People have left churches for a plethora of reasons, many of which stem from the church itself being corrupt. But moreover, as you mentioned people want a sense of community without and of the accountability that Church asks.
You don’t want to tithe because you don’t trust leadership with your money.
You don’t want to be told you’re doing things wrong, or to fix some of your sins.
You don’t want a judgmental group of people who think they are better than you.
You don’t want people who say they are generous but ignore the homeless and needy around them.
You want community without the worshiping God part. You want total freedom without guilt. And you want everything you do to be accepted without judgement.
The Church doesn’t exist to stroke egos or to center around a common interest (like a hobby). It supposed to be a place where broken people come and try to look more like Jesus. Even the Pharisees were corrupt. Corruption in the church isn’t new.
I think the positive impacts of the church aren’t publicized like the negatives are, just like any other large community, so like many people just take the worst and throw the baby out with the bath water.
There are good churches. There are good people. And money is honestly accounted for and used by churches.
I highly encourage lonely people to try church. But don’t just walk in thinking it’s perfect or that everyone there is to serve you hand and foot for just attending. It’s more of a hospital with patients that are committed to seeing each other get better.
> But moreover, as you mentioned people want a sense of community without and of the accountability that Church asks.
Do churches ask for accountability or conformity?
> You want community without the worshiping God part. You want total freedom without guilt. And you want everything you do to be accepted without judgement.
I believe you are strawmanning here. People who don't attend church experience guilt and have a moral compass likely in equal measure to churchgoers. The judgement that people wish to avoid is the kind that denies LGBTQ people's humanity, among other issues.
Accountability is a core tenant of Christianity. In the end you are accountable for everything you say and do, or don’t do.
There’s bound to be conformity in the way people grow or change under a given framework which is what Churches provide for everyone attending. Conformity as a whole is not the goal otherwise we wouldn’t have different denominations and expressions of worship.
It makes me sad that many online conversations become the Church vs. LGBTQ. I know this is a sensitive subject and the source of much pain. My main point is not to discuss that at length but rather to point to what this article and thread address which is ways the Church can help with loneliness.
I did not mean to intentionally straw man, if I did forgive me. When I spoke of ‘you’ it was a metaphorical as a general person who might not want church and less targeting the OP directly.
I agree with their points I mainly wanted to provide another perspective in hopes that readers might give the Church another chance. We have failed and will continue to in many ways, but I’ve seen the good outweigh the bad.
You don’t want to tithe because you don’t trust leadership with your money.
You don’t want to be told you’re doing things wrong, or to fix some of your sins.
You don’t want a judgmental group of people who think they are better than you.
You don’t want people who say they are generous but ignore the homeless and needy around them.
You want community without the worshiping God part. You want total freedom without guilt. And you want everything you do to be accepted without judgement.
The Church doesn’t exist to stroke egos or to center around a common interest (like a hobby). It supposed to be a place where broken people come and try to look more like Jesus. Even the Pharisees were corrupt. Corruption in the church isn’t new.
I think the positive impacts of the church aren’t publicized like the negatives are, just like any other large community, so like many people just take the worst and throw the baby out with the bath water.
There are good churches. There are good people. And money is honestly accounted for and used by churches.
I highly encourage lonely people to try church. But don’t just walk in thinking it’s perfect or that everyone there is to serve you hand and foot for just attending. It’s more of a hospital with patients that are committed to seeing each other get better.