G
guirguisb
Guest
Hello, I'm new to this site, and this is the first time ever i enter a thread on a web page.
the reason i'm writing this is because i'm attending a church that i believe maybe legalistic and not following the word of god. The church I'm attending is Christian, it is part of a denomination. Well the church seemed fine in the beginning and i like how they teach the bible, but the senior pastor is first really into recruiting new people, he's asking every week to bring more people in, to pass out cards etc.
second he's always asking us to donate because it makes god happy or something.( and this is separate from tithing).
another thing about the church is that they got these classes, their suppose to be like bible study classes, but first the classes are named after military and government branches, theirs 6 levels. level 1= basic training, level 2= boot camp, level 3= C.I.A, level 4= Air force, level 5= Special Ops, and level 6= Officers Academy. in all these classes they have rules, the rules are as follows, No Dating, and they tell you if you have a b/f or g/f you can't see them, and they should understand because it's for god. no dating behaviors, no Media ( music, movies, clubs, bowling, etc.), and one of their rules you must try to recruit at least one person to the church, and to one of these classes.
now here's the real part that's bugging me and my girlfriend have been arguing because she's trying to enter something that they call an internship, which is you give your life to god (The church) for a year, and in that year they can send you out of state to their sister church, and in the internship you must live with a sponsored family (The family is part of the church, and you live with them during that year), you can not have a boyfriend or girlfriend, if you do you must end the relationship before entering, and no fiance either, you can not spend time with guys or with people outside of the church family ( unless it's your own family), and in the internship they teach you how to live a christian life, and they teach you about god and the word. you have one day off from the internship during the whole week, and everyday you must be at the church at 7 30 am, eat breakfast with the interns, then pray and worship for an hour or so, then you clean up the church, and work in the church for a few hours then eat lunch, and from there get back to work and your off by 7 pm.
i tried telling her that it doesn't sound right to me that they should keep you from the world, and have so much rules over you, and she thinks that i'm trying to be selfish and i just don't want to let her go.
we got in an argument and she told me that I'm just trying to manipulate her, and i was shocked so i went to go try to talk to a pastor about the whole situation and as i entered his office he asked me what seemed to be the problem, as soon as i spoke few words about my relationship he started talking none stop, and he said i am manipulating her, and i asked him how i was doing that and his response was " i know how it is, i use to be the same way at your age," it didn't answer my question but i just let it go, i asked him if he's talked to her, and i felt he was trying to hide the answer, and finally he admitted to talking to her a couple hours before i showed up, and he went on by telling me " i'm not going to allow you to get back with her, she needs her space", and i was shocked, and from there he tried to tell me that i was not saved, and before i left he told me, " if i see that you have become a godly person later on in this church i will then tell her that she should start seeing you." i was shocked and very upset i really thought i wasn't saved until i saw a pastor from a different church told me other wise. I just want to clarify that i have accepted Jesus as my lord and savior and i have full believe in him, god and the holy spirit. and i also would like to clarify that me and my girlfriend, have never had any serious issues before this internship dilemma. i have never abused her in any way, or even manipulated her.
please help me to understand what type of church this is, and if i'm wrong about anything i did.
the reason i'm writing this is because i'm attending a church that i believe maybe legalistic and not following the word of god. The church I'm attending is Christian, it is part of a denomination. Well the church seemed fine in the beginning and i like how they teach the bible, but the senior pastor is first really into recruiting new people, he's asking every week to bring more people in, to pass out cards etc.
second he's always asking us to donate because it makes god happy or something.( and this is separate from tithing).
another thing about the church is that they got these classes, their suppose to be like bible study classes, but first the classes are named after military and government branches, theirs 6 levels. level 1= basic training, level 2= boot camp, level 3= C.I.A, level 4= Air force, level 5= Special Ops, and level 6= Officers Academy. in all these classes they have rules, the rules are as follows, No Dating, and they tell you if you have a b/f or g/f you can't see them, and they should understand because it's for god. no dating behaviors, no Media ( music, movies, clubs, bowling, etc.), and one of their rules you must try to recruit at least one person to the church, and to one of these classes.
now here's the real part that's bugging me and my girlfriend have been arguing because she's trying to enter something that they call an internship, which is you give your life to god (The church) for a year, and in that year they can send you out of state to their sister church, and in the internship you must live with a sponsored family (The family is part of the church, and you live with them during that year), you can not have a boyfriend or girlfriend, if you do you must end the relationship before entering, and no fiance either, you can not spend time with guys or with people outside of the church family ( unless it's your own family), and in the internship they teach you how to live a christian life, and they teach you about god and the word. you have one day off from the internship during the whole week, and everyday you must be at the church at 7 30 am, eat breakfast with the interns, then pray and worship for an hour or so, then you clean up the church, and work in the church for a few hours then eat lunch, and from there get back to work and your off by 7 pm.
i tried telling her that it doesn't sound right to me that they should keep you from the world, and have so much rules over you, and she thinks that i'm trying to be selfish and i just don't want to let her go.
we got in an argument and she told me that I'm just trying to manipulate her, and i was shocked so i went to go try to talk to a pastor about the whole situation and as i entered his office he asked me what seemed to be the problem, as soon as i spoke few words about my relationship he started talking none stop, and he said i am manipulating her, and i asked him how i was doing that and his response was " i know how it is, i use to be the same way at your age," it didn't answer my question but i just let it go, i asked him if he's talked to her, and i felt he was trying to hide the answer, and finally he admitted to talking to her a couple hours before i showed up, and he went on by telling me " i'm not going to allow you to get back with her, she needs her space", and i was shocked, and from there he tried to tell me that i was not saved, and before i left he told me, " if i see that you have become a godly person later on in this church i will then tell her that she should start seeing you." i was shocked and very upset i really thought i wasn't saved until i saw a pastor from a different church told me other wise. I just want to clarify that i have accepted Jesus as my lord and savior and i have full believe in him, god and the holy spirit. and i also would like to clarify that me and my girlfriend, have never had any serious issues before this internship dilemma. i have never abused her in any way, or even manipulated her.
please help me to understand what type of church this is, and if i'm wrong about anything i did.
