When the roots in the coc run deep

[Phil]

Deep roots here, too. My Great Grandparents, Grandparents, Parents and my brothers all coC. All of my Aunts and uncles were coC along with most of my cousins. Preachers, Elders, Deacons were everywhere in my family. Interestingly most of my cousins have left. My Aunts and Uncles have passed on so my Parents, my brothers and a few cousins are the only one who still are in coC. I was disassociated by my immediate family when I left, but I never regretted it.

I have moved on to a more spiritual relationship with God and will never join any church ever again. My experience with the coC and my family poisoned me on organized religion forever. Yet I am still a believer, amazingly. I never blamed God for anything and realized it was people who ruined my religious experience.

I think the future of the fundamentalist coC is very shaky. As more of leave it gives courage to those who haven't. Social media allows people to communicate who otherwise would not ever get encouragement to leave.

[lvmaus]

... My experience with the coC and my family poisoned me on organized religion forever. Yet I am still a believer, amazingly. I never blamed God for anything and realized it was people who ruined my religious experience.

You're absolutely right, God is not the blame for a lousy Christian experience. The problem is the Elders and preachers in the CoC that continue to push their timeworn traditions and legalistic garbage down the collective throat of its members; at least those who refuse to think for themselves.

[ena]

... My experience with the coC and my family poisoned me on organized religion forever. Yet I am still a believer, amazingly. I never blamed God for anything and realized it was people who ruined my religious experience.

You're absolutely right, God is not the blame for a lousy Christian experience. The problem is the Elders and preachers in the CoC that continue to push their timeworn traditions and legalistic garbage down the collective throat of its members; at least those who refuse to think for themselves.

I am very much like Phil. I swallowed alot of garbage. I am puzzled at how much I swallowed when there were clues all around me.

[zeek]

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[rehab'd]

Deep roots here as well. Grandfather was a successful cofc minister in multiple states, great uncle a well known cofc minister, father was an elder, cousins were deacons, and the list goes on and on and on. Before I left, I was a cofc deacon and on the fast track to become an elder at a fairly young age. Ironically in my immediate family only my two sisters and their husbands still attend yet all their kids have left the cofc but are still very religious and active in their "community Bible churches". Once the 50-60 year old generation is wiped out, only one grandchild will still be a member of the cofc (and if he leaves the little town in Texas where he lives, I think he will get out). Amazing to think that it took only one generation to almost completely wipe out our cofc heritage.

[zeek]

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[OneStrike_ur_out]

Somebody FARTED IN MY FAAAACEEE!!!!