Church

[Aman A.K.A. Ahamburger]

‎In my house growing up it was all about education and discipline. 

If my youth were to be categorized by religion at all, it would have to be mutt.... My Grandma on my dad's side was a BildSTEIN, and my grandfather(My Great Grandfather was a 33rd level Mason and ran the lodge with his brother)

 On my mom's side; my Grandma went to the United Church in a town that no longer exists, and my Grandfather was all about nature - although I know he believed in a higher power.

Sufficed to say there was no emphasis on religion in my house until my parents started to ascend in the Amway business. I was probably about 8-9 when we started attending the Alliance Church, I remember because it was at the same time as the Gulf War. Here my parents are trying to talk to me about this new thing in our lives, and all I wanted to talk about was the strategy behind war...

I have always been a serial reader, and my favorite book growing up was the encyclopedia set my parents bought me when I was a baby. When I did finally start to listen to them about religion and read the bible(about 11); for the most part it was like, holy shit, this book is all about WHY the wars in the encyclopedia started!! Which of course sent me down the path of, WHY THE HELL IS ALL THIS INFORMATION NOT IN THE ENCYCLOPEDIA!?!?! I mean, lots of the history crosses over??

Long story short. There is a reason I know all this conspiracy BS inside and out(reading&ROCK AND ROLL). Now, it fills me with joy to call myself a Zionist - in the company of people like Bob Marley(R.I.P). 

My Church is Gods power(light) in my soul, and this earth that is our promised land. I know for a fact JC was sent here to bring balance to the promised land - all you have to do is look at the state of world affairs(also why the most important man - EVER - was earsed from Roman history). Plus, the fact is if God wasn't real; Judism would have cesed to exist long ago, and Abraham would have been a "myth" like so many others throughout history that have long been forgotten(Judism has eclipsed Egypt, Babylon, and multiple attempts at genocide). I don't need faith to believe, I just know it to be true.(Or perhaps there is another reason why my predictions are fairly accurate?!? NAH!!!!!)

Not trying to dig on anyone's personal religious belief, I realize the most important part of every living thing is their soul; finding the best way to nurture it is pure love.

God bless us all, and most of all the USofA!!!

PS. ISRAEL: THE JEWISH HOMELAND.

3,000-year-old seal of King Solomon unearthed from Jerusalem's Temple Mount

[cronewitch]

Our parents sent us to Sunday school but never church until Jr High when they said we were old enough to choose. I kept going a while and went some after marriage, never had kids. I went once or twice since divorce over 30 years ago. My brother sent his oldest to Sunday school when he was 4 but they threatened him with hell and gave him nightmares so they didn't have him go back or his little sister. She hasn't ever had her kid go to any at all, her daughter did notice and said she thought she should go sometime but since her mother had never been not sure where they would take. Our family doesn't talk about believing or not I assume we all don't. One of my brothers turned Mormon and his oldest daughter did too and two others. They are so hateful about it nobody wants them around.

[sesfw]

I was born into an LDS family but after the parental divorce when I was 4 I lived with an aunt and uncle and they didn't go to church. By the time I was back with mom the church habit was broken.

In high school a friend invited me to her church and BYF group.  That's where I met DH#1 a couple of years later.  After we married we attended sporadically and didn't really get back to church until we moved to a different state.

After he died I changed churches and have been fairly regular.  Now in the denomination of DH#2 and the church is progressive Christianity ......... which is OK but I wonder if our pastor has any plain faith.

[Artemis Windsong]

I had a moment of clarity in the middle of the night a few nights ago.  I was on track to be booted out of the church.

In Oct., I had returned home from a draining trip regarding an estate in another state.  One of the women who is on the church council asked me what I was doing there.  She said I was not supposed to be in the Bible Study or anywhere at church.

The Bible Study teachers saw this then afterward asked me where I had been and what had happened.  I had confided in her before so I was forthright.  The Bible Study lady knows what I have been through the past 8 years. 

She and another friend have had my back on this.  They asked that woman how many senior citizens (older widowed, single women) she planned on removing from church.  When was her time coming? 

Another day, a man asked me how long I had been a member and why.  I live 1.5 blocks from the church.

The church council had decided to clean house of people they decided were marginal members.  What clicked was when I saw a friend who had been in that church forever.  She had changed because of politics.    She didn't elaborate.  I am a bit thick sometimes.

This couple is in the highest earning years of their lives.  Served every week in some way.  Then they are pushed out of the church.

I overheard this church council biddy telling two people that the church will be stronger without them.  If they can't get their lives in order then they aren't needed.  It's the council's perogative to remove members.  Marginal members she's talking about.

The church now has a year end short fall in finances.

These and a laundry list of other problems with church is why DH considers one to two funerals a year is enough for him.  I did not tell him my insight.  This would prove him right.  

[Tennesseer]

Dec 12, 2015 22:11:52 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

I had a moment of clarity in the middle of the night a few nights ago.  I was on track to be booted out of the church.

In Oct., I had returned home from a draining trip regarding an estate in another state.  One of the women who is on the church council asked me what I was doing there.  She said I was not supposed to be in the Bible Study or anywhere at church.

The Bible Study teachers saw this then afterward asked me where I had been and what had happened.  I had confided in her before so I was forthright.  The Bible Study lady knows what I have been through the past 8 years. 

She and another friend have had my back on this.  They asked that woman how many senior citizens (older widowed, single women) she planned on removing from church.  When was her time coming? 

Another day, a man asked me how long I had been a member and why.  I live 1.5 blocks from the church.

The church council had decided to clean house of people they decided were marginal members.  What clicked was when I saw a friend who had been in that church forever.  She had changed because of politics.    She didn't elaborate.  I am a bit thick sometimes.

This couple is in the highest earning years of their lives.  Served every week in some way.  Then they are pushed out of the church.

I overheard this church council biddy telling two people that the church will be stronger without them.  If they can't get their lives in order then they aren't needed.  It's the council's perogative to remove members.  Marginal members she's talking about.

The church now has a year end short fall in finances.

These and a laundry list of other problems with church is why DH considers one to two funerals a year is enough for him.  I did not tell him my insight.  This would prove him right.  

That's not a church-that's a clique.

[Artemis Windsong]

No bad vibes today.  My two friends probably got her shut down where I am concerned.  Thanks for the comment.