A lost soul

A book published in 1978, “Snapping” helped me understand “what just happened” when I left the LC after 9 years in 3 different local churches (because of migration) in 1978. It was the first step in a long process of understanding what I went through as I tried to extract myself from the local church experience which was so overwhelmingly addictive (the words of the oracle, the friendships that develop, the time spent pray reading, reading etc). It goes back to our “born again experience” where on pages 32-34 in “Snapping” it states, “Among Christians in America, this powerful experience is…a surprising widespread occurrence….the experience of enlightenment is a completely natural one. Stripped of its supernatural components, it is simply a moment of fundamental human growth, of overwhelming feeling and understanding when an individual pushes through to those higher levels of consciousness that distinguish us as human beings.” My experience has been that because we associate this experience with the context of our environment (a Christian fundamental church as opposed to a Buddhist temple, for example) we associate it with being a Christian and believing in God, Jesus, and the HS.

The born again experience translates to those who have gone into the local church. There is a sense of enlightenment when we become a part of the local church which often gives us the feeling that “we have found it” with “it” being the ultimate answers in our lives. Everything we think or do subsequently seemingly reinforces our original feelings of enlightenment of being in the local church where we hear or read the words of the apostle of our time. (btw—I knew WL who asked me to move from Santa Cruz, CA to Detroit, MI in 1971 which I did) The Bible is enlightened by “HIS” words. Just think how unique that experience becomes when we literally believe we have found the ultimate truth and experience in our lifetime. Wow, that is so wonderful which leads us to more enlightened experiences. How could we not become more enlightened when we have heard the oracle of the world and understand the faith which we have given ourselves? Among the 5 billion people in the world we are the lucky ones who have found the absolute truth in the universe. It is just amazing, isn’t it? That is why the blended brothers’ words (who I presume are an extension of WL since there was not an apostle who followed) are so appreciated (check out cognitive dissonance). I brought many to Christ and many into the local churches because I was a true believer so I understand quite well what it is all about.

One of the problems in the local church is that they only try to proselytize other Christians and shy away from actually going out and preaching the gospel to the unconverted. I guess that is because there is this belief that those in the local church are at a higher spiritual level and really don’t need to preach the gospel to the unsaved. Thus, the local churches don’t grow.

[Eph]

Thanks for sharing, Dave. From your other post, you might have suggested that for some left the local churches, it might be better for them just stay in that realm. Please correct me if I misunderstood that. Could you offer any insight as how to overcome the aftermath? It is not easy for some of us to stay postive after leaving the local churches. As I read along posts on the forum, I see more and more positive examples that make me very comforting and know that the Lord is taking care of us.

Eph
I wish there was an easy answer but if you can extricate yourself from the LC, stay out. I don’t just mean stay out of the local church, I mean dump the doctrines, ideas and ‘benefits” you think you received. Otherwise you will never “get out”. If you come to realize that you have nothing of any benefit from the local church to offer to anyone you will begin the transition of finding freedom. The only real benefit I received was realizing that Christian churches in general (of course there are exceptions) are not going to help any of us. They are fragmented and broken. We all hoped the local churches would be the answer but what we found out was that they are as fragmented and broken as the rest of Christianity. Of course, we all are fragmented and broken and we need each other and the divinity within each of us but we don't need a church which makes us its prisoners.

This is a process and it takes some level of determination to leave and stay out. When I left in 1978 it was after I had brought in to the LC most of my 30 relatives as well as others from various university campuses and I just left. I didn’t want to contact them because I had already brought them in and I didn’t want to influence them again. Actually, I realized what a mess it was and I was concerned about trying to “help them” as I thought I was when I brought them into the church. I figured I had done enough damage. But, guess what? None of them ever called me and asked me why I left. Why? I presume they were under the spell of the elders. Who knows? I am now friends with most of them on “facebook”. One of my cousins recently told me that because I influenced his parents to follow me in a migration he was left behind to fend for himself at school and it really affected his life almost 40 years ago.

At the time I poured myself into my work and then in 1997 I emerged out from under all of it although I went through a process over the twenty years in between.

As I stated, it starts with determination to leave and get out and then the rest is dependent on each person and who they are inside. If you can break the dependency of the local church you have a chance. Especially if you can break the guilt trip they give you. I disagree with some who say that as long as you focus on Jesus that is all that matters. If that is important for you, than fine, but it is not essential. Again, it is a guilt trip especially emphasized by the local church. About 3 years ago I extricated myself from all the books associated with the LC (e.g. Watchman Nee, C.A. Coates etc) by selling them on ebay and I dumped the rest that I had been carrying around with me for 30 years. Maybe you had the experience of burnings where you burned things from your past at LC meetings. After you leave the LC you have to burn your past of the LC to grow as a person. Take it one step at a time—don’t rush anything other than get out and stay out. I hope this helps answer your question in some way. Hope you are doing well. Take care.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Dave

A book published in 1978, “Snapping” helped me understand “what just happened” when I left the LC . . .

. . . It goes back to our “born again experience” where on pages 32-34 in “Snapping” it states, “Among Christians in America, this powerful experience is…a surprising widespread occurrence….

Those long ago smart aleck's, Socrates, Pluto, & Aristotle, 500 yrs circa before Jesus walked the earth, spoke of this sudden drastic change that came over people. They referred to it as a Katharsis.

So, bro Dave and all, "Snapping" has been going on a long long time ... prolly back into prehistory ... archaeology may one day confirm.