Quote:
Originally Posted by Enigmatically Ambiguous:
When the blue bloods or well connected hit the low places in life, a vast network of support, a circling of the wagons, the pastor's daddy's friend has a job waiting for him or someone who is willing to help restore a fallen brother. And a lot of preaching about leaving this matter to the family. Of course they had spent countless hours crucifying, defaming and butchering the "lesser" guys when they were hurting or publicly humiliating folks, sitting them down, asking them to leave their church, when they had their fall.
When there's a bloody trail from the local church, the district and at HQ of folks that weren't extended grace, weren't given second chances, character was defamed, sometimes for innocuous violations like: cut hair on women, jeans on women, asking questions because a doctrine wasn't understood, speaking truth to power, or simply not maintaining "Apostolic Identity", it's not surprising that there are a lot of people who aren't willing to just simply say, "we're all human".
I've seen it many times that larger than life pastors who rule with an iron fist and manipulate the system to favor them politically, when their children fall or they themselves fall, suddenly become big believers in mercy. I don't rejoice at the fall of anyone or the hardships brought on by sin to a family, but when you've been on the receiving end of unfair and unjust treatment simply for asking honest questions, for simply not playing the image upkeep game and simply being real, it's tough to not feel vindicated.
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True story. Last week an old friend (UPC minister) called to talk. Told me his wife had left him and that a divorce was next. Shocked, I asked "Why?"
Answer? Porn, masturbation, money spent on internet "dating." She found out and left.
He admitted he had messed up but defended himself with "Well, I don't believe what I did justified divorce."
The conversation eventually played out and right before we disconnected he stated that he had heard I left the UPC, and asked why. I told him of my disagreements with official positions.
This led to a 10 minute lecture comprised of pleas for me to return to "The Truth." "You know what's right," he said, as if I were somehow backslid.
I just listened, realizing nothing I would say could make him realize how warped he is.
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