Bible said in the last days people will* heap up for themselves false teachers who tell them the things they want to hear instead of the truth, so makes sense that so many churches have fallen.
They flock for incucksivity sermons, folk-rock 3.x, ‘prosperity gospel’, flock of purchased voters, “any normal people fer marrying?” singles meetinghouse, antichrist pope-mobiler, and state-funded refugee resettlement centers.
Believers of many faiths settled this land, standing in the face of enemies and elements, fighting hard and sacrificing for freedom, righteousness and God. Their offspring degenerated into absolute cucks who don’t stand up for anything because they don’t actually believe anything.
They are conformists living off the money they get selling for pennies the ranch their grandad built, Soviet proles with a multilevel marketing politburo, faithless believers who mouth empty prayers and rote sermons soley to avoid the need to think for themselves. They traded their birthrights for a TV commercial’s image of a bowl of porridge.
Almost to a man, their faith is a hollow reed growing in a thin muck of conformity, social tradition, lifestyle habit, and feel-good escapism, and few can even accurately describe what they actually believe in that separates them from any other religious brand, much less why it’s important, the history of thought that led to the dogma, or the boundaries where their “beliefs” collide with culture/reality/other faiths.
It’s essentially live, laugh, love with a tax-shelter real-estate and MLM-style fundraising scam attached, hiding under a patina of borrowed slogans and hollowed-out traditions from a forgotten age of poorer, but prouder peoples.
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
That's why it always rubs me the wrong way when people here advise attending your local church. You don't need church to speak to God. God listens and hears, and you don't need some old sack of shit who's probably a kiddie diddler standing at a pulpit telling you what he thinks God wants you to know. Make your heart into a church for God and you'll never need a middleman to get between you.
Who said anything about me being isolated in my faith? I have plenty of friends and loved ones with which I share my faith and my testimony, but I don't need an organized "church" led by infallible people who are more often than not against God in their actions, if not their words.
You are free to believe what you want, but that view isn't Biblical. The Bible encourages like minded people to gather together and use their gifts to build each other up, including some who are gifted as teachers.
That doesn't mean what church looks like today is always right, but isolation isn't good, nor is centering all beliefs around oneself. It is supposed to function like a family, including learning setting each other straight when they get out of line, but also learning to love people you wouldn't personally choose to be associated with.
Is it Biblical to attend a place where the priest rapes and molests little boys and then comes out to tell you to repent of your sins lest you go to hell?
Not attending church != practicing my faith in isolation.
That's a false dilemma, as one can find a church that isn't like that. Extended lockdown was a blessing in that it exposed a lot of pastors as either ignorant, as cowards, or as the real deal.
Bible said in the last days people will* heap up for themselves false teachers who tell them the things they want to hear instead of the truth, so makes sense that so many churches have fallen.
They flock for incucksivity sermons, folk-rock 3.x, ‘prosperity gospel’, flock of purchased voters, “any normal people fer marrying?” singles meetinghouse, antichrist pope-mobiler, and state-funded refugee resettlement centers.
Believers of many faiths settled this land, standing in the face of enemies and elements, fighting hard and sacrificing for freedom, righteousness and God. Their offspring degenerated into absolute cucks who don’t stand up for anything because they don’t actually believe anything.
They are conformists living off the money they get selling for pennies the ranch their grandad built, Soviet proles with a multilevel marketing politburo, faithless believers who mouth empty prayers and rote sermons soley to avoid the need to think for themselves. They traded their birthrights for a TV commercial’s image of a bowl of porridge.
Almost to a man, their faith is a hollow reed growing in a thin muck of conformity, social tradition, lifestyle habit, and feel-good escapism, and few can even accurately describe what they actually believe in that separates them from any other religious brand, much less why it’s important, the history of thought that led to the dogma, or the boundaries where their “beliefs” collide with culture/reality/other faiths.
It’s essentially live, laugh, love with a tax-shelter real-estate and MLM-style fundraising scam attached, hiding under a patina of borrowed slogans and hollowed-out traditions from a forgotten age of poorer, but prouder peoples.
Why? Because they preach conformity as a virtue.
I can't KEK this hard enough! Absolutely correct.
I write for a living, and this post here was absolutely masterful. 👏👏👏
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1 Timothy 4:1-3
That's why it always rubs me the wrong way when people here advise attending your local church. You don't need church to speak to God. God listens and hears, and you don't need some old sack of shit who's probably a kiddie diddler standing at a pulpit telling you what he thinks God wants you to know. Make your heart into a church for God and you'll never need a middleman to get between you.
Amen.
Faith in isolation is little more than self-perfection, which is the opposite of the Christian message.
Yes most churches suck, that's why you don't settle for the one on the corner where it's an hour and out with punch and pie at the end.
The 5% of churches which are good help you share your strength with those who aren't as far along the path.
Gather, teach, encourage, disperse, and just Be and you'll reflect the face of God.
Who said anything about me being isolated in my faith? I have plenty of friends and loved ones with which I share my faith and my testimony, but I don't need an organized "church" led by infallible people who are more often than not against God in their actions, if not their words.
You are free to believe what you want, but that view isn't Biblical. The Bible encourages like minded people to gather together and use their gifts to build each other up, including some who are gifted as teachers.
That doesn't mean what church looks like today is always right, but isolation isn't good, nor is centering all beliefs around oneself. It is supposed to function like a family, including learning setting each other straight when they get out of line, but also learning to love people you wouldn't personally choose to be associated with.
Is it Biblical to attend a place where the priest rapes and molests little boys and then comes out to tell you to repent of your sins lest you go to hell?
Not attending church != practicing my faith in isolation.
That's a false dilemma, as one can find a church that isn't like that. Extended lockdown was a blessing in that it exposed a lot of pastors as either ignorant, as cowards, or as the real deal.