Letter of Defection

[Vinayaka]

deleted

 

[sojourner]

As a former member of a couple of different Christian churches, I've decided to write notices of formal defection and mail them into the organization headquarters (the bishops in this case).

I've moved beyond those faiths now, and want to make my choice to unaffiliate and the reasons for doing such known, even if the letters have no administrative or official impact on my records with the denominations. It's just something I feel I should do. (And yes, the Roman Catholic Church is one of the denominations in question, and I'm aware they no longer believe you can ever leave the Church once you've been in it-- )

What are your thoughts on this? Does it matter if a religion you have now left and no longer agree with maintains your name in its registry? Has anyone gone through a formal defection process with the Catholic church or another religion, and what was your experience?

The administrative bric-a-brac have less to do with real religion than the relationships that are generated and maintained. You will always have a relationship with the church, whether you still espouse it or not. That's what the retention of your name **ought to** signify.

 

[Reverend Rick]

I believe the documentation is more for future generations than for the current one. I could be wrong.

 

[Vinayaka]

I think its a bit like a marriage. Being in a church or a religion is a commitment. Better the commitment is done at adulthood rather than at childhood, in my opinion, but still its a commitment. So what happens when someone pops around, even within one faith, but different denominations? Can you be baptized in 3 churches? Isn't that a bit like polygamy? Shouldn't you have a divorce before the second marriage?

So that's why I'm all for severance. Its just the polite thing to do. Another analogy might be moving. We do tell our friends and business associates that we have new addresses, don't we? Or do we leave it for them to figure out?

 

[Jacksnyte]

As a former member of a couple of different Christian churches, I've decided to write notices of formal defection and mail them into the organization headquarters (the bishops in this case).

I've moved beyond those faiths now, and want to make my choice to unaffiliate and the reasons for doing such known, even if the letters have no administrative or official impact on my records with the denominations. It's just something I feel I should do. (And yes, the Roman Catholic Church is one of the denominations in question, and I'm aware they no longer believe you can ever leave the Church once you've been in it-- )

What are your thoughts on this? Does it matter if a religion you have now left and no longer agree with maintains your name in its registry? Has anyone gone through a formal defection process with the Catholic church or another religion, and what was your experience?

This is actually a requirement to formally convert to the form of Shaivite Hinduism practiced by followers of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami.

 

[elmarna]

sounds like you are talking politics then faith.
to say what is in your heart only you can say.
times change & we are maintaining our beleifs in our thoughts & actions.
My body is my temple.
No paper binds me
BUT I CAN GARENTEE MY FAITH I BRING TO LIFE DOES
I would say in all respects I am accountable for my actions.
To life , Humanity, & GOD

 

[Antiochian]

Why on earth would you recommend that a person who specifically denounces the Catholic faith go try to take communion? Wow, talk about inflammatory and rude. What would be the point other than to cause trouble?

By the way, I doubt very seriously that ANYONE gives him any flak about sending a letter revoking membership in a church or religious organization. I know that's probably dissappointing to those who are intentionally provocative, but it's the truth.

I would never try to take communion at this point. I have no desire to, for one thing, and that would be blatantly disrespectful of the Church.

Considering that I am technically an apostate for having embraced a non-Christian religion, maybe there's no need to do the letter writing. I'm going to think about it a while. I still think it's important that I tell some representative of my former churches that I have chosen to leave, and why, and let them know how certain activities of theirs make me feel. Joining a church or religion usually has some social ritual attached to it--profession of faith, confirmation, baptism, whatever. It's a shame there's no such way to publicly affirm the act of leaving a faith.

Leaving any religion can be a messy thing, even if it's just switching Christian denominations, say Baptist to Anglican. It's not always an easy decision to make, either. Christianity is the faith of my parents, grandparents, my sisters. There is a period of mourning that seeming loss of identity. But in the long run, I've made the best decision for myself. I was raised in the church, but now as an adult, I'm free to make my own decision. Even if it hurts my loved ones. Which isn't easy to see, but it's still my right to make the decision. The worst part is my parents thinking I'm going to hell. I can handle the B.S. a pastor or a neighbor spouts, but that hurts coming from them. You can defect from churches all you want, but there's no defecting from your family. It's just a matter of learning to live with our disagreements, which I don't know will happen. But I've strayed from my topic, and that's another thread.

Bottom line is Christianity no longer feels right to me, and hasn't for a long time.

 

[blackout]

I would never try to take communion at this point. I have no desire to, for one thing, and that would be blatantly disrespectful of the Church.

Considering that I am technically an apostate for having embraced a non-Christian religion, maybe there's no need to do the letter writing. I'm going to think about it a while. I still think it's important that I tell some representative of my former churches that I have chosen to leave, and why, and let them know how certain activities of theirs make me feel. Joining a church or religion usually has some social ritual attached to it--profession of faith, confirmation, baptism, whatever. It's a shame there's no such way to publicly affirm the act of leaving a faith.

Leaving any religion can be a messy thing, even if it's just switching Christian denominations, say Baptist to Anglican. It's not always an easy decision to make, either. Christianity is the faith of my parents, grandparents, my sisters. There is a period of mourning that seeming loss of identity. But in the long run, I've made the best decision for myself. I was raised in the church, but now as an adult, I'm free to make my own decision. Even if it hurts my loved ones. Which isn't easy to see, but it's still my right to make the decision. The worst part is my parents thinking I'm going to hell. I can handle the B.S. a pastor or a neighbor spouts, but that hurts coming from them. You can defect from churches all you want, but there's no defecting from your family. It's just a matter of learning to live with our disagreements, which I don't know will happen. But I've strayed from my topic, and that's another thread.

Bottom line is Christianity no longer feels right to me, and hasn't for a long time.

It can be so hard,
in the beginning especially.

So many interconnected issues,
most of them social or family.
In my case (as a paid RC church pianist)
it became even a career issue,
to the point where I had to leave,
for my own sanity.

Anyway,
you have to be/live
TRUE TO YOURSELF.
There is no other way to live.

Hang in there,
do what you need to,
but IMO,
don't "overaggrandize"
or get overly emotional/dramatic/teachy/preachy
with those of the church
you've left behind.
It won't help,
they won't get it,
they might pray for you even harder!
and later
you'll just realize
you said more than necessary
because your wounds were still fresh.

Make another thread if it will do you good.
RF is a great place for putting and pulling yourSelf together anew.