My Ejection from the Church

[RobynD]

So yeah that happened recently. The Baptist brand of the church to be specific. Had been going there with my family for about 13 years and after my wife and I separated, it was one of the few places I go to see my family, sometimes all together.

They acted somewhat liberal for a Baptist Congregation, buying copies of Yarnhouse's book "understanding Gender Dysphoria" on transgender struggles and distributing them. Many people were very nice to me as they knew me for years. But Ultimately they called me "unrepentant" and asked me not to come anymore.

In many respects, I no longer held their views and had struggled to continue to tithe etc as I consider myself now more of a Universalist that worships in the Christian tradition, and I no longer agreed with their statement of faith. Still, given our history together and their desire to accept everyone, I found it a pretty pharisee thing to do.

I've thought about going back to the Catholic (unfortunately the one here, as opposed to the next town, is sort of known from LGTBQ+issues)  or to the UCC, or the Episcopal Church ( i do like to worship in liturgy) but I have not done that and don't feel compelled to do so. The local Unitarian Church is the home of the trans support group etc, maybe I will eventually go there but have not yet.

At presently going through a bit of depression period, I tend to turn more to the atheistic side of myself but I still pray and I know there is some faith there someplace. A bit of crisis of said faith huh?

[HappyMoni]

Any church that would ask you not to return doesn't have a clue anyway. What a horrible thing to do. Even for a non believer like me, I felt comfortable with the acceptance of the Unitarians. You might give it a try. Hang in there Robyn, it will get better.

[Complete]

I would give the Uni's a try. Faith is a precious gift to lose .

[RobynD]

I would give the Uni's a try. Faith is a precious gift to lose .

Thanks Moni and Complete. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I will at sometime thanks, interestingly the loss thus far has not felt bad. I find my atheistic leanings, at least those brought on by recent trauma, to be more comforting. However, I'm still a skeptic when it comes to that worldview too.

[Danielle Kristina]

Sweetie,

I'm so sorry that happened to you!  If you believe, then don't let the shortcomings of a church group take away your faith.  If you don't believe, then that should be personal and not determined by others.  Either way it is up to you.  There are churches that represent Christianity well while others not so much.  Just know that not all believers are judgmental.  Many will welcome you with open arms.  You just have to find what makes you happy. 

Hugs!!!


Danielle

[Sephirah]

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. ~ John 1:12

Sometimes, religion and human prejudice can become mixed up in a pretty unhealthy way. One used to justify the other. That's no reflection on the beliefs, but on the people interpreting them.

Faith comes from inside someone, sweetie. Belief comes from inside someone. I don't follow that path myself, but from what I've seen, and read, the individual's faith is more important in a lot of cases than belonging to an organisation. At the end, we stand on our own, in front of whatever you believe to be the hereafter. And that's when it matters. Not what people around you felt, but what you feel.

I would take a guess that whatever you believe the case to be, the only faith that is necessary is your own. Not that of those around you.

*big hugs*

[Michelle_P]

UCC and many Episcopal churches have been very welcoming and accepting to LGBTQ+ folks. (That accepting bit is key.  There are 'welcoming' churches that will insist on changes before you are acceptible.  Those changes may not ber comfortable!)

I found a home with our local Unitarian Universalist congregation, where they have provided be with support for my faith and personal beliefs within a welcoming congregation, without demanding changes and with support for my activism.

[Anne Blake]

I ran into the same problem with my conservative evangelical Presbyterian church. Being invited to leave my church home of more than thirty years hurt quite a bit. After considerable search I found a progressive evangelical church that preaches the gospel that I believe in with a totally inclusionary perspective. It was so refreshing to find a church that preached of God's love for all and used the same scriptures to support God as a loving caring creator rather than a angry punishing one. I wish you the best of luck in finding an inclusionary home to worship in.

Tia Anne

[V M]

I dumped religion several years ago, too much hypocrisy for me to bother dealing with - A good, kind, honest and decent person is going to be that way whither anyone else tells to be or not

[DawnOday]

All are Welcome   is just a sign on the door.

[Dianne H]

Robyn,
Pray and continue to trust the Lord to lead you.
There are small bodies of believers out there who preach and teach while striving to do so without the foolishness of the divided mess out there.
Just do your best and hang on to your faith.
Hugs,
Dianne

[Dianne H]

Acts 7: 17-19
[17] But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
[18] Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
[19] The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.

Sadly we see too much of this today with Christians.
On places like Facebook they unfriend and block you and delete your posts or comments.
In many churches they feel you're lost or rebellious and cast you out.
The problem is that in many cases (not all) they don't know what spirit they are listening to; what king (spirit) has arisen in them.

[RobynD]

Acts 7: 17-19
[17] But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
[18] Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
[19] The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.

Sadly we see too much of this today with Christians.
On places like Facebook they unfriend and block you and delete your posts or comments.
In many churches they feel you're lost or rebellious and cast you out.
The problem is that in many cases (not all) they don't know what spirit they are listening to; what king (spirit) has arisen in them.

To me, it is just that they have rejected the premise of the entire faith which is to "love one another" that is what it is all built on. Many humans can't love one another for some reason, competition for resources, the need to feel better than and superior, cliquishness, you name it - it keeps them from love.

[Sarah1979]

It's the Enemy, as always seeking to divide us from God in any way he can find.

[Janes Groove]

I'm sorry this happened to you.  IMO they are the one's who transgressed.  You gave them a chance to accept you just the way the creator made you and instead, in their pride, they saw fit to judge God's creation.

Now if I remember my Sunday School lessons, there were some folks who chose to judge and condemn God's son who was sent to save the world just for being himself.   So you are in some pretty good company. Them?  Not so much.

[Carolina]

Hi Robyn,

  Oh my.  It seems like time for another Jimmy Buffet quote:  "Religion's in the hands of some crazy assed people".

  It was the same when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church.  I still have chills and tears as I re-read those theses refuting the actions of a certain crazy assed Pope.

  Once upon a time I knew a follower of the Maharishi -- well, I can't remember his particular name.  The "16 year old perfect master" they used to refer to him probably 40 some years ago.  But I scoffed to my friend, the follower, who pleasantly said the most perfect thing:  "Don't judge the Maharishi's message by our lives, he came to minister to the most screwed up people in the world, of which I am one.  But I am less screwed up because of him."

  Yeah, Christianity draws people who desire authority, control over others.  Judgmental people who are lacking in Christian love and charity.  (not to limit it to Christianity you understand. You will find the same failures in almost all religions.)

  But those crazy assed people are merely the iron filings that are drawn to a magnet when it is the magnetic flux field that is important.  Do your best to ignore their wearisome existence and try to find the truth that draws you.

   Carolina