A favorite saying of mine now is that we all tend to forget that the Church is a hospital for sinners, not a country club for saints. We also tend to forget that the clergy are also patients in their own hospital.
Time limits my response so I will just reply a little on your closing comment.
First off thank you for participating my thread and for your simple honesty and humility I sense in your reply. It is refreshing and encouraging.
There is little you say that I do not feel the same way about. I agree that Churches should be hospitals for sinners vs country clubs for saints. Thanks for the colourful and meaningful analogy.
Perhaps my experience has left me feeling that I have been more around the latter. I dont know and I do not wish to judge. Part of me also feels dumb and a little embarassed for falling for the Corporate Church party lines. Although it would be a natural thing.
As mentioned, I in no way disbelieve the Bible. In fact as life unfolds, I believe it all the more. I just feel frankly alergic to having it presented to me by people and organizations that I am not comfortable with. Perhaps this is Gods way of having me seek him out more directly.
There is a distrust for said individuals and organizations that I also have to work through. Again, I have no right to judge. Yet my discomfort is real. That is my burden. That is my journey to walk through and work through.
I often recall a book I read in part, "The Jesus I never Knew" by Philip Yancey. He sought to de-romanticize Jesus as he had been portrayed to us through art, literature, and much of historical artistic license.
I have not yet heard a rational person deny that Jesus was the most influential man ever to walk the earth. Even others of other faiths tend to believe this. I personally believe his is far more than an influential man. I do believe he was God incarnate and that he died for the sins of the world. I do accept that I am one of the people for whom he died.
Some of the details of how salvation works are still a mystery to me. yet I am content to leave that for another day.
So be relieved that I do indeed believe. I am just at this stage uncomfortable with the cutlure in which much of (not all) of western civilized "Christianity" functions. And I am not fully sure why.
So I hope to dialogue further. I will look you up on the threads. Check back with me... I have a few things more I would like to comment on and welcome your replies and perspectives.
