Want to help me pick a new religion?

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by Hoovie

Hey I do believe you - bizarre as it is! You gotta admit though, this junk not the norm. No way would that go over in my church. I would fully expect half the congregants to walk out. What whimpy dads... Incredible!

I know not all... and I really didn't mean to talk about this stuff... Our new church (the one we will be leaving) is much quieter and the pastor is the most decent fellow ever. But I still see the weirdness in the itinerant preachers that come through... pushing the envelope to see if they will get a reaction... and I see the reaction... They scream out against gays and the crowd gets to =their feet with wild applause. They talk about the old brush arbor days when people spoke in tongues for three days without being able to speak English and shouting breaks out far and wide.... I am sensitized to it now... I catch the stuff that goes right over others heads. That is one of the reasons I know I must leave... because when someone asks me after service 'wasn't that great?' I have to push off in a hurry so I don't say what I really think... Which is 'no, not so great'.

[AreYouReady?]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Question.

Do you all truly KNOW one another? Do you know your families, hopes, dreams, fears, struggles, temptations, sins, needs (with intentions to share and meet those needs), failures, and victories?

Or are all of you simply acquainted because you gather in the same building two to three times a week?

This particular church we left was basically small town church whose membership was mostly made up of groups of relatives. They did not make friends easily with "outsiders". It was almost impossible to break into their circle of people.

[AreYouReady?]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

It's clear the current structure or mindset towards church and fellewhip is far different then the church in book of acts. I actually think it breeds discontent as well as emotional deattachment from the church.

The early church did not have our current structure indeed. There seems to be a Diotrephe's Spirit in some of the organized church system that Paul warned us against in III John 1:9, 10. Not only in the UPC either.

[AreYouReady?]

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

A few weeks ago I heard a story from a UPC pulpit about a man who died.... well... until his wife let down her uncut hair and threw it over his dead body and then he came back to life. I bought the CD.. wanna hear it?

I think that if I ever heard that from any pulpit, I would have to get up and walk out. That is totally occult doctrine because he is giving glory to hair
instead of to Jesus Christ.

When I heard a visiting preacher refer to Christ's church as a "corporate" entity, I was upset enough to leave at that moment. It was all I could do to stay till the end of service. Corporate is a man-made entity. When Christ's church is referred to as corporate, there is something really really wrong.

[bbyrd009]

You verified his definition of the word "corporate," yes? There is the sense in which the Church is "corporate."

[Amanah]

T2W, possibly you are attending a backwater, old time ultracon church.
I used to attend a church like this.

There are UPC churches that are nothing like this. There are independent OP churches that are nothing like this.

See if there are other OP churches in the area, visit them, pray about them. I personally would not stay in a backwater church that preaches superstition, and propagates hatred towards anyone.

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by Amanah

T2W, possibly you are attending a backwater, old time ultracon church.
I used to attend a church like this.

There are UPC churches that are nothing like this. There are independent OP churches that are nothing like this.

See if there are other OP churches in the area, visit them, pray about them. I personally would not stay in a backwater church that preaches superstition, and propagates hatred towards anyone.

I didn't stay... Two years ago I moved from what you are calling a backwater UC church (although it is huge with a beautiful building) to what they called the weak church... But the basic doctrine and some of the preaching from outsider preachers still looks the same. I've noticed that OP (and Christians in general) can be kind of a bloodthirsty lot when it comes to delighting on others going to hell... anyway, I digress... Now there is a church even farther away that is known as 'the backslider church' that someone recommended ...OP/No standards... but it is not really the standards that I have issue with except that I see them as an extension of the us against them mentality that separates us from the rest of Christendom, does that make sense? Let me rephrase... I don't care if I never wear makeup, cut or color my hair, or get my nails done again, ever again... My husband does not have to have facial hair... It's that we mentally and verbally put people in hell for that and see ourselves as more holy than them that bothers me. That extends to any poking fun at sinners. If we really believe that the thousands following Christ to the best of their ability in Trinitarian faiths or who were baptized in titles are going to an eternal tormenting hell there should be weeping and moaning from inside our sanctuaries... Not joking... Can you imagine standing outside a burning building and hearing the screams of those dying and cracking jokes about how you managed to get out and those poor suckers were sure about to be toast? No you can't and that is why I can not believe that one person really believes the OP message... because if they do and their knees are not bloody from praying and their eyes are not red from crying day and night they are a monster.... Nope they don't believe it any more than me but there is something that keeps them anchored... love of the people, fear of being lost... something... something... I've been there, I know.

Whitewashed sepulchers full of dead men's bones.

[Amanah]

when a church gets into a contest to see who is living the standards the strongest, and starts eyeing each other up to see who might be on their way to hell, then it's time to run for your life.

Not all UPC churches are like this. You can have a church that teaches standards, but doesn't enforce with maniacal, you are on your way to hell if you don't line up, glee.

[Amanah]

Sister, take a step back and breathe and let's pray about this. I'll be praying with you.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by AreYouReady?

This particular church we left was basically small town church whose membership was mostly made up of groups of relatives. They did not make friends easily with "outsiders". It was almost impossible to break into their circle of people.

Very unhealthy.