Has anyone else been a victim of “Church Hurt”?
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Tall_Timbers
Well-known member
What do you mean by "church hurt"? I know of a couple who dropped dead in front of the Apostle Peter but that might not be what you mean by church hurt.
I think everyone has been victimized one way or another at some time in their life, including in church. The Bible never promises believers will all be perfect, but it prescribes ways of dealing with problems as they arise. Unfortunately, nowadays, that medicine is hardly ever used; the solution for everything is: just show grace and forgiveness. While that's important, it's just as important to hold victimizers accountable; for a lot of them that's the only way they'll learn and the only way to keep them from victimizing others.
Yes, I have. It's no fun.
Your second question is a bit confusing... is it something that happens in the Bible? There is evidence of strife within the early Church, but "church hurt" (abuse by church leaders) probably wasn't common until the rise of church leaders who weren't Christians. Obviously, it is not something that "should" happen.
It is important to distinguish between "hurt" that is caused by an abuse of church authority, and "hurt" that is caused by godly leaders confronting believers with their sin.
Tall_Timbers
Well-known member
Nope, you aren't alone brother. I haven't heard the term "church hurt" before, so all I can do is guess at what it actually means.
@GospelScribe, please define what "church hurt" is and/or give us some examples of it (so we can all be on the same page with you). Thank you
God bless you!!
~Deuteronomy (David)
The term "church hurt" does not appear in the Bible. Hurtful activity was a problem. The church of Corinth was beset by division. That's never good.
"But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another." Galatians 5:15
This implies that there were serious problems with the Galatians.
I was divorced in 1996. I started to attend a fellowship that considered divorce almost to be the unforgivable sin. It would have been preferable if I'd known that up front. I would not have bothered going. The people were fine, the leaders........ enough said. That fellowship dissolved a few years later.
We may be mistreated by other Christians. However, we must forgive. The people who mistreat us answer to God for their actions and attitudes. We answer for our response. I have a close relative who was offended many years ago. She has a semblance of a Christian life and no more. Her husband is doing a "Jonah" as well. I've not been able to help them.
Unforgiveness is a curse. It can be overcome. https://www.christianlife.org.au/can-you-forgive-from-your-heart
Church hurt sounds a bit like feelings of being abused by the judgmental attitudes of others.
What is church hurt.. Is it a movement or a doctrine?
watched the video.. still don't know what it's all about?
It seems like the artist leaves a lot to read between the lines.
Well, I think everyone who has attended a church very long has been emotionally hurt.
I've gone through all kinds of attacks from within and outside the churches. I have been harmed physically as well. Churches are full of sinners who sometimes act with that nature rather than the new one. Someone said, if you ever find a perfect church, don't go there because it won't be perfect anymore. Lol.
Tall_Timbers
Well-known member
I guess I haven't been emotionally hurt. Long time church attendee and usually very active in the church body. I guess I just let things that might have been able to cause some emotional distress just roll off my shoulders... I've never met a perfect person and expect things aren't going to go perfectly well, and they don't
My wife and I experienced church hurt at the very first church we joined after becoming Christians. At first, the church we were attending seemed great and they boldly preached the gospel, but they were caught up in certain legalistic issues over how to dress at church. Women were encouraged to wear long dresses down to their ankles and men were encouraged to wear suits. It wasn't an absolute must, but you were looked down on if you did not.
The women who attended that church reminded me of the Stepford wives. There were other things as well that I witnessed going on in that church which resulted from legalistic tendencies and favoritism that led me to turn to my wife during a church service one day and I said, "saved or not saved, people are still people!" I expected much more unity there than I was seeing. We left that church after about a year. Probably should have left sooner.
The women who attended that church reminded me of the Stepford wives. There were other things as well that I witnessed going on in that church which resulted from legalistic tendencies and favoritism that led me to turn to my wife during a church service one day and I said, "saved or not saved, people are still people!" I expected much more unity there than I was seeing. We left that church after about a year. Probably should have left sooner.
Oh ok you're talking about Christians.. Yeah they are human beings and as such they are faulty and Sometimes the fallen flesh they dwell in will sabotage their efforts to be more like Jesus..
I am glad you clarified this.. Because the church could be the church leadership or the church could have been Christianity like the doctrines of the church..
Now no doubt the church leadership can be affected by their sin natures and probably do more damage then faulty church members..
of course he does, that is where church strife originates, is certainly is from the Godhead that requires, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control. It is the adversary that seeks the opposite , every time the Word of God is proclaimed the devil is right there to try to take it away.
It just means someone at a church you attended did you wrong somehow and you got offended. Or church leadership did you wrong and you got offended
I went to a church as a young Christians that taught false doctrine and when the enemy started trying to drag me back in to my old lifestyle of partying they never called me once and just let me go.
I found out later the 2 lady pastors where wolves who did not meet the qualifications to be in ministry in the first place as the Lord does not anoint women to be pastors. And the men in the church were feminized having submitted to women leadership.
That church is still teaching false doctrine today, such as all your future sins have already been forgiven which is why they have people attending there that engage in sinful behavior.
But, we need to forgive and move on.