~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Many of you may have noticed I've been talking more about church and God these days. Yes, it's been subtle, but it's been there. I've not done a post on this part of my life as I continue to come to terms with my own sin, daily hypocrisy, and scientific reasoning that I have difficulty getting past, but I've decided there is no time like Let's get the dirty laundry out of the way first, shall we? I am a sinner. In fact, I am a sinner AND a hypocrite. I am not standing on a moral high horse here because my moral high horse galloped from the stable long ago. In fact, I'm pretty sure my right foot is firmly planted in a gigantic pile of horse shit left behind by my moral high horse. That doesn't mean that I cannot call myself a Christ follower, although I'm sure there are a few of you who will disagree.
Are we clear? Dana ==> SINNER! Now that we've gotten that out of the way ...
Interesting enough, as I travel this new path - or maybe rediscover the path is a better description - it appears much of America is becoming less Christian. A study conducted by Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut (American Religious Identification Survey 2008) found that, generally, Americans are less likely to identify themselves as Christian. The study found that 75 percent of Americans call themselves Christian (down from 86 percent in 1990) and 15 percent of people express no religious affiliation at all (up from 8 percent in 1990).
Although that picture might look bleak to Pope Benedict XVI, the survey also found that "born-again" or "evangelical" Christianity is on the rise (also known as non-denominational, often associated with mega-churches). While the percentage who belong to "mainline" congregations such as the Episcopal or Lutheran churches has decreased, the number of people associated with mega-churches has skyrocketed from less than 200,000 in 1990 to more than 8 million in the latest survey.
The church Cam and I attend is a "small scale" mega-church with a congregation of about 6000, spread over three area campuses. It is a Bible based, non-denominational Christian church that uses contemporary Christian music (performed by a live rock band), large screen audio-visual presentations (words to songs, Bible passages and video clips are an integral part of each service and are presented in this way), teachings that are relevant to current issues and a Saturday evening service for those who find Sunday morning With churches like mine becoming more accommodating - more "real life" - why are Christianity and church attendance on the decline? Personally, I think it's because Christians tend to screw up Christianity. How many of us see churches as buildings full of people who say one thing but do another? Who are quick to condemn the actions of others while living similarly screwed up lives behind closed doors? Who brag about their "church membership" with the same egotistical tone as they do their country club membership?
I believe organized religion, which I loosely refer to as "the church," has failed in many ways. I'd start with its long list of do's and don't's that no one can live up to. When we fail to live up to those ridiculously high standards (as we all do) the church skims right over grace and focuses on punishment. Many of us have spent far too many hours in churches that made us feel bad about ourselves and our actions. In fact, for most of us to be recognized as "good" in the eyes of the church, we are often forced to keep secrets and deny our daily lives - to live in hypocrisy because we cannot live in perfection. The church actually encourages a life of lies in order to be deserving of its approval. I cannot imagine that "my" God favors that kind of behavior from a church or from His people.
I have to wonder what would happen if more churches, and congregations, were like mine? If people could share themselves with repentant hearts, admitting and owning faults without fear of rejection? If we could walk along side each other, holding out a helping hand rather than condemning each other and turning a blind eye? If we could just admit that we can't keep all the rules - that no one can keep all the rules - but that grace is there in the absence of perfection? Then ... maybe then ... Christianity would look a lot different than it does today and a few more people would embrace it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
34 comments:
Do they ever play Stryper? They had a few big songs when I was in high school. LOL!
I'm glad that you and Cam found a place that works for the both of you.
It's good that guys like it. I never felt bad as a result of anything the Catholic Church said when I was a Catholic. If I feel bad about something I have done, it is because I went against what I think is right or wrong.
And what I determine to be right or wrong is based on teachings of many religions, personal experience, and my own philosophy.
It never has been or ever will be based on what any church or self proclaimed prophet says.
Many Churches can and do do good works, but I can't accept the trade off of financing those things on the back of my spiritual self-determination and my money.
I can have a church service sitting on my couch...while driving...during down times at work. All of us can if we so choose.
But that's just me...If this place works for you in terms of you and Cam's spiritual awakening, bully for you guys.
Just be wary and always keep in mind the following Biblical passage: Matthew 7:15
Cheers!!
Corky, no Stryper, but they did play Back in Black last week!
Matt-Man, I spoke the very same words less than a year ago - was convinced all churches were about the money, that mega-churches preyed on the weak ... meh ... let's just say that if I told you I had found a great support group through a counseling center your response would have likely been different, yes?
Weren't we created in His image? I think we are all going to do ok if we believe. I am glad your church and your faith are making you what you want to be. You are right Dana. We are all sinners. And yes, christianity is screwing up christianity. Or to be more accurate. We are screwing up christianity and God's love for us. Your comments should cause all of us to pause and look inside ourselves for our real faith. Thanks!!
I am glad that you and Cam found a church.
I know for me, its a little ambivalence on my part battling with my good mommy side, battling with small people who want to have one day in the week where you do not have to get up and go anywhere.
Perhaps I will have to remind them that they serve donuts after the service. Maybe that will get them out of the house.
I also think that the right flavor of Christianity is there for everyone if you are willing to search for it. If Catholic doesn't suit you, try the Episcopal Church. If the Unitarian way doesn't suit you, go Luteran.
Just because you were raised in one version of Christianity does not mean that you have to follow it your whole life.
Doomed, I am grateful to have found a place (church) that aligns with my priorities. I was resistant and I was cynical, but I'm still there.
ASM, Cam and I started with Sunday morning services, but now really enjoy Saturday nights. We can go in our jeans and tennis shoes, stop for dinner afterward and generally spend some good, quality time together!
And honestly? It's a good thing this was the first church Cam and I attended together because I'd have never searched for a good fit - I'd have walked away.
I'm an unapologetic atheist. Interestingly, your talk of your church makes little mention of God. I wonder if that's more to do with your perception. It sounds like a group bound by a belief in a certain morality of life (that most of you don't abide by).
Institutions such as that, for communities to come together and support one another, that's fine by me. I'd just rather it was called something other than church or religion.
Take God out of it. Take away the centuries-old preaching. Re-package it as wholesome community togetherness and it's a more relevant and viable institution.
(Not that I'd go, mind! You people creep me out!)
Leonhart, and you shouldn't apologize for being an atheist. We all have a set of beliefs and when people start touting that theirs are "better" we lose respect. I struggle with the traditional concept of God (which is why I've avoided church) and have come to a place where "God" is more an adjective than a noun. In fact, I dabble quite a bit in the agnostic camp. I've often thought the biggest resistance to Christianity is calling it that.
Baptised Roman Catholic. Never fully embrassed the Church. Dad, not a Roman Catholic balked at the amount of money the Church expected him to pay. After Fathers death I remember going to the Church for confession and being turned away for improper attire. Mom, Sis and I went and I believe I was in peddle pushers. That is how I remember it any way. I wear a cross around my neck. I believe in God and Jesus. I peruse the bible, I try and be a good person, I am a sinner and that is good enough for me.
We are ALL sinners. That is a basic priciple of Christianity. To be honest the Born Again and Fundamentalist side of Christianity scares me a bit. They are just too intense for me. I am very happy in Catholic beliefs and feel that I can "mold" the principles to fit my life.
I am glad you found somewhere where you and Cam feel welcomed and comfortable.
Lu, I think that judgment has been prevalent in organized religion and I sometimes wonder how it has managed to hold on as long as it has with that underlying principle.
Karen, don't get me wrong, the Fundamentalists scare the CRAP out of me! I struggle with the "molding" (not moldy) part of religion. Sometimes the idea behind religion seems to get clouded by the concept of God.
Honestly, I can't stand being around other people in the mall, much less in a church setting.
When I need to talk to god I just find some place quiet and without distraction.
I'm a church in my own mind.
I'm so glad you found a place that you feel good about being at. (what a horribly put together sentence, but it says what I wanted it to say!)
I agree with Hammer, altho I do take my kids to church. I believe in instilling values and such. They can make up their own minds at a later date. At least I planted the seeds.
I have a strong Christian value. I am 'saved' because of His grace(Jesus) not because I walk a non-sinful life. Sometimes I backslide or ride the fence, but I still know in my heart that if I drop dead, I am going to heaven to be with my Lord Savior.
I loved your response to Matt. Whether you find your support within a counseling center, a church, on your couch or in a dark room with candles and incense, it is YOUR support group.
It is what gets YOU through the daily grind.
Glad you are finding some peace and comfort Dana.
We're all sinners and we're all hypocrites.
But, if you're happy there and comfortable there then that's great. I have found a couple of churches where I was comfortable, but I've also found many that left me steaming mad.
It's when they stop preaching the good word and start handing out voter recommendation fliers is when I get up and leave.
And if the preacher has a 10,000 square foot house and is gone two weeks a month consulting with members of congress then I'm pretty sure he or she is a fraud.
Hammer, last I checked God wasn't too picky about where you are when talking to Him!
RLL, it's also been a wonderful resource for finding a place where I can reach out and help others, while at the same time helping myself!
C, see now? It was actually Cam that got me going to church. He had an interest and I felt it was important that I support that interest - not just in going to church, but in setting a good example Monday through Saturday too!
Bond, it's a funny thing - had I written this post using "Community Center" instead of church and "leader" instead of God, I'm guessing the comments would have had a very different tone.
There seems to be an assumption that churches (especially mega-churches) are nothing but a capitalistic money-making scheme preying on the weak. I say, like everything else in life, sure there are, but there are more that aren't!
I have never been a huge fan of organized religion for *me*. For many reasons that I won't get into here. If my children ever show an interest then I think it would be great for them to go (with my husband who is the opposite of me in this matter) and form their own opinion.
Unfortunately, my husband has opened my eyes to many matter regarding churchs and confirmed exactly WHY I stay as far, far away as I can. Sadly.
I do think it's really awesome that you and Cam have found a great church that you enjoy and have found comfort in. :)
I have a theory that everyone has their own vision of religion. You do not believe exactly what the person in the next pew of the same church believes(down to every last detail). Most major religions have a lot of the same fundamental beliefs, but have gone to war over the differences. Oh and by the way, don't beat yourself up about being a sinner- Christianity is founded on forgiveness...
Jay, the "secrecy" of organized religion has always bothered me. I figure if you've got something worth hiding, I probably should know about it!
Vixen, I think organized religion is not for many (most?) people. Seems I've heard from more folks who have had bad experiences than I have that have had good experiences, and most of those people are actually more "Christian like" than those who do attend churches regularly. I think that says a lot!
Buff, founded on forgiveness, but extremely judgmental - at least that has been my (previous) experience.
Great post! You probably know my thought on religion in general but I do like to read your thoughts.
I think the path you are taking is way cool.
Having been around Christians, (some Catholic, some not) my entire life, I find the current distinction between "Christians" and "Christ Followers" rather amusing. Harkens me back to my youth and the Jesus Freaks.
mas tarde...
The people in charge, not the religion are judgemental... Belief in anything spiritual has nothing to do with someone else's opinion- that's what I'm saying..
M, I don't know that I did know your thoughts on religion, but based on this sentence, I'm guessing I do now!
Kat, I think that "Christian" has become almost a dirty word - many negative connotations associated with it - and the "Christ Follower" label is an attempt to make it somewhat different, although in principle it is IDENTICAL! It's an interesting path, and certainly not one I expected to find myself on!
Buff, true - it is the people who are judgmental (generally), but I would say that it's usually not those in charge that are quick to pass judgment.
Don't sweat the small stuff, focus on the goal...
two of the biggest hypocrites I have ever known in my life proclaim to be Christians. One is my mother. She is the most judgemental person I have ever met, and she is the first to throw bible quotes and say "it's a sign of the end. Save yourself now". Talk about a religious freak.
Another lady, here at work, is all up in to the church and she causes the most problems at our company. She is a bitch, a gossiper, a liar, etc.
I would love to find a church like yours.
This comment is off topic but I thought I'd attache to a current topic instead of the earlier thread in hope that more folks would see it.
Another comment for the Don't Feed the Trolls post.
From the The Volokh Conspiracy Good Advice for Commenters:
I usually try to enforce our comment policy in part through warnings. If a commenter is crossing the line and being uncivil but I think there is hope that he'll change his tune, I try to respond by pointing out the uncivil comment and reminding the commenter that comments must be civil. A while back, Anon321 chimed in with some good advice about how to respond to such warnings:
As should be clear to most commenters by now, the surest way to get banned is, after being warned, to quarrel with the warning, accuse the blogger of improper motives, whine about unequal standards, and generally try to turn the discussion towards the subject of banning. If you get warned and don't think you deserved to, just accept the fact that you're playing in someone else's sandbox, say you're sorry, and/or let it go.
That's good advice. After blogging for more than five years, and moderating comment threads for much of that time, I've developed a sense that there are two basic kinds of commenters who might be uncivil. The first is the commenter who recognizes the value of civility but sometimes gets excited or can be provoked. The second is the person who thinks civility is basically silly, and that we're all best off if we can speak as bluntly and directly as possible without mincing words. To the former person, a civility warning is a reminder to "play nice." To the latter, a warning is cover for censorship, evasion, and hiding from the deep truths that only harsh words voiced bravely by that commenter can communicate.
My sense is that a warning tends to separate these two groups. The former group "gets it," and tries to comply. The latter group plays victim and tries to turn the warning into a debate on the precise standards for commenting and the fairness of the process. The trick is that the latter type of commenter is not someone we'd like to have commenting here. There a lot of blogs out there, and there are certainly places for such people to comment. But it's not our style, and therefore not the style of the small corner of the Internet that we're trying to host. As a result, playing the victim and trying to make the issue the banning (rather than the incivility) is usually a clear sign that the commenter is in the latter group: It ends up making it pretty likely that such a commenter will then be banned.
Of course, a number of my co-bloggers have reacted to these problems by just giving up on comment threads entirely. I can't say I blame them: editing comments and responding to the objections of commenters about the editing process is really unhappy work. But I haven't entirely reached that point yet, so I thought I would flag anon321's good advice about how to respond (and how not to respond) if a blogger warns you to be civil.
"Then ... maybe then ... Christianity would look a lot different than it does today and a few more people would embrace it."
Ah see therein lies the rub. Why does anyone else have to embrace Christianity for YOU to enjoy it?
I am a live and let live gal--I believe there are common rights and wrongs that are shared across humanity.
I'm glad you've found some community--that's a very good thing.
I really enjoyed reading your post.
I am Jewish, but Messianic.. I believe it is not the religion that counts, but the relationship that you share with G-d. I am glad that you have found somewhere that you and cam like.
I am Nehya and I am a sinner!!
Ne
Well from the NA school of thought and just believe that there is a higher power, glad that its working for you.
Laters
Nicey
Matthew 6 lays it out pretty well in admonishing those that pray standing in the synagogues to be seen of men. Your walk with Christ is just that, and no matter what you do in any earthly location, you will stand alone in your judgement. Church is for fellowship with like minded Christians and your pastor (minister, priest, whatever you call him) is there for guidance and learned advisory when dealing with matters of scripture. Nobody can stand in judgement of you in your personal relationship with Jesus and only you and he know what's in your heart. As for why fewer people choose to identify themselves? In this climate of attack on Christianity and all things related by everyone from hollywood to blogland, I think it's no wonder that some are afraid to call themselves Christians.
I hope you and Cam find your individual relationships with God and the strengthening of the bond between you that will come from it.
Take care
FMD
I am glad that you have found a church that is open and accepting. I think the main problem with organized religion these days can be summed up in some of my favorite lyrics. "They've forgotten the message and worship the creed."
That said, I am with Matt in that I am an outside of the box person when it comes to church services, although I find the services at my church as well as just being in there soothing and peaceful. And if it is in Greek or Latin so much the better ;)
I don't belong to any specific church, my religion isn't even legal in my country, but I have great respect for those who want to and can attend some kind of services.
I've been to several churches as my family is a mixture of Baptist and Anglican with a few Pentecostals married in. I respect them and their systems but I can't make sense of any of it personally...
I try to follow the most important aspect of my own path by respecting others, doing what feels right and good to me and never losing sight of our most important law:
"an it harm none, do what thou will"
and I also hold the law of three dear to my heart as a sort of karmic reckoning:
"Ever mind the rule of three, what thee sends out comes back to thee,
Threefold.
This lesson well, thou must learn, thee only gets what thou dost earn"
I find that they keep me in line when I do start to feel vengeful or angry and I pray almost continuously for balance and the strength to carry on... I also like to believe that it truly is as my gramma said -- that all Gods are one God and that God don't care what name you call him by, just so long as you call him.
However even within the folds of my own chosen system -- I have a distinct fear of "organized religion" because so many only play it to take advantage of others trust and worse...
If you find a place in this world where you fit, where you feel safe, comfortable and secure -- snatch that up and hold it tight. Those opportunities are too few and far between to risk letting them pass you by.
Post a Comment