The Trend Toward Atheism

[Saint Steven]

I've always thought of this forum as a place to compare notes with other Christians. I guess some folks who come here, though, along with some that we find in just about every church, show up because they feel deprived of power and seek to dominate others and "lead the way." Of course, they'll bump heads with me since I've always thought of the 'Church' as a team effort in the Spirit.

There's a handy level of anonymity on the forum. I say things here that I would never say at church. But that's the charm of it I guess. - lol

 

[2PhiloVoid]

There's a handy level of anonymity on the forum. I say things here that I would never say at church. But that's the charm of it I guess. - lol

Oh, I'm a little different on that note. EVERYTHING I've said on this forum (even if not just straight out of the gate), I'd also say to someone who shows up on my doorstep ...

 

[Saint Steven]

Oh, I'm a little different on that note. EVERYTHING I've said on this forum (even if not just straight out of the gate), I'd also say to someone who shows up on my doorstep ...

I should say that I admire your bravery. But have you said stuff that would get you kicked out of most churches?

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I should say that I admire your bravery. But have you said stuff that would get you kicked out of most churches?

I've said stuff that ... well, I'll decline from commenting since it might ruffle someone's feathers out there in forums land.

All I know is that if I, being who I am now, had lived about 400 years earlier, I probably could have been burned at the stake ...

 

[Saint Steven]

I've said stuff that ... well, I'll decline from commenting since it might ruffle someone's feathers out there in forums land.

All I know is that if I, being who I am now, had lived about 400 years earlier, I probably could have been burned at the stake ...

I give you the medal of bravery for that post. - lol

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I give you the medal of bravery for that post. - lol

The upshot is that I probably could also have been guillotined if I had lived in France during the French Revolution.

So, I have it coming from both ends, so to speak.

 

[Clare73]

Some "church people" on the forum are hoping to push me out of the church. I wonder if they will be welcoming me back after they succeed? Doubtful.

How can anyone on the Forum push you out of the church?

 

[Abide with me.]

So the church is not guilty of driving them away?

Depends on the church, they can't all be bad, can they?

 

[Hmm]

The upshot is that I probably could also have been guillotined if I had lived in France during the French Revolution.

Probably. You would have have been ahead of the time.

 

[Saint Steven]

Probably. You would have have been ahead of the time.

Or, a head of the time. - lol

 

[Saint Steven]

Or, a head of the time. - lol

I have occasionally wondered what it would be like to have your head tumble into a basket after being violently disconnected from your body. You would still have a minute or two of consciousness left before you blacked out, I suppose. (witty reply expected)

 

[Clare73]

Depends on the church, they can't all be bad, can they?

The "visible" church is both tares and wheat.

The tares are products of the culture.

If the people's idea of church is property and a big assembly,
then they need to bring in fish with coins in their mouths, and
they need to adapt to the culture to be "appealing" so those fish will come in, growing the size of the assembly.

That wrong focus makes the "church" spiritually powerless and without effect.

That is the guilt of the "church," not it's failure to be "appealing."

It's the "appealing" to the ever more godless culture that is the problem.

 

[Clare73]

Probably. You would have have been ahead of the time.

That's really good. . .a head of the time.

 

[Fervent]

Some "church people" on the forum are hoping to push me out of the church. I wonder if they will be welcoming me back after they succeed? Doubtful.

No one pushed you out, but the "church" isn't an amorphous blob of human beings. It is a community commited to the same essential truths, and departure from those essential truths puts someone outside of it until they repent.

 

[Vap841]

Right, conditional groupthink in the echo chamber. (repackaged as "unity" in "fellowship") "Keep your mouth shut if you want to stay here." Questions = unbelief

There's a handy level of anonymity on the forum. I say things here that I would never say at church. But that's the charm of it I guess. - lol

I would just let them kick me out then. I’m not saying that I would have no filter, or even that I would ask much questions (I don’t see church as being as technical as a Bible study) but if I couldn’t even ask a question about what they just taught that would be annoying. Did you ever go to a Bible study where they got annoyed with your questions?

 

[Clare73]

Right, conditional groupthink in the echo chamber. (repackaged as "unity" in "fellowship") "Keep your mouth shut if you want to stay here." Questions = unbelief

If you don't believe what they believe, why do you even want to be there?

I agree, that makes fellowshipping difficult.

 

[Saint Steven]

I would just let them kick me out then. I’m not saying that I would have no filter, or even that I would ask much questions (I don’t see church as being as technical as a Bible study) but if I couldn’t even ask a question about what they just taught that would be annoying. Did you ever go to a Bible study where they got annoyed with your questions?

I'm in my mid 60s now and grew up in the Protestant Evangelical church. So, I know how to get along with these people.

And I am not seeking to make my voice heard, or to change them. The questionable things I am up to lately have only come about in the last two or three years. So, I look at them as being like me a few years back. So, I cut them plenty of slack.

And I don;'t have any questions for them. I know what the answers would be, so why even ask? I don't even consider them to be a source for such. So, why would I ask them?

 

[Saint Steven]

Did you ever go to a Bible study where they got annoyed with your questions?

Probably at some point. Are you experiencing that now?

 

[Vap841]

Probably at some point. Are you experiencing that now?

No, I have been to a few but it was a long time ago, questions were welcomed. I was just curious if you may have had less echo chamber groupthink experiences in Bible studies than you have had at church.

 

[Saint Steven]

No, I have been to a few but it was a long time ago, questions were welcomed. I was just curious if you may have had less echo chamber groupthink experiences in Bible studies than you have had at church.

In my experience it really depends on the people in the group. We used to have what they called LifeGroups that were a tight-knit fellowship. With the right mix of people, you could talk about anything. They really cared about each other and were pretty open to real-life situations and questions/discussion. But you are right. In an worship service or Sunday AM format, things are pretty surface level.

Do you attend anything now?