I dont go to church anymore

[kingpole Retired ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close kingpole]

Back in the early eighties the church atmosphere had a different feel to, more peaceful and more spiritual. And for years this continued. The denomination I belong to was full gospel at the time which is one of many so called evangelical churches that are group together with a bunch of other evangelicals.

About the late 80's the flavor was changing to a more of a right wing influence services began to be peppered with republican propaganda. The last time I went to church was a few years ago it is now the free platform for the Republican party. No longer did services feel spiritual but pig headed, one sided and politically charged.

I felt like I was being smothered by a philosophy not a spiritual directive. Conservative growing up amongst liberals I was now slowly starting to lean to the left tilting more left. Tired of the opinions these people made against other people and other peoples right to have a minds of their own. It soon got to to the point that if you were a Christian than you were a Republican.

Something in my spirit knew that this is idolatry the church is no longer a church but has prostituted itself to the Republican party.

Today this is where I stand in my faith. I have absolutely no faith in the church or at least the evangelical wing of it. Nor do I care to go back to my Catholic roots due to the pedophile priest. I now declare myself churchless not to ever belong to a organization ever again.

Any one else feel like they have been dis-in franchised?

[Titansfan Member Find all posts View Profile Close Titansfan]

I'm only 18, so I will admit that I still have much to learn and discover.

I consider myself to be very religious. I am also a conservative. With these 2 things said, I am not sure that I will ever regularly go to church because I just feel like church is based on a lot of superficial beleifs and ideas rather than a place that emphasizes your personal relationship with God. I feel like nearly every branch of the Christian church just has too narrow of viewpoints for me, especially Catholicism.

[kingpole Retired ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close kingpole]

I'm only 18, so I will admit that I still have much to learn and discover.

I consider myself to be very religious. I am also a conservative. With these 2 things said, I am not sure that I will ever regularly go to church because I just feel like church is based on a lot of superficial beleifs and ideas rather than a place that emphasizes your personal relationship with God. I feel like nearly every branch of the Christian church just has too narrow of viewpoints for me, especially Catholicism.

This is when you got to start reading the Bible for yourself. What the says and what the churches say dont always jive. You got to get it for yourself. Start with the book of psalms.

I have read the BiBle several times cover to cover.

[Radiohead Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Radiohead]

Kingpole,

This is actually FANTASTIC news. It is a wonderful thing when a believer becomes a non-believer after believing for so long.

I am a profound atheist myself and I have to keep my views to myself because I know a lot of people on this forum are Christians. I dont want to offend anybody. But now that you've "come out" with this thread, it feels safer to express my opinion.

I dont wanna go ALL OUT against religion because I can be extremely nasty. I'm just going to say that you made an EXCELLENT decision Kingpole, based on your own opinion of things!

[Closed039 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Closed039]

Radio- I'm sorta with you on that. My parents dragged me to church for years only to have me completely resent the whole institution. But we differ in that I think there must be SOME kind of God, just not the one that Christianity and other mainstream religions tell me I have to believe.

Drop some 'cid and see whats up...

[Damien32 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Damien32]

Well this is it for me the church is supposed to be the social institution that provides guidance and teaches and maintains strong christian morals to the sociey. But it has been totally turned around in my opinion the church takes on the morals of the society, just to maintain the status quo just not to piss off people. The church has become extremely weak, I totally agree with the statement about catholic churches, how the hell can a priest be a pedophile and allowed to continue in church when the Bible clearly speaks out against it . The church no longer is about standing up for what is right and having a close relationship with God but about making money, having a big congregation and maintaining the status quo. I question things in the Bible but christians always jump one me for asking questions, but I believe the Bible was written by man and man can always have his own agenda.There is a God in my honest opinion I'm just not sure that everything they teach us in church is 100% correct.

[MrBigDick Retired ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close MrBigDick]

Well, I do believe in God and feel for anyone who doesn't. Do I go to church? No, I haven't in years. I don't feel I have to go to church to profess my faith. I don't, however, feel that organized religion is for me. I was raised Lutheran and married in a Catholic church. My kids, much to my shagrin, were baptised Catholic. I pray often and consider myself "spiritual but not religious". I have no respect for the Catholic church for all the sex abuse cover ups they've tried to conceal. No respect what so ever.

[MrBigDick Retired ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close MrBigDick]

Well this is it for me the church is supposed to be the social institution that provides guidance and teaches and maintains strong christian morals to the sociey. But it has been totally turned around in my opinion the church takes on the morals of the society, just to maintain the status quo just not to piss off people. The church has become extremely weak, I totally agree with the statement about catholic churches, how the hell can a priest be a pedophile and allowed to continue in church when the Bible clearly speaks out against it . The church no longer is about standing up for what is right and having a close relationship with God but about making money, having a big congregation and maintaining the status quo. I question things in the Bible but christians always jump one me for asking questions, but I believe the Bible was written by man and man can always have his own agenda.There is a God in my honest opinion I'm just not sure that everything they teach us in church is 100% correct.

I totally agree. Ever heard of "Kenneth Copeland Ministries"???

[kingpole Retired ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close kingpole]

Kingpole,

This is actually FANTASTIC news. It is a wonderful thing when a believer becomes a non-believer after believing for so long.

I am a profound atheist myself and I have to keep my views to myself because I know a lot of people on this forum are Christians. I dont want to offend anybody. But now that you've "come out" with this thread, it feels safer to express my opinion.

I dont wanna go ALL OUT against religion because I can be extremely nasty. I'm just going to say that you made an EXCELLENT decision Kingpole, based on your own opinion of things!

I have a deep seated personal relation with Yeweh. Yeshua is God, i have not abandoned God just the body of believers that hink the republican party is more important and more powerful than God. Thous shalt love the Lord Thy God. Not Thou Shall love Rush Limbaugh.

Im not an atheist, nor am i agnostic. To me atheism is like any other religion fragile and limited. But you have the right to your beliefs or the lack there of.

[Damien32 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Damien32]

I totally agree. Ever heard of "Kenneth Copeland Ministries"???

Nah cant say I ever have

[kingpole Retired ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close kingpole]

I totally agree. Ever heard of "Kenneth Copeland Ministries"???

Yes, my mother watches him almost everyday.

[Going411x7 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Going411x7]

Our founding fathers made it clear: Church and State should be separate. Politics has no place in a temple of worship.

[kingpole Retired ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close kingpole]

Our founding fathers made it clear: Church and State should be separate. Politics has no place in a temple of worship.

I wish it would go back to that. They preach at ypu thier politcal agenda then they tell you to vote your consence. then they proceed to tell you what your cpnsious is going to be.

[O.G. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close O.G.]

I just try to be true to myself and others. Stick to my principles, and try to reach out to people. Govern my decisions by logic and reasoning.

[UKGuy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close UKGuy]

HI I was raised in a good family since I was adopted I went to church for years my parents are Christrians and my sister and brother in law too. My father worked for years in different churches he is now even a pastor (like a vicar) of a church. Yet I have no faith, I just don't belief in religion period and my parents know this and respect my views. I love my family but I just don't buy into what they believe in I'm sorry but I think God, Jesus, Heaven and Hell are pure myths and total bullshit, that's just honest opinion. You can't deny their is virtually no proof to back up anything that is mentioned in the Bible. I can't help and question at times why would a real God who "love all his children" continue to let the world suffer like this? To me when Christians claim "those who don't believe in him will go to hell" it's just a scare tatic to join their cult and a cult is what they are as are all other religion they need to reel you in somehow. I have lost contact with someone in my family because of relgious brainwashing and their bullshit beliefs. It's sad when your sister cuts off contact with you and chooses some Jehovah Witness "friends" over their own brother.