Visiting Other Churches

[musicman]

As a child growing up in C o C I was constantly reminded(as we all were) that any group not C o C was a "denomination"...and all its members were on a one way path to Hell.

After graduating college & moving to another state I attended a very hardline C o C; dated young lady there whom I've called "Miss Narrow Mind."

One of my close friends was Baptist. He invited me to attend a service at his church. I did so one Sunday when MNM and her family were out of town. When I told MNM about visiting the Baptist Church with my friend she immediately launched into a lecture..and told me that I had to "make it right" by inviting my friend to attend C o C(which I never did).

[onward]

As a child growing up in C o C I was constantly reminded(as we all were) that any group not C o C was a "denomination"...and all its members were on a one way path to Hell.

Exactly; we alone had all the answers, and we couldn't mingle with other "denominational" churches because we would be "unequally yoked with unbelievers" ... about as cultish as it gets.

[agricola]

As a child growing up in C o C I was constantly reminded(as we all were) that any group not C o C was a "denomination"...and all its members were on a one way path to Hell.

Exactly; we alone had all the answers, and we couldn't mingle with other "denominational" churches because we would be "unequally yoked with unbelievers" ... about as cultish as it gets.

I got exactly the same kind of brainwashing: we are right, we have the truth. we are the only ones who have the truth. the denominations are wrong. You don't need to listen to false teachings, therefore you cannot and need not attend any other church. You don't need to know what they teach, because they are wrong and their teachings are false ('how do I know? because I told you!')

But certainly ask all your friends to come HERE to church!

[Lev]

As a child growing up in C o C I was constantly reminded(as we all were) that any group not C o C was a "denomination"...and all its members were on a one way path to Hell.

My COCs (all NI) went so far as to overtly describe members of the denominations as "Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, etc." and members of the COC as "Christians." This was done in a directly comparative way so as to imply, not very subtly, that members of denominations were not Christians. I think the old "One True Church" pamphlet by James Cope had a lot to do with this attitude, at least among NICOCers. What a load of rubbish.

Lev

[MusicMan826]

My COCs (all NI) went so far as to overtly describe members of the denominations as "Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, etc." and members of the COC as "Christians." This was done in a directly comparative way so as to imply, not very subtly, that members of denominations were not Christians. I think the old "One True Church" pamphlet by James Cope had a lot to do with this attitude, at least among NICOCers. What a load of rubbish.

Lev

Oh yes, I remember this very well also. At school or work when asked what religion we were, we were always told that we should never say "Church of Christ", but "Christian". This caused all kinds of confusion when friends would say, "I know you're a Christian, but what denomination?" And I would say, "I'm not a member of a denomination." Later on in life I realized it was easier to just say that I went to a COC. By that point I didn't buy the whole "We're the only Christians" BS anymore. I also remember telling several friends growing up, one Jehovah's Witness and a few Baptists, that they're going to hell because they aren't a member of the COC. I was embarrassed later on when I realIzed what a jerk I sounded like, but thankfully we were just kids and it didn't affect our friendship.

[agricola]

As a child growing up in C o C I was constantly reminded(as we all were) that any group not C o C was a "denomination"...and all its members were on a one way path to Hell.

My COCs (all NI) went so far as to overtly describe members of the denominations as "Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, etc." and members of the COC as "Christians." This was done in a directly comparative way so as to imply, not very subtly, that members of denominations were not Christians. I think the old "One True Church" pamphlet by James Cope had a lot to do with this attitude, at least among NICOCers. What a load of rubbish.

Lev

Same here, and we were 'mainstream' - must have been an actual 'thing'. We were supposed to describe ourselves as 'Christians' because we were the only real ones. All those other 'christians' were teaching false truths and weren't REAL Christians. Remember those forms you had to fill out at school every year? where you were supposed to check a religious affiliation? Typical US conventional 'Catholic Protestant Jewish Other' possible choices. I was told I should check 'other' and write in 'Christian'. (I didn't. I wasn't that much of a deliberate rebel against convention. I would check Protestant and just not tell my parents.)

[Struggler]

We were never allowed to visit other churches, other than an occasional wedding or funeral. We might visit an event where a priest or pastor delivered an invocation or benediction. And even then, we got reminders of how those churches were "wrong."

My father performed a wedding at the Presbyterian church across the street and while the head elder, who fancied himself above God, reluctantly approved it, he made it clear that he wasn't happy about it.

The first non-C of C event I attended was in college when I went to a Methodist student dinner.

[MusicMan826]

That reminds me of how no one really had a problem with having a wedding at a Baptist, Methodist or Catholic Church, but you couldn't dare have your wedding at a COC because "God's house is for worshiping Him, not having weddings". This implied, of course, that their church was "God's house" but no other denominational church was because they were Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, etc. and not Christians. Man, looking back their arrogance still blows my mind.

[Lev]

That reminds me of how no one really had a problem with having a wedding at a Baptist, Methodist or Catholic Church, but you couldn't dare have your wedding at a COC because "God's house is for worshiping Him, not having weddings". This implied, of course, that their church was "God's house" but no other denominational church was because they were Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, etc. and not Christians. Man, looking back their arrogance still blows my mind.

I never understood the whole "God's house" deal with the COC. No food, no coffee, no weddings, no music, no playing cards (I got in trouble for this as a kid). What about the concept of God not dwelling in "houses made with hands"? The COC seems to be of two minds about this. They'll insist that it's "just a building" and to call it a "sanctuary" or a "church" is wrong but they'll impose rules on it as though it were something special. Other denominations seem to be more consistent, e.g. the consecration of Catholic churches or the "for any purpose" approach to many Protestant buildings.

Lev

[MusicMan826]

I never understood the whole "God's house" deal with the COC. No food, no coffee, no weddings, no music, no playing cards (I got in trouble for this as a kid). What about the concept of God not dwelling in "houses made with hands"? The COC seems to be of two minds about this. They'll insist that it's "just a building" and to call it a "sanctuary" or a "church" is wrong but they'll impose rules on it as though it were something special. Other denominations seem to be more consistent, e.g. the consecration of Catholic churches or the "for any purpose" approach to many Protestant buildings.

Lev

Yes!! I heard time and time again "We're the church. This is just a building." yet in the dead of summer when it was 105 outside I couldn't wear shorts when I was a kid even to a Friday night gospel meeting because "we're in God's house." When we would occasionally go clean the building on a Saturday afternoon we couldn't bring any food or drinks inside the building because "We're in God's house". It's "just a building" when it's convenient for them, but it's also a sacred place when it's convenient for them as well. No consistency whatsoever.