I was when I was 13... In a time when adults should be trying to guild me, instead they turned their backs on me. Any who - as an adult I am unable to even sit inside a church without wanting to run away. You would not believe the feelings I get when I have tried to go back to church.
Strong faith in God - no faith in people in churches.
My pastor came to me and said the congragation had a meeting and had voted me out of the church. My pastor said he did not want me to leave. But even being a teen I did not want to stay where I was not welcome.
Six months later that church closed it's doors, and the pastor moved to Texas.
When I told a friend all of this his reply was... When they ask you to leave, they ask God to leave also...
Do you believe that?
2006-09-17 18:00:35 · 15 answers · asked by xiliar 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I got my hair pulled and pulled out of my chair by my arm. Dragged into the hall and I ran out of the place. My hair at the age of 15 was too long for a church to live with being a male. Plus I really did not have any respect for a make believe god either so I can halfway understand them doing that being church is a be like them or die kind of place anyway. I went a few times with ex wife's and ex girlfriends. But I'm pretty sure I will never ever go again.
I can now fully understand what I thought I understood all those years ago. I child should never be taught sex or religion till they are 18. It is just wrong to brain wash children. When they are adult then they should have the right to pick which belief they want to believe in but not till that age.
Religion should be kept in the adult bedrooms and away from the un developed minds of children. Really religion is worse then child porn. Because Child porn might kill a child from time to time but religion has killed millions on top of millions of people and is currently building up to kill millions more.
2006-09-17 18:12:32 · answer #1 · answered by Don K 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's what I like to refer to as religious politics or religious "clicks", I imagine you will find this in all churches of all faiths to more or less some extent. But I can tell you that is the works of man, not god. God would not do such a thing. In my opinion, to be ostracized from a church, is a complete failure on the part of the congregation! But that's just my opinion! I was basically ostracized from a church as a child when I was a child, (not yet a teenager) because of my background, (financial status of family) we didn't have money due to my mother and father being divorced, so I didn't have very nice clothes to wear to church and I didn't have money for the offering. I basically heard sarcastic remarks about the offering from the adults and the clothes from the other children and teenagers. I have been to church maybe 2 or 3 times since then. I am basically like you are, I believe in god, but I have to faith or trust in man at all.
2006-09-18 01:13:41 · answer #2 · answered by big10inmidd 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My daughter had the same situation. She and her friends really liked the youth pastor and he had a difference of opinion and left the church. The kids did not like the new youth leaders and did not attend the service, but waited outside the church to talk with the former youth pastor (who still lived in the parsonage until the end of the month). Because she did not attend service, the pastor decided that she could not return until I came in and talked with them. They felt that she was not willing to be subjective to their authority. I felt that my daughter was to be under OUR authority, not the youth leaders. The only problem, when I requested the meeting, they would not return my calls or e-mails to meet with me. After 5 attempts I gave up.
So, we decided that since this was not the Biblical way to handle it, we left that church and found a different church.
The youth group went down from 55 kids to about 5 within a few weeks after that.
2006-09-18 01:08:03 · answer #3 · answered by Searcher 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, there was obviously something wrong with that church. Perhaps divided against itself?
Of course you should never put your faith in people or churches. God wants us to put our faith in Him, and He will show us the path we should take.
I do know that it is God's will for Christians to meet together, Hebrews 10:25. Struggling with a difficult past, I have occasionally decided I wasn't going to attend church, but I am always drawn back.
If you say you have a strong faith in God, maybe when the time is right you will trust that He will give you a place where people will invest in you in the way they should have when you were younger.
I recently read that God does not do evil things, that men (and women) do evil, but that God can use that event, even years later, to accomplish His will in our lives.
People do really bad stuff. God doesn't.
2006-09-18 01:18:16 · answer #4 · answered by sendmedaisies 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Some people make a church into their own personal social club, instead of a place of worship. The whole idea of an actual christian church building was implemented after anyone who had seen Jesus alive had died. It's unnecessary, and adds to problems like materialism, elitism, pride, and greed. Don't trouble yourself with what people with impoverished souls think or thought of you. God is the only person that you are ultimately accountable to, and He's very forgiving. Also, God is omnipresent, so asking Him to leave anywhere is impossible and ridiculous.
2006-09-18 01:08:30 · answer #5 · answered by medellia1984 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Very much so I believe that.
I have only been aware of one person that was ever voted out of membership in a church. He was not, however voted out of coming to church.
After he cleaned up (drugs, alcohol, adultry) he did come back to church , but not as a voting member.
My point is, that you can see hindsight that you were in the wrong church to start with and just like being fired from a job for wrongful reasons, it doesnt stop you from getting another job.
Go back to church with a free and open heart and see what happens, you could be amazed at what God has waiting for you.
2006-09-18 01:06:08 · answer #6 · answered by cindy 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have no idea what this is about. What on earth did you do that people would have voted you out of the church. We are not getting the whole story here. I doubt it was something as benign as your clothing.
No, did not leave with you. God promises to be in the church period, that does not mean he approves of everything that human beings do. Humans are sinful creatures and can really screw up good things!!!
You may or may not be interested in pursuing religion again-you didn't say, but you might want to force yourself to church to get over those feelings - you don't want the feelings to have that kind of power over you.
2006-09-18 01:06:27 · answer #7 · answered by chris 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, I do believe that. A church is a place of God, and it's not representing him to cast anyone out for any reason. Jesus 'never' pushed anyone aside. I'm sorry to hear that happened to you, and I hope you'll be able to find a church you can be comfortable in. Ask God to help you move on from that horrible event. ^_^
2006-09-18 01:06:00 · answer #8 · answered by Crimson_Sky 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yep. When my best friend of seven years came out of the closet our church told him he couldn't come back. That's what opened my eyes and I realized I belonged to a cult, not a religion.
2006-09-18 01:08:13 · answer #9 · answered by Sebastian 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That is so sad. I can't believe that they would ban a 13 year old child. I would have to say that their priorities were not straight at all. I am so sorry that you were done that way as a child.
2006-09-18 01:08:25 · answer #10 · answered by GraycieLee 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋