, and put up with being called subversive or rebellious... but they were like lighthouses standing firmly in place, and I was so comforted knowing I could run to them.
(I'm not sure if I did... I mostly found strength in observing.)
So now I don't mind if I'm out their on the end of the pier in the fog, not jumping on the boat.
What do you think about churches using bait and switch tactics (if you think they are)? Did you feel frustrated when you found out that these statements didn't fit you?
