If your church made you feel unwelcome or otherwise hurt you

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by sheena12

I love The Cloisters! One of my grandmothers lived in the Riverdale area of the Bronx and we I visited frequently as a child.

While I missed that program, I'm on their mailing list, but I haven't visited in years. Visiting the Cloisters is a very special and spiritual experience that I would recommend to all.

https://www.metmuseum.org/visit/plan.../met-cloisters

It's amazing. Did you know that Rockefeller also bought the land across the river along the Palisades in New Jersey so that there would be no modern view from the Cloisters?

They plant gardens on the grounds outside the museum based on plants identified in the unicorn tapestries. They appear to be mostly medicinal plants used by monks in the middle ages.

It's like entering another world, and it's easy to forget that you are in Manhattan.

[sheena12]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

It's amazing. Did you know that Rockefeller also bought the land across the river along the Palisades in New Jersey so that there would be no modern view from the Cloisters?

They plant gardens on the grounds outside the museum based on plants identified in the unicorn tapestries. They appear to be mostly medicinal plants used by monks in the middle ages.

It's like entering another world, and it's easy to forget that you are in Manhattan.

Yes, I did! I thought you might know that. For that, I thank them.

It's hard to believe you are in the 21st century, too! It's a special place.

[chacho_keva]

Originally Posted by LargeKingCat

I like that response. Many Christians use the phrase "it is what God wants Me/You to do" when in fact, it is only what "I /You" want to do


That is about one argument for which there is no response and you played it well.

I have thought about telling some of the people at the two churches here in town that I attend on occasion (I support their charities) About my fondness for weed as well as resuming my travel hobby, starting with Vegas in January.

Just to see the reaction, but honestly, I don't care.

I have had more bad experiences than good with religions, and I am not going to provoke any more.

Christianity left me with a bad taste. I often found myself searching to say the right Christian trigger words in the presence of those in "positions of authority." But as you correctly state, those in positions of authority could never argue against the words, "God said I need to do x-y-z . . . " So I played along until it was time to move on. I left the church in 2007 and never looked back. I'm happier now. It felt like a weight (or yoke) was lifted off my shoulders when I moved on.

Today, I am thankful for having gone through that less-than-stellar experience.

You live. You learn.

[howard555]

Time sure flies I had to look way back to find this thread. But things happen as time goes by as well.
Church leaders should make people welcome to visit there and comfortable to those who already attend. But the church makes attending awkward. Casual dress has always been the rule which is a good thing I think. But when the pastor wears blue jeans, cutoff blue jeans, shaved their head, etc. maybe the rule needs to be pulled back a little. The pastor likes to give titles to their sermons and one week the title was "do you smell?" Not many people are going to want to attend this church for the first time and stay. Too many things that they were not expecting.