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Truth Seeker: Oh My It’s The Questions They Don’t Like.
I got an email from an author who called me a “Truth Seeker” and asked if I’d read his new book, “Leaving The Church.”
I watched the trailer on Youtube and said sure would love to have you and your book as a guest on my show.
Kathy and I left the institutional church I don’t know how long ago.
This mans request brought up so many emotions in my soul and caused me to look at my “Truth Seeking” in a new way.
Leaving the church and refusing to buy into the whole COVID hysteria are so similar. I’d never thought of it before now.
The reaction to the “believers” is the same. People who follow institutions because they tell you what to believe is the same whether COVID or Christ.
Listen, we all have the ability and right to interpret things as we wish. But what I’ve experienced seeking the truth in institutions from church to government is quite similar….both try to silence you.
When I ran for public office in 2008 I remember thinking: “This whole system is as messed up as the church!”
I remember reading how God/Jesus call us His sheep. I never thought much about it until I had sheep. Those creatures are the dumbest animals on the planet. One of our sheep would get spooked by something and run straight into a fence and the other would follow. Fear causes sheep to do stupid things and follow the leader, no matter what.
Over and over Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God yet we as believers keep looking for a church. When you ask the question are the two really the same, the fangs come out, the clawing begins and the questioners are silence or removed from the church culture.
Isn’t that the same thing culture did to those who questioned the reaction to Covid?
I have never thought of the similarities like this before.
Thinking back no wonder the COVID response from people seems so familiar.
The issue is not so much what we believe but that when someone disagrees with our belief rather than chalk it up to “Differences” we try to silence them out of fear. Fear of what I have no idea….being wrong perhaps?
A guy who follows my social media put it so well. He and I don’t agree on everything but we still keep talking.
He said: “Asking questions make people uncomfortable with the narrative they’ve already accepted. You are questioning them. We need to remember that that’s OK. We do not have to believe the same things. Believing, without questions, leaves us vulnerable to authoritarian behavior.”
I hesitate to post this for I know the daggers that await me. Opening a can of worms, especially one laced with my past, is dangerous. But why did God have this author send me an email today? Why did my friend write that comment yesterday? Why am I hearing a still small voice telling me “keep looking for the truth?” Because questions aren’t bad and truth matters and how else are we going to find it if we don’t ask.
Nicely articulated, Rick. I wrote the book, “Leaving the Church to Follow Jesus," for several reasons. One of them is because there are literally millions of “religious nones” (people who believe in God but are not affiliated with a church) out there who have already left the Church because they became disillusioned with it. There are many others who are considering leaving the Church but still love Jesus. This book is to let them know, that it is OK, despite what their friends (unfortunately sometimes ex-friends) who remain in the church may say or think. Their instincts have been correct. There actually are historical and scriptural reasons for them to think the way they do.
Of course, not all institutional…
Like you, my wife and I left the institutional church. I questioned the direction and decisions of leadership and that was not being a good little lemming. Anyway, the Temple is in each of us, not a building. We fellowship with other believers, just not in a building with a name of a particular institution. It is sad to see God's people be filled with such animosity towards each other because of different belief practices (doctrine). I know that there are those that are off the rails, but that is for God to deal with. Meanwhile, my house serves the Lord and He is our foundation. - M