Loosing Battle

[David Lamb]

As one of the concerned fallen college students, I'd like to throw in my thoughts on the matter.

I went to the same church from age 7 to 17; I graduated a year early, and moved up into the "College and Career" class along with the grade ahead of me.
Since most of my own class had moved out of state by then, I didn't leave any close friends behind.

Both my last youth class and my C&C class were led by intelligent young couples with young children of their own. I enjoyed all the times that I could spend alone with them, discussing futures, spiritual matters, and whathaveyou. It was fun.

But, since i stopped attending 6 months into my freshman year, obviously something was "up" with the situation. Annnd this is it:
Very simply, I left the group, because my peers were stuck in high-school--even the 24 year old. When we discussed anything, they used the same lines they'd been taught from birth, never looking outside of their teachers' lessons for information.
We took up the "Truth Project" series, which promised spectacular revelations and delivery of a rock-hard conviction in our faith.
Of course, it wasn't, and didn't. The course worked from the view-point that we were all 100% sold on what we'd been taught all our lives, and I wasn't any longer; I had formulated some doubts, mostly stemming from the fact that I think too hard.

But the videos were fine, compared to the "discussion" that the other attendees provided... They agreed on all points so much, that even the instructor grew tired of their conformity. He was not raised Christian, and came to faith in his twenties, thus allowing him and I the "meaty" discussion I so craved.

After attending the meetings for months, only for the talks we had before and after the others came and left, I finally lost interest in it all. I went to a different church for a few months, and eventually stopped going to any altogether.

Since then, I've attended services a number of times which can be counted on my fingers--mostly for the church's 50th anniversary, and my BFF's birthday.
Asides from that, I don't have much dealing with any of them, nor any other religious organization.

It is good to hear from someone in the situation we are discussing (even though I don't understand all of it - a person still being a school pupil at 24, or what "The Truth Project" and BFF are, for example).

Please don't take this the wrong way - it is not intended as a criticism, just an attempt to understand your situation better - but do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? I ask, because I have probably misunderstood your post, but you seemed to be saying that you are not a member of a church, and no longer attend church services or youth meetings. And (please correct me if I am wrong, as I probably am! :laugh: ) your reasons are that: 1) it is not fun as it used to be, 2) your peers did not think for themselves, and 3) the "Truth Project" discussions were not meaty. Does this mean that you don't believe that the bible teaches Christians to gather together in local churches for worship, evangelism, and so on?

 

[ZBs]

Well, that's a very simplistic summary of the situation; but yes, mostly that is correct.

By "stuck in high-school", I meant that they acted in the same cliquish, and immature ways that they did when they were enrolled in high-school. Not that they were held back 6 years.

The "Truth Project" is a collaboration of pastors' (including Ravi Zacharias, whom I very much respect) works and ideas, all with the inherent and obvious truth of Christianity as its epicenter,

BFF means "Best Friends Forever"; I use it sardonically, even though he is a good friend.

I did, for a very long time, follow and trust in Jesus; and, if things are as "onced saved, always saved" as some people believe, then I'm all good.
Other than that being the case, I find it very hard to imagine, much less believe the things I did, growing up.

No, I do not attend any church, at the moment.

I wouldn't say so much that it wasn't as fun as it used to be (I've always been the student who will pick a textual study over a game of dodgeball), but more that many things were coming unglued--my questions would go unanswered, my arguments would be refuted with "it's a matter of faith", and, when all else failed them, the legitimacy of my conversion would be questioned.

Your "2)" is very true; I couldn't stomach their conformity for conformity's sake.
I would have been fine, if they could tell me why something was "obvious" or "just how things are", but I couldn't respect people who should have known ten times about our religion than they did.

No single study-project turned my thinking one way or another; rather, some had a more noticeable effect on the silliness of my peers, which did have an effect on how I saw things.

I think the internet substitutes nicely: the population of my forums are much more diverse in experience than any church I've ever physically attended; there is no single man or woman whose opinion has more leeway than another's, simply because they're in charge; people are generally more sincere; and I just like it more.

 

[David Lamb]

Well, that's a very simplistic summary of the situation; but yes, mostly that is correct.

By "stuck in high-school", I meant that they acted in the same cliquish, and immature ways that they did when they were enrolled in high-school. Not that they were held back 6 years.

The "Truth Project" is a collaboration of pastors' (including Ravi Zacharias, whom I very much respect) works and ideas, all with the inherent and obvious truth of Christianity as its epicenter,

BFF means "Best Friends Forever"; I use it sardonically, even though he is a good friend.

I did, for a very long time, follow and trust in Jesus; and, if things are as "onced saved, always saved" as some people believe, then I'm all good.
Other than that being the case, I find it very hard to imagine, much less believe the things I did, growing up.

No, I do not attend any church, at the moment.

I wouldn't say so much that it wasn't as fun as it used to be (I've always been the student who will pick a textual study over a game of dodgeball), but more that many things were coming unglued--my questions would go unanswered, my arguments would be refuted with "it's a matter of faith", and, when all else failed them, the legitimacy of my conversion would be questioned.

Your "2)" is very true; I couldn't stomach their conformity for conformity's sake.
I would have been fine, if they could tell me why something was "obvious" or "just how things are", but I couldn't respect people who should have known ten times about our religion than they did.

No single study-project turned my thinking one way or another; rather, some had a more noticeable effect on the silliness of my peers, which did have an effect on how I saw things.

I think the internet substitutes nicely: the population of my forums are much more diverse in experience than any church I've ever physically attended; there is no single man or woman whose opinion has more leeway than another's, simply because they're in charge; people are generally more sincere; and I just like it more.

Thanks for taking time to explain things that probably seen so obvious to you and other Americans.

I personally don't see how the internet can possibly be a substitute for church membership. At the time of the New Testament, there was no e-mail, no computers, no internet. But people could and did write letters. Yet nowhere in the bible do we find the suggestion that contact with other Christians by letter could be a valid alternative to local church membership.

Anyway, thanks again for your explanations.