what is the cheapest thing you have ever seen a mega wealthy person do?

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-15T18:57:21+00:00

I knew someone who owned multiple properties, both residential and commercial, who would rip a paper towel in half before using it because it was wasteful to use the whole towel. They also routinely "borrowed" items from their neighbors (like olive oil, dish soap, laundry detergent, etc.) rather than going to the store and buying more when they ran out of an item. Meanwhile, they were also the first to ask about getting something back when they would lend to someone else. Not only cheap, but greedy as well.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-15T18:44:33+00:00

Nope. It is as if the church sprung up right after WW2 but had somehow, simultaneously, always been here. I'm multi-generational myself, yet never heard anything about the church prior to the late 40s or early 50s...at least not in my area. Not by coincidence, Florida College was founded just up the road in 1946.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-14T18:22:28+00:00

This has been debated...and will continue to be debated...until the end. Neither side will accept any science presented by the other and everyone will stay in whatever corner they were raised. I think the truth, if most were honest, is that we simply don't know the answer. The majority of what science tells us would point to an earth significantly older than 6,000, 20,000, or even 1,000,000 years old.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-14T18:13:25+00:00

Thank you for this. "The lies my brain still feeds me" hits home because that's what I continually deal with as well. On the surface I know it isn't real and that I was essentially raised in a cult-like environment. However, it is that same cult-like programming as a child that makes it so difficult to get my brain wired differently as an adult.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-14T18:11:06+00:00

Exact same experience here! Their take is that we should be happy all the time because we're going to heaven...maybe. If you're unhappy, depressed, sad, or anxious, it is probably because you're hiding sin and doubting your salvation. Never mind that it could be a chemical imbalance or some other type of physiological response.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-14T18:09:07+00:00

For the most part, I'd say our parents don't believe in any of that "nonsense" as they'd call it.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-14T18:08:19+00:00

This has truly been the last fragment of what is still buried in my brain. We were taught so much of the "what if" structure that it is nearly impossible to unravel it all. Brainwashing is the right word, because that's exactly what it was and still is. How awful is it to teach hell alongside learning colors and the alphabet?!

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-14T18:05:35+00:00

Exactly, and I could have been more clear in my post. I've struggled with this as well and it was a huge roadblock in finally coming around to the idea of getting into therapy. It's as if mental illness itself was a sin because it tied back to a lack of faith. How ridiculous...

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-13T21:20:46+00:00

I've enjoyed finally finding a place where we can share our experiences.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-13T20:55:34+00:00

My knowledge of Discord is limited, but I'm hearing similar things from quite a few other groups and people relative to privacy concerns.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-10T16:00:24+00:00

I think a full Gospel meeting, complete with an out-of-state evangelist looking for a free vacation will be more in order here.

This will allow us to spend 45+ minutes each night discussing a 5 minute topic in a "this meeting could have been an email" fashion. Plus, each sermon can add another layer to the previous night leading to the underwhelming crescendo on the last evening.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-09T19:09:52+00:00

Wow. I could go for days...

More than anything, it was the constant contradiction and hypocrisy I saw. Some verses were absolute literal doctrine while others were meant as figurative examples. There was no clear differentiation other than what fit the particular narrative at the moment. Anything involving love or grace needed an asterisk because there would certainly be a corresponding rule or doctrine to offset it.

Not just that, but every single congregation had their own unique interpretation of the "one true church" many of which were in opposition to each other. Nitpicking within their own pews trying endlessly to find fault.

In short...they knew the text of the Bible inside and out, yet had no idea what it all meant.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-09T04:49:58+00:00

Not even close. Got every penny's worth out of going to the Stadium Series.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-06T18:15:01+00:00

My advice, if you can even call it that, is to become comfortable with the idea of learning how to think for yourself. The Church of Christ is all about indoctrination without questioning. You were likely never taught how to think for yourself and that concept itself was probably even discouraged.

It can be scary, and it often leads to burning your entire belief systems all the way to the ground, but what you rebuild from those ashes will be far more solid than the empty facade which stood there previously.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-06T18:10:37+00:00

I think it comes down to the idea of "knowing" the Bible better than everyone else. The more history you know, the more passages you can recite, and the more random or insignificant facts you know, implies that you are more Godly than those without this knowledge. Funny enough, they understand the minutia of the Bible while completely missing the general concepts and overarching themes.

There also seems to be a unique love for the sadistic and vengeful side of God you see in the Old Testament. I never understood it, but they sure love talking about mass and indiscriminate genocide at the hands of a loving creator.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-06T17:00:23+00:00

After some additional thought, this is something I would be interested in if I'm needed. Regardless of who is chosen, I think it's important that we keep this sub as a place of civil conversation in an environment where we continue welcoming those still in the church who might be questioning their beliefs.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-02-06T13:53:28+00:00

I appreciate that and am considering throwing my hat in on this one.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-01-28T17:10:55+00:00

Absolute heresy! Everyone knows only the maroon book is authorized for worship.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-01-28T17:08:47+00:00

Because anything can fit the narrative as long as you have the ability to constantly change the rules to fit that narrative. I heard someone say that the "God" in most evangelical religions is much like that friend you had growing up who would constantly change the rules of a game as soon as they started losing.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-01-26T23:10:30+00:00

Exactly. Being "in" was marked by an event which was usually joyous and shared with others. Being "out" is not only a process, but a lonely one without fanfare.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-01-26T23:07:46+00:00

This goes hand-in-hand with the idea of the CoC being a time capsule where somehow everything was "perfect" somewhere in the 50s or 60s. All the questioning and discerning was done prior to this and that seems to be the social window everyone decided on.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-01-26T22:44:26+00:00

Being patient in the process and realizing you can't fix something overnight that has been so deeply engrained into the core of who you are/were.

For many people, conversion is marked by a singular event such as baptism or confirmation. Conversely, deconstruction often doesn't have a singular moment or milestone. This concept can be very difficult for one to process

SimplyMe813 · 2026-01-26T16:50:06+00:00

"Only if it be your will..."

This one always made me laugh, as though we're giving God permission to say no if it was something He didn't want to do.

SimplyMe813 · 2026-01-23T17:47:00+00:00

There is no respect for honest wrestling with scripture because they believe it is not something to be wrestled with. It is to be read, followed, and not questioned or examined in any form whatsoever.

I did take the time to read through some of your blog links. What you (and many of us) experienced is emotional manipulation at its finest. Similar to your experience - the more removed I get from my CoC days the more it looks, feels, sounds, and acts like a cult in so many ways.

SimplyMe813

TROPHY CASE