I left the Local Church After Reading the Real Church History

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

"Where else is there to go" was part and parcel of the disillusionment.

That is a very good point. I can't even count how many times I heard people in the LC say things like that. I didn't always realize it, but by the time there is that kind of talk happening, the disillusionment has probably been there for awhile.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Freedom

That is a very good point. I can't even count how many times I heard people in the LC say things like that. I didn't always realize it, but by the time there is that kind of talk happening, the disillusionment has probably been there for awhile.

I have been told that too. Also in there is the practice of "everyone speaking". My response is if you become part of a home meeting group, there is plenty opportunity for everyone to speak.

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by Terry

I have been told that too. Also in there is the practice of "everyone speaking". My response is if you become part of a home meeting group, there is plenty opportunity for everyone to speak.

I think that with people who came into the LC having some sort of existing Christian background, it is quite possible they did so because they legitimately felt that the LC had something to offer that other groups didn't.

By contrast, those who grew up in the LC never knew anything different, so it would be impossible to make that kind of determination without having visited other groups. Most of us just learned to take other people's word for it.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Freedom

By contrast, those who grew up in the LC never knew anything different, so it would be impossible to make that kind of determination without having visited other groups. Most of us just learned to take other people's word for it.

It's really sad, but that's how it was and I believe still is.
Ones raised in the local churches are either:

• positive for the ministry
• feign being positive for the ministry but this is the only Christian life they know
• Allow their experiences in the local churches to affect their faith, lose faith and become unbelieving out of the thought local churches represent what it is to be a Christian (which it is not).
• Those who have see past the pretention and seek to meet with Christians outside the local churches.

By contrast it is no different in denominations. Those raised as a Lutheran it is all they know. Those raised as a Baptist it is all they know.
It's a challenge to break free and leave the comfort zone.

[Trapped]

Originally Posted by Terry

It's really sad, but that's how it was and I believe still is.
Ones raised in the local churches are either:

• positive for the ministry
• feign being positive for the ministry but this is the only Christian life they know
• Allow their experiences in the local churches to affect their faith, lose faith and become unbelieving out of the thought local churches represent what it is to be a Christian (which it is not).
• Those who have see past the pretention and seek to meet with Christians outside the local churches.

For bullet #2, feigning being positive for the ministry but this is the only Christian life they know.....part of what comes with that is disillusionment, deflation, dissatisfaction, depression. It's a totally defeated mind and soul. It's "what am I doing wrong?" It's "why aren't I happy?" It's "why does everyone else act okay? Am I the problem? Does God not care about me?" It's a feeling of being totally trapped, knowing that what you are being fed isn't cutting it, but being literally afraid and unable to try anything else.

It creates a life of desperation for that person.

I am so ready for something to change in the LC.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Trapped

For bullet #2, feigning being positive for the ministry but this is the only Christian life they know.....part of what comes with that is disillusionment, deflation, dissatisfaction, depression. It's a totally defeated mind and soul. It's "what am I doing wrong?" It's "why aren't I happy?" It's "why does everyone else act okay? Am I the problem? Does God not care about me?" It's a feeling of being totally trapped, knowing that what you are being fed isn't cutting it, but being literally afraid and unable to try anything else.

It creates a life of desperation for that person.

I am so ready for something to change in the LC.

Yes, it's my experience. Everyone is so positive and so okay, why don't I feel it? I must be the only one who has a problem.
Having to speak one way for the meetings, but never to speak what is on my mind or what interests me. To truly speak my mind would have resulted being escorted out of the meeting hall. That is what fear of man does.

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by Terry

Yes, it's my experience. Everyone is so positive and so okay, why don't I feel it? I must be the only one who has a problem.
Having to speak one way for the meetings, but never to speak what is on my mind or what interests me. To truly speak my mind would have resulted being escorted out of the meeting hall. That is what fear of man does.

I think for me, the meetings felt boring a lot of the time. I remember when the elders would get the sense that someone or multiple people weren't enjoying the meeting, that's when they would start making everyone stand up and call on the Lord three times. Sometimes they would even single someone out and make them do it by themselves.

I could never understand what made them think that getting people to do that would resolve the boredom, lack of interest or whatever other underlying problem there was.