Ex-Church of Christ Support Board

1) How come the coc never talks about current events? I rarely heard sermons on how to live or deal with current events. I'm sure it's even less now, but all I remember is being beaten over the head with sermons on baptism. While other churches talked about things going on in the world and how to live right in that world, coc was doing the regular dunking vs. sprinkling debate.

2) If the woman caught in the actual act of adultery can be forgiven, why can't anyone else? I knew a man who committed adultery and divorced, then remarried. He then became a Christian. He was refused to serve in any manner -- not even allowed to drive the bus -- because ... hell, I don't know why ... something about his sin was renewing. But he repented! He was baptized! Does this mean we're not forgiven of our sins?

1. Making practical application is not their strong point. Practical application brings out grey areas and compromises, whereas COC doctrines and rules are very much black and white, with no room for compromises. Plus, most of the rules are so silly, if you applied them practically, you'd see how goofy they were.

2. I've always seen the women get it harder than the men. Usually the men get off scott free, and the women have to wear a scarlet letter for the rest of their lives.

Around here:

1) Current events and opinions about them are divisive. Unity at all costs! Practice: ignore current events at church, but discuss them all you want with your personal friends, preferably those outside the church.

2) Forgive, but do not forget. You blew it, and we will make sure you don't forget.but of course we forgive you.

illuminator wrote:1) How come the coc never talks about current events? I rarely heard sermons on how to live or deal with current events. I'm sure it's even less now, but all I remember is being beaten over the head with sermons on baptism. While other churches talked about things going on in the world and how to live right in that world, coc was doing the regular dunking vs. sprinkling debate.

2) If the woman caught in the actual act of adultery can be forgiven, why can't anyone else? I knew a man who committed adultery and divorced, then remarried. He then became a Christian. He was refused to serve in any manner -- not even allowed to drive the bus -- because ... hell, I don't know why ... something about his sin was renewing. But he repented! He was baptized! Does this mean we're not forgiven of our sins?

1. Talking about current events may give somebody the idea we might try to do something about said current event. And that wil step on someone's toes and make them shit their pants and throw a fit.
Can't have that.

2. That is stupid. That is like believing God will tell a sinner "I have forgiven your sin and all is well between you and me, but you still have to go to hell" or a governor or president issuing a pardon to a man on death row but saying even though I have pardoned you you still have to go to the firing squad. I call that a false half assed idea of forgiveness.

I taught a teen class in which we discussed current events and how they relate to our life as Christians. The majority of the kids liked it. We got a few complaints from older people who said we should just teach the Bible (read: Bible worship), which I dismissed. We had a couple of kids join our class who kept interrupting my co-teacher and me, calling the class "stupid" and "boring." One of them said they wanted to do "Bible facts," and began this stupid rap type song. I told them to shut up or get out. Guess who got told they were out of line afterward? Never mind that these two were rude and disruptive. I'm the bad guy because I said "Shut up." My co-teacher and I won, though. They quit coming to class and the other kids seemed glad, too.

I vividly remember the Wenesday night bible 'study' when it was just announced the U.S. had entered the Golf War. Half way through the bible class I raised my hand and said to the elder teaching "shouldn't we pray for our soldiers who are going into battle". You could hear a pin drop. That derailed & split the class and they were not happy about it. We never did pray.

On the evening of 9/11 the COC I attended had a special prayer meeting. Most of the men led prayers. Most of them covered the same points: comfort for the families of the victims, recovery for the injured, and swift retribution for "whoever did this." I got up and prayed for the victims, their families, and the US soldiers, who would most certainly be going to war "somewhere" soon. I also prayed for perpetrators, that they would come to repentance and would not be harmed or killed in any forthcoming retribution by the US military. I was quickly chastised for this last part afterward.

Lev

The only time the CoC I went to ever really had sermons related to current events was when someone famous died. I remember after both Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II died, our preacher changed his sermons the following Sunday to how they were in hell because they "didn't do what the bible says". They loved jumping at those opportunities to preach about how the CoC is the "one true church" and imply at they're the only ones going to heaven.

illuminator wrote:1) How come the coc never talks about current events? I rarely heard sermons on how to live or deal with current events.

Just go to a Harding U chapel service. You will hear plenty of talk about current events. More than you ever wished to hear.

And my old C of C kept up on the latest tv shows ,movie, childrens toys, everything you can think of - just to point out what they thought was wrong with it. I can't believe you never heard anything about current events.

There was talk of current events in terms of irrelevant things like fashion, current fads, popular music, etc. and how it was all sinful. I remember being surprised (along with a few other people, as well) that our cofC made hardly any reference at all about 9-11 at Wednesday night service, even though it was the day after. Many of us assumed that classes would be cancelled and we would hold a prayer vigil. We were still reeling in shock on Sept. 12, and it was hard to believe that our church just continued business as usual as if nothing significant had happened.