DYING CHURCHES

Want to know why people are leaving organized religion in droves? It's the open display of hypocrisy on issues like pro-life, inclusiveness, and equality. Their support of politicians who reflect this faux Christianity is another reason many don't want anything to do with churches, especially Evangelical congregations.

I have admired and loved many gay couples who have been together for years, unlike my shameful record of numerous short-term heterosexual relationships! I could care less about who people love or what they do in private unless they are hurting someone else, and that has nothing to do with their sexual orientation.  

Recently, 1800 United Methodist Churches split to form their anti-LBGQTIA churches under the Global Methodist Church. Over 400 of those church separations are in Texas. How is that following Jesus's example of being inclusive? How do gay relationships hurt anyone? When are the Christians today going to start following in the footsteps of Jesus? I'm far from religious, but I've read the Bible and "get" what Jesus was all about, and it looks nothing like what many Christians spew today.  

In the early 80s, I was a St Andrew's Episcopal Church member in Grand Prairie, TX. My daughter attended their excellent school, and we attended church many Sundays. During this time, Father Gene Robinson, who was openly gay, became the bishop of New Hampshire, and the Episcopal Church began splitting due to this issue. I remember the bishop of Fort Worth attending one of our church services to speak against the ordination of gays (and women). My friend, and Godmother to my daughter, approached the bishop to share that she disagreed with his position. He responded, "I'll pray for you."  She quickly retorted, "No, I don't need your prayer, but I'll pray for you to show compassion and love for everyone, as Jesus taught us."  To this day, I wonder if Episcopalians forgot that their religion was formed under Henry VIII to allow him to divorce because the Catholic Church forbade divorce. So, it stands to reason that if you bend the "rules" once by overlooking church doctrine, how can you say that someone ordained is not deserving because they are gay? Nevertheless, the Episcopal Church in the United States became known for its progressiveness, which still exists in many churches today.

There are millions of people like me who have had enough of hypocrisy. I have an idea; let's live our lives being good to others.




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