Young Writers Society

(I apologize for my spelling, I know I'm really bad)
Hey, I get where you're coming from, and I'm not here to tell you what you can or can't believe. So remaining as unbias as possible, this is what I have to say.
Fisrt of all, I understand where you're coming from with the pressures of going to a specific place at a specific time for worship, but in this paper you said that you "Follow His teachings to the best of my (your) ability." It's His teachings that say you have to go to church, the bible says (referring to the church) "Forsake not the assemlbing of yoursleves together," and that's just one example. I'm not saying church is what makes or breaks your relationship with God. However I am saying that you contradicted yourself in saying these things. So that part of your paper doesn't make sense.

You also made some pretty large generalizations- not entirely inaccurate, but definitely not fair.
More specifically the fact that you threw around the word "Christian" so much like it's all one thing, without specifying a denomination.

Yes, the pressure to pray, the pressure to participate, and the pressure to be perfect is real, that's accurate. But the way you worded some of it doesn't make sense. Let me put it this way, the church is about prayer, it's about fellowship, and it's about following Jesus' teachings. So, if you say the church is pressuring you to be like-minded to Jesus, its like saying, "This school is pressuring me to learn!"
Now there is a difference, I admit, between being like-Jesus and being perfect, it's a problem if you feel like the church is pressuring you to actually be perfect, and it is a problem if you feel like a school is pressuring you to get only perfect grades in every subject. That is where the difference is.

I know a lot of people in my church who are sweet and kind and would never pressure anyone into something they're uncomfortable with. But at the same time I know a lot of other people in my church who are unkind and rude, and stuck up, and say that you have to be perfect! People with the same beliefs supposedly, but who act completely different, I'll tell you why, and it's the biggest problem I had with your paper.

They aren't stuck up because of the fact that they're Christians, they will use that as their excuse, or their justification, but in my experience the people I've met inside of church and outside of church are no different when it comes to pressuring me to be perfect. The people inside church just have more ammunition, they can say hurtful things, and they have a certain power over you because of the belief you share, like saying "You'll go to hell for that!" and being able to manipulate you based on something you care about deeply. That's why it's so much worse when the church pressures you, rather than society, but they both do it. So saying the church pressures you and you hate it as an establishment isn't fair to some of the really great churches that I know of. You could say you hate YOUR church, and explain your feelings on it. But the generalizations that you made, like I said, aren't fair. And really, is it that surprising? Organized groups of people pressuring other people? *Gasp! unheard of! When literally, it's something we deal with everyday in society.

I'm not trying to insult you, or say what you feel is invalid, these things are real and I hate the fact that they happen. It's just the fact that, as a Christian, I felt slightly offended at some of the things that were said, despite the fact that you're also a Christian! I I'm not angry, I would just say refrain from making so many generalizations in the future, be more specific.

(I apologize for my spelling, I know I'm really bad)
Hey, I get where you're coming from, and I'm not here to tell you what you can or can't believe. So remaining as unbias as possible, this is what I have to say.
Fisrt of all, I understand where you're coming from with the pressures of going to a specific place at a specific time for worship, but in this paper you said that you "Follow His teachings to the best of my (your) ability." It's His teachings that say you have to go to church, the bible says (referring to the church) "Forsake not the assemlbing of yoursleves together," and that's just one example. I'm not saying church is what makes or breaks your relationship with God. However I am saying that you contradicted yourself in saying these things. So that part of your paper doesn't make sense.

You also made some pretty large generalizations- not entirely inaccurate, but definitely not fair.
More specifically the fact that you threw around the word "Christian" so much like it's all one thing, without specifying a denomination.

Yes, the pressure to pray, the pressure to participate, and the pressure to be perfect is real, that's accurate. But the way you worded some of it doesn't make sense. Let me put it this way, the church is about prayer, it's about fellowship, and it's about following Jesus' teachings. So, if you say the church is pressuring you to be like-minded to Jesus, its like saying, "This school is pressuring me to learn!"
Now there is a difference, I admit, between being like-Jesus and being perfect, it's a problem if you feel like the church is pressuring you to actually be perfect, and it is a problem if you feel like a school is pressuring you to get only perfect grades in every subject. That is where the difference is.

I know a lot of people in my church who are sweet and kind and would never pressure anyone into something they're uncomfortable with. But at the same time I know a lot of other people in my church who are unkind and rude, and stuck up, and say that you have to be perfect! People with the same beliefs supposedly, but who act completely different, I'll tell you why, and it's the biggest problem I had with your paper.

They aren't stuck up because of the fact that they're Christians, they will use that as their excuse, or their justification, but in my experience the people I've met inside of church and outside of church are no different when it comes to pressuring me to be perfect. The people inside church just have more ammunition, they can say hurtful things, and they have a certain power over you because of the belief you share, like saying "You'll go to hell for that!" and being able to manipulate you based on something you care about deeply. That's why it's so much worse when the church pressures you, rather than society, but they both do it. So saying the church pressures you and you hate it as an establishment isn't fair to some of the really great churches that I know of. You could say you hate YOUR church, and explain your feelings on it. But the generalizations that you made, like I said, aren't fair. And really, is it that surprising? Organized groups of people pressuring other people? *Gasp! unheard of! When literally, it's something we deal with everyday in society.

I'm not trying to insult you, or say what you feel is invalid, these things are real and I hate the fact that they happen. It's just the fact that, as a Christian, I felt slightly offended at some of the things that were said, despite the fact that you're also a Christian! I I'm not angry, I would just say refrain from making so many generalizations in the future, be more specific.

Hey, AJ here.

I'm not here to review this piece (many have already done so), but I just wanted to comment with some thoughts on this.

First off, I understand the kinds of things that you have experienced in churches. The problem with churches is that they are filled with people. People, even Christians, can be sinful, hypocritical, lying, stealing, hateful, etc. That is the nature of a fallen race of people, and you will NEVER find a perfect church. It will just never happen.

On that note, however, I believe is a very Biblical commandment to attend a church. Now, you do need to find a church that agrees with your beliefs, and I certainly hope that you delve into God's Word to determine what your beliefs are. However, do understand that people will let you down. They always have and they always will. But God doesn't. From what you've said, I'm worried that you haven't really examined Scripture. Please, please, PLEASE start with that before you do anything else. I hope and pray that you believe in the Bible and that you are saved through Christ. If not, I pray that you find that salvation. You cannot understand the church without first understanding God.

Does God see the church as perfect? Of course not. He knows that churches are flawed, and indeed, many Christians act hatefully towards others. I know that the topic of LGBT is very dividing today, and I don't intend to delve into that. Should the church love LGBT people? Yes, that is a Biblical commandment. Again, Christians are human and they can be wrong and hypocritical. But Christians are also commanded to uphold the truth and speak the truth in a loving fashion. Yet again, I say please examine Scripture about these issues.

As Christians, we need to find the balance between speaking the truth and speaking in love. I struggle with it sometimes. Actually, pretty often. But I try to pursue my God in all things, and through His Word, I try to approach the issues in the world with that mindset. I attend a Baptist church which is still trying to pull back from pretty strict regulations that really weren't Biblical. I still love my church because we labor together as believers and learn from the Bible together. I know many, many people in my church that have said things that weren't Biblical and haven't shown love towards others. But I've done the same thing.

I really pray that you find truth. You'll probably shrug these things off. I'm not trying to be preachy, but please pursue God with these issues. Don't throw away prayer and church. Don't toss out Biblical commandments just because you see many hypocrites. If you want to be a true Christian, don't compare yourself to other people; compare yourself to God.

That's all from me.
I really will pray for you. I know that this is an incredibly difficult topic, and it's one that I have approached from dozens of different directions.

-AJ

Good morning, ms.moon. What you say here is correct, but here is the truth. The church is corrupted,ruined from the glory it once had. The reason being is that Christianity is not the religion most preachers follow. The religion all humans follow is the religion of greed, the church of the dollar. Don't believe me, here is some evidence to support my claim. The church doesn't pay any taxes, and most charities are frauds. Also, most ministers only do it for the money, not caring about the religion itself or the people who believe in it. Why Christians look down at other people is because they believe that solely believing in Christianity, that they are better than everyone else. As an atheist, I believe that (not saying this is true or false) all religion does is give people a sense of security and community. I find that heaven and hell concept is black and white as well. Maybe some people just want to die without any afterlife, but not here, heaven or hell for you for the rest of eternity. Also, besides from a few astetic differences, heaven and hell are the same. A inescapable area where you spend eternity with eternal beings.

That is all.

Hi there! MJ stopping by for another review

So I know that this review will sound like I'm attacking you personally, but I'm trying to keep it related to your argument and not you as a person. You can believe whatever you want to believe, and I don't think that I or anyone else can or should force you to believe anything else. With that said, let's jump into this. I'll go line by line to make this easier.

It is impossible to a perfect follower of Jesus Christ. We can never be perfect, and thank the Lord, He doesnt demand perfection. He demands us, as we are, to come and try. He wants us to give the best effort we can possibly give, and he promises that he will help us through the Holy Spirit which lives in believers. If you feel that your church is pushing perfection on you, I think it's important that you talk to an elder or the pastor about that, since they could explain better than me.

Also, churches shouldn't be about pressuring you into prayer. The idea is that you have some time set apart to pray to God, and if you don't enjoy that, then that's a sign of a spiritual sickness or problem right there. You are never forced to pray, and if you feel that way and it's not just one or two services, it might be best to find another church and/or talk to a church authority about how you feel and why.

I agree that some Christians can be judgmental and they have their faults, but it's unreasonable to expect them to live exactly as Jesus did. Nonetheless, I see and agree with your point-- too many Christians today look at the speck in their brother's eyes and not the plank in their own eyes. However, you can't judge the church by its members, so just keep that in mind in your accusations against the church.

And finally, Christians believe that you go to heaven if you confess your sins. There are tons of Bible verses that support this, John 3:16, 1 John 1:9, and Romans 5:8 to name a few. You go to hell if you don't believe and confess your sins. You don't go to hell because certain sins are unforgivable, on the contrary, God will forgive any and all sins without loopholes.

Hopefully this was helpful, and I apologize for not really reviewing much of the piece itself. I wanted to clear up some misconceptions about Christianity, and if you're interested, I published two essays about common misconceptions about the church and Christianity. They're in my portfolio if you want to read them, or I can link them for you. No pressure, just as an additional resource to check out

Best wishes,
MJ

This is something I consider a hard topic for sure. I'm not sure why you have labeled this as humor really. I don't know that a ton of Christians in this day are looking at certain other Christians and saying, "You're not good enough." In fact if anything I have seen way more of the opposite. Way more. People loving each other no matter their faults.

And I have a personal testimony about that because in my life, I got into some sexual addictions with pornography and such, and one day last year I just got up on the stage one day after a lady at my church said she was struggling with some sin in her life, and it moved me to confess the bad acts I had been practicing but couldn't seem to control. And I felt really bad about it, because once you come to God you can't just live any way you please, you live to PLEASE the Lord because you are Joyously Grateful that he mercifully died to redeem the trash that we were. I don't deserve a place in heaven. None of us IS good enough. But the reply from the members of my church was to suggest ideas of ways for me to let go of my temptatious impulses.

We really shouldn't be content to just kind of go through our lives after experiencing the amazing reality of God being With Us; we should have a fervent desire to give up some of our time here and there to spend time chatting with the Lord and be on the lookout for any opportunities to encourage people in diverse ways and uplift them, or sharing about His Awesome Movements that He has worked in others' lives and our own.

There are many things I have done because I was curious, or frustrated, or just selfish ya know? Yeah God can't expect us to be perfect, not even after we commit our ways to him. It's just tough sometimes, and sometimes it seems like we just want, & NEED another outlet and sometimes we jump back into an old lifestyle habit or something. But I can't make excuses, He said He would carry me thru and provide if I'll just cast my hurt and my cares on Him. God does want us to keep His Ways, although He does "desire mercy, not sacrifice" - Matt 9:13

I really am sorry if I say anything that sounds pushy or anything, but we should aim to be as good as possible. If we do aim for Perfection, we will improve because our heart attitude is to "sin no more; and not be overcome by evil and give in to what's all around us," but spend time being Loved by the Creator, so that it sprouts up in us, that very love which moves us to good works done with a merry heart to God.

I leave you with this though, since there are a lot of hot button issues like, "Where are the lines when it comes to sexuality and stuff?" In cases like that, we should find what God wants, bc we ought to care what he approves us and disapproves of right? I'm not really great with elaborating on scripture, but this is from the New Testament in 1st Corinthians Ch. 6.

9 Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

(since we are washed we ought to know what God deems wrong and right and try our bestest bestest to stay away from. Sometimes we fall a lot before we get a handle on things. I am still struggling today with my problem, so I do know I am pretty pathetic - but I will get up and try again. I am guilty; but I have set my heart to change bc it is not fair for me to abuse God's forgiveness. If anyone deserves to roast in Hell, I have to go there ahead of them)

But I want to keep my Good Father, so I will seek His Love until I can let go of my haunting past!

i agree with almost everything you said.

Hey there! Shey here for a review!

This was a pretty great piece. It got the message you were trying to convey across very clearly, and I can definitely agree with most of the points you brought up.

There's a fine difference between this work and an argumentative essay. You aren't trying to convince the readers to agree with you. Instead, you're simply staying your thoughts, and essentially calling out for others who think like you do to say so. I think that while it's not the type of work most would expect upon clicking (though the first person title should give it away), it's still a really powerful piece, and I think it speaks to the people who agree and think they're all alone.

The choice to swear is odd. In an argument, it can make you come across as unintelligent, someone screaming without support. But as mentioned before, this isn't an argumentative essay. In other words, you don't need to sound sophisticated. Instead, I think the swearing really puts your frustration with the situation into words.

Overall, great job! Keep up the great work, cause I look forward to seeing more from you!

Yes. I agree.

Hi there!

I was reading basically this whole thing like #same . This is why I always say I'm a Rogue Catholic - I believe in God, but I also believe in gay marriage and women's reproductive rights and universal healthcare and education. I basically never give hell a thought, and I'm also terribly confused as to why self-professed Christians who supposedly follow Jesus spend so much time hating people and looking down on the poor and lowly.

As a literary work, I'm not quite sure what you meant to accomplish with this. Is it meant to merely be a "here is my view of things" essay? Or do you want the kind of Christian you talk about to really think about their "Christianity?"

You talk about hating the Church, as an establishment, but there many different churches - which do you mean? And if you mean, my Roman Catholic church, then you've got to consider Pope Francis and the fact that the leader of the Roman Catholic church a) does administer to the poor as Jesus taught and b) speaks out against people - particular people in power - who show that they don't care for the poor.

Also, how important is "getting up early to go to church" vs. "Christians who look down on the poor" in your feelings for an established church? Most of this essay feels like it's the other Christians, but there's that one paragraph about actually going to church, which sounds like you just hate waking up early. You could either expand on that paragraph or drop it altogether. If you expand on it, consider: what is it you hate about "being pressured" into prayer? Is it the praying, the feeling of judgement when you don't openly pray?

(Oooh, on that note you could bring in Jesus' talk about the Pharisees, who always pray out in the open so everyone can see how pious they are - Jesus was against that, obviously. That would tie the "pressure to pray" to the other Christians.)

Or is it more the things your church is praying for? Do they pray to end gay marriage? Do they preach hatred? Is that what you hate?

If you're going more for a "here's what you should consider if this is you," then you might want to present a more Scripture-based argument, bringing in Bible passages - or even quotes from clergy members - to support your points. Like bringing in things Jesus said about caring for the poor, donating to the poor, the poor will always be with us, etc, etc, etc.

Finally, either way I think this needs a stronger conclusion. I like the idea[i] of the conclusion - that it's worse to mistreat your fellow human beings than to eat pork, be gay, or be atheist - but considering this essay is ostensibly about why you hate the church, the conclusion doesn't really fit. Can you end in a way that has to do with the main point of the essay? Perhaps you might talk about what would make you appreciate the church.

If you want to stick with your current conclusion, your essay needs a different focus. More like a focus on how to be a good Christian or what not-good Christianity looks like. Then I'd ask: Why bring up Hell? Considering good action should [i]not stem from "I have to be good or I'll go to Hell," but rather love of your fellow man. And the fact that you say right there that you don't really believe in Hell anyway. Rather than focusing on that, you might want to focus on the morals or goodness or piety or whatever of these respective actions - how important they are to Christianity. Is it more important to follow Old Testament laws like "no tattoos" and "no bacon," or is it more important to treat your fellow human beings with respect, dignity, and love?

This review courtesy of