I would not say so much of a traumatic experience as a hypocritical one. Or actually several.
I posted a few days ago asking "what is meant by authority of the church" ? I have heard people in traditional churches use that term to the point that it makes me sick to hear it. And No, I do not recognize "church authority" in any way shape or form.
Hisrosebud points out in post 10
My husband and I were afraid of being "lone rangers". We were taught that if you weren't "plugged in" to a body (they meant, their church) that it was only a matter of time before you became "shipwrecked"--that is you would be decieved by Satan and walk away from your faith and make a disaster of your "walk".
Certainly the congregations want to discourage "lone rangers" why? because they don't make any money off lone rangers
Spiritually, many of the "lone rangers" I have met are more secure with themselves than most church members.....I think if you took a psych survey and tested lone rangers vs church members you would find a greater degree of health and functioning in the lone ranger group.
As a kid I was forced into a Baptist Church in a smaller town. There were about 12 different Baptist churches in the town. On any given day the people from one had something derogatory to say about certain members of the other. In a course of about 5 years, we found out that of the 12 pastors in these churches, two were tax evaders (both sent to prison);one abruptly resigned one Sunday when stories of his daughter running away due to sexual abuse surfaced; one had highly suspected ties to organized crime, and one, bless him, was the biggest Racist in the town. I wonder how Jesus liked that !
Later, after leaving the church formally (I sent a letter in to the church I belonged to and let it be known that I would no longer be formally associated with any organized religionm though I might start back when I turn 65 and retire) I was married for a brief time to a woman who grew up in the church of christ, which is about the most destructive thing being overlooked and excused in religion today. Other than Al Qieda
She was working on her grad degree and one of her practicums uncluded running a psych support group for incest survivors. There were 12 adult women survivors of incest, 8 of the twelve had been molested as kids by an adult make family member who was either clergy as in uncle or father) or in one case, an active Baptist deacon.
Kind of makes me sick to walk into a church and look around and wonder if 66% of the deacons and the pastor two are home abusing their kids......
Let me reiterate......4 of the twelve were NOT abused by clergy, 8 of the twleve WERE...Yes it can happen anywhere, but it seems to be more prevalent in the clergy....Hmmmmm
Does Jesus advocate that ?
When I was 16 the local Jaycees sponsored a haunted house. It was open to anyone the cost was $3 and it was a fundraiser. The baptist church we beonged to "banned" anyone in the congregation from attending.
I went anyway
After all, the church has no authority to keep me from going.
It got back to the youth director and several people in the church that I went anyway. They claimed that I had know right to go, I claimed that I did and would again.
About a year later, we moved to a big city when my dad got a job transfer. My parents insisted that we had to find a baptist church and had to get involved. It took them two weeks to find an even bigger crook running a church. This guy was a total loser...ultimately resigned (or was fired) when it came out that he was having multiple affairs with married women in his congregation. I guess Jesus excuses clergy from adultry.
I was long gone from there by the time that happened. I actually quit the week after we joined...or rather I was forced by my parents to join.
The great crooked pastor seemed to forget who I was the week after I "joined" his church. I was offended.
He was a loser anyway.
re: the church of christ (COC) She and her fam,ily wanted us to go to a local COC as that was their faith. We were soon told that we were not to have any contact with any other congregation. Yeah like that happened.
The COC seeks to isolate it's members, kind of like scientology or The Way international, by driving home the concept of "We are the one and only true chruch" CoC congregations rarely, if ever, egt involved in ecumenical or communtiy based faith groups, because, as I was told. "We don't recognize those 'churches' --we are the only TRUE church"
In both the COC I encountered more hypocrisy than I would even care to comment on. The isolationism, the phoniness, I can see where they prey on people's fears and insecuities.
One common theme is the degrading of other faiths. I heard all sorts of things about other religions, from Islam to the New age movement. I have taken time over the years, to study these faiths and talk difrectly to members of them. I have yet to find any shred of truth to anything I heard from these two groups. WEither they are speaking in ignorance, or they are blatantly lying to scare members in order to isolate people away from other faiths.
What we have to remember is that ALL religions, and I mean ALL religions are creations of man. Some people would like to say "Oh no Jesus was God and He started Christianity" All religions were started by humans. Maybe they were following that one whom they percieved as a god, but all religions are a creation of man. and as such, all have human flaws.
Now the COC and the Baptist movement are not the only problem faiths I have encounter. the United Methodist Movement is THE fastest declining faith in terms of membership. Look at the organization structure and the corruption of the leadership there. No wonder it is failing...from the top dwn in fact.
Now I am not all against churches. For those who desire some social intereaction, the church may be a good place. If I found like minded people there, I 'd probably go a little more but clearly people "like me" don't go much.
the inherant beauty of certain religious rituals can be , in and of themselves, eternally beautiful and inspiring. Call me shallow (I have been many times) but if I go to a service, it is to be inspired by teh beauty of the service, not to socialize or meet people. There is nothing more mystical than a Latin Mass, or an Episcopal high Mass. The sights and sounds can be as a work of art. That would be one reason I would go.
As soon as it ends, I am gone without a trace.
That is a good thing
I have seen charitable works by community groups which are supported heavily by various congregations. For example, we might see a community kitchen or a community relase shop that is administered by 12 different churches. People's lives are helped by these efforts. I have no issue with tossing money in for something like that.
Jsut don't ask me to tithe for a child abuser's salary.
Then again, I wouldn;t be tehre anyway
