My sister and BIL were looking for a church close to where they had relocated. They attended a Methodist church a couple miles away, and were liking what they heard for 3-4 weeks. Then one Sunday the minister decided to spend the entire sermon bashing capitalism. (I guess he figured that losers and lay-abouts footed the bill for the beautiful church building and grounds, and capitalists had nothing to do with it.)
I haven’t been to church in years and years. Not because of God, but because of people. It got to be too much. I was raised Catholic, and then went to a non-denominational church for years when I was older.
One pastor said, “Heaven is communism”. Then another said, “Even if Jesus is a lie, it’s the best way to live. And they also pushed/encouraged other things I didn’t/don’t like.
Altruism is not biblical. I’ve been looking into the Christian Orthodox Church, but there aren’t any around here that I know of.
A guy I know goes to a Methodist church nearby. He said they no longer have to tithe because the government gives people food stamps. How do they pay the bills then? Must be money coming down from above. Money that fedgov pays them to relocate “refugees” is my best guess.
My hometown church that I lacked attendance to was built in the early 1600s, First Congregational Church. Church of the Pilgrims. Most of them joined the UCC but last I knew, my hometown church was still autonomous and very conservative.
Now I live in MO and there are no 1st Congregational Churches near me. As far as I know, independent baptist would be the closest thing. We’ve been to a few different churches. Went to a Methodist a few times because that’s what my wife grew up with because her mom went to one. Her mom also went to an Obama rally so I imagine the Methodist church they went to was probably pretty liberal. The one we went to was just boring to me. Everyone there including the preacher were over 60 so it was kind of a sleep fest.
Went to one church in MS and oh boy. Preacher spoke in tongues and when he did, this meek little old woman suddenly jumped up and started running around waving a silky scarf. They had a rock band and the preacher’s son played bass. The preacher’s daughter sang once and the song ended with this thin yet shapely 16 year old girl in a tight sundress moaning “I want to feel you” over and over. Talking about the spirit of Jesus I’m sure. Right after that, the collection plate went around for a second time and all those good ole boys wiped the sweat from their brow and dug deep into those pockets to pay for the sinful thoughts they just had. They were trying to get the parking lot paved for the new church building they had just built.
Went to another tiny church in MO and I just couldn’t understand what the preacher was saying. He had a real back woods MO accent and cried half the time he was up there. It seemed like it was just him and his family and friends of the family. His three daughters would get up there and sing. I think he/they had dreams of the girls going to Nashville or doing the church circuit.
Haven’t been to a church in a while. I suggested going to one nearby and my wife said, “Oh, he’s an a-hole” about the preacher. I didn’t feel like taking her to any church after that.
Churches out here and maybe everywhere tend to be like a social network where you make connections that become financially rewarding. If you don’t go to any church, you’re kind of in a different class that doesn’t get to participate as much in the economy. My neighbor is kind of a long haired biker type and crude. A heathen one might say. He’s locked out in some ways due to his reputation. He walked into the feed store for the first time and the guy said they have nothing there for him. The guy who owns the feed store has family members that own other businesses where my neighbor also can’t do business. I can do business in these places but I have a sneaking suspicion that if I went to the same church as them, I’d get better prices.
The church thing seems like a whole lot of click thing going on that reminds me of high school. People getting together in little groups and segregating themselves for the most part. Some of the groups may interact a little or they may stay totally separate and have animosity towards each other. The focus seems to be more on the network of people than God in a way. Just like in school, I have no desire to join some little click of friends so I pretty much keep to myself but I might go church shopping sometime and see if I can find a group that I think of as normal people and not some club.