In Reply to: Re: I see it differently though posted by Thinker on December 07, 2009 at 20:50:06:
I would not hang out with other Christians who told me what to think and how to believe. The Christians with whom I currently fellowship do debate scripture fluently--some in the original Koine Greek--and we have very spirited discussions about differing interpretations. I do not feel judged by these people, nor do I feel like they put energy into judging others. If I did, I would not waste my time with them.
I didn't say a person couldn't be deeply spiritual--or even Christian--if they were not joined to the Body and participating in some way as a member of that Body. This is because the Spirit joins us and participates through us regardless of where we place ourselves. What I said is that if you are disfellowshipped, you are not experiencing the incarnation of Christ in his Body here on earth. In some respects, it is more difficult to honor Christ from a position of disfellowship.
Christian community is made up of a lot of dumb asses with whom I do not want to have any connection. Nevertheless, God loves those dumb asses too, and through the mystery of incarnation, makes a special home among them as Christ among us. For many, many years I was disfellowshipped and saw things exactly as you do. Nevertheless, about a year ago, something (the Spirit) within me sought out a deeper communion with Jesus Christ. I find a strength in being more closely joined to the Body than I did when I was on my own.
No one in my church tells me what to think. We agree on some very basic beliefs: that Jesus is the Son of God, for example. (Stuff you find in the Nicene Creed.) I'm quite sure many in this church would disagree with me (as do Pastoor Don & Farmer) on the issue of homosexual unions. At my church, we don't talk about stuff that divides us--we talk about what we need to do in order to support each other in our every day life walking with the Lord. We talk about how to be merciful and forgiving. We talk about ways we can take care of widows and orphans. We talk about the teachings of Jesus and how we understand them.
I haven't given my life 100% to the church. I've given it to Christ, who I find shining through the crap of the church as well as the crap of this world. I don't think it's easy to find a healthy church community. It took me 15 years. I don't think this fellowship is "it" or the be-all, end-all.
Thinker, you've identified yourself as a spiritual person and a believer in God. You haven't identified yourself as a Christian. If you identify yourself as a Christian, you cannot reject the Body of Christ as a place of communion with God. It may not be your only place of communion with God--it certainly isn't my only place--it's just that I've recognized that the church needs me as much if not more than I need it.