Since I'm a little late getting into the game, I have to go back to make responses to things that were posted months ago. The posts I'll be going over first appeared on Lalaith's old blog which you cannot find any longer. The new blog can be found here:
http://www.undertakingliberty.blogspot.com/
There are many things about this entire situation that sadden me. Obviously, the saddest part for me is that my Friend, who I thought to be a Christian, is deceived and has denied the faith. But added to that is the sadness from all the things that led to her decision and the decision of the coauthor, Threnody. The hypocrisy that they've witnessed from the church, the lack of love, the mix up of priorities, the legalism and elevation of rules above doctrine.
These aren't people who just don't know what Christianity is about; these are people who've been brought up in it, who've been taught it and lived in it. In some ways, they know it very well and they're not blind to the faults of the Church, and She does have her faults. She hasn't been made spotless yet.
But getting on to the actual post.
The very first post on the blog was about doing what is right no matter what the cost, no matter how hard it is, no matter what it makes you feel like. I would heartily agree with everything that was written. On one hand, I'm grateful to my Friend because she had the guts to leave something that she didn't belong to. She had the guts to do what she thought was right when she knew that it would cost her relationships, make her something of an outcast in her old cliques, etc. I have no doubts that it was a hard thing to do because I have no doubts that there are many who don't have the gumption to do it.
This is part of the problem with the Church today. It's got people in it who have no desire to be there, have no love for the things of God, but they are there because they're cowards, because they won't leave, because it's easier for them to sit in church and pretend than it is to deny what their entire family believes.
The second post was about giving your all for what you love, what you hold dear.
Again, I fully agree with the post. Many Christians are lukewarm, spot-holders, and don't have the dedication to give up all for God, to go every step for His glory, to give their life, not just their wealth or some time once a week, to the Lord.
So I encourage every Christian reading this: Step up your game; people are watching you and you never know who you're impacting, maybe the drunken neighbor across the street, maybe the person sitting next to you at church.
To everyone reading who used to be a Christian: Please understand that for as long as you sat in the pew, you were a part of the problems that caused you to leave. Who knows how many others like you were sitting there, wishing they didn't have to be, disliking what they were hearing, but it wasn't quite enough for them to face disappointing their families or some other bad consequence? Understand that for each day that you professed to be a Christian but never loved God, you were a part of the hypocrisy. I don't write this to make you feel guilty; I write it to help you see where some of the hypocrisy comes from. Yes, some of it is Christians; some of it is also the people who SAY they're Christians but don't really believe.
