Why is everyone leaving?

I don't know about who's leaving, but I'm coming back.

Angela

angela 2 said:

I don't know about who's leaving, but I'm coming back.

Angela

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And it's wonderful to see you! Welcome back!

angela 2 said:

I don't know about who's leaving, but I'm coming back.

Angela

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Hurray!



Giant ice cream for all!

angela 2 said:

I don't know about who's leaving, but I'm coming back.

Angela

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WB Angela!

I am sorry to hear that you are leaving CF and even sorrier to hear you are leaving Christianity. You mentioned being Catholic. The Catholic Church deals with the Gay issue much better than most protestant churches in my opinion. They atleast acknowledge that people are born gay! I dont know why some people choose to make homosexuality like the sin of sins when its no bigger than gluttony..and church potlucks are a favorite of many! Its just hypocritical. If people would just look at the huge logs in their own eyes and stop judging eveyrone around them all would be good. Anyways...if you want to pm me..i too have come from the places you have. I grew up Catholic, left the Catholic church and spent 12 yrs as a Protestant and then came back to the Catholic church 3 yrs ago. I have had my struggles. Please reconsider letting "people" turn you away from your faith. Turn to GOD! HUGGs

Thanks everyone. It's nice to be wanted.


Angela

ottaia said:

I think we have a problem here. Bloved has flown the coop too! It upsets me that people are getting so frustrated that they are leaving. Welcome to the world of Christianity.

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For some folks, CF can be an emotionally abusive situation. Our faith can be a very dear thing, the heart of who we are and who we claim to be. Being in the liberal minority on these boards can be incredibly difficult - there are some forums, in my experience, where you'll be descended upon and pecked like a bloody chick in the henhouse. Some folks can't take it, or refuse to.

I referred, in another post in this forum, to the attacks both sides give the other as something akin to verbal slaps. In some cases, those blows are glancing - maybe the point being discussed isn't central to your faith. But there are some topics - and everyone has at least one - that will set you off. And I've found that on these boards it's a "when," not an "if," that someone will hit that soft spot, and that can be very damaging. I've previously taken short, unannounced breaks from the board after such button pushes.

As a pastor in the church I was called to, I find myself getting discouraged when it seems as though my words and deeds do nothing to get through to those whom I serve and love. I think the same sort of discouragement and pain can easily happen here. Real conversation can be difficult to find, and we treasure those moments. But there may be a lot of slogging through junk to get to those points. I don't want anyone to leave this place, but I understand why they do.

But that doesn't make it hurt any less when someone you've grown to respect and appreciate disappears - their absence impacts the greater dialogue.

Hey all A few days break and thinking and I feel better already! Thanks to those who commented with kind words regarding what I said in my post. I did want to clarify though, it's not Christ (the savior) I was speaking about when talking about 'losing faith' but rather Christianity (the organization).

Also it's not specifically the things individual people say that have made me felt driven away from the Church, but rather the specific teachings that are fairly accepted by the bulk of Christianity. As someone mentioned, the Catholic Church is much more understanding than most faiths but even then I still disagree with the parts they still hold on to.

As far as the individual people go though, they could never make me give up on Christ, but the problem they cause is one of fellowship. It's hard when you can't be around fellow Christians because they treat you as an outcast. You can't even be in the Church itself without having to suffer the gossip and nasty comments.

So, I now see myself more as a Church by myself I may not have the fellowship of those in this world but I will take comfort knowing I have Jesus and the Church Triumphant on my side.

God be with all of you,
Will

*church* and *fellowship* can and do exist outside of Christianity,even for Christians!

I am not advocating Religion or even other faiths (necisarily) but I am concenred that *church* is so preoccupied with itself and its fellowshipping and worshipping that we allforgot to follow Jesus into the world.

We are asked to be in the World, the World is just as in need of *fellowship* and *worship* asweare, and just as able to contribute to our lives as we are to them... but this canonly be done thru relationship. For some of us, this we call *church*.


(4th time I've copied and pasted that this morning! sORRYTO THOSE WHO READ THE SAME THREADS i DO!!!)