The Wizard Behind the Curtain

[ILG]

Originally Posted by CC1

Algae, I apologize for not answering your question about my kids and church. Somehow I missed it.

I have been patient with my child who is not attending church. The reason I am concerned is that I believe in the scripture I pointed out to you. I believe pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc are all in our lives for the reasons pointed out in Ephesians.

Why would I not be concerned about someone who shuns some of the key inputs the Bible says are there to develop us a Christians?

Plus it is not like he is having home church or is praying or studying the world like he should. The funny thing is that of all of my kids he is the one I never thought would go through this phase. There was a period of time I felt deep down that he might even enter the ministry.

I believe there is a spirit of rebellion and narcicissm operating in the world today in a great way. Particularly among young people. The spirit of the age is to adapt everything to fit yourself. What makes you comfortable. Truths or processes that are uncomfortable are avoided. I believe that is a dangerous state to be in.

I don't want my kids to have escaped the legalism of my religous upbringing to only go to the other extreme where organized religon is shunned.

Thanks for sharing, CC1. Fair and honest enough.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by missourimary

ILG, thanks for the post.

You're welcome, MM. Thanks for the input.

[NotforSale]

Originally Posted by ILG

The injustice I felt went deep. I had a young bitterness about the world and how it was run. I resented the people who looked down on the less fortunate as somehow lesser people.

When I was 19, I got into the church. The experience with God was wonderful and marvelous. It was like nothing I ever felt. "Come with us" , the people said "We have a different system, a different way of life where we care about people. God is no respector of persons. He loves all people. We also believe we should not be respectors of persons".

I loved this message. A God who loved all men equally and did not put one above the other. A system that was like God. I was in heaven.

Many, many promises were made to me through preaching and teaching about God and his church and how things were so mush better, so much different here. My family was concerned about me. They felt I was falling for a line. Some of them called me brainwashed. I blew them all off. What did they know? They did not have the experience I had and I knew how they lived. I had a new life and I was whole hog, hook, line and sinker.

I began to see little things that bothered me, but the message was too good. The experience was too good. The promises were too good. We forged ahead my husband and I, convinced our calling was to take this message to the world. We worked very, very hard, starting a church, advertising, passing out tracts, teaching bible studies, paying for it all and getting no respect and very little help.

Meanwhile, we saw pastors sons given pastorates and silver spoons placed in their mouths. We decided they didn't know what we knew and we knew our message was too important to not pass it on. People are worthwhile no matter who they are and God loves them all. We forged ahead while pastors canvassed in our area and took people from us with promises of big choirs and lots of people. We forged ahead while we were warned not to steal any people from anyone. We forged ahead while we were told to contribute to every program so they could know we were cooperating with them. We forged ahead while they missed sending us Home Missions checks and refused to let us sell baked goods in their churches at Home Missions rallies. We forged ahead while I went to ladies retreats alone, believing the message. We forged ahead and paid the bills mostly alone.

We forged ahead while they told us our families were going to hell and while they made excuses for their own. We forged ahead while we believed the messages and they watered it down.

Finally, we believed we needed to move to a larger church because we were burned out. When we moved to the larger church, we found there were no income records and money spent on the previous pastors personal things. When we took this to the church, many did not believe us. Still, we forged ahead, believing the message. The district board shoved it all under the rug. Still we forged ahead, believing the message. But, the veil was being lifted.

In time, after a shocking personal revelation.....I stopped believing the message. It was about standards at first. I could not believe I had been lied to and duped for 16 years. Pants were not men's apparel. The Bible didn't say women couldn't cut their hair, etc.

But the core message to me stayed the same. God loves all people the same. Injustice should be fought against. We continued to fight, believing this message.

But, when I said standards were not biblical and mentioned all the injustices, I was told we are all human and that this is a human problem, not a UPC one. What? After all the promises I was made about us being the church? What? After all the times I was told that God is no respector of persons? What? After believing standards lies for years, I now find out I believed another one? That the church is just as guilty as everyone else regarding these things?

And indeed, I found out that the church is just as guilty. For as much as it postures itself as being God's people and as much as it says it is better than others and has "the truth", that it is a better way to live, that it is the right way, the only way, the only way not to burn in hell, I find out that it isn't true.

Yes, the problems are human problems. The veil has been lifted. The Wizard of Oz is actually behind the curtain just making things look powerful, incredible and amazing, when the God that they claim exclusive rights to, is actually everywhere and a real promoter of justice and truly, no respector of persons. He is the One I have been serving all along.

I don't go to church anymore. Not often anyway. I keep seeing Wizards behind curtains. I don't know if that will ever change. But, the God I believe in, the God that saved me, I believe that He still believes in justice, in love, in not being a respector of persons and that someday, He will make all this right. He is the God I love and the One I follow. I believe He is not a Wizard behind a curtain.

Powerful words. Thanks for the courage to share what many fear to say.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by NotforSale

Powerful words. Thanks for the courage to share what many fear to say.

Thanks, NFS. I appreciate the feedback.

[johnny44]

Originally Posted by ILG

Thank you!

BRAVO.That's why I am a JESUS only believer.GBU.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by johnny44

BRAVO.That's why I am a JESUS only believer.GBU.

What does GBU mean?

[johnny44]

Originally Posted by ILG

What does GBU mean?

I always took it to mean God Bless You. Am I wrong?

[ILG]

Originally Posted by johnny44

I always took it to mean God Bless You. Am I wrong?

I dunno. It makes sense though!

[berkeley]

ILG: Thank you for creating this thread.

CC1: Are you referring to the son that attended the Methodist university? I probably got the denomination wrong. My apologies.

[CC1]

Originally Posted by Berkley

ILG: Thank you for creating this thread.

CC1: Are you referring to the son that attended the Methodist university? I probably got the denomination wrong. My apologies.

My son's first year of college was at Lipscomb University which is a Church of Christ University in Nashville. Many non Church of Christ folks go there though as they have a good Business program with 100% placement. I wish he had kept on going there instead of moving to the ten year program at a Community College!