Sawu Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 I know a friend of mine who is pretty into the church of christ, she made her decision around 12-14 and is 23 now. She is pretty into it, and her mom and dad from what I can tell are big into it as well. Thing is being raised in another ultra fundy faith I can already see how they totally ignore large chunks of what the bible teaches, I believe this is partly because they belive jesus and the holy spirit "dwells" in them and they can get direct answers from 'god/jesus' who 'dwells in them' via the holy spirit. Thereby negating much of the old testament. Is there any women who can relate to coming out of similar beliefs such as hers? It seems so impossible that she can believe that she can get direct answers fro jesus/god and that the 'holy spirit' dwells in her. I'm totally floored as when I was growing up we considered that kind of thing nonsense, since the 'gifts of the holy spirit' ended way back shortly after christ and the apostles (according to the NT anyway). It seems almost like it's an impossible task to have a rational discussion with someone who's deluded into thinking they possess the holy spirit and can get direct answers from jesus/god through prayer / extrabiblical means, so arguing with them using the bible means little. Meanwhile "jesus / god, aka the holy spirit" that dwells within them, is just that it's just their inner feelings and conscience which they have simply personified in their imagination via the teachings of the dogma. Is there anyone who has deconverted from such a church who's brainwashing pretty much innoculates them against any other point of view? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white_raven23 Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Okay....I'm goint to specifically address the title of your thread because I'm confused by it. 'What is the Deconversion Process Like for Women?' Huh? In what way is it supposed to be different from a man's deconversion process? I don't know......tell me..... What is oral hygiene like for men? What is ordering pizza like for men? See where I'm going there? By asking the question, you are assuming the same experience to be somehow critically different enough between to sexes to warrant inquiry. Now then....the actual content of you post really doesn't apply specifically to either gender. The indwelling of Jesus in people was supposed to be for both men and women as I understood it. As for the indwelling....I never really liked the idea. I could accept that Jesus and god could see into my heart, but as for actually inhabiting my body with me? Uh-Uh. But then...I was lucky enough to be raised by people who wanted me to be a whole person. I am not a half in search of my other half. There is no emptiness in me that seeks to be filled by another. Oddly.....the only time I felt that void was when I was adolescent, but that was loneliness brought on by a lack of belonging with my christian peers. I did not try to fill that void with Jesus. I knew it was tangible friendship I needed. Trying to substitute Jesus for that social need is like making yourself eat a peanut butter sandwich when you know you really want a bowl of chili. You just get unfulfillment all around, and if your a devout christian, that unfulfillment drives you harder towards jesus, but it doesn't work because christians don't stop and ask themselves...."what is it I'm truly missing and longing for?" I can even see where someone in their need to delude and justify their behavior to themselves might come to embrace that emptiness as being jesus. Anywhoo, that's my $.02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorena Rodriguez Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Actually, Sawu, I thought EVERYBODY who deconverted believed in the holy spirit. All the ex-christians I know used to believe they were indwelled by the HS and believed they received guidance from it. The question baffles me. As for gender, I have to agree with the previous poster. Deconversion is deconversion regardless of gender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knightley Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 These ladies are right, its different for everyone that's all I can say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sage Nabooru Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 It wasn't so hard to break away from the specific church I was raised in. (Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod) I remember once in confirmation class asking the pastor why Catholic churches could be named after female saints but Lutheranism only acknowledged male saints. The pastor said it was because women could not be saints. Of course a loud chorus of disapproving moaning erupted from the female portion of the class, upon which the pastor quoted some dogma and select Bible verses to "prove" that "a woman can be as close to God as a man can, but she cannot be as holy to God". Whoa! There goes my membership. Looking back I can see how sexist the Lutheran church really is. Even Mary wasn't a saint, in fact she was just an ordinary sinner like everyone else. Even after the Catholic church admitted that Mary Magdelene most probably wasn't a prostitute, the Lutheran church still said she was. I wouldn't say that the pressure to marry and raise children was to the degree that it was in, say, Mormonism, but really it was a kind of belief system where women ultimately had no place. Leaving Christianity itself was a lot harder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taphophilia Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Well...I started wearing make-up, pants, and shorts above my knees. I cut my hair and wore pretty jewelry that was considered worldly. No...not really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sawu Posted August 10, 2006 Author Share Posted August 10, 2006 Actually, Sawu, I thought EVERYBODY who deconverted believed in the holy spirit. All the ex-christians I know used to believe they were indwelled by the HS and believed they received guidance from it. The question baffles me. As for gender, I have to agree with the previous poster. Deconversion is deconversion regardless of gender. It's not that we didn't believe in the holy spirit, it's that these people think they have a direct line to jesus which gives them the authority to ignore scripture. Okay....I'm goint to specifically address the title of your thread because I'm confused by it. 'What is the Deconversion Process Like for Women?' Huh? In what way is it supposed to be different from a man's deconversion process? Yeah well, I was just going with a train of thought, I should have just said what is de-conversion like from 'the church of christ'? Since the church of christ was started by the campbellites. My bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookums Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 Actually, Sawu, I thought EVERYBODY who deconverted believed in the holy spirit. All the ex-christians I know used to believe they were indwelled by the HS and believed they received guidance from it. The question baffles me. As for gender, I have to agree with the previous poster. Deconversion is deconversion regardless of gender. It's not that we didn't believe in the holy spirit, it's that these people think they have a direct line to jesus which gives them the authority to ignore scripture. Okay....I'm goint to specifically address the title of your thread because I'm confused by it. 'What is the Deconversion Process Like for Women?' Huh? In what way is it supposed to be different from a man's deconversion process? Yeah well, I was just going with a train of thought, I should have just said what is de-conversion like from 'the church of christ'? Since the church of christ was started by the campbellites. My bad. Well......I think the same answer still applies.......I don't think there is any difference between gender and the way you deconvert... I also don't think their is much difference between the way people use the bibble in the different denominations..... doesn't everyone ..'faithful'...do that kinda stuff. Cherry pick... that comment Re: holy ghost thou'......I've bumped into blokes who thought they had all kinds of 'gifts' of the spirit..... Ya not talkin' only about female 'witches' are ya...? ...(kidding) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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