Has anyone read 'So you don't want to go to church anymore'

[sapientia]

by wayne jacobsen and dave coleman?

I enjoyed it...it seemed to put into words how I feel about church. Well, the churches I have gone to, and was raised in. Yes, I do have a lot of resentment towards some pastors in my life that have been really big hypocrites and to be honest, growing up I suffered a bit in church (singled out, told I had demons in me that caused me to question the pastor, blah, blah) but it was nice to see that my feelings about a lot of churches being out of proverbial bounds wasn't entirely me.

I would love to talk about this if anyone is interested.

[lotus.blossom]

Yes! I just read this book. My mother gave it to me. We are at a bit of a stalemate about God. I was raised in a borderline cult and she understands my resentment about the whole thing, but on the other hand she agonizes about the fact that I have turned away from christianity.

I liked parts of the book but parts of it made me squirm. The whole concept that John was John the Baptist was intriguing......but far fetched. and some of the dialogue was syrupy. Especially Johns use of the phrase "Father." I felt like it really portrayed the love part of God without any mention of the jealous wrathful part of God. I'm not exactly sure what it accomplished. Didn't really give me anything new to think about. I have known since I was a child that the church setting was not for me.

What did you think of it?

[sapientia]

Yep! I thought it got a bit campy-same stuff you mentioned. I understand the symbolism of God always providing and sending us people we need at the perfect time...but it did get a bit annoying how John kept showing up at the perfect moment.

However, It was really nice to read the same stuff I feel about the church-esp. the 'guilt' stuff and that the sense of 'religious obligation can hold people captive'. I can't stand the guilting 'love God because if not he's gonna get ya!' that is so often taught to children in church. So when he pointed that out in the book it really resonated with me. It was nice to see what I've been feeling and saying for so long written down.

I really don't know how to translate that into homechurch or going to church-mostly I just talk to my kids about biblical history and faith, I don't go to church too often. Maybe I expect too much out of a church!
Thanks for the response!

[lotus.blossom]

I'm still trying to work out my relationship with God so I'm more of an ex-christian, former agnostic, current Deist reading the book! But in a way I guess it did validate a lot of feelings that I had about my former church. I went from super fundy controlling all inclusive church/school to this other experience which was a home based church led by a really twisted and messed up man. So I have run the gamut of "churches" and I just get a bad taste from it ALL! Like the book demonstrated, when someone gets put in a position of leadership or power it can really go to their head. I feel like certain personality types really get sucked into the social aspect of church and they love the commitees, bible studies, suppers, and all the churchy type stuff. I would prefer to wander into the woods and dwell or read there rather than have someone spoon feed me their interpretation of God. I do think that the church has turned into something that it was never intended to be. It really can be a business rather than a body of people.



(p.s. I just noticed that we are married to the same man!! )