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Original poster

One visit to church has made me realise I'm no longer even a luke warm Christian.

85 replies

StartupRepair · 31/01/2021 05:03

DH has started attending a uniting church near us and has been quite enjoying it. He asked me to come to a service today with him. (In Australia not in lockdown). I'm raised Anglican, agnostic, care about social justice and would think I have values that align with Christianity.
To my horror the minister's sermon was about the terrible modern age we live in, where inclusion and diversity are everything and people are pro abortion and euthanasia. He said that it was not fair that people who oppose same sex marriage were treated as Nazis. Real Christians, he said, help to set the moral tone and don't just go along with what is socially fashionable.
I didn't walk out as I didn't want to embarrass DH but I hated it. I felt so alienated, when I had really gone along with an open mind and hoped to connect with a holy feeling and enjoy the music.
Has DH just fallen with a very hard line group or is this still the teaching of the church?

OP posts:
sqirrelfriends · 31/01/2021 08:59

Bloody hell, that's really bad and I'm not surprised you walked out. I used to attend a really nice baptist church that was openly accepting of everyone. The minister was quite young and very much a humanitarian "do unto others" type. As far as he was concerned the bible was written by men and full of stuff we had already disregarded.

Unfortunately this lead to quite open disdain by some of the more conservative members but they eventually fucked off to be unpleasant elsewhere.

DayBath · 31/01/2021 09:06

@Finfintytint

Welcome to Christianity. One stop shop for bigotry and hate.
Utter nonsense. There are a whole range of different Christian churches, most of which are moderate to liberal in their political and social views. This is clearly an unusual case. This is such an ignorant comment to lump all churches into one big group based on your own prejudices.

OP, I would seriously discuss the issue with your husband if you feel the church represents views that don't align with yours. This could be really divisive for you as a couple. I suggest taking him to a variety of different churches locally to find one that sits better with you as a couple.

lightand · 31/01/2021 09:24

He didnt preach anything like what is in the Bible. Not worth hearing what that preacher said.

Tiggles · 31/01/2021 09:35

As a vicar, if I invited a visiting preacher and that was their message, assuming I was present I would have asked them to stop as it does not fit with the teaching of Christ.

Labobo · 31/01/2021 09:37

@lightand

He didnt preach anything like what is in the Bible. Not worth hearing what that preacher said.
Well he did and he didn't. You find find all manner of bigotry and cruelty in Leviticus. What amazes me about these churches is that they are really not preaching Christ's message. They rely on pick and mix from the Old Testament and a bit of Paul. Jesus was the opposite of a hating bigot. He said nothing against homosexuality. He sought out as friends the outcasts and rejects from judgemental society.
maddiemookins16mum · 31/01/2021 09:48

You went to the wrong church.

lightand · 31/01/2021 09:50

The Bible is the Old Testament and New Testament. Both.
Many parts of the Old Testament are superceded by the New Testament. God chose to do that.

Jesus didnt mention homosexuality exactly, but mentions sexual sin. And the New Testament certainly says things against homosexuality.

The Bible has a beginning middle and end. Old Testament and New Testament ending with Revelation.

lightand · 31/01/2021 09:51

The Bible is a whole book.
Any preacher that cherry picks, is not worth listening to.

pandapop17 · 31/01/2021 09:52

Christians like to pretend that Jesus has nothing to do with the bigotry of the Bible and Christianity. I like the teaching of Jesus but could never be a Christian. Christians believe in the trinity and that Jesus is God come to earth. He still teaches that people are sinful and deserve to go to hell. If he was so radical why didn’t have women as the the 12 apostles? Why did he call a woman a dog? I know that many people find church and Christianity helpful and that’s great but it irks me when people pretend the faith is perfect. Ultimately Christians pick and choose (and don’t read the Bible). If you want to go to church there are nice liberal ones that pretend the negative stuff doesn’t exist. It’s all a bit hypocritical!

lightand · 31/01/2021 09:55

We all have to bow before Jesus at some point. All of us.
I have no intention of telling him, that he and God were wrong.

scissy · 31/01/2021 10:50

Your DH mentioned it was a stand-in and it wasn't usually like that. Occasionally when our minister is off the visiting preacher we get in turns out to have "interesting" bigotted views (it's not always possible to tell beforehand) - I have walked out in the past! Funnily enough, they get struck off the list and not invited back again... I'd see what the place is usually like before judging them tbh.

Saab9x · 31/01/2021 11:26

@lightand

We all have to bow before Jesus at some point. All of us. I have no intention of telling him, that he and God were wrong.
Speak for yourself.
pandapop17 · 31/01/2021 11:41

@lightand

We all have to bow before Jesus at some point. All of us. I have no intention of telling him, that he and God were wrong.
Really? I don’t believe in God but generally I would think it’s easy to see that drowning the population of the world (which I assume includes children) is wrong. Why would anyone believe that a God who would do this is not a complete monster!
Sphagnum · 31/01/2021 15:15

@lightand

The Bible is a whole book. Any preacher that cherry picks, is not worth listening to.
Personally I'm glad that most Christians no longer want gay people put to death.
RickiTarr · 31/01/2021 16:10

@lightand

The Bible is a whole book. Any preacher that cherry picks, is not worth listening to.
No it’s a library of books, and the most important four - for Christians - are the gospels.
lightand · 31/01/2021 16:18

dailyverses.net/the-word

All scripture is useful.

People need to seek for themselves.

Sphagnum · 31/01/2021 16:33

@lightand

dailyverses.net/the-word

All scripture is useful.

People need to seek for themselves.

You're right, without leviticus how would we know who to stone?
lightand · 31/01/2021 16:43

I will pray for you @Sphagnum.

AtlasPine · 31/01/2021 16:43

If you trust your husband, go again. If he says it’s not normally like that, I imagine he’s telling the truth.

2021hastobebetter · 31/01/2021 16:45

I went to an Assembly of God church for a while was totally shocked as how much hidden hatred there was for single mums and women who had abortions and for LBQT etc really shocked, took me a few years to discover it. I had ignored a few warning signs as the odd ‘one’. The then the Head of the local A and E department gave a sermon for an hour which amounted to a rant on abortion and how these poor women needed help from the church to have their babies and not abort them. Oh my giddy aunt. I approached him after and tried to have a chat about it and he defended himself with bible quotes and had massive support. I went LC as I had lots of friends at the church but the final straw was the pastor had a friend ranting on his page and abortion being worse than those murdered in war and other posts about a babies abs I left. Found a nice congregation church self run by people pro choice pro LBQT etc and then I’ve relocated and I’m worried about trying new churches right now. As I was nearly 4 years into the other one when the direction and red flags became flare guns.

MountainDweller · 31/01/2021 16:45

I have the impression that the Uniting Church is in general very liberal. For example the new minister at Pitt St Uniting Church in Sydney (starting in March) is a trans woman. So maybe you encountered an off-piste minister.

2021hastobebetter · 31/01/2021 16:48

I couldn’t go back abs I would encourage your DH to find somewhere more in tune with both of your views. Otherwise this is indoctrination - do you have children? Did they go?

Wearywithteens · 31/01/2021 17:04

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

Sphagnum · 31/01/2021 17:11

@lightand

I will pray for you *@Sphagnum*.
How patronising.

I don't need false sympathy from someone who thinks I should be executed.

RickiTarr · 31/01/2021 17:30

You're right, without leviticus how would we know who to stone?

Or whose Oxen to covet?