Sounds to me that someone was in love with Christianity but then found that they liked the outward fruit more than the inward beliefs.
Bec on
March 16, 2008 8:55 pm
Given the list of things they said they “couldn’t” believe I’m not sure on what definition of Christianity they can say that “I became a Christian. I truly did.”
I don’t think one can be in love with Christ, and have the Holy Spirit at work in sanctifying them and hold all those views.
“How can I follow Christ if I don’t believe the word of God?” Very very good question (unless you are liberal). Although I think it’s really the other way around, if you follow Christ, how can you not “accept over half of it”? If we trust Him, we trust scripture, if we don’t trust Him, we don’t trust scripture. I think their “inward” problem is not so much not believing the bible, but not believing God. I think they have mistaken church attendance + mental assent for faith.
I’d be fascinated to know what kind of church it was…
joanied on
March 17, 2008 9:31 pm
I think it’s rare to find people as honest as this person is. It’s not easy sometimes to be honest. He or she will likely miss the friendships made in that welcoming church. Nevertheless, the person felt he or she could not honestly be a member of something not fully believed.
As the author of “I Don’t Fit In” was me, I’d like to say that, no, Daniel Eaton, I was not in love with Christianity. I hated it from the word “GO” but was enamored with the Christ figure. The inward beliefs were admittedly difficult for me, and I would have loved to see more of my brothers and sisters showing outward fruit, but it was definitely not a like or dislike issue. Much deeper than that, actually.
Joanie D., I’m lucky enough not to have to miss those friendships. The people still welcome me to their church (which I attend on and off) and they still hang out with me outside of church. Thank you for your last sentence - that is, in a nutshell, exactly how I feel.
-Mallory
Daniel Eaton on
March 18, 2008 6:31 pm
Thanks for clarifying that, Mallory. Sometimes things “sound” like one thing and are actually something quite different. When I wrote that comment, I was thinking of someone that I knew that was going to join the Mormon church because they were so friendly and family was so important to them…even though they didn’t believe in the Mormon beliefs. They liked the environment more than the doctrine. That is what I was thinking when you started out talking about how “amazing” your church is/was, but that your inner core beliefs were contrary to the teaching. If you feel comfortable doing it, I would love to hear more from you on what these deeper conflicts were and how this amazing church didn’t fit the bill, so to speak.
Thanks for clarifying that, Mallory. Sometimes things “sound” like one thing and are actually something quite different. When I wrote that comment, I was thinking of someone that I knew that was going to join the Mormon church because they were so friendly and family was so important to them…even though they didn’t believe in the Mormon beliefs. They liked the environment more than the doctrine. That is what I was thinking when you started out talking about how “amazing” your church is/was, but that your inner core beliefs were contrary to the teaching. If you feel comfortable doing it, I would love to hear more from you on what these deeper conflicts were and how this amazing church didn’t fit the bill, so to speak.
Bec,
My definition of Christianity is following Jesus, purely and simply. Your inability to understand my situation, and how a thinking person with free will could not believe every single dogmatic point in the Christian faith, is your own weakness. I think it makes perfect sense. I was absolutely (and in many ways, still am) in love with Christ. However, the idea of the Holy Spirit sanctifying me is one of the many points within the faith that followed Christ that I can’t believe.
The narrow sieve through which you seem to sort truth from fiction is dangerous. My inward problem is exactly what you have shown in your response: so many people blindly following something, doing it wrong, and calling it a religion.
The church was a non-denominational, quite normal church. Does it make any difference?
Daniel,
I’ll try to make sense – as I’m sure you know it’s hard to put spiritual conflict into words sometimes. The reason I became a Christian (by the definition mentioned in my response to Bec) was that what Jesus Christ taught resonated with me. His teachings and his actions are so full of love and rebellion that I couldn’t focus on anything else for a while. But the more I read, and the more I learned, the less I could honestly believe. And after a while, that becomes very stressful. I grew tired of berating myself for being a bad Christian because I didn’t believe in a Holy Trinity. Among many other things, I just couldn’t find a place within the religion that made sense to me, that I would fit logically. Does that make any sense?
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Sounds to me that someone was in love with Christianity but then found that they liked the outward fruit more than the inward beliefs.
Given the list of things they said they “couldn’t” believe I’m not sure on what definition of Christianity they can say that “I became a Christian. I truly did.”
I don’t think one can be in love with Christ, and have the Holy Spirit at work in sanctifying them and hold all those views.
“How can I follow Christ if I don’t believe the word of God?” Very very good question (unless you are liberal). Although I think it’s really the other way around, if you follow Christ, how can you not “accept over half of it”? If we trust Him, we trust scripture, if we don’t trust Him, we don’t trust scripture. I think their “inward” problem is not so much not believing the bible, but not believing God. I think they have mistaken church attendance + mental assent for faith.
I’d be fascinated to know what kind of church it was…
I think it’s rare to find people as honest as this person is. It’s not easy sometimes to be honest. He or she will likely miss the friendships made in that welcoming church. Nevertheless, the person felt he or she could not honestly be a member of something not fully believed.
Joanie D.
As the author of “I Don’t Fit In” was me, I’d like to say that, no, Daniel Eaton, I was not in love with Christianity. I hated it from the word “GO” but was enamored with the Christ figure. The inward beliefs were admittedly difficult for me, and I would have loved to see more of my brothers and sisters showing outward fruit, but it was definitely not a like or dislike issue. Much deeper than that, actually.
Joanie D., I’m lucky enough not to have to miss those friendships. The people still welcome me to their church (which I attend on and off) and they still hang out with me outside of church. Thank you for your last sentence - that is, in a nutshell, exactly how I feel.
-Mallory
Thanks for clarifying that, Mallory. Sometimes things “sound” like one thing and are actually something quite different. When I wrote that comment, I was thinking of someone that I knew that was going to join the Mormon church because they were so friendly and family was so important to them…even though they didn’t believe in the Mormon beliefs. They liked the environment more than the doctrine. That is what I was thinking when you started out talking about how “amazing” your church is/was, but that your inner core beliefs were contrary to the teaching. If you feel comfortable doing it, I would love to hear more from you on what these deeper conflicts were and how this amazing church didn’t fit the bill, so to speak.
Thanks for clarifying that, Mallory. Sometimes things “sound” like one thing and are actually something quite different. When I wrote that comment, I was thinking of someone that I knew that was going to join the Mormon church because they were so friendly and family was so important to them…even though they didn’t believe in the Mormon beliefs. They liked the environment more than the doctrine. That is what I was thinking when you started out talking about how “amazing” your church is/was, but that your inner core beliefs were contrary to the teaching. If you feel comfortable doing it, I would love to hear more from you on what these deeper conflicts were and how this amazing church didn’t fit the bill, so to speak.
Bec,
My definition of Christianity is following Jesus, purely and simply. Your inability to understand my situation, and how a thinking person with free will could not believe every single dogmatic point in the Christian faith, is your own weakness. I think it makes perfect sense. I was absolutely (and in many ways, still am) in love with Christ. However, the idea of the Holy Spirit sanctifying me is one of the many points within the faith that followed Christ that I can’t believe.
The narrow sieve through which you seem to sort truth from fiction is dangerous. My inward problem is exactly what you have shown in your response: so many people blindly following something, doing it wrong, and calling it a religion.
The church was a non-denominational, quite normal church. Does it make any difference?
Daniel,
I’ll try to make sense – as I’m sure you know it’s hard to put spiritual conflict into words sometimes. The reason I became a Christian (by the definition mentioned in my response to Bec) was that what Jesus Christ taught resonated with me. His teachings and his actions are so full of love and rebellion that I couldn’t focus on anything else for a while. But the more I read, and the more I learned, the less I could honestly believe. And after a while, that becomes very stressful. I grew tired of berating myself for being a bad Christian because I didn’t believe in a Holy Trinity. Among many other things, I just couldn’t find a place within the religion that made sense to me, that I would fit logically. Does that make any sense?
-Mallory
(Sorry - that first bit was Daniel’s - I had it up for reference and forgot to delete it. Excuse me.)