Why I Don’t Go to Church

I don’t really go to church services often.

When people ask why, I normally just say something like, “I dunno, I just haven’t found a good fit yet.”

Which is true, but it’s the watered down sorta, “I’m not really trying to enter into a conversation about this right now” type answer.

The real answer is I just can’t really stomach it anymore.

It exhausts me.

You know, that whole doing the same thing over, and over, and over again, when it’s not working.

I just see it pointless to remain complicit to a programmatic model that is seemingly doing more harm than it is good to the Kingdom at large.

In the same way you’d get annoyed at hour long infomercial’s selling you a “magical fruit tree” but yet clearly bears no fruit, I’m getting a bit annoyed with the church selling others a gospel that bears no witness to love.

Sometimes I strongly question whether or not we’ve created a hierarchal system in which perpetuates the lives of the privileged, while it oppresses the lives of the disenfranchised. All the while, in doing this, we’re using the humans predisposition to be desperately in need of a savior, in order that we manipulate or coerce them into our cult church.

Instead of handing people, greatly  in need of freedom, we give them a weight, a shame, and a guilt, in order that they constantly stay “in need, and in their place”. If you think about it, it’s kind of similar to abusing people, or it is exactly that.

Is this not what Jesus was against? This was part of the reason in which Jesus stormed through temple over turning tables. We’ve done a magnificent job of creating leaders, and church buildings that are just white washed tombs, but yet are filled with bones of the dead.

So in short, I’m looking else where, for alternatives that will be of better service to our world.

If I want a community of men and women that I can discuss a book in which I want little impact or change from, I’ll join a Harry Potter reading club [which actually sounds like a really good idea…].

I’m not sure what or where this is but I do know that I’m looking for a body that won’t shut out other races, and therefore (unintentionally) create an acceptable means of segregation. I’m looking for a congregation that cultivates a space in which welcomes a person no matter their economic status. I’m looking for a congregation that acknowledges the disparity between the privileged and the not-so-privileged.

In the end – I think the more logical and reasonable question is, “Why do people continue to go to these churches?”

Something’s happening.

The stage is set.

It’s our choice as to whether or not on that stage we want to present ourselves or Christ.

What about you guys? Do you still attend church? Why or why not?