I absolutely just love when I say, I am never going to do something and the turn right around and do it! For example, I had told myself that I was not going to blog about religion on here. Here it is, the first blog I am going to publish, and it’s about religion! Fan-freaking-tastic! Oh well, my audience isn’t that big, no one will notice.
Revelations- in the local news, not the bible, has brought to light a scandal on a very big church community here in my hometown. Now I have been leery of this particular community for a few years. Specifically, ever since my husband and I briefly lost our best friends to the drink the Kool-Aid mentality. Funny, I can’t quote a lot about this organization, because my BFF didn’t tell me a lot about it. Red flag #1! That bitch tells me EVERYTHING! So she knew something was up and I would raise an eyebrow or two. However, she was happy. She was happy because her husband of many, many years didn’t just drink the Kool-Aid. Boy was swimming it! She had longed for a church where her husband felt comfortable. This was it! It was happening!
Red Flag #2- my husband did tell me a lot about this church from what he heard from the husband. Again, I am not going to state I know everything that went on there. I can’t fairly do that. I wasn’t there. I just know everyone started throwing around the word cult, then people were being unfairly judged and pressured into things they didn’t fully believe in.
Long story short, we have our BFF’s back. The husband has his wife keep on ongoing Pinterest board on cover up tattoos for his large “Day I Was Saved” piece and he may never go to a church again. Not only that, he doesn’t even say he’s a Christian anymore. So yeah, the effects of this church were BIG!
I don’t care that he isn’t a Christian. He is a good person. He does many things “Christians” wouldn’t. So does my husband who also has similar views on Christianity. They are two of the most giving people on this planet. My husband is extremely spiritual. He believes in a greater power. He doesn’t believe in church. I have discussed this with him many times, wanting to raise my children in church. Then the voice in the back of my head starts mumbling. It gets louder and louder.
Finally it yells- “Don’t you remember?!?! YOU are a catalyst for infidelity!!!!”
“Say what? I most certainly am not! I have never been unfaithful in my life!”
“I didn’t say YOU committed infidelity! I said you were a catalyst! Look it up. You really are a dumb bitch, aren’t you?” Myself mumbles under its breath. Take a moment to let that sink in. My inner voice, mumbles derogatory words at me. You thought you had problems.
Well since my inner thought brought it up, I should probably explain. Twice now, that is TWO TIMES in my life I have been deeply committed to a church that went to shambles when it was revealed that the people in the ministry were having affairs with each other. The head minister was involved both times. Two different churches. Two different circumstances. Two different times in my life. I. Am. A. Catalyst. (Let me be clear. I had absolutely nothing to do with these affairs.) I wonder why I have a hard time picking a church? We live in a pretty small town. These were big churches within the community. These events shook a lot of people. Their foundations were destroyed.
Now the “drink the Kool-Aid” church just released the same thing has happened. Thank goodness, I had nothing to do with this church. Maybe my catalyst hold has been released.
Am I judging these people? Hell yes! I sure am! Will I forgive them? Sure. Why not? Everyone makes mistakes. Do I want them teaching and influencing my children on the ways to live a Godly life? HELL NO! Yes, I do hold them to a higher standard! Let me ask you this? Would you pay good money to take your kid to soccer being coached by someone who knows nothing about soccer? What if you know more about it than what that coach knows? Chances are you wouldn’t. You would most likely say something or start looking for a better place. So why take your family somewhere to learn about the 10 commandments, when they can’t even follow them themselves? We do a pretty good job teaching our children right from wrong. To follow the ways of the Lord, which is also following the ways of how good and decent people should be. We teach more about spirituality than some churches would. We teach them to appreciate and respect Mother Earth, every creature great and small, all things in this Godly world.
So I have decided to stop stressing about picking a church so that we can Facebook tag ourselves there every Sunday morning in our pretty clothes. We will pick a church and it will be soon. My children truly want to go. I do too. My husband will give it the ol’ college try, because he is an amazing man, leader of our family, and loves us dearly. However, I will be vigilant in who is teaching and influencing everyone. I will make sure above all else, my husband and I are the role models my children need, not someone who can quote every sin and then give examples of how they committed them.
I am sure I will have a lot to share once this journey begins!
Peace to all and I hope I didn’t offend too much!
Coco Hipwood
CocoHipwood 
Is say I’ve always been athiest ( no I do not believe in gods heavens or hells or devils and dumb shenanigans ). I think society pushed me into church and the one I got was the cult and I realized I was awesomely happy being the athiest I was before and was never happy being drunk on kool aid and being told who I should be, in short. Sharon get Pete’s dick out yo mouf
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I believe I know your friend with the tattoo quite well, actually I’m quite positive that I do. You see, if it is the man I know; he is truly a kind, caring, wonderful person. Who loves his family the in-laws included, Worships his beautiful wife and children and would help someone in need. Even though he no longer calls himself a Christian I rest assured in the fact that what he felt for God was with a pure heart and therefore God has accepted it that way. The church is not the judge of this man only God is. The church left him feeling used, judged and mistreated, shame on them. There will come a time when his heart heals and he finds a church home again. I’m positive of this because he is in many peoples prayers nightly, mine included.
Nene
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I am happier without church. I have never found one who didn’t preach against people and hatred. I found a UU one but I work so it’s pointless to go. I liked it.
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Church is never a building, it’s what is embodied by mind, heart, and soul. Faith is far more important than any book or literal interpretation of said “book”. As Jesus practiced he didn’t do it in a church and most Christians gathered in back rooms and shady areas in which to create a community and fellowship. I am not against God and religion, but find that organized church/religion have bastardized what it truly means to be a Christian! People go there on days to wear their nice clothes and feel better about themselves, but them once dismissed end their religion there and go have lunch at a restraunt with friends and talk about how good they were sitting in those pews and tithing. But rarely go beyond and reach out to those in the community around them who could use sole help from a good practicing “Christian” who attends a building regularly. In my humble opinion I think Jesus would be infuriated with the idea of the modern church, especially the megachruch, since WE personally are Gods temple and can do so without a structure to sit within. I have a church VERY nearby whom I finally had to tell I prefer they slip my house… Because when I tell them my perspective and faith they literally told me if I didn’t come to their specific building (church) I would not see the glory… Hell, Jesus and I hang in a daily basis and he lets me know when I’m a shitty person, but never gives up on me and my faith is strong without a place to enter for worship or some “leader” to give me some watered down lesson that is usually very slanted or biased toward their personal positions. ‘Nuff said, amen 🙂
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