Greetings Everyone!

[AnonSan]

Just now, moxieflux66 said:

Can you tell us more about the scrutiny from local ex members? What happened? 

 

I used to participate in a blog for ex-members of the Local Churches, which my family is part of. After I introduced myself and shared some of my experiences, some of the regular members became overly fixated on my growing secular background. There was one member who tried to interrogate me and bolstered other members' posts that were meant to counteract my personal experiences being raised in the Local Churches. 

 

I reached out to the moderator running the forum, expressing my concern that the regular members are creating an unwelcoming environment for those who share their experiences because of their non-Christian background. The admin admitted that the forum primarily helps those who leave the Local Church organization, but remain devout Christians. He kept deflecting the situation of active members being passive aggressive and gatekeeping their conversations that purposely exclude non-Christian members. He refused to make the forum inclusive even though he complained about the forum's declining member participation. Instead of addressing and make accountable for some of the members' brusk attitudes impacting forum activity and getting new participants, he redirected the conversation to tell me how to restore my faith in God and Jesus. He ended the conversation that he and members on the forum have no interest in helping people like us unless you accept and follow the true gospel of Jesus Christ. 

 

So basically, my experiences growing up in the Local Churches are depreciated simply because I no longer follow the Christian faith (to their own standards). To me, it is such a disservice as the majority of ex members I know leave the group AND the Christian faith, and support groups that specialize in dealing trauma from the niche, legalistic teachings of the Local Churches are non-existent. 

[☆ moxieflux66 ☆]

4 minutes ago, AnonSan said:

 

I used to participate in a blog for ex-members of the Local Churches, which my family is part of. After I introduced myself and shared some of my experiences, some of the regular members became overly fixated on my growing secular background. There was one member who tried to interrogate me and bolstered other members' posts that were meant to counteract my personal experiences being raised in the Local Churches. 

 

I reached out to the moderator running the forum, expressing my concern that the regular members are creating an unwelcoming environment for those who share their experiences because of their non-Christian background. The admin admitted that the forum primarily helps those who leave the Local Church organization, but remain devout Christians. He kept deflecting the situation of active members being passive aggressive and gatekeeping their conversations that purposely exclude non-Christian members. He refused to make the forum inclusive even though he complained about the forum's declining member participation. Instead of addressing and make accountable for some of the members' brusk attitudes impacting forum activity and getting new participants, he redirected the conversation to tell me how to restore my faith in God and Jesus. He ended the conversation that he and members on the forum have no interest in helping people like us unless you accept and follow the true gospel of Jesus Christ. 

 

So basically, my experiences growing up in the Local Churches are depreciated simply because I no longer follow the Christian faith (to their own standards). To me, it is such a disservice as the majority of ex members I know leave the group AND the Christian faith, and support groups that specialize in dealing trauma from the niche, legalistic teachings of the Local Churches are non-existent. 

That is incredibly bizarre to me that they were willing to deal with a tiny portion of the problem (i.e. your specific Local Churches rather than ex christians in general). So if they wanted to preserve christianity in general, are they suggesting you simply switch churches?? 

[AnonSan]

11 hours ago, moxieflux66 said:

That is incredibly bizarre to me that they were willing to deal with a tiny portion of the problem (i.e. your specific Local Churches rather than ex christians in general). So if they wanted to preserve christianity in general, are they suggesting you simply switch churches?? 

That's the vibe I have been getting from the general audience in the forum. Even the moderator explains his/their stance regarding the Local Churches system being flawed but not Christianity as a whole:

 

"I  [The Moderator] also believe that Witness Lee [the church organization's founder] perverted the Christian life in many ways. I no longer believe the two are even remotely related. That is, the Christian life is spiritual. The “Witness Lee life” is a manufactured, legalistic counterfeit of a genuine walk with the Lord."

 

They don't see the bigger picture that the Local Churches (denominations) is just another example of how (manufactured) Christian institutions (and Christianity as a whole) enforces a dogmatic and problematic system that interferes with human rights, dignity, free-will, and necessary scientific progress to help others. I don't think the members are part of a different denomination, but expect Christians be their independent selves and uphold values they believe pertains to the "true" gospel of Jesus and word of God. Another fellow member on the forum reached out to me and confirmed this:

 

"Yes, this is a Christian forum created for ex-members to discuss doctrines found in The Lord's Recovery (something we were scarcely allowed to do within the group), but with time you will find that, as has been the case for millennia, the definition of what is proper Christianity varies from topic to topic and person to person, including the admins. As such, attitudes like the one Ohio [same person who tried to interrogate and invalidate my experiences] displayed are not necessarily uncommon here, even between Christians."

 

I am not the audience they want to have. While my perspective provided a lot of insight in my experience as local church kid to many, it also seems to question the unusual practices and beliefs of general Christianity that the most active members sought to gatekeeping others' discussions that may lead into cognitive dissonance. I left the forum as I saw no benefit participating if my honest experiences are just going to be censored/invalidated by the same gatekeepers moving forward. 
 

 

 

[☆ moxieflux66 ☆]

1 hour ago, AnonSan said:

That's the vibe I have been getting from the general audience in the forum. Even the moderator explains his/their stance regarding the Local Churches system being flawed but not Christianity as a whole:

 

"I  [The Moderator] also believe that Witness Lee [the church organization's founder] perverted the Christian life in many ways. I no longer believe the two are even remotely related. That is, the Christian life is spiritual. The “Witness Lee life” is a manufactured, legalistic counterfeit of a genuine walk with the Lord."

 

They don't see the bigger picture that the Local Churches (denominations) is just another example of how (manufactured) Christian institutions (and Christianity as a whole) enforces a dogmatic and problematic system that interferes with human rights, dignity, free-will, and necessary scientific progress to help others. I don't think the members are part of a different denomination, but expect Christians be their independent selves and uphold values they believe pertains to the "true" gospel of Jesus and word of God. Another fellow member on the forum reached out to me and confirmed this:

 

"Yes, this is a Christian forum created for ex-members to discuss doctrines found in The Lord's Recovery (something we were scarcely allowed to do within the group), but with time you will find that, as has been the case for millennia, the definition of what is proper Christianity varies from topic to topic and person to person, including the admins. As such, attitudes like the one Ohio [same person who tried to interrogate and invalidate my experiences] displayed are not necessarily uncommon here, even between Christians."

 

I am not the audience they want to have. While my perspective provided a lot of insight in my experience as local church kid to many, it also seems to question the unusual practices and beliefs of general Christianity that the most active members sought to gatekeeping others' discussions that may lead into cognitive dissonance. I left the forum as I saw no benefit participating if my honest experiences are just going to be censored/invalidated by the same gatekeepers moving forward. 
 

 

 

You were quite right. Your talents are better used here I think. We simply must discuss more of your experiences and, with your permission, expand them to include all 'flavors' of christianity. I'm very relieved you see the Bigger Picture! 

[◊ Weezer ◊]

I think a lot of us tried to find the church where we "fit", before we finally gave up the whole idea of christianity.  and then all religion.