Hi! My name is...

[AidaC]

I hope so. Part of me still thinks it's satan ("Confusion is of the devil", etc.)

The funny thing is, this group paints itself as "liberal". Can a liberal church still be controlling? Hard to believe... I keep thinking it's all my fault. Probably someone would tell me it is; not sure who to believe, anymore.

Yes! “Liberal” groups can be controlling and abusive. Abuse can happen wherever there’s insecure leadership that derives its security by controlling others. Darin has two articles posted on the website that you might find helpful. They might also be on my blog so you might have read them before but I think you’ll find them helpful in discerning the characteristics of controlling cult groups. Here are the links:

http://freebelievers.com/article/25-att ... -of-a-cult

http://freebelievers.com/article/mind-control-tool-box

[Complete]

Hello there,

My name is Christine, my user name is 'Complete'. I chose this name because I glory in the knowledge that we have been made 'complete' in Christ. It is joy to know that we have been 'accepted in the Beloved'. That we are, in God's eyes, made 'Holy and without blame', in Christ Jesus our risen Lord.

I do not know sufficient about the 'Free Believers Network'. However I have visited the website address, given to me by another member, and listened to a video testimony given by a lady from Pretoria, which I loved.

Coming out from the denominations, as I did, many years ago now: I study the Scriptures for myself, and rejoice in the knowledge that my life is hid with Christ in God; and I now look for His appearing in glory, when I with all the members of His Body will appear with Him. (Col. 3:3,4)

Looking forward to knowing you.
In Christ Jesus
our risen and glorified
Saviour, Lord and Head.

Christine

[AidaC]

Hi Christine! Thank you for introducing yourself and sharing some of your story with us. Like you, we've all move away from institutional Christianity and are experiencing life without all of the manmade distractions. I hope you'll be encouraged as you look through our website and participate in the conversations.

Welcome to our forum! We're glad you're here.

[Complete]

Thank you Aida,

Forgive me for not responding before this.

In Christ Jesus
Chris

[AidaC]

Thank you Aida,

Forgive me for not responding before this.

In Christ Jesus
Chris

No problem, Chris. Feel free to post whenever you can. We're just looking forward to getting to know you.

[jasper]

I was so excited when I stumbled across free believers then realised there was a forum. I must say I'm a little dissapointed though as it seems there is not a lot of active threads or much traffic coming through. I'm thinking that perhaps a few years back there was more happening.
Anyways I didn't come here to complain, in fact the opposite. I love what Free Believers stand for and I think it's a really important message to get out to people.
The freedom that comes with letting go of religious indoctrination is like switching on a light bulb. The more I have let go of what I was taught I had to believe and embraced the journey of truly not knowing well anything really except the most important thing there is....God loves me and that I am a cherished and accepted daughter of the Creator of the universe, My Father.
It's funny really that God called me out of church many many years ago but I still held on to beliefs that had been ingrained in me since childhood. I went through Catholic schooling, attended a Presbyterian church from Sunday school through to youth group and visited frequently the Assemblies of God with my nana growing up.
I knew something was wrong from a child. I would watch and observe those around me and I could never shake the feeling that there was a lack of authenticity. Some of the people were lovely but they all portrayed a God I didn't get and I didn't know.
I knew God was real. I suffered greatly as a child due to abuse and God revealed Himself to my spirit. I was a highly spirtual child and spent a lot of time communicating with God, and contemplating Him.
What church offered just didn't match up with what I knew.
It has taken me 37 years to finally completely let go of the God lie. I left church years ago and stumbled around a bit lost for many years, then I made some terrible choices and hit rock bottom. It was in my utter despair that My Father came and scooped me up and held me. I felt His love envelop me. I felt perfect love, unquestioning forgiveness and total acceptance.
That was when I understood how much I was loved.
It took me becoming what I thought as totally unlovable for God to show me that I could run from Him, turn on Him, do everything in my power to deny Him but He would never, ever leave me. There was nothing despicable enough that I could do that would ever make My Father love me any less.

After that revelation I was walking on cloud 9. So happy to be alive and alive in Christ.
I knew I didn't want to go back to church but longed for fellowship so I found myself on an online Christian forum. Again the people were lovely and smart. Many of them having completed studies in theology. A couple of pastors, a cross section of the Christian community. I leant a great deal from an intellectual prespective but I felt once again like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. I tried to make it work because I liked it there, I liked the fellowship but my views were different. I was accused of being a universalist, too liberal, too loving, not realistic, too idealistic ect. It was all done kindly but too often patronisingly. My posts were jumped on and fiercely debated as they didn't want my thinking infecting the other posters.
It got tiring.
The more honest I was about my faith the more backlash I would receive. The most patronising this notion that I need just pray and that I was just less spiritually developed.
Majority of this stemmed around what I call the God lie.
Gods nature is love. Perfect love.
Nothing stems from Our Father but pure love. If anything contradicts then it is not from Him.
This for me is issues like endless torment in hell.
Harsh judgment and condemnation of others. Little sympathy for asylum seekers, the death penalty ect.
I disagree with so much of the conservative Christian agenda because the God I know, the God I follow leads me to a different place.
A place where love rules, every time.
The lie that God loves us when only we're good enough, the lie that God is waiting to punish, the lie that God cares only for Christians is the lie that God isn't really perfect in His love.

I will stop rambling now...
Yours in Christ
Mel

[AidaC]

Unfortunately, like many other forums, activity here has slowed down but some continue to share their thoughts and that's good. Your experiences are similar to those of other members. When we begin to see God's nature of love, we become a square peg in the round hole of religious tradition so that's why we keep this forum open. We hope that it will continue to be a place of refreshing for those travelling outside of the religious system. I think you'll find freedom here to share your thoughts and beliefs without being judged or condemned.

Welcome to the forum, Mel.

[Jeff of Hydes]

Hello.
I am Jeff of Hydes.
Though I rarely refer to myself that way.
My name is really Jeff, and I live in Hydes a little farming area of Maryland with a post office the size of a small shed.
I used to be here under the name "Bull of the Woods" but came to be banished. "Bull of the Woods" is a kind of funny phrase originally applied to my father in a joking manner and my kids appropriated for me, not that it is a nick name or anything, Just a funny way of referring to me on odd occasions.
I may not actually be allowed to rejoin or post. That remains to be seen.
I do not fit in very well. I am not a rah rah kind of church fan, and I am very willing to cite the many flaws of North American churches including one I am very loosely affiliated with. But sometimes that is not enough to get the "welcome mat" laid out here.
I am not exactly a skeptic of EVERYTHING, but I have a habit of wanting to examine things, question first and see if it is true. Sometimes that included what was virtually universally accepted here as dogma.
I am not a right wing political republican equals Christian person.
I do believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, was dead and buried and rose on the third day and still lives and we will see Him.
I must admit that I do not think I would have come to know that and believe it if not for the existence of the bible which I think is a large, (in my human imagination), expression of the eternal God.
And I believe He has expressed Himself in other ways than those particular words.
But I tend to question for validity those other things that are said to be from Him directly first and see if they really ring true or not. I don't just buy it right off the rack so to speak. I want to know it fits. But I know I am not all wise and knowing there either. I intend to count on the Holy Spirit. I think He speaks clearly but my hearing is a bit muddled too.
I don't think I should write too much. This may never see the light of day.

[AidaC]

Hi Jeff.

I sometimes wonder if I fit in anywhere. I guess that's what comes from being somewhat of a loner as well as an independent thinker. I feel like I'm often misunderstood but I just let people believe what they want to believe. Other than to express my opinion, I don't feel the need to challenge their thinking. I've found that rarely changes anyone's mind anyway so why bother.

I am not a right wing political republican equals Christian person.

Nor am I. I think people can tend to be too one dimensional in their thinking even though there are many different dimensions to life. Although I tend to feel that one party is more closely aligned to my personal beliefs, I would say that neither party has it totally right nor does either party have it totally wrong.

But I tend to question for validity those other things that are said to be from Him directly first and see if they really ring true or not. I don't just buy it right off the rack so to speak. I want to know it fits. But I know I am not all wise and knowing there either. I intend to count on the Holy Spirit. I think He speaks clearly but my hearing is a bit muddled too.

I can totally agree with this. However, I do believe God speaks to us all individually and what he says to one person may be totally different from what he says to another. But isn't that good parenting? Treating each child as an individual.

Believe it or not, I don't agree with everything that is said here. I just don't feel the need to always challenge everything I don't agree with. I also believe people who have been hurt need time to process through that hurt without me adding another layer of guilt to their struggles.

I don't think I should write too much. This may never see the light of day.

We don't hold grudges here so I'm willing to give it another try. Hopefully, it'll work out better this time. I kind of like the "Bull of the Woods" username better but maybe in time I'll get use to the new name.

[Jeff of Hydes]

I was concerned that my old moniker gave the impression of someone aggressive, and reminded me also of the "bull in a china closet" saying.
I can argue and debate pretty aggressively if I don't watch myself. So I thought a change to a more reasonable handle for myself might serve as a reminder to me to be more like my "in person" self. Which is a sweetheart!

[AidaC]

Totally understand, Jeff of Hydes. Hopefully, the forum will be re-energized and we'll soon have some good conversation without too much rancor.

[Jeff of Hydes]

If I ever find myself being especially irritating I plan on kicking myself out.
I would like to hear from old and new folks.

By the way, I sent you an email to an address I got via the link here, "forgettingtheformerthings@yahoo.com
I was wondering if you got that. I has a family picture I am kind of proud of.

[teresap]

Hi Jeff,

I haven't looked at the forum for a while because it was so quiet but I'm glad I popped in today so that I can say welcome back, you have been missed.
I know from our past postings that we don't agree on some things but that doesn't worry me, we are all individuals and God is big enough to reveal himself to us in an individual way.

Looking forward to your posts.

Teresa x

[Jeff of Hydes]

Thank you. My impression of you was one of an honest person who was genuinely open to pondering things.
I hope you are well.
For the most part I am.
One of our five grandchildren,James, is in the hospital right now. He was born with a genetic disorder called Kleefstra's Syndrome.
It is similar to Downs in some ways. It is a case of a damaged chromosome rather than an extra one as in Downs. It is not an inherited trait, but something that just can happen at conception.
He was born deaf, but has cochlear implants. He is just over three and recently learned to walk a bit.
He will always be intellectually hindered pretty severely.
Another characteristic is being prone to respiratory issues. Right now he just had a cold that his brother and sister had, but it became pneumonia.
He is a sweet loving child and it is sad and hard to cope with for all of us, but of course hardest on his Mom and Dad.

[Jac]

Good to see you back Jeff. Sorry to hear about your grandson. That is so difficult.
I am sorry to ask and I don't mind if you tell me to mind my own business, but how do you process all that in your relationship with God?
I think you will remember me posting about how I believe God weeps with us and that helps me. I think it sort of gives me emotional support even though it doesn't change the situations.
Thinking of you and your family.
King regards
Jenny