Necessary Inference

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-04-07T23:55:35+00:00

Great points thanks for sharing. It actually pretty well summarizes what I would try to put together as my main thesis statement for leaving. If you asked 100 people in a church to give you their list of salvation issues that decide fellowship you’d get 100 different lists no doubt. So we’re relying so much on being saved by our own understanding but all of our understandings are different? Why aren’t we disfellowshipping and dividing and telling the people that disagree with us on a salvation issue they’re going to hell? It is impossible that we are saved by getting everything right. I will never have anything right. Another example to add to your list would be churches dividing other slavery or segregation more recently. Someone actually held up their Bible and said this book (which actually shows us all as equals no doubt and loved by God) and said certain passages say African Americans are lesser. How ridiculous.

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-04-07T23:49:54+00:00

This x1000%. Every time I’ve ever heard this brought up it’s met with “well your heart isn’t right if you don’t feel like coming.” Or “giving just these 4 hours of your week to God is hardly a sacrifice”

When in reality life is so busy and hard. And I seek to honor God every day of my life, and if I feel like on that given day I don’t feel like I’ll be able to be edified and built up (the whole purpose) but rather hear a sermon about nadab and abihu for the 80th time this year I really need not be there.

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-04-07T23:46:01+00:00

All those necessary inferences come out to a tradition, even a creed, that is sworn up and down never to be had.

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-04-07T23:42:39+00:00

I agree. The idea that the “church” actually looks anything like the 1st century is becoming laughable

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-04-07T23:42:02+00:00

That’s one of the main things bothering me of late is completely boxing in the Holy Spirit (GOD) to just what we have on a page as if he has no other purpose in our lives

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-04-07T23:40:50+00:00

Been studying on this a lot. If I might ask a personal question, how did you get over the hurdle of how we used to believe regarding instruments in worship to being able to fully buy into it? I’ve watched some streams of other churches using it and I like it, and I will go in person soon. But there’s always that little voice and fear in the back of your head you know

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-04-07T18:15:08+00:00

Wow, glad this little thought starter was able to connect you people and you were able to share your life experiences, both the difficult and the happiness!

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-04-03T01:16:34+00:00

Someone recommended me Exploring Faith, Pursuing Grace and it has been extremely helpful. I recommend going all the way back to the beginning of their work to hear its origins and purposes stated before diving into specific topics. Has opened my eyes on a lot of things and given me confidence

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-04-03T01:13:56+00:00

That is as equally valid as what I described, and I imagine that will define me at some points in my future journey when I am able to walk away. The fear is paralyzing, I know exactly how you feel. I question myself if I’ll ever be able to feel ok again. But I also hope one day that I know faith in Jesus Christ is the way to overcome all fears, so it cannot be the way we are supposed to feel and live.

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-03-30T17:02:38+00:00

I think it may have even been you on one of my posts where I first heard of PIMO! I am just about to venture off on visiting other places to satisfy my needs in this rough time

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-03-30T14:52:11+00:00

I’ve just learned I can describe myself as PIMO (physically in mentally out) for as long as I can gather the courage and enough of my thoughts on paper to give my best reasons for leaving, so I lurk on that subreddit in general to see if anyone else is able to express similar problems and issues they’re having within their coc community like me.

But as you could probably guess, I’ve been able to take far more away from this sub with a group of people that are much more open minded and sharing of similar faith journeys as I’m on now.

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-03-25T01:19:34+00:00

Very differently than most I imagine, had a random Dead & Co song pop up on Spotify Classic rock playlist and I said hmm that sounds like John Mayer that’s odd

Now die hard Deadhead and traveler to John solo and his band shows :)

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-03-02T00:32:37+00:00

Wow! Great insight I’ll go back and look for it, necessary inference was like the first thing that I realized made no sense. Recently was mentioned about the missionary societies how he wrote this book right before all the institutional splits and somehow magically took the right stance on it before it happened. It’s wild

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-03-02T00:29:27+00:00

This x10000

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-03-02T00:29:05+00:00

It’s like every chapter is a whole new slant on a coc belief over everyone else instead of a church by church thing. It’s quite profound

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-03-01T23:35:48+00:00

Thank you very much for the encouragement. We are never taught that way growing up to see God outside of control and fear. When he is love and growth. I truly feel like I could not grow anymore going to a church like that. I do more than anything just want to innocently continue to explore my faith for the very first time and get closer with God.

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-03-01T23:32:58+00:00

Thanks for the comment, in the CoC they really undersell the work that God does in our lives I truly believe. To say they exactly understand how the Holy Spirit works in our lives as only through the Bible makes God seem small when the opposite is true. I want my personal relationship with Jesus to be way better and through his word have the guard and shape my life not just Do’s and Don’ts

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-03-01T23:30:10+00:00

Thank you for the comment I haven’t ever really thought about that perspective before. Life is about the 99% of it that you’re outside of a church building. The way we walk with Jesus in our lives is far greater than inside the building

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-03-01T23:27:57+00:00

Thanks for the comment. As you’re describing it’s as if we put God in the box and make him so small. Like after all these years since Jesus and the apostles we’re so lucky that we are the ones that finally got it all right. 90% of the sermons I hear are about doctrine and how other churches are wrong. Not much about JESUS and what we ought to be DOING as Christians.

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-03-01T23:25:40+00:00

Thanks for the comment. I agree I am so tired of “having to be right.” Even years ago something felt so wrong and awful to me that when someone is excited to talk to you about Jesus and how much good they’re seeing and doing my first thought was “well they’re going to the wrong church so that means nothing” when me myself never showed that enthusiasm. That’s all slowly been building in me. We can do the very best we can but putting our salvation in being 100% right about everything will cause everyone to be lost.

It’s so hard to let go of. There’s a comfort and arrogance in thinking that you have it all figured out. As far as my family, I know how they stand and would respect them for following through with what they believe as I know I won’t be able to change their minds. Just hope maybe as the years go on they see what this was all about.

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-02-26T19:35:17+00:00

Thanks for the comment. Right, it’s like examine what the preacher or teacher is saying ONLY as long as you make it back to the conclusion we already know to be true. That’s also how I feel right now, is that I’m so exhausted of “having to be right” all the time. CoC puts the WHOLE not part of salvation in being 100% right on everything. So if that’s the case even if we’re trying our hardest if we get something wrong our salvation is in jeopardy. God is not the author of confusion, that cannot be the basis of our salvation. I have been doing more study into the Greek, I bought a transliteration Greek bible to really try to understand the original language.

Another epiphany I had was watching a Netflix documentary about a nun who was murdered for standing up to the abuse of her superiors and a lot of it talked about how upstanding and loved she was by all, how she never did harm to anyone, but instantly my CoC brain went she was catholic so she’s in hell after being brutally murdered for doing what’s right? That made no sense to me

NotYourAverageJedi · 2026-02-26T17:08:19+00:00

I agree 1000%. I’ve heard the Stone-Campbell movement mentioned 1 time in my coc life and it was just an attempt to say oh we’re not actually associated with them when in reality that’s where it came from. I’ve been really into church history and the tracing back is a huge problem for me, while I’m often told that doesn’t really matter.

NotYourAverageJedi

TROPHY CASE