Deflating the Church

This Wed. we starts deconstructing some of the things that we feel we are missing out on in the Church, and vise verse. PLEASE NOTE: this recap may come across as harsh or very negative, however, it WAS a conversation that took place and not a crusade on the church. The purpose was to better understand some of the reasons that we are in a group like Divine Conversations, and understanding where some of us have departed from the Church as a whole, or simply portions of the institution! As always, If something that you said is missed in this recap, or incorrectly presented, please add it to the comments with apologies all around!

-The Church seems to care about the smaller stuff rather than the bigger issues:

+ you can't have authentic conversations (like we do in this group) in most churches

+ people in the church are more concerned about you cursing than a lot more Important things

+ you are not allowed to be who you really are, instead you are expected to conform or mask into who they want you to be.

-What Does the Ch. care about?

+The "easy problems"--things they can take a definitive stance on without much effort on their part.

+clinging to it's traditions: type of worship, who sits where, making sure the flowers are visible,etc...

-The ch. seems to focus on the same things over and over again

-The markers for measure by the Ch. show that they are more interested in things other than spiritual growth

-Emphasizes "Blind Faith"= just believe!

-focus on the answers with no room for the real questions people have.

-don't encourage critical thinking about one's faith

-20th century American Ch. seems only interested in about the "afterlife", not the world "right now"

+American Society (capitalism) plays a part in the Ch.'s complacency?

++Like most Americans in general, American Christianity (esp. in the south), focuses on "being comfortable"

-This was brought up as a reference: What should the Ch. "Rethink"? what should we as a group...as individuals "rethink"?

-The fear factor

+both in Gov. and in the Ch.

++we are scared, so much so that we no longer take responsibility or speak out

++ Scared of what?

=fear of being ostracized

=fear of losing jobs/positions

=fear of losing comfort

=fear of being outside the status quo

=others?

-The ch. doesn't seem to care about the individual's voice, and doesn't allow us to speak.

-Is it the Ch. we have a problem with, or the INSTITUTION of the Ch.? or both?

+THERE ARE STILL GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE CH.!

+THERE ARE STILL GOOD PEOPLE IN THE CH.!

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS PART ONE OF AN ONGOING DISCUSSION WE WILL CONTINUE NEXT WEEK! NEXT WEEK WE WILL ASK NEW QUESTIONS LIKE, "WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT THE CH.?"

Email any other questions you would like posted in advance about us/the Ch. for the blog topic for next week to conversationsdivine@gmail.com look for that post monday or tues. of next week!

LET THE CONVERSATIONS CONTINUE!