The Church

It is easy to blame one denomination or group for all of the problems that have come from the church, but it is honestly all of them. The more reports and research that come out show that abuse in churches is a widespread epidemic. Between the churches that have actively harmed people and the churches that defend those who do, many people no longer feel like they are safe at any church. Churchgoers who post on social media or outright tell people that they just don't have the relationship with God that they should or they just haven't found the right church are causing even more harm. Church abuse and sexual abuse are treated much the same... blame the victim or not believe the victim because it hasn't ever happened to you personally. It is also similar in the respect that many victims do not report either because they know the ridicule they will be subjected to and the disbelief.

Add to this the number of "Christians" that have sold themselves out to a person who is the opposite of who they are supposed to follow and even before that, sold themselves out to a political party. "Christians" in America no longer reflect Jesus or his teachings and no longer look anything like what I was taught growing up. They are willing to throw away people if they're not straight, cisgender, and American. They are willing to let women die in the name of being "pro-life". It is the most maddening time to live in this country and have people still trying to convince you that you're living in the greatest country in the world. The United States hasn't been the greatest country for quite some time, if ever. We allow homelessness and poverty to continue despite being a "Christian nation" because the rich refuse to cut profits and the poor blame those who are poorer than them because they are lazy, uneducated, or any other excuse they can find. Churches don't want the government to help the poor because of taxes and it's the church's responsibility, but the same people don't tithe to their church, or at least not enough to help the poor and their churches are not helping the poor in significant ways. 

So many churches require you to listen to someone tell you "the gospel" or commit to come to their church before they will help you. I don't know of any church that uses space to house those in need and I don't know of nearly enough churches that are providing food to the hungry. Even if the church did what it was supposed to do and people gave like they were supposed to give, there would never be enough to help all of those in need in our country. They scream about helping our veterans and homeless before helping "illegals", but they don't even do that much. Continuously voting for people who want to keep cutting funds that are meant to help these very people and pretending like Jesus didn't tell us to help immigrants and the poor. 

All of this to say, stop wondering why church attendance is down and many more people will never feel safe stepping foot in a church again. Whether you are directly causing harm or causing harm by not listening to and believing victims, you are the problem. 

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