If you could change the coC...

[lvmaus]

Why on earth would I bother? With any luck, it will wither away and disappear entirely. And all the people would go to nice normal churches.

Fortunately these ultra conservative churches are dying, but those remaining are the hardcore hypercritical dregs that cause all the problems. At least with a reduced membership there will be less people to contaminate.

[Memtiger]

Adopt loose confederation of leaders in regions such as west, middle, and east tn so the churches can at least be on the same page.

Teach its history, its distinct american beginnings

make all the girls who wore jordache like the guy on the church bus who brings the Cheap Trick and Van Halen 1 and 2 cassettes inthe jean jacket inner pocket for the one jam box on the bus. Smuggling contraband was hard.

and this is a what we would change in the coc not I hope it whithers away, if there is one I will be there firstus with the mostest

[ena]

Why on earth would I bother? With any luck, it will wither away and disappear entirely. And all the people would go to nice normal churches.

Like Agri I do not want to return. I do not think it will wither away. I have conservative Christians on both sides of my family. On my mother's side there as Quakers and on my fathers side there are Mennonites. Both groups still exist. On my wifes side there are Vikings and Puritans.

[bnot]

The list I have seems so big, I would feel overwhelmed changing the CoC.

[KLP]

First...Restore First Century Christianity. lol

I think the biggest thing (and this isn't just cofc) is to revisit this notion of "worship service" and to revisit the belief that worship happens at the building or in group form. If the group "assembly" wasn't in order to do your worship and perform your rites, then the role of clergy (praychars) and "the show" is greatly reduced if not eliminated. This would move it towards what Zeek is saying about being equals or peers. It becomes more possible that Heb 10:25 could actually be a reality...that people are there in actual "communion" with each other. But this concept is so foreign from the concept of "religion" these days.

and maybe when the pseudo clergy of the cofc was diminished then there would be less fear, less focus on doctrine branding, policing of who is doing what, and brotherhood watchdogs, and one-upmanship. Of course this really just means making the church less worldly/carnal and more spiritually oriented....WHICH IS WHAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!

[lvmaus]

First...Restore First Century Christianity. lol
I think the biggest thing (and this isn't just cofc) is to revisit this notion of "worship service" and to revisit the belief that worship happens at the building or in group form. If the group "assembly" wasn't in order to do your worship and perform your rites, then the role of clergy (praychars) and "the show" is greatly reduced if not eliminated. This would move it towards what Zeek is saying about being equals or peers. It becomes more possible that Heb 10:25 could actually be a reality...that people are there in actual "communion" with each other. But this concept is so foreign from the concept of "religion" these days.

Revisiting anything in these churches seldom happens; afterall, if everything you do is PERFECT why rethink anything! church leaders have a twisted mandate to guard their cherished traditional beliefs, and anyone daring to question their authority in the least - especially regarding anything to do with the "worship service" - is automatically branded a trouble maker.

Many CoC groups have made great strides in changing their wacky legalistic thinking, but there will always be a hardcore group that believe they alone are the one and only church.

[ena]

Many CoC groups have made great strides in changing their wacky legalistic thinking, but there will always be a hardcore group that believe they alone are the one and only church.

There is a problem even in mainstream in that you get people from more conservative congregations. This changes the mix as it consistently goes on. As a result I cannot trust a more positive outlook. Preachers leave. When a good one leaves he is often followed by one that is worse. I have seen this many times.

[Lev]

First...Restore First Century Christianity. lol

I think the biggest thing (and this isn't just cofc) is to revisit this notion of "worship service" and to revisit the belief that worship happens at the building or in group form. If the group "assembly" wasn't in order to do your worship and perform your rites, then the role of clergy (praychars) and "the show" is greatly reduced if not eliminated. This would move it towards what Zeek is saying about being equals or peers. It becomes more possible that Heb 10:25 could actually be a reality...that people are there in actual "communion" with each other. But this concept is so foreign from the concept of "religion" these days.

and maybe when the pseudo clergy of the cofc was diminished then there would be less fear, less focus on doctrine branding, policing of who is doing what, and brotherhood watchdogs, and one-upmanship. Of course this really just means making the church less worldly/carnal and more spiritually oriented....WHICH IS WHAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!

I'll vote for this. Of course, it goes beyond the COC to pretty much every organized Christian group. Maybe some groups of Quakers constitute an exception.

Lev

[Moogy]

If I could change the COC, I would turn it into a beautiful butterfly and let it fly away.

I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away...when I die, hallelujah by and by, I'll fly away!

[Ivy]

There is no reason to "change" the cofc. It is collapsing in upon itself, and some day
soon will be no more.