Obnoxious CHURCHES. And EX-churches of RRS members. What experiences???
Offline I have reasons for a very special request.
Of course a bunch of RRS supporters are ex-church members.
As I'm seeking more truth, the question I have is about the new style so-called "super churches," the ones that are big, usually on thier own, and "loud mouthed," you know the ones!
Do any RRS supporters know of BAD so-called "super churches" in their region?
Have you had a bad experience at a "super church?"
Have you heard of bad things at them? Or annoying things!
I confess I haven't been able to wade through many video responses on the popular video site. But here in this thread, if anyone can write it down to really read, about bad experiences at the "super churches," here under one heading, in one place, it would be immensely helpful.
I hope an RRS'er or two will sound off here about it. This might move some theists, or move folks in general, if you could talk about personal experiences at these new style super churches, and if it was set down here to read. I know it would move me a lot.
I went to a super church in Kentucky called Southeast Christian Church. While attending it, it was actually pretty good - it was personal, philanthropic, and didn't push their message too hard. The main reason I stayed as long as I did was the pastor, Bob Russell. He was a good man who was strong in his faith and at the same time avoided putting people off. He was truely a great man. However, when he retired, the church started moving in a different direction, and I left out of disgust.
I hope that when the world comes to an end I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to.
There's one fairly close to me that is pretty fundie - they have a big radio tower and every so often put (barely coherent) ads in the paper - usually that they're outraged over something on TV.
Matt Shizzle has been banned from the Rational Response Squad website. This event shall provide an atmosphere more conducive to social growth. - Majority of the mod team
I don't have much bad to say about the church I used to go to. It was a nice little church in the suburbs of Manchester, with an agnostic vicar, very little dogma, very liberal and full of very nice people. The only thing that made me quit was that I didn't follow the religion and didn't feel any need to continue going.
Ted Haggard
Jimmy Swaggart
Jim Bakker
Joseph Smith
While I was never a member of a church, I have gone to many in the past to check them out and two stick out in my mind. The first one was at the time a small church but has become a mega church since then. New Beginnings was at the time in Milwaukie just outside of Portland. I was living with a foster family who made me go to church five times a week. Early mornings both on Tuesday and Thursday, evenings on Wednesday, Youth group Saturday evenings, and of course regular service on Sunday. I was having some difficulties with my foster mother who then took me in for some sort of meeting with the pastor's wife. I must have said something that set her off, though I don't remember now, but she went off on me. She called me all sorts of names, from a fucking bitch to a tramp who will end up on the street dead and that was fine with her. Nice lady! Since then they have moved twice, most recently to a mega church complex just across the river from downtown and the sermons are recorded and broadcasted on our local religious channel.
The second was at a chuch/bible college at the base of Rocky Butte in Portland. Since I had had sex a few times on their spacious campus, I though I would go and check them out. Me and my boyfriend walked out when the Pastor starting talking about how AIDS was a punishment from god, and the sufferers need to only pray to god to be cured, otherwise they would die a horrible death. That was actually my last visit to a church.
http://arlettaq.spaces.live.com