Ex-Christian Support group

Social Caios

I am trying to start up a support group for those that have experienced the Christian walk of life and for whatever reason have had enough and are struggling with trying to cope without the church and the loss of that social group.

just as AA or NA or a divorce support group, this is for people who have left the church, and for those who have experienced the damage the church can do and need help getting on in life.

The meetings will take place in the college road area of cork city.

If anybody is interested, please leave me a message.
Mark.

condra

Best of luck, though it sounds very nichey.

LadyMayBelle

Any more info on this?

Tim Robbins

Social Caios wrote: »

I am trying to start up a support group for those that have experienced the Christian walk of life and for whatever reason have had enough and are struggling with trying to cope without the church and the loss of that social group.

just as AA or NA or a divorce support group, this is for people who have left the church, and for those who have experienced the damage the church can do and need help getting on in life.

The meetings will take place in the college road area of cork city.

If anybody is interested, please leave me a message.
Mark.

Great idea. Hope it goes well. I would support any drive to get this organisation charity status.

philologos

If you had truly experienced the "Christian walk of life" you wouldn't be setting up a support group.

Sarky

So just how many true christians are there, philly? Because every damn time you defend it, it's because they weren't truly christian.

28064212

philologos wrote: »

If you had truly experienced the "Christian walk of life" you wouldn't be setting up a support group.

If you truly understood Christianity, you wouldn't be a Christian

See, it works both ways

Sarky

in b4 [choose as applicable]:

"It makes sense to me" (Never explain why)
"The Bible is completely accurate" (Avoid how the original story changed before it was written down for the first time)
"Come back when you're ready for a debate" (Ignoring debate thus far because it doesn't go my way)
"The Bible was not written as fiction" (Except for the fictional bits)
"The Bible is not meant to be taken literally" (Except the bits that are)

philologos

Except that the contents in brackets don't have any sound basis, textually or otherwise?

It's not much fun having a tit for tat discussion especially if you're not particularly interested in what others have to say to you.

robindch

philologos wrote: »

If you had truly experienced the "Christian walk of life" you wouldn't be setting up a support group.

Having seen and occasionally had to share a house with people who, like excellent yourself, believe themselves in possession of absolute truth, who call themselves true christians and who therefore take innumerable opportunities to propagate their supremely important religion, I respectfully submit that not only are true christians and former true christians in need of as much emotional support as anybody can reasonably provide, but everybody within a thousand yards too.

Sarky

So then you'll finally respond to nozzferrahhtoo phil?

marienbad

philologos wrote: »

If you had truly experienced the "Christian walk of life" you wouldn't be setting up a support group.

Go tell it to Yossarian .

decimatio

philologos wrote: »

If you had truly experienced the "Christian walk of life" you wouldn't be setting up a support group.

So how do you define a Christian then?

Anyone who is a true christian never leaves the faith so anyone who leaves the faith wasn't a true christian? How wonderful.

I assume it works similarily for murderers, pedophiles etc? A 'true' Christian would never do such things?

Sarky

I seem to recall him stating more than once that a true christian is on the same level as any of the worst criminals. It's a fascinating exercise in self-loathing.

krudler

Sarky wrote: »

in b4 [choose as applicable]:

"It makes sense to me" (Never explain why)
"The Bible is completely accurate" (Avoid how the original story changed before it was written down for the first time)
"Come back when you're ready for a debate" (Ignoring debate thus far because it doesn't go my way)
"The Bible was not written as fiction" (Except for the fictional bits)
"The Bible is not meant to be taken literally" (Except the bits that are)

"The Bible is true, because it has evidence of it, in it"

what evidence?

"Its right there!"

MadsL

philologos wrote: »

If you had truly experienced the "Christian walk of life" you wouldn't be setting up a support group.

And you complain when people troll the Christianity forum...

Ri na hEireann

philologos wrote: »

If you had truly experienced the "Christian walk of life" you wouldn't be setting up a support group.

As defined by?

philologos

Ri na hEireann wrote: »

As defined by?

As defined by Jesus, and the Apostles in the New Testament. If people are talking about church screw-ups I'd agree. I'm opposed to those entirely and wholeheartedly. I can think of no reasonable objection to the Gospel that Jesus gave us though.

I wonder how much of the discussion at one of these support groups would be specifically based on Christian teaching, rather than the failings of one church or many which we can all attest to. (By the by such failings aren't limited to faith groups, they can happen widely in secular organisations too).

It was a passing comment. I didn't intend to disrupt the discussion.

5uspect

philologos wrote: »

It was a passing comment. I didn't intend to disrupt the discussion.

You're not that naive.

aidan24326

For me the idea of a 'former christian support group' is cringeworthy. What would you need a support group for?

actuallylike

Social Caios wrote: »

just as AA or NA or a divorce support group, this is for people who have left the church, and for those who have experienced the damage the church can do and need help getting on in life.

philologos wrote: »

If you had truly experienced the "Christian walk of life" you wouldn't be setting up a support group.

philologos wrote: »

It was a passing comment. I didn't intend to disrupt the discussion.

Oh you are a real piece of work. The OP asks for support in escaping what you offer, likens it to AA and you rub it in his face?!? Revolting.

aidan24326 wrote: »

For me the idea of a 'former christian support group' is cringeworthy. What would you need a support group for?

To deal with people like above, they are not isolated.

robindch

^^^ Folks, calm down please.

aidan24326

actuallylike wrote: »

To deal with people like above, they are not isolated.

And why would you need a support group for that?

actuallylike

aidan24326 wrote: »

And why would you need a support group for that?

If you were once part of said religion then wanted to be free of it, some people might find it tough if friend's or family held the attitudes of above. Some people might want to talk about it with like minded people. It's not for everyone but it could help some people?

Ri na hEireann

Social Caios wrote: »

I am trying to start up a support group for those that have experienced the Christian walk of life and for whatever reason have had enough and are struggling with trying to cope without the church and the loss of that social group..

Does this "whatever reason" encompass newly held disbelief or is it for those who still believe but just left one particular church or another? There is a marked difference and it would seem counter-intuitive to have both groups at the one meeting since they'll both be looking for two completely differing things.

In terms of missing out on a social group there should be plenty of substitutes depending on what you're in to, especially in the College Rd area of Cork City and especially at this time of year with UCC starting back.

ShooterSF

aidan24326 wrote: »

For me the idea of a 'former christian support group' is cringeworthy. What would you need a support group for?

Have you ever read some of the views held on these forums alone by some Christians? If they ever left the church a lot of psychological problems would linger. Just because you and I were probably never in too deep doesn't mean no one was or that asking for support should be seen as cringe worthy. I myself while never being indoctrinated to deeply had a host of issues dealing with the opposite sex because of what Christianity had instilled in me long after I had dropped the belief. This is stuff I'm still only getting over in the last few years, nearly a decade after I dropped belief because your sub-concious isn't as quick to change with logical persuasion.

To suggest there aren't people out there truly messed up by the church seems like careless projecting to me.

eviltwin

ShooterSF wrote: »

Have you ever read some of the views held on these forums alone by some Christians? If they ever left the church a lot of psychological problems would linger. Just because you and I were probably never in too deep doesn't mean no one was or that asking for support should be seen as cringe worthy. I myself while never being indoctrinated to deeply had a host of issues dealing with the opposite sex because of what Christianity had instilled in me long after I had dropped the belief. This is stuff I'm still only getting over in the last few years, nearly a decade after I dropped belief because your sub-concious isn't as quick to change with logical persuasion.

To suggest there aren't people out there truly messed up by the church seems like careless projecting to me.

I actually think the idea of a group like this is a great idea.

I know some people just leave and that's it but its not always easy to just walk away. When I decided to leave the Church I faced a lot of opposition from my family, all of whom are very involved with the local Church. It got so bad that for a while I couldn't have any contact with them, it died down and then all came back again when they found out I wasn't having my son christened.

It sounds so stupid but it was a really difficult time in my life and advice from other people was a variation of "don't let it bother you" ( easier said than done ) or "just go back to church and get the child christened" ( not an option )

Had something like this been around I probably would have gone. Best of luck with it, I think it has a lot of potential.

actuallylike

ShooterSF wrote: »

Have you ever read some of the views held on these forums alone by some Christians? If they ever left the church a lot of psychological problems would linger. Just because you and I were probably never in too deep doesn't mean no one was or that asking for support should be seen as cringe worthy. I myself while never being indoctrinated to deeply had a host of issues dealing with the opposite sex because of what Christianity had instilled in me long after I had dropped the belief. This is stuff I'm still only getting over in the last few years, nearly a decade after I dropped belief because your sub-concious isn't as quick to change with logical persuasion.

To suggest there aren't people out there truly messed up by the church seems like careless projecting to me.

My mam for example would be the type of person that might go to this (it would take a push though). Raised the old fashioned way, church every Sunday, helping the local priest with housework and all that. She absolutely despises the church now in relation to their dealings with the scandals, you can't shut her up about it. She talks about how everyone did what they said years ago and it was hard to understand why except that they were simply brainwashed by them. Then when I question why she still ticks Catholic on the census, still welcomes in the local priests for tea and why she tries to insist that I should be married in a Catholic church and never says anything she gets flustered and changes the subject immediately. She's still brainwashed. She feels hatred for the Catholic church but can't leave it. a group like this might be amazing for people like her.

robindch

aidan24326 wrote: »

And why would you need a support group for that?

There are people in my extended family, and people whom I know outside my extended family, who certainly would need support if they abandoned their religion. The people who go in too deep, tie their identity and sometimes their entire raison d'être to it. Take those away, and sometimes there can be little or nothing left. See How Cults Work for some of what those recovering from religion can face.

BTW, here are two existing groups:

http://recoveringfromreligion.org/ (for regular people)
http://clergyproject.org/ (for clerics who've left their religion)

Fortyniner

I think the Cork Humanists might be interested in working with you, Mark. You can contact us at corkhumanists@gmail.com.

kylith

philologos wrote: »

As defined by Jesus, and the Apostles in the New Testament. If people are talking about church screw-ups I'd agree. I'm opposed to those entirely and wholeheartedly. I can think of no reasonable objection to the Gospel that Jesus gave us though.

I wonder how much of the discussion at one of these support groups would be specifically based on Christian teaching, rather than the failings of one church or many which we can all attest to. (By the by such failings aren't limited to faith groups, they can happen widely in secular organisations too).

It was a passing comment. I didn't intend to disrupt the discussion.

Since Jesus said that people who want to follow him should sell their possessions and give all the money to the poor, and you obviously haven't done this, what with having a computer and all, so you are not a true Christian either, and therefore unqualified to pass judgement (which a true christian shouldn't do anyway) on what other people may or may not need post religion.