Are You Disillusioned With Churches?

[Sunstone]

Are you disillusioned with churches? Does the institutionalized church still meet your religious and spiritual needs?

If so, why? If not, why not?

How would you improve churches?




For an in depth discussion on disillusionment with the institutional church:

http://desertpastor.typepad.com/paradoxology/2006/08/todays_guest_sa.html#more

 

[Booko]

Are you disillusioned with churches? Does the institutionalized church still meet your religious and spiritual needs?

If so, why? If not, why not?

How would you improve churches?




For an in depth discussion on disillusionment with the institutional church:

http://desertpastor.typepad.com/paradoxology/2006/08/todays_guest_sa.html#more

Intersting article. He hits a lot of points that disillusion many. I found the part about the common American emphasis on individualism to be especially interesting. It's not just Christian churches that have to struggle with that.

But did you mean to put this in Comparitive Religion?

 

[BrandonE]

I'd have to say not disillusioned at all (right now). I only recently joined my UU church, and it's made a big change in the way I think on a daily basis. It helps to remind me of the benefits of looking outside myself, and helps to inhibit a natural and mostly destructive self-centeredness.

I haven't read the article yet though, so I'm fully prepared to be thrown for a loop once I finish it.

 

[evearael]

I'm not disillusioned. I miss going to schul dearly. I used to go for morning and afternoon prayers and Friday and Saturday services. I built my whole day around it. I decided to take a break because I wanted some space to work through some personal baggage (rape) before persuing conversion. Then I fell in love, got married and had a baby... to a man who isn't Jewish. This complicates things somewhat, so I am unable to convert unless he does... which isn't terribly likely. I've made peace with the fact that conversion just might not be meant to be, but I still miss the prayers and the Torah readings. I want to return.

 

[Quiddity]

Not disillusioned at all. I am of the thinking that it is perceptions and struggles with organized religion that lack education and is accompanied with people's need to get fulfilled right of way. Personally, I would much rather fix things from within then leave and start my own movement. New movements have been flourishing for hundreds of years and I don't see them fulfilling people and bringing people closer then before.

 

[Green Gaia]

Slightly disillusioned. I love my church, you all know that. But I voted slightly disillusioned because sometimes it is frustrating to see how much more we could be and how more good we could be doing and just aren't.... yet. I have faith in us though, I'm just impatient.

 

[Quiddity]

Slightly disillusioned. I love my church, you all know that. But I voted slightly disillusioned because sometimes it is frustrating to see how much more we could be and how more good we could be doing and just aren't.... yet. I have faith in us though, I'm just impatient.

Perhaps it works differently in the UU Church but I wouldn't necessarily attribute this to the UU Church, but rather to members who for whatever reason are lacking action in a particular area. Know what I mean?

 

[Green Gaia]

Perhaps it works differently in the UU Church but I wouldn't necessarily attribute this to the UU Church, but rather to members who for whatever reason are lacking action in a particular area. Know what I mean?

A UU church/congregation is it's members.

 

[BrandonE]

A UU church/congregation is it's members.

So you mean your congregation as opposed to the UUA, or were you including both?

 

[Ody]

With certain religious groups I am, with others I am not...

 

[Green Gaia]

So you mean your congregation as opposed to the UUA, or were you including both?

I could include both, but I was focusing more on my congregation when I said that.

 

[Quiddity]

A UU church/congregation is it's members.

You can pretty much say that of any Church really. With some exceptions. The point I was trying to make is that if certain members fail to act, behave, or whatever, I personally would not put that on the UU Church shoulders and blame it for those acts. Because I know the UU Church is not about that (whatever it may have been). It simply had some bad apples from within.

 

[Green Gaia]

You can pretty much say that of any Church really. With some exceptions. The point I was trying to make is that if certain members fail to act, behave, or whatever, I personally would not put that on the UU Church shoulders and blame it for those acts. Because I know the UU Church is not about that (whatever it may have been). It simply had some bad apples from within.

Whoa there... you're making it sound much more sinister than what I meant. I didn't mean anything bad about my church or anyone in it. Just some things I wish we as a church would be more forceful on and sometimes it seems we drag our feet going through the red tape of making it happen. But I am aware that the red tape is there for a reason and a good one at that. I'm not sure how to explain any better than I did before without getting into congregational polity, which I'd rather not.

 

[Quiddity]

Whoa there... you're making it sound much more sinister than what I meant. I didn't mean anything bad about my church or anyone in it. Just some things I wish we as a church would be more forceful on and sometimes it seems we drag our feet going through the red tape of making it happen. But I am aware that the red tape is there for a reason and a good one at that. I'm not sure how to explain any better than I did before without getting into congregational polity, which I'd rather not.

No...no...no I wasn't implying you said anything close to that. I was only giving you an example to show that I could personally spot that is not what UU is about. But I see what you mean,

 

[Kay]

Somewhat disillusioned.

 

[porkchop]

Are you disillusioned with churches? Does the institutionalized church still meet your religious and spiritual needs?

I wouldnt say disillusioned; dissapointed, let downby would be a better way to describe for me.

If so, why? If not, why not?

I have been to so many churches near and far and there is only one that is biblically sound that i would go to,but we have our own housechurch as its hard to travel there.

How would you improve churches?

All they need to do is use the Bible, stop trying out things to entertain or intice people in, just stick to the simple message that Jesus taught, its enough for me, and should be enough for all.