Xian video "I won't sing here anymore"

[♦ Fuego ♦]

I thought this video song was a good insider condemnation of what the church has become in many places. It isn't just mega-churches, but lots of little ones are toxic also.

Guy has a great blues voice. I like that some believers are speaking up about it. Some believers really do try to embody kindness over religion, as I am trying to do more and more. 

 

https://vimeo.com/317388866?ref=fb-share&1

[Geezer]

The Church he’s singing about has never existed on this planet. And it never will because the people that make up the Church are human beings. 

[TheRedneckProfessor]

I still retain much of the idealism that was instilled in me as a christian.   It is useful to an extent; but the disillusionment I went through upon realising that it was , in fact, idealism and not reality, nearly broke my mind.  It makes me sad sometimes.

[TEG]

5 minutes ago, TheRedneckProfessor said:

. . . the disillusionment I went through upon realising that it was , in fact, idealism and not reality, nearly broke my mind.

 

That, and the fact that I spent all my developmental years pursuing a fairy tale.

[nontheistpilgrim]

10 hours ago, Geezer said:

The Church he’s singing about has never existed on this planet. And it never will because the people that make up the Church are human beings. 

Help me, please!

I hear this song as a powerful condemnation of present-day churches which, effectively have closed their doors to, for example, 'strangers' and the greedy. The visuals suggest that the singer thinks churches should be involved in caring for all 'God's children', including, for example, 'LGBT' and Mexicans seeking refuge.

Am I wrong in my interpretation? If not, Geezer, I don't understand your comment. Perhaps it's irony from across the pond?

If I am right, whilst not wishing to put a feather in any church's hat, there are some churches that are in the forefront of social and political action and standing up for all people. At least in the UK (I know I'm biased but a close family member is minister of just such a church). Of course they also believe the rubbish bits of Christianity but this doesn't, in my opinion, negate the good things they do (and they don't all insist on the receivers of their 'largesse' sitting through a semon before they are fed! We've all come across those churches.)

If I were still in the church I would want to encourage the sentiments of the old songs that he sings about and condemn the 'Jesus is my boyfriend' variety that I assume he is hinting at.

If my interpretation is correct I think every congregation should listen to this song - perhaps at the begininng of every service?

Or am I wrong?

 

[♦ Fuego ♦]

I hope the post didn't trigger nostalgia for the church. It is sung from the perspective of the Christianity that I was part of back in the day. The more that the church embraced money and filling pews to get more money, the less I wanted any part of it. The nostalgia part is questionable, since the old hymns are also full of lies. Then there are the disgusting patriotic ones they insisted we sing also, pretending the country has "alabaster city streets undimmed by human tears". I heard in this song something human, though it was mixed in with references to the faith.

 

But the flip side of that is that the same Christianity that I embraced is itself a facade, always promising blessings on those that follow, i.e., lying while promising truth. The whole basis of it is a blood thirsty petulant narcissist god that won't turn the other cheek even while commanding us to do so. But there is something in this song that reminds me of the parts of the faith that I still find useful, the human compassion parts, sharing what I have with others who are deeply in need, the parts that insist that using religion as an excuse for not being compassionate is vile. 

 

In truth, we don't need to be "obedient", we simply make the choice daily to default to kindness instead of machismo, fear, and hatred. I didn't include "self-interest" because there is balance. The faith wanted us to die daily. But we do need to love and protect ourselves, even when showing kindness. There are quite a few homeless and mentally ill people wandering the streets where I live, and compassion is rightly balanced with wariness. One needle stick could mean serious health issues or death. And some of them go from placid to extremely violent in the blink of an eye. But I also find that I can grow damn hard and lose any sense of empathy, if I am not careful to consciously choose to default to kindness and find ways to express that. 

[nontheistpilgrim]

For me, it highlighted the changes in some congregations' practice that have taken them away from the true 'Jesus' message of love for and service to all peoples with no strings attached, the sort of church that sings 'Jesus is my boyfriend' songs (though that is a generalisation).

I agree with you Fuego. And no nostalgia here, or at least not a lot.