Have you or your kids been to Soul Survivor?

[Coffeeandcards]

You might want to read this if so:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/04/12/mike-pilavachi-soul-survivor-charity-watchdog/

I figured. :)

Just having a moment of calm…

I'm doing it old skool. I've got Watermark on vinyl.

Seen any demons yet?

Yes you are setting yourself up as a martyr. Don't you remember quoting John 15:18-20 and Matthew 5:11-12 yesterday?

One day this will all come back to bite you when you realise how you've actually behaved on this thread.

DARVO

Old skool nothing. I'm playing Faure's Requiem. Now that's old skool.

I seriously doubt that @TomPinch. What kind of church do you go to, out of interest?

I love a bit of Metallica myself.

Yeah. I wouldn't want anyone to go through what I've been through, but give it a few years and I see it coming. It isn't pretty when it happens.

No demons yet!!

@DustintheWindDude

I am going to step in for a moment.
You are making all sorts of assumptions about the people on this thread and their ‘knowledge’ and seem to be under the impression that we never really had faith, have met a few bad apples, have never been ‘inside’ evangelical Christianity.

This is a very wrong assumption.

You are not being bullied.

It is being pointed out repeatedly that we have truly lived out faith out by most of us and we are very hurt by it. We have found that this absolute blanket statements of ‘truth’ - are not so.

we have found each other here, and it is not the space for ‘telling us, playing the persecuted victim or the disrespect you have shown to us.

@Cherryana Thanks for being more measured than I can manage at the moment.

The reason this all hurts so much is because I devoted many years, a huge amount of money and my heart and soul into it. I lived out a brutally uncompromising faith, and made just about every decision I ever made with an eye to glorifying God and converting as many people as possible.

You will not find many people who were more passionate about their faith than I was.

This is how and why I know exactly what is going on in Dust's head. I know how they're sitting there proudly being a holy keyboard warrior, defending the church to the hilt and waiting for us all to come back, begging for forgiveness. It's exactly how I used to behave, and think, and I NEVER thought I'd see the day when it all fell apart around me and tore everything I'd based my life on to pieces.

In a way, I hope they can carry on happily oblivious to the evils that come out of all this. Sometimes I'm still jealous of people who happily go along to church every week. I wouldn't wish the anguish, grief, sadness, trauma, stress and worry I've been through on anyone.

Yes - I've recently started listening to them again after about 30 years. They're about the only group I can cope with from back then. So glad I now go to a CofE church which is hymns (and the very occasional Shine Jesus Shine). No associations with the past.

I'm so sorry @PrimitivePerson. Your post moved me. Wish there was something I could do to help though I know there isn't.

Sorry to hear that primitive.

I think you can still be in relationship with God without going to church and that's where I am at the moment

Yeah, I really can't cope with rock band style contemporary worship music these days. If I was ever to go back to church - which ain't gonna happen - I think it would have to be somewhere liturgical and traditional, with a bit of awe and mystery to it.

I'm an atheist now. My faith was completely destroyed by the way I was treated.

I've made my peace with that.

Thank you @PrimitivePerson - it’s such a head fu*k. All the mixed emotions, loss, waste, friendships, ways of thinking, change, confusion.

I understand x

It means a lot that you understand. I felt very alone for a long time, but I'm glad there's Christians out there who know what I'm talking about, and won't blindly defend everything.

It's awful that you were treated so badly.

@Cherryana You're making an awful lot of assumptions yourself, but I get what you're trying to say.

@PrimitivePerson I'm truly sorry you've had such a tough time.

I can assure you I know loads. All the best to you.

Can you now see why your actions came across as so obnoxious?

Have you any idea what we've actually been through? Any idea at all?

I can see how my perspective on things could have been triggering, yes @PrimitivePerson.

That's a start. I think you need to learn when not to speak in future. Especially when people ask you not to.

Boundaries are very, very, very important. You only have the right to share your faith and start criticising the religious views and experiences of others if they give you specific consent. You'll note that consent was not forthcoming.

Consent is something evangelicals are atrociously bad at. I've had to learn all about it myself. Work on it. It'll do you a lot of favours.

@DustintheWindDude

Nothing I said in regards to you were assumptions. It was all based on your posts:

You sharing your experiences from ‘inside the church’ as if we have not been inside.

You quoting bible verses about being persecuted - as if you are a victim/being bullied.

You said you were ‘Defending a belief system that you are passionate about..how can Christians not believe in hell’ - as if we don’t know theology and it’s different perspectives.

You stated ‘ what I am trying to get across is you can’t tar everyone with the same brush’ - this is the it’s only a few bad apples argument.

Anything in regards to me or anyone else was taken from reading their posts too.