How do I leave
 

I have been Pentecostal for over 20 years. Bottom line..I donn't believe it any more.
I have been going through the motions for awhile for the sake of family and friends but am tired.

I believe in God, but the pentecostal god is kinda bogus, he doesn't deliver on their promises.

How do I ditch this religion without hurting everyone I love?

Re: How do I leave
 

Might not be possible.

Re: How do I leave
 

But seriously, do you think you'll get any help from AFFers? (Other than me, I mean. And I don't think I should help you here.)

Re: How do I leave
 

Therin lies the rub. Don't go so heavy on the "people" and the myriad of beliefs they espouse. This is pretty much true for all denominations.

Just get back to the simple faith in God - don't worry so much about the hoops everyone is busy constructing on the religious set.

Just get back to some basics. Chill in Jesus, love God and your brother and let the rest fly for a while...

Re: How do I leave
 

I stand corrected! :lol

Re: How do I leave
 

Eureka....er....Hoovie is correct. Everything in life that has people involved in it will be imperfect. No denomination, church, pastor, or church body will be without some hypocrites, two faced persons, liars, and all of the other human foibles. However many are doing there best and only occasionally fail. Don't let the chronic losers drag you down or cause your faith to weaken.

You need to get in the Word, study, and pray. Then align yourself with a pastor and church body that you can agree with and commit yourself to them and God.

Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. God loves you. Christ died for you and wants fellowship with you.

Re: How do I leave
 

Actually, yes, quite a few should be able to help. Many on here have faced leaving the traditional Pentecostal church for a different type. And there is frequently a lot of hurt involved.

Re: How do I leave
 

I stand really corrected. :)

Re: How do I leave
 

Of course I question equating "the traditional Pentecostal church" with the problems of the original post...

It's a human problem and one might experience the same when leaving the Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist or Charismatic churches to become "traditional Pentecostal"...

Re: How do I leave
 

Oh, definitely! But, this is an Apostolic site, so many here would have faced this problem when leaving a Pentecostal church. And that seems to be the problem the original poster is facing.

Re: How do I leave
 

Since we dont know your situation it would be hard to address. I have personally seen tremendous things done by the Holy Spirit in my life. Jesus has proven himself very real to me. As to Pentecostalism as a movement it has failed big time.

Its core belief of tongues, prophecy, and gifts of the Spirit backed by a life of holiness to me is Biblical. They have otherwise missed God in various ways. So are you rejecting Pentecostalism or Jesus Christ?

Re: How do I leave
 

So also, were many rejected by others when they became "Apostolic". Seems these EX-Pentecostal/Apostolic stories may be more prominent on a Catholic site or something, since most all here are current OP/Apostolic....

Re: How do I leave
 

Of course.

My point was merely that many here faced hurting their family and friends when they decided to make different choices in their lives. So, maybe someone here could help him with that aspect of it. The "how do I leave without hurting everyone I love" part.

Re: How do I leave
 

Leaving pentecostalism??? Are you kidding me?? I'd LOVE to help!!!

Re: How do I leave
 

Ah the bitter pill rears it's ugly head again

Re: How do I leave
 

You say the God of Pentecostalism has failed. Could it be its his people that have failed? After all there are CONDITIONS that go with the promises.

Re: How do I leave
 

:blush Sorry, I forgot, there's more than one slippery-sloper on here. :lol

Re: How do I leave
 

Huh?

Re: How do I leave
 

I know it's a shock, but I think my buddy, Prax, is taking a shot at me again. He thinks I'm bitter. :crazy

Re: How do I leave
 

And you have an ugly head? :heeheehee

Re: How do I leave
 

:heeheeheeI actually had to go back and read his post to know what you meant.

Re: How do I leave
 

Any time anyone leaves 'the way' there are things that will be said and some of them hurtful. Been there...got the tee shirt.

If this is a serious plee or a serious statement that you have made then you have miles to go. Just being honest. I will promise that it is very important to make sure there are not casualties here. Guard your faith in God like you never have before. Only He will be able to see you through.

You can make it....many of us on here have made it. Some quit well and others left and still have problems from it. You can do it if you just Believe!

Re: How do I leave
 

I have had people fail me but never God.

Re: How do I leave
 

OEFM... it ain't easy, but you can do it! Get away! Don't do it a little at a time! Make the break. Pray, make up your mind and pray some more. And the thing that helped me as much as anything was when I made up my mind to simply open the Bible and let it say what it says. Don't read it from the prospect of it backing up your religion, denomination or for an argument. You don't have a religion. You have a God!

The problem with talking to "this one" and to "that one" is that "this one" is going to tell you like "this one" believes it and "that one" is going to tell you like "that one" believes it. And then if you talk to your Pentecostal family they are going to put a guilt trip on you and tell it like you know they believe it. Some times we have to work out our own salvation with "fear and trembling." Since 1980 I have not had the first falling out nor argument with any of my family and I have several that are still UPC. (I just don't discuss it with family!) Maintain your integrity and that doesn't mean telling someone off because they don't see it like you do!

When you've made up your mind, again, don't discuss it with your family. Let them know you love them but that for now you're not going to argue about religion. ......2Ti 2:15* Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

One of the problems is that there are more different Pentecostals than you can shake a stick at. Even in the UPC you can find a mixture of different beliefs, standards, doctrines and ideas. That was one of the things that caused me to leave the UPC in 1980. Every church you went to in the district was operating by a different set of rules it seemed. (Yes, I just painted with a broad brush, but the rules were surely many). It just seemed to me that if we were all operating from the same book, (be it Bible or Manual) it might ought to be more similiar than it was, more the same.

Don't get bitter. And discussions with family and friends at this time can bring about bitterness. And another thing that I would encourage you to do is always keep in mind that you could be wrong about something. Don't develop the idea that you know it all and have it all figured out. I'm still figuring out some things and have come to a better understanding for some of the things that I believe by reading on this forum. My feelings were that I didn't want to just make a change to be making a change, nor did I want to go from one error to another error.

Pray and read! Don't read for argument sake. Read for understanding! Keep an open mind! Pray and read! Don't look for me to give you the answer nor anyone else on AFF. If you start collecting doctrine from AFF you're gonna be a messed up dude! There is enough variety (and maybe nuts...Timmy! just kidding Timmy) on this here forum to drive you nuts! (including me!)

I am praying for you and hope that these few words will help you. Love you in Christ! Hope this makes sense!

Been Thinkin

Re: How do I leave
 

To those who have left the Pentecostal faith: Where did you go? Is it more Biblical from where you came? Consider also what the original Poster actually said. Nothing about "standards" or some Church group hurting him.

He said THE GOD of Pentecostals is bogus and unfaithful.

Re: How do I leave
 

Has there been anyone in your life that you reached out too that may have been in the same position you are in at the moment? If you were able to help them understand and continue their walk with Christ, I would reach out to them for strength and support. Your walk is with Christ not Pentecost or a movement...

Re: How do I leave
 

People thought that I had left the Apostolic Faith because I no longer believed:

Water baptism is essential to salvation.
The Holy Ghost Baptism is essential to salvation.
Dress code is essential to salvation.
Unquestioning obedience to a pastor is essential to salvation.
Paying ten percent of one's income to a local church is essential to salvation.

I hadn't left the Apostolic Faith.
Actually, I had re-discovered the Apostolic Faith.

I did leave a performance based religion that was loaded with traditions that negated Scriptural teachings and discovered that the just shall by faith.

"The just shall live by faith"???
What a novel idea.
Didn't someone else say that somewhere?

Re: How do I leave
 

Find a quiet and humble house church network and serve the Lord in peace. Your family will not understand, they will become very upset. But in time they will adjust as long as you share your faith and assure them that you still believe.

Re: How do I leave
 

Whether or not feelings get hurt will depend upon those close to you. You are making a principled decision and people should respect that, however some may end up feeling threatened by it as well.

If could do it all over again, I'd simply announce to family and friends that I am going to spend the winter at the Mount Athos monastery in Greece. Then, I'd visit Mount Athos (The Self-governed Monastic State of the Holy Mountain), the Island of Delos (always wanted to go there) and maybe some side trips to Egypt and the Holy Land. I would not have shaved or gotten a hair cut the whole time and hint that this was due to some "vow" or another.

Returning home, tanned, scraggly and several pounds lighter I don't really think anyone would be hurt by any other changes or decisions that I had made. Bring back an old book in some forgotten esoteric language and drop hints that it has given you "a whole new outlook on life." I have been using the The Babylonian Dialogue of Pessimism written on a clay tablet in Assyrian cuneiform.

Nobody asks me anything and I'm given all the "space" I need. When I do go to church for dramas and things that the kids are doing I "forget" my hearing aids and just busy myself taking snapshots of the kids having fun.

Alternately, you could just get a weekend job or take some college courses that fill up all your time.

Don't isolate yourself too much from the people who care about you, though. They are only likely to be "hurt" because they feel genuine affection toward you. People like that are often hard to come by.

Re: How do I leave
 

Did RevRandy's post in the JCM thread throw you over the edge?

Been Thinkin's post is spot on!

Re: How do I leave
 

I go cause of my wife... do I believe in some of the things they do not really and we have two boys I fill like when they get old enough to ask questions me and my wife will sit down and talk about it....Other then that I just sit and chill and don't get caught up in the "Extra Biblical hoopla" that goes on sometimes... So it's just a church and all churches have there weak points so I just basically go to make her happy...And yes we have had our spats over things...Mostly the tongues and how they are being used in the church.....

Re: How do I leave
 

:thumbsupPelathais,

I would have to agree with your post. Whatever you do, don't isolate yourself from
the ones who care about you.

When I first left, I thought they hated me,despised me, and didn't love me!!!!

In reality................they were just disappointed. Really disappointed!! I was a
5th Generation UPC!!!

God has really been good to me and my family. He was good then. And he is still good! I was blessed
to be able to preach in a lot of good churches, Conferences, etc....

My family served on the district boards, I was a big part of the Organization. I still
have great friends, ministers, pastors, who are in the UPC, and I can call at any time, if I just wanted
to go and preach.

Just love your family!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Some will never understand. So don't try and defend
yourself. Just LIve It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: How do I leave
 

Great post. The thing that stood out to me most was your opening statement. "Make the break quickly, don't drag it out." I know that many believe it's wise to take things slow when making a major change. Truth is, people are gonna flip out anyway. I've had to learn that twice. The next time I make a major transition, I'll just do it. Get it over with and start the healing process sooner.

Re: How do I leave
 

would you quite saying that!!!! "spot on!!!!" arggghhh!!!!

Re: How do I leave
 

:ursofunny why? Is that also a term I know nothing about?

Re: How do I leave
 

The steps of a rightous man are ordered by God. Trust in Him, and follow Him, not man and make sure your heart is in the right place and you are not letting deception creep in.

If you put your faith in man, he will disappoint. If you put it in God HE will be faithful. Doesn't mean He will answer all your prayers the way you want Him to. Second, examine yourself and see what has brought on the disappointments.

No matter what you decide to do, keep God the main thing.

Re: How do I leave
 

We have gone many different ways. Many are still Christians.

Some believe their new path is more true to the Bible, yes.

He said he believes in God, but the penetcostal God is kinda bogus and doesn't deliver on their (the pentecostals', I think he means) promises.

Re: How do I leave
 

The most important thing is that you maintain a close relationship with God. Make sure He is ordering your steps.

Re: How do I leave
 

Sadly, you cannot.

Re: How do I leave
 

Hey, LaVonne!! I've missed seeing you around!