A place to snark and vent about CoC doctrine and/or our experiences in the CoC. This is a place for SUPPORT and AGREEMENT only, not a place to tell someone their experience and feelings are wrong, or why we disagree with them.
MusicMan826 wrote:Wow, that's crazy! I remember back in the day they tried having a bible study on Saturday mornings, mostly geared towards kids but open to all families, and group bible studies divided up regionally at different people's houses on Friday nights. Neither of these lasted long because it was just too much. Hell, even the church I grew up going to only have gospel meetings Sunday through Wednesday now because the week long ones got to be too much.
It's things like this that help show just how much the CoC tries to take over every aspect of its members' lives, and really just ends up running people off. I can imagine if they really do police attendance on all five nights then membership is bound to dwindle. They have to realize that, even for the most holy people, there is more to life than church.
You're right.
I know some rabid C of C'ers who salivate with excitement over every extra service, Bible study, devotional, etc. Most, of course, do have lives outside church, but for those "faithful" few, any extra time together is exciting for them. Cultish.
Struggler wrote:I know some rabid C of C'ers who salivate with excitement over every extra service, Bible study, devotional, etc. Most, of course, do have lives outside church, but for those "faithful" few, any extra time together is exciting for them. Cultish.
Does it tend to be the older, retired members who are salivating, Struggler? It's a huge social thing for some.
Struggler wrote:I know some rabid C of C'ers who salivate with excitement over every extra service, Bible study, devotional, etc. Most, of course, do have lives outside church, but for those "faithful" few, any extra time together is exciting for them. Cultish.
Does it tend to be the older, retired members who are salivating, Struggler? It's a huge social thing for some.
Could be? Possibly, they are lonely. Empty nesters or just people living alone.
Struggler wrote:I know some rabid C of C'ers who salivate with excitement over every extra service, Bible study, devotional, etc. Most, of course, do have lives outside church, but for those "faithful" few, any extra time together is exciting for them. Cultish.
Does it tend to be the older, retired members who are salivating, Struggler? It's a huge social thing for some.
Some of the younger ones, too. I never understood that.
Of course, back in the day, I went to a service 3 times a week, helped with the visitation program two Thursday nights a month, and we had our monthly fellow group meal on Tuesdays. Plus, I was often corralled into helping with the "service" at the rest home.
So much wasted time!
Struggler wrote:You're right.
I know some rabid C of C'ers who salivate with excitement over every extra service, Bible study, devotional, etc. Most, of course, do have lives outside church, but for those "faithful" few, any extra time together is exciting for them. Cultish.
It really is cultish. None of them are willing to even consider that with how sold they are on the idea of being the "OneTrueChurch*TM*". It isn't just the retirees either, but the blind obedience to the system. Then when you point it out, they sit there are pull out the tropes of it being a different congregation or that just because it says church of Christ that not everyone is saved or some other excuse of why it can't be them.
It really is dying because of attitudes like this taking up every waking moment condemning everyone else. But they just don't want to even consider it possible.
