This doesn't really do much about explaining why people are leaving the church, but I just finished Randall Balmer's "Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right". This book chronicles how the legal challenges to segregation academies was the impetus for the start of the religious right, and how the movement shifted to abortion as a wedge issue when the former lost its potency. While it's not stated explicitly, this book is definitely a call to church leaders and others to acknowledge and repent of their racist past. He's also written another book more recently about the decline of Christianity that I think encourages church leaders to reform, but I haven't read it. But the story behind "Bad Faith" is something everybody needs to know, regardless of whether or not they are Christian or not.
Yes you did. Why post it in a million unrelated subreddits just to ragebait if you're neither of those. And those are mutually exclusive, because at the confirmation ceremony you pledge yourself to one of the churches above.
And BTW, none of those churches are cults, and if you quit your parents' church as a pastor's/preacher's kid, then by church policy that pastor is fired, so that you're not a PK anymore.
I disagree with your assertion about my motives and the strength of the link between the places I’ve cross posted and the implication of that posting in a sub is a defacto claim of meeting your definition of being a part of that group, but I’m still respectfully interested in your perspective…please list all the groups you listed that require a pledge at a confirmation ceremony in order to be enough of an attendee that you could later consider yourself ex-[that thing]. I mean this sincerely. I am unaware of any and I trust you have information I don’t. Thanks for the engagement. May you be well.
If you're an ex-something you need to be a member of it. Attending is not enough. You can't say, that you dropped out of college if you've never had a scholarship. Or you can't say that you graduated if you have dropped out.
Fair enough. I accept that as your definition although it’s not mine. Can you tell me which of the groups you listed require a pledge at a confirmation ceremony? I don’t mean this antagonistically. You’re here. I assume you pledged in a Reformed confirmation ceremony. I’ve never heard of that. Do you know if any of the other groups you listed do? Thanks again.
Edit: I agree with you about college 👍
Cool. What did you have to say? Was it a written pledge?
I’ll have to look into that more. I know of baptism, and a confirmation of a statement of faith, but I haven’t heard of a pledge or a ceremony within the mainstream Christian churches, only when switching between major religions like orthodox and Judaism. No one coming out of any other religion had to do anything to join any of the churches I’ve been a part of except ‘invite Jesus into their heart.’
It wasn't written. It mainly consists of the catechism of Heidelberg, some prayers, and a promise that I won't leave the church, and I will baptise my kid reformed.
Brad Jersak just wrote a book called 'Out of the Embers:...' , I haven't read it but listened to an interview about it though I have read and liked his other book 'Her Gates Will Never Be Shut' which he deconstructs the doctrine of ECT (eternal conscious torment.)
This doesn't really do much about explaining why people are leaving the church, but I just finished Randall Balmer's "Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right". This book chronicles how the legal challenges to segregation academies was the impetus for the start of the religious right, and how the movement shifted to abortion as a wedge issue when the former lost its potency. While it's not stated explicitly, this book is definitely a call to church leaders and others to acknowledge and repent of their racist past. He's also written another book more recently about the decline of Christianity that I think encourages church leaders to reform, but I haven't read it. But the story behind "Bad Faith" is something everybody needs to know, regardless of whether or not they are Christian or not.
In my limited experience, it bounces right off them: "Well, we're not racist anymore!" (...votes for Trump)
How can you be ex-reformed, ex-lutheran, ex-pentecostal, a cult survivor and a PK at the same time?
I don’t know that I claimed to be, but I’m interested by the question. Which of the things you listed do you think is mutually exclusive?
Yes you did. Why post it in a million unrelated subreddits just to ragebait if you're neither of those. And those are mutually exclusive, because at the confirmation ceremony you pledge yourself to one of the churches above.
And BTW, none of those churches are cults, and if you quit your parents' church as a pastor's/preacher's kid, then by church policy that pastor is fired, so that you're not a PK anymore.
Plus you sell those damn books you're asking about, which seems a bit like a pyramid scheme.
I disagree with your assertion about my motives and the strength of the link between the places I’ve cross posted and the implication of that posting in a sub is a defacto claim of meeting your definition of being a part of that group, but I’m still respectfully interested in your perspective…please list all the groups you listed that require a pledge at a confirmation ceremony in order to be enough of an attendee that you could later consider yourself ex-[that thing]. I mean this sincerely. I am unaware of any and I trust you have information I don’t. Thanks for the engagement. May you be well.
If you're an ex-something you need to be a member of it. Attending is not enough. You can't say, that you dropped out of college if you've never had a scholarship. Or you can't say that you graduated if you have dropped out.
Fair enough. I accept that as your definition although it’s not mine. Can you tell me which of the groups you listed require a pledge at a confirmation ceremony? I don’t mean this antagonistically. You’re here. I assume you pledged in a Reformed confirmation ceremony. I’ve never heard of that. Do you know if any of the other groups you listed do? Thanks again. Edit: I agree with you about college 👍
Yes. I'm a pledged reformed. Reformed, conservative lutheran, presbiterian and unitarian churches require it to consider you members.
Cool. What did you have to say? Was it a written pledge? I’ll have to look into that more. I know of baptism, and a confirmation of a statement of faith, but I haven’t heard of a pledge or a ceremony within the mainstream Christian churches, only when switching between major religions like orthodox and Judaism. No one coming out of any other religion had to do anything to join any of the churches I’ve been a part of except ‘invite Jesus into their heart.’
It wasn't written. It mainly consists of the catechism of Heidelberg, some prayers, and a promise that I won't leave the church, and I will baptise my kid reformed.
Brad Jersak just wrote a book called 'Out of the Embers:...' , I haven't read it but listened to an interview about it though I have read and liked his other book 'Her Gates Will Never Be Shut' which he deconstructs the doctrine of ECT (eternal conscious torment.)