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Just to add one more thought to this discussion, Sarah Young mentioned on the call-in show that churches often use fear to control their members. A common example is Pentecostal churches constantly emphasising “Jesus is coming soon” and tying current world events to Revelation. That’s something I’m very strongly against and genuinely believe is wrong.
Knowing that this is happening underneath the service makes it really hard for me to justify attending anyway, even if it’s “just for community” or because my wife wants that connection. For me, it’s not a neutral thing, it feels like participating in something I fundamentally disagree with.
A few people have said to just go anyway, but the reality is that many of us have grown up in churches, been deeply involved as kids and young adults, and have come to realise that institutional religion isn’t the answer, that it’s about heart posture toward God, not systems, fear, or control. Because of that lived experience, I really struggle internally with forcing myself to attend when I feel, deep down, how wrong it is.
This is especially difficult when it comes to raising children. How do I reconcile knowingly exposing them to something I believe is unhealthy or fear-based, simply for the sake of community, when I’ve already seen the damage these systems can do?