Why Have You Left Your Church?

[xkatz]

I am a spiritual libertarian. I did not like being told things about spirituality. I own my soul!

I hope you don't mind if I ask, but is that why you have appeared to have left the Baha'i Faith?

 

[Boethiah]

I hope you don't mind if I ask, but is that why you have appeared to have left the Baha'i Faith?

Maybe about 75%. I credit the other 25% to wrong time, wrong belief, as well as a shift in world view (which somewhat overlaps with the 75%).

 

[Ben Bet Beh]

Let's sit back and see if any of the nay'sayers
respond to post #44.

And if they do, how they will now attempt to explain it away.
(instead of being genuinely curious/wanting to actually understand)

Count me among those who are genuinely curious/wanting to actually understand.

My own study and research has convinced me (up to this point in my spiritual journey) that the Catholic Church has done a considerably good job of protecting the doctrines of the Christian faith throughout the centuries. I will admit that protecting the doctrines of Christianity and protecting truth are two different things.

This perspective is not an attempt to explain away your experience, but to try and understand. In my own journey, I am attempting to reconcile indivudual spirituality and communal spirituality. The two are often incompatible yet somehow not. It's a dilemma I am working through for myself at this point in the journey.

 

[nocturnalavalonian]

I left because I realised that the Abrahamic, theistic, paternalistic notion of God was just childish nonsense, for child-like minds.
I am open to the possibility of a God, but I don't think any intelligent adult should be following Christianity, Judaism, Islam and their ilk. There came a time, a few weeks ago when I just decided to stop lying to myself. I think individual spirituality is a good thing, but organised religion is not needed; in fact, in this day and age it creates more problems than it solves.

 

[Gaura Priya]

I was a pious Catholic Christian up to a point... when I realised that the whole Christian religion really began from many sects and cults that centered around the personage of Jesus upon His death, with one emerging as the most powerful.

The existence of the the differing 'heresies' prior to the development of Pauline Christianity, its countless and confusing denominations that sometimes even conflict, the inability to evolve beyond the Bible into a more holistic religion, the claims of the Pope are as valid as the claims of the bishops of the Orthodox Church, the Trinity, its stance towards gays, lesbians and transsexuals, etc.

I just couldn't take it anymore. I'm still religious and do miss Christian services sometimes... but unless its social practices are something like the United Church of Canada, I don't think I would be calling myself a Christian any time soon.

 

[SageTree]

I was a pious Catholic Christian up to a point... when I realised that the whole Christian religion really began from many sects and cults that centered around the personage of Jesus upon His death, with one emerging as the most powerful.

The existence of the the differing 'heresies' prior to the development of Pauline Christianity, its countless and confusing denominations that sometimes even conflict, the inability to evolve beyond the Bible into a more holistic religion, the claims of the Pope are as valid as the claims of the bishops of the Orthodox Church, the Trinity, its stance towards gays, lesbians and transsexuals, etc.

I just couldn't take it anymore. I'm still religious and do miss Christian services sometimes... but unless its social practices are something like the United Church of Canada, I don't think I would be calling myself a Christian any time soon.

One of the things I like about the Reverend at the Anglican Church I attend is her use of the Apostles' Creed over the Nicene Creed because it isn't so specific and is more friendly/open to the Christology of Jesus, that is... you could say it's more friend to the Unitarian/Aryan Christians, which is how I relate to the Faith Tradition.

 

[kaknelson]

I left my Church because the gods and nature draw me toward them in love, the church did none of that, only made me suspicious of the intolerance and corruption the priests were showing

 

[Drolefille]

I was raised Roman Catholic and rather devout through college, until at some point I realized I no longer agreed with the Church on many social issues and I disagreed with the politicization of the Church (I didn't think the Bishops advocating for Catholic beliefs to be law was appropriate.) and the child abuse scandal, which I've continued to follow as it unfolds particularly in the UK and Ireland... well basically I reached a point where I figured they wouldn't want me as a member either, if I were honest.

And then, through my Jesuit theology classes of all things, I finally decided that while I found Jesus to be overall a very good teacher who I agreed with on many things, I didn't really believe he was the son of God, divine, or anything that typically makes up a "Christian" mindset.

 

[rosie1]

I haven't been to my Quaker church for a long time. I used to love it. But, recently one of the board members keeps using the church mailing list to send out the worst, devisive right-wing articles she can find. I've been reponding with "debunking" e-mails and sending to everyone on the list. So, they may shoot me if I enter the door.