Why I left my church and family.

[Blue1Sapphire]

Pinkbelt....the 5th commandment says, " honour your Father and  your Mother". It doesn't say if they are good or bad.....just do it.

From experience, I have found there are many blessing in doing so.

[Debp]

5 hours ago, Michael37 said:

What about your boyfriend?

I am also interested in the answer to this question....I also asked about this.   If we claim to follow the Lord, that means all of His teachings, even about marriage.  We can't pick and choose just certain things that Jesus taught.

I am sorry you had bad experiences with your church but please don't let that turn you away from believing in all of God's inspired holy Word.

[ayin jade]

5 hours ago, PinkBelt said:

You obviously hate "liberals" and are only interested in attacking me. You are trying to goad me into defending Jim Wallis and railing about your pet social issues. I'm not biting. 

 

None of what you said is accurate, and if it was you'd prove it. I follow the teachings of Christ and anytime a persons words and his come into conflict, the person loses automatically. 

I saw 3 things alone in your opening post that violated the teachings of Christ. 

[ayin jade]

Sigh I couldnt let this go ....

The leaders of the red letter movement are emergent church leaders. This is not good. Tony campolo for instance sees man as divine. This goes against what the bible says about man. Below is a quote from one of his books.

“[Robert Schuller] never lets us forget that we have a divinity about us and that as sons and daughters of God we are capable of great things. ... [Schuller] affirms our divinity, yet does not deny our humanity ... Isn’t God’s message to sinful humanity that he sees in each of us a divine nature of such worth that He sacrificed His own Son? ... [Christ] was aware of the filthy side of Mary and her sisters in the world’s oldest profession, but He also saw their divinity” (Partly Right, pp, 118, 119)

1) We do not have a divine nature. 

2) God's message to us is not that He sees in us a divine nature that He sacrificed His Son for us. 

Campolo stood by his statement on The Charlie Rose Show: “I am not convinced that Jesus only lives in Christians” (Calvary Contender, October 1, 1999).

3) Again that goes against what the bible says. 

In an interview with Shane Claiborne in 2005, Campolo said: 

“I’ve got to believe that Jesus is the only Savior but being a Christian is not the only way to be saved." (“On Evangelicals and Interfaith Cooperation,”Crosscurrents, Spring 2005, 

4) Against scripture

“There is a feminine side of God. I always knew this … It is this feminine side of God I find in Jesus that makes me want to sing duets with Him … Not only do I love the feminine is Jesus, but the more I know Jesus, the more I realize that Jesus loves the feminine in me. Until I accept the feminine in my humanness, there will be a part of me that cannot receive the Lord’s love. … There is that feminine side of me that must be recovered and strengthened if I am to be like Christ … And until I feel the feminine in Jesus, there is a part of Him which I cannot identify.”
“Carpe Diem: Seize the Day”, 1994, pages 85-88
 

5) Not remotely in scripture.

“going to heaven is like going to Philadelphia….There are many ways….It doesn’t make any difference how we go there. We all end up in the same place.”
“Carpe Diem: Seize the Day”, 1994, pages 85-88

6) Against what the bible says

“I have already made the point that we need to have to win people to Jesus Christ, but we must also preach the whole Gospel which not only calls people to love Jesus but to bring His justice into the political and economic arena in which we live.”
“Campolo: Opposition to women preachers evidence of demonic influence”
Jun 27, 2003, By Gregory Tomlin,Baptist Press

7) That is not what the bible says the gospel is. 

“I’m not convinced that Jesus only lives in Christians.”

Charlie Rose show on January 24, 1997

8.) Not in the bible

And many more examples. Plus there is the other leader, shane claiborne, who found spirituality in buddhist practices, among other things. I might look his words next. 

[ayin jade]

Eh I cant find his site any more where in his own words he expressed using buddhism in his blended version of Christianity. 

[Guest PinkBelt]

On 7/15/2018 at 6:18 AM, Cobalt1959 said:

I already knew, both times when I asked the question, that you would not answer it.  Not answering it says many things about you.  Just as trotting out the word "hate" in your 3rd post in your own thread says.  You will say none of what I say is accurate, yet you will pull out a shop-worn word like "hate" to try and justify behaviors that are decidedly not Christ-like.  I don't "hate" Liberals.  I speak against what they stand for because they directly oppose what Jesus stands for.  That is the reason you will not answer the question.  I never asked you to defend Jim Wallis, but you obviously know who he is.  I asked you to explain to me how you could denigrate Trump, on the one hand, but find no problem with voting for Obama, twice, when he is just as morally-compromised as Trump is.  I can legitimately ask the question, because I voted for neither of them for exactly that reason.  That means my actions match what I say and what I stand for.  Yours do not.

In actuality, you do not follow the teachings of Christ. You voted for a candidate that supports abortion and homosexuality.  That means you support those things and both of them are a sin.  

You, by your own admission abandoned your own parents which is a violation of the 5th commandment.  Here are some Red Letters from your own movement:

Luke 18:20 You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.' " 

You did not honor your father and mother.

You may or may not have had cause to divorce your husband.  No one knows that but you, but if you are not married to your boyfriend then you are in violation of the 7th commandment as well. 

In tossing words around like "hate" with no clear evidence, you also break the 9th commandment.  So keeping the teachings of Christ is obviously not really that important to you.

The problem is not with either Liberalism or Conservatism.  Your rational is based on personal feelings.  If it was not, and you were 100% certain you were correct in your actions, you would find questions simple to answer, not avoid them because they didn't meet your expectations.  You cannot vote for a political candidate that endorses sin and serve God at the same time.  You cannot cut off your parents and serve God at the same time.  You cannot commit adultery and serve God at the same time.  You don't have to answer anyone's questions in the here and now.  But someone with much higher authority will ask you these same questions later on.  You will not have the option, at that point, of refusing to answer them.  Because the person asking you those questions will be the person you say you follow.  And He will ask you these same questions.

 

The reason I said you "hate" liberals is because you clearly do. You demonize them and accuse them of thoughts and beliefs that are not at all true. if it is true please show me evidence that every liberal, or even most of, embodies all the beliefs and traits you accuse them of.

As to honoring my parents: I'm 40 and not beholden to my mother and father. They were abusive towards me, as I stated, and therefore I cut off communication. I have not abused them, I have not called them names or done anything disrespectful. They are not entitled to abuse me because they are my parents and if you think they are then that is your problem not mine. I don't answer to you I answer to God.

 

On 7/14/2018 at 11:38 PM, Michael37 said:

What about your boyfriend?

 

On 7/15/2018 at 5:07 AM, Debp said:

I am also interested in the answer to this question....I also asked about this.   If we claim to follow the Lord, that means all of His teachings, even about marriage.  We can't pick and choose just certain things that Jesus taught.

I am sorry you had bad experiences with your church but please don't let that turn you away from believing in all of God's inspired holy Word.

 

This is addressed to all three of you:

I have never committed adultery and you are baring false witness by stating otherwise. My first post clearly says my ex-husband WAS an adulterer and therefore I have a biblical right to a divorce. Please read Matthew 19:9.

Having a boyfriend does not make one an adulterer and I have not once given any impression otherwise. For you to assume I am in some sexually inappropriate relationship says everything about you and nothing about me. To make assumptions about others is the same of judging, which Jesus unambiguously warned against.

Now that you have assaulted my character without cause and repeatedly attacked me I am no longer going to communicate with you.

 

Edited August 11, 2018 by PinkBelt

[Michael37]

3 minutes ago, PinkBelt said:

Having a boyfriend does not make one an adulterer and I have not one given any impression otherwise.

Thanks for clearing that up, PinkBelt. Some groups have ultra-strict rules about relationships, dating, and courtships, and I know of a landlady who was chastised for arriving at a meeting with just her male boarder in the car. This United Church of God would disfellowship unmarried couples who arrived together in the same vehicle. When I was courting my wife I was refused entry to her AOG friends house because of 1Thessalonians 5:22  Abstain from all appearance of evil.

There is legalism and there is licentiousness...both extremes to avoid in our walk with the Lord. 

[Neighbor]

On 7/14/2018 at 2:26 AM, PinkBelt said:

I now embrace the Christianity of the bible, charity, compassion and a come as you are philosophy.

Hi, and again welcome. Welcome to general discussion and all that comes with it.

Very interesting history/testimony, much like that which many of us also have  as our rearview mirror image. Yes come as one is,  but my question for myself then becomes; does one just stay there? As I am, or or do I work at the Christianity I now want to espouse by taking full responsibility as an adult accountable human, one accountable to God?

Seems to me that at some point in life I have to stop using my own  heritage, environment and  personal history as cause for today's actions and my own plight. I  need to go forward without trotting out my  past  as my crutch and as my own excuse for my "feelings" and then using my feelings to justify action.

I too can find fault in my parentage- and so?  I can find fault in any church too, - and so? Guess what,  it is not all about me and my experiences and my feelings and how I am mistreated. I need to suck it up and be responsible to God for me. I cannot use the well God it is this way I had a hard time in life growing up.

So what about my girlfriend that I am living with as  though she is my wife, yet I do not commit to marriage and all that it intails because that is a hard commitment to keep? Well, hmm, guess I had better reconcile my excuses with the desire and command of my creator. Try that one at age 74, it isn't easy, but it is right in the sight of God.

-----

 On a lighter note: but a serious one; there is the old adage- I felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes, until I met a man without any feet.

And then there is the real life example of one who has no feet nor any hands at all, yet he climbs mountains and has excelled at  competitive wrestling. His motto; No hands -No feet - no excuses. 

As the movie line goes;"What if this is as good as it gets?" The answer is; then that is perfect! For it is the will of God for my further sanctification. So I will suck it up persevere and work at being the bond-servant that does go the extra mile, even when it hurts and is much easier to trot out my excuses, my parents this, my mate that  the churches they do this and that and then another. No excuses!

 

Thanks for the mirror and reminder that perhaps near everyone gets tempted to trot out excuses to try on each other before trying them on God.

[ayin jade]

51 minutes ago, PinkBelt said:

 

Having a boyfriend does not make one an adulterer and I have not once given any impression otherwise. For you to assume I am in some sexually inappropriate relationship says everything about you and nothing about me. To make assumptions about others is the same of judging, which Jesus unambiguously warned against.

 

The red letter words of Jesus state:

Matthew 5:27 You have heard that it was said to the ancients, "You shall not commit adultery."
28 But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

[Blue1Sapphire]

So in wanting to communicate with other Christians about issues within her life, it would seem she is seeking some empathy and possibly advice. The problem arises when that empathy or advice is not forthcoming in a way that she would like, the communication is shut down.

Does that ring alarm bells with anyone, including you Pinkblet?

There is a word for it, but I will let you figure that one out. Take care.