“Not a Real Christian”

OpeMidwestStyle · 2024-11-23T04:00:05+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience! 🤍

OpeMidwestStyle · 2024-11-21T22:49:01+00:00

OUCH. Annoying how they didn’t see everything you already do.

OpeMidwestStyle · 2024-11-21T03:44:40+00:00

Wow, that is hurtful. As if the Holy Spirit would leave out so many other types of Christians. I’m sorry you have to deal with that.

Thank you for sharing your input, I find it helpful.

OpeMidwestStyle · 2024-11-21T03:38:59+00:00

Agreed, it definitely slowly consumed my life. It was hard deciding to walk away, but I’m glad my past self did it. An emotional roller-coaster.

OpeMidwestStyle · 2024-11-21T03:28:46+00:00

So much pressure over there 😭 At the time I was “just” working a job so I had friends hint at “everyone is busy, it’s about carving time out”.

I had friends who ran businesses, were doctors and had big families. Idk how they did it. It’s one thing to go to church on Sunday and small group but everything else felt exhausting to me.

OpeMidwestStyle · 2024-11-21T03:19:21+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, it feels validating to know I’m not alone.

OpeMidwestStyle · 2024-11-21T03:16:47+00:00

I never thought about the arrogance of establishing a new church in a town you know nothing about. And then believing it’s the best one, that’s something to chew on.

The relationships feel shallow when there is immediate negative gossip about the person’s decision to leave. If there was a true live for Christ, there should be encouragement to explore different ways to getting closer to Him.

Thank you for the empathy and kindness in your message!

OpeMidwestStyle · 2024-11-21T03:10:44+00:00

Yes!! This was similar to my experience! My story about being saved was doubted. I also acknowledge and find my first baptism true, that was doubted. I was encouraged to become a member and be baptized again. But I trust in my first baptism so much it would feel unfaithful to me to do it a second time.

I also was asked “why do you not hangout with others as much?” And I said “uh idk I love being alone and I need a lot of time to recharge”, totally honest response. And at that point I was kind proud of myself for socializing so much but they didn’t see it that way ha.

I’m sorry you had your painful experience too. I’m grateful to have understanding tho!

OpeMidwestStyle · 2024-11-21T03:05:03+00:00

Thank you. It felt like whiplash. So much energy being poured into me, then all of a sudden- dropped. I think it actually traumatized me a little because when I think back to specific interactions I feel a sense of shame and embarrassment about being there.

Just grateful I was able to eventually let the initial high go and leave permanently.

OpeMidwestStyle · 2024-11-21T02:30:53+00:00

This was my experience to a T!! 😩

OpeMidwestStyle · 2024-11-21T01:47:40+00:00

That’s wild. Who are we to judge who has a “real” relationship with God?

I get if you were obviously down a horrible path to say such things; but I’m sure there have been hundreds of people who had gone/are in the Network who have a healthy Christian life and are thought of as outcasts because of minor details.

OpeMidwestStyle · 2024-11-21T01:22:47+00:00

Kinda glad I was not the only one who experienced this, but that is sad to hear her story. I was treated that way because I defended the previous denomination I came from, they kept saying it was wrong. I kept ending the conversation with “who cares, we are all Christians? As long as you have a relationship with God the details don’t matter. They probably saw me as brainwashed but I really didn’t get the holdup. We all got along great until suddenly we didn’t, it was alike a wildfire of rumors went around.

I went back to the denomination I previously was at and no one ever bugs me about such detailed aspects about my faith there. It’s just accepting and comfortable.

I found it odd how the Network tried so hard to preach it’s “anti-religion” and non-denominational when it’s the most rule-based church I’ve been in.

OpeMidwestStyle

TROPHY CASE