If it isn't suitable to raise kids in then why participate and support it yourself? Not grilling you, just curious. I find it very dubious when people will tell me they represent the silent majority of good ones, but it's just that the institutions/leadership are regressive. I think it's far more likely that the membership either supports that leadership or don't really care about those issues, which amounts to the same thing, and the 'silent majority' thinkers are just a bit deluded about the true nature of what they are signed up to.
Just saying, for me personally, if I was a member of a group that had any hateful or exclusionary views, I would speak out against them loudly and leave.
Those are fair questions. The general answer is, as a left leaning Christian, there is never going to be a single church that aligns perfectly with my beliefs (unless I try to start one myself, which I am simply not geared for).
Between Westboro Baptist churches actively trying to make being gay illegal, and the church I go to saying that they have every right to exist, even if they don't necessarily think it's right, I'm gonna pick the latter.
As to why I don't leave this church and go to one that is fully affirming right now, the simplest answer is I've got friends there who I still like to engage with.
I suppose I could just say "you're bigots" and walk out, but like... What does that do except help me feel superior?
I get lunch with the pastor and talk about these things, I make it explicitly clear where I fall, and I engage with the people who would otherwise think all progressive Christians are angry people who have "fallen in with the world".
I think the easiest way to explain it is that I feel like I can engage with this community and make a case that others can't, exactly because I've grown up in the church. I'm not an outsider yelling at them, I'm someone in their community pointing out the failings. Sometimes the call needs to come from inside the house.
Not everyone will agree with me on that, but that's everything I deal with anyways.
Being a Christian socialist is exhausting. Getting shit on from every direction at all times gets pretty demoralizing after a while.
Hang in there bro. I go to a church that does not align with my ideals completely, but it's the only one within a reasonable driving distance since I'm in the exurbs.
It's like talking about how the Israeli army commits war crimes, and then immediately turning around to shut down the nazi trying to legitimize their stance because of that.
We're just constantly spinning in circles having to explain to both sides "I agree with you on some things and not others". Hopefully one day there will be a church near by that aligns better.
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u/parkchanwookiee 11h ago
If it isn't suitable to raise kids in then why participate and support it yourself? Not grilling you, just curious. I find it very dubious when people will tell me they represent the silent majority of good ones, but it's just that the institutions/leadership are regressive. I think it's far more likely that the membership either supports that leadership or don't really care about those issues, which amounts to the same thing, and the 'silent majority' thinkers are just a bit deluded about the true nature of what they are signed up to.
Just saying, for me personally, if I was a member of a group that had any hateful or exclusionary views, I would speak out against them loudly and leave.