Thinking of Leaving the Church?

I’ve had a couple friends that have left, or almost left Christianity because they didn’t realize some Christian denominations fight hard for social justice. Or affirm homosexual unions. Or shunned Trump. They thought all churches stood for things they, themselves just couldn’t stand for.

For some reason it seems to be only the really big conservative denominations we hear about. And maybe this is why we often assume they are our only option.

I don’t know where I stand on some of these really hard issues but I see denominations differently than maybe some people do. I see most of them as siblings in one big family. You may disagree with your sister politically, or with how she raises her family or something, but you still love her and consider her part of the family. And it’s not like each denomination is trying to do unloving things. I think each one is just championing a different ethic. For some it is trust in the inerrant utterance of the Bible that they champion.  For others it is the love for the underdog that God exhibits in that Bible. Other denominations champion other ethics as the utmost priority. And this leads each to different practices and doctrines. How are we supposed to know which ethic to champion? I wonder if maybe none of us has the balance exactly right but we are each championing a different part of God’s heart. And it is together that we give a fuller representation of his passions for us. I say this at the risk of losing some to views that are too far outside the scope of God’s heart, but hoping to rescue those who are ready to leave the church altogether.

If you want some denominations that have some more progressive views, search Presbyterian Church (USA), UCC, Disciples of Christ, The Community of Christ, and Lutherans. some Mennonites, and Quakers. And I bet many non-denominational churches sit at places along the progressive spectrum. They all fall at different places on these issues but hopefully this gives you a start so you don’t give up on God all together.

Raw Spoon, 10-31-17 (Halloween!)