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Originally Posted by Pressing-On
Neither do I, but I have to find my answers in the scriptures.
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You are allowed to find them in whatever way works for you as far as I am concerned.
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Let me first say that I understand the purpose of this forum:
1. People who have left the UPC and who want to vent.
2. People who want to discuss issues without being censored.
I am not against that. I think just by reading we draw our own conclusions, which could be right or they could be wrong. But, nonetheless, we draw them.
I'm more of a private person and wouldn't want to share details. We don't even do that in our own family. I love people, love to act serious and silly, but I don't share a lot of the deepest part of my heart and thoughts and I don't ask people personal questions. I am sure it's just me.
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I think the purpose of this forum is many different things to many different people. To say it is just for people who want to vent and discuss issues without censorship is, in my opinion, a bit shortsighted (no offense intended). I think people come here for fellowship, to talk to people they haven't seen in a while, to have fun, and to just banter. I think that is the reasons people come here but I have probably left a few out as well.
I come out here once in a while to see how people are doing and to chat. I am usually drawn to the threads on hurt because that was pretty much my experience in the UPC, all 19 years of it. The experiences I have most often spoken of have been generic, confusion about standards, being drawn into the culture and losing my own sense of perspective etc. I have talked about those things a lot over the years. I like to see how other people have dealt with issues and invariably I end up speaking a few things just because I feel like it. Then, I usually get bashed, told I am bitter and nursing a grudge and stuff like that. Hey, it feels like old times!!
But it reminds me why I left, why I stay gone and why I visit the forum infrequently.
But I come here for other reasons too. After living in the UPC for 19 years, somewhat insulated from certain segments of society and certain ideas, it feels like home and comfortable in a weird sort of way. Those who have left know what I mean. I come here to see old friends and chew the fat. I like to see how everyone is.
I have spoken very little about the lawsuit and the things I went through in the last church we were at. I wrote a book about it last summer. It helped me a lot to get it on paper.
Still, I haven't published it. Not because I think I would be grinding some ax if I did even though I would be accused of that.
I haven't because I don't know that I want to open those old wounds. I keep the book sealed because I come first now. I could probably put a lot of things into perspective for people if I published it. I'll publish it if I feel like it and I won't if I don't want to. End of story.
And, I'll come here and talk about whatever I want to whenever I want to. End of story.
But it's still somewhat home anyway.
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