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Youth leaving Southern Baptist

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posted on Jan, 15 2010 @ 09:39 AM
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The president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary said at least two-thirds of young people are leaving the Southern Baptist church between adolescence and adulthood.

The Rev. R. Albert Mohler warned in a speech at the seminary in Louisville, Ky., that if this trend is not reversed, the Southern Baptist Convention will die out.

Mohler said Southern Baptists can come across as "cranky" but he said standing by the scriptures means saying tough things to a culture who views his denomination as intolerant.

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I used to go to a Southern Baptist Church for almost a year. I left because the pastor kept slamming other religions (every week), said God will cripple people to get their attention, also said God doesn't hear the prayers of unsaved persons, said God is not going to spare America because he didn't spare Sodom and Gomorrah, constantly complained that visitors never came back after one visit, and about people who were no longer with the ministry. Also the congregation never grew the time I was there despite an 'outreach ministry.'

I have to say it's not surprising that people aren't eager to sit in the pews at Southern Baptist Churches. Most people are more moderate than that. I know I am.



posted on Jan, 15 2010 @ 09:55 AM
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The following is my opinion as a member participating in this discussion.

Pretty sad when "pastors" are that clueless. I have absolutely no idea what religion people like that think they're promoting, but it sure isn't Christianity.


As an ATS Staff Member, I will not moderate in threads such as this where I have participated as a member.



posted on Jan, 15 2010 @ 10:27 AM
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Ironically he also said he hope he doesn't drive people away from Christ by the way he acts in daily life. Um, for real man? If you go around slamming other religions all the time and preaching the same thing every week people aren't going to stick around.

For some reason Baptist think they are the only ones that hold the truth when it comes to Christianity and religion in general.



posted on Jan, 15 2010 @ 10:41 AM
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The following is my opinion as a member participating in this discussion.

In all fairness, they ALL think they hold the truth. If they didn't, they'd be ... somewhere else.

IOW, people who think they know can be really frustrating for those of us who really do.



As an ATS Staff Member, I will not moderate in threads such as this where I have participated as a member.



posted on Jan, 16 2010 @ 08:00 AM
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Oh yeah the pastor at my old church said one time that he read in the newspaper about a girl who died in a car wreak, then he asked "do you know where she is right now?" A kid in the front pew pointed up and the pastor said "No sir, not if she didn't have Christ! She'd go straight to hell!" it was pretty messed up.

He also said Christians that don't go to church aren't real Christians at all and that people that only go to church on Christmas and Easter shouldn't go at all (since they are not dedicated.)

He also told the congregation that they shouldn't leave his church unless God tells them to. Cult like much?

Also during Easter he showed the crucifixion scene from The Passion of Christ to the congregation. Kids in the front pew kept turning their heads away when the blood started gushing out of his wrists when he was being nailed to the cross. He said he didn't want to hid the kids from it and that they needed to see it. I'm sure that will cause psychological damage to them later on.

He also said we are like ants to God and they he can crush us anytime.

I've briefly tried two other Baptist churches but they weren't any better. It must be a Baptist thing to be an a-hole to everyone and act self-righteous.


[edit on 16-1-2010 by TinFoilHatMan55]



posted on Jan, 16 2010 @ 11:25 PM
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Interestingly, many folks of the same age are leaving many denominational churches. I think a large aspect of it is actually our culture.

Americans strive on individualism, and that doesn't mesh with following some old guy's rules. We see it here at ATS when people start crying First Amendment when we tell them they can't swear or talk about illicit activity. We see it in Hollywood all the time. The lone hero who can save the building, airport, city or nation, but only by following their own rules, disregarding those set up. We see it in our food service, where employees and managers alike decide which corporate rules are going to apply to them and which aren't. That's just to name a few examples. There are countless others. It's our culture -- the lone cowboy can't get things done within the system, but if he does it his own way, there's nothing that can stop him.

Many are now viewing religion the same way. The "new age" movement, where you find God your own way, and how dare God say otherwise. Though we've fixed that so as to believe it must be man that is dictating those rules we don't want to follow. The ones we do can come from God, though, even if they're from the same source. Jesus was a great teacher, but Rome decided to make Him God. Nevermind the Bible's riddled with His references to Himself as God -- those must have been added in by The Man.

This is both good and bad. In the good, young Christians are turning away from doctrine and instead seeking God in the Bible. However, the Bible is very clear that we can't make it to Heaven on our own, and that raises the hackles on many of us. So, instead, we turn to other religions like Hinduism or Islam, where we can earn the right to sit at the right hand of God, as every red blooded American can. Or we turn to the new age movement, call it spirituality, and decide for ourselves who God is and what that means, finding ourselves worshiping a God that is strangely like ourselves in His (or Her) morality.

If God exists, and I believe He does, I would rather seek Him as He is, rather than something comfortable that fits my own personal feelings, culture and/or agenda. Truth before beauty, at least, my perception of beauty. The Truth really is far more beautiful than anything I can come up with... I just requires that I surrender the piece of me the culture surrounding me has created.



posted on Jan, 17 2010 @ 12:54 AM
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reply to post by TinFoilHatMan55
Southern Baptist Sunday school was the only one I ever got kicked out of for stating that I was a Protestant.

The 'inherent superiority of Baptists' lies in their history. They were the ones who did not attend the Roman emperor's council of Nicaea. Therefore they are the ones who aren't anti-christ. The Papacy is anti-christ and all the Protestants will ally themselves with the Papacy in the last days.

The thing is, if you read to them the Nicaen Creed, they would say they believe it all. Currently, they endorse just about every political statement issued by the Vatican. In my opinion, they have no right to boast about being not being part of Papal alliance. They've violated the principles that made them different.

I thought you found a better church by now.



[edit on 17-1-2010 by pthena]



posted on Jan, 17 2010 @ 08:09 AM
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reply to post by pthena
 


I've gone to a Methodist church a few times but I have the habit of going for a few weeks then start skipping (I haven't gone for 7 weeks straight at the moment.) I don't know why I do that, maybe I'm uncomfortable around people.

But that above Baptist church I mentioned, I didn't go there for four months, then two months ago I decided to go just one more time to see if it changed any. It didn't he was still preaching the same exact thing he was four months ago, well even a year ago when I first went.

The Methodist Church is okay, they are way more moderate and they don't use fear to get people to believe in God. Which I view as a good thing.

Really the only two downsides I see with them is No one my age really goes (i'm 26) but that seems common in most churches with the age range being kids, then people 40+ there is a huge age gap. Also the Methodist sing somewhere around 7 hymns during the service.

That and going to Church really doesn't 'move' me. I'm highly interested in religion but I can never get that deep connection with the divine. Church is mostly boring. It's singing Hymns and hearing about Bible stories and scripture quotes I already from having read them numerous times in the Bible.

I used to be really, and I mean really anti-Christian when I was younger. I came around to it but now I'm starting to slide away from it because honestly I don't see God working among those people. I was fine when I practiced it alone. If being self-righteous and mean spirited is Christianity I'd rather not be associated with it.

That and my views don't really agree with Christianity and that Christ is the only way to God. I seriously doubt an all powerful God would only send 2 Billion Christians to heaven and send the other 4 Billion people in the world to Hell for practicing a different faith. How would that be compassionate?

[edit on 17-1-2010 by TinFoilHatMan55]



posted on Jan, 17 2010 @ 02:35 PM
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reply to post by TinFoilHatMan55


That and going to Church really doesn't 'move' me. I'm highly interested in religion but I can never get that deep connection with the divine. Church is mostly boring. It's singing Hymns and hearing about Bible stories and scripture quotes I already from having read them numerous times in the Bible.

I used to be really, and I mean really anti-Christian when I was younger. I came around to it but now I'm starting to slide away from it because honestly I don't see God working among those people. I was fine when I practiced it alone. If being self-righteous and mean spirited is Christianity I'd rather not be associated with it.

That and my views don't really agree with Christianity and that Christ is the only way to God. I seriously doubt an all powerful God would only send 2 Billion Christians to heaven and send the other 4 Billion people in the world to Hell for practicing a different faith. How would that be compassionate?

I'm uncomfortable around any one else's manner of worship. Singing songs together seems good, but most,not all, songs are as short sighted as the preaching. Seems you already know the limitations of church religion. Probably you should read the various books, and see what makes sense to you.




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