{"id":30903,"date":"2011-01-19T21:04:00","date_gmt":"2011-01-20T03:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=30903"},"modified":"2021-01-19T21:07:49","modified_gmt":"2021-01-20T03:07:49","slug":"why-i-left-the-christian-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-i-left-the-christian-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Left The Christian Church"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

by Floyd Decker<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The Christian Church has women Counselors, Directors, and Lecturers; the church of Christ does not (I Timothy 2:11-12; I Corinthians 14:34).<\/li>\n
  2. The Christian Church has Educational Directors, Associate Ministers, and Youth Directors; the church of Christ has elders, deacons, evangelists, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11; Philippians 1:1).<\/li>\n
  3. The Christian Church has Missionary, Benevolent and Educational Organizations to execute the work of the church; the church of Christ does not (Ephesians 4:4; 3:10, 21).<\/li>\n
  4. The Christian Church celebrates days of heathen worship, such as Easter, Mother’s Day, and Christmas; the church of Christ does not (Galatians 4:10).<\/li>\n
  5. The Christian Church fellowships various denominations in their activities, leaving the impression that all are brethren; the church of Christ does not (II John 9-11; Galatians 1:6-10).<\/li>\n
  6. The Christian Church seeks to get crowds with Youth Meetings, Campaigns for Christ, Rallies, Drives, and Promotions; the church of Christ does not (Romans 1:16; Revelation 22:18-19).<\/li>\n
  7. The Christian Church emphasizes society and the physical man by appealing to the carnal nature, with church carnivals, bands, plays, choruses, dramatics, church kitchens, church camps, and elaborate fellowship halls; the church of Christ does not (I Corinthians 10:7; Romans 14:17; I Corinthians 11:22,34).<\/li>\n
  8. The Christian Church elevates its preachers above the rest of the members by using such titles as Pastor, Superintendent, President, and Doctor, but the church of Christ does not (Matthew 23:5-12; Job 32:21-22). Also, the Christian Church has forced its ministers into the denominational “Pastor System” by hinting, suggesting, complaining, and even demanding that its preachers run after the members, taxi the people here and there, and hold hands of the sick. The church of Christ does not expect this and God does not expect this sort of treatment from those who have been called to preach the gospel. Acts 6 points out that it is not scriptural for ministers of the gospel to leave the word of God and serve tables. The church has women servants and has deacons who are supposed to take care of the physical needs of the congregation. And the church has elders who are entrusted with the “souls” of the members. And the preacher is left free to study, meditate, pray and carry on an unhampered work of preaching the gospel to the lost (Acts 6:4; II Timothy 2:15; 4:1-5). And if a church does not have elders, etc., it can no more scripturally introduce the “Pastor System” than it can introduce the piano because it has poor singing.<\/li>\n
  9. The Christian Church misuses the name “Christian,” which is a noun, by speaking of “Christian nations,” “Christian schools,” and “Christian Church.” The church of Christ does not (Acts 11:26; 26:28; I Peter 4:16).<\/li>\n
  10. The Christian Church takes up collections at services other than on the first day of the week, and uses unscriptural means such as suppers, property rentals, and special collections to raise money for the church; the church of Christ follows I Corinthians 16:1-2 by having each member lay by in store on the first day of the week. This is its only way of raising money.<\/li>\n
  11. The Christian Church owns and operates Publishing Houses, Radio Stations, Hospitals, and other Benevolent Societies; churches of Christ build nothing but churches (Ephesians 3:21).<\/li>\n
  12. The Christian Church owns, supports, and operates schools for secular education, through theological schools; the church of Christ does not (I Timothy 3:15).<\/li>\n
  13. The Christian Church has a compromising spirit, will not defend its doctrine, is nothing but a man-made denomination, has no regard for the authority of the Bible, bases its practice on the silence of the scriptures, and appeals to the traditions of the elders rather than to the simple unadulterated gospel of Christ. The Christian Church is not part of the New Testament church and should not be regarded as a friend of Christ nor of the truth.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    by Floyd Decker The Christian Church has women Counselors, Directors, and Lecturers; the church of Christ does not (I Timothy 2:11-12; I Corinthians 14:34). The Christian Church has Educational Directors, Associate Ministers, and Youth Directors; the church of Christ has elders, deacons, evangelists, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11; Philippians 1:1). The Christian Church has Missionary, Benevolent…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[817],"class_list":["post-30903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-christian-church"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44197,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-does-it-seem-that-there-isnt-that-much-difference-between-the-christian-church-and-the-churches-of-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":30903,"position":0},"title":"Why does it seem that there isn’t that much difference between the Christian Church and the churches of Christ?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, When I was 15, I was baptized in a church of Christ. Originally the church had been non-instrumental but later used an organ and piano. The minister was also a professor of Greek at a nearby college. If the Christian Church has so many differences, as is indicated\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":30900,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-a-person-leaving-the-christian-church-need-to-be-baptized-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":30903,"position":1},"title":"Does a person leaving the Christian Church need to be baptized again?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 11, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What is your thinking (based on Scripture) on a situation where someone has been baptized in the Christian Church but says they were baptized for the remission of sins and they want to place membership in the church of Christ? Do they need to be baptized again? The argument\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":33542,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/who-has-changed\/","url_meta":{"origin":30903,"position":2},"title":"Who Has Changed?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wayne Goforth Sentry Magazine, September 2000 Someone has indeed changed! It has sometimes been argued that \"The anti's have come up a new doctrine.\" Thomas B. Warren, in his book on \"Lectures on Church Cooperation and Orphan Homes,\" argues \"If you can find anyone who taught this before 1955,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14219,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-i-address-the-criticism-of-the-church-by-a-family-member\/","url_meta":{"origin":30903,"position":3},"title":"How do I address the criticism of the church by a family member?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 19, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I am a member of the body of Christ and it disturbs me greatly that people within my physical family, as well as my spiritual family, are saying that God never founded the church of Christ. Below you will find a few correspondences sent to me by a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":38885,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/placing-membership\/","url_meta":{"origin":30903,"position":4},"title":"Placing Membership","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 22, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Lee Moses Sometimes questions arise as to whether it is scripturally necessary, or even scripturally permissible, to \"place membership\" with a congregation. A modern brother or sister may raise the objection: \"I'm a member of the church of Christ, and that's good enough for me.\" What this person means\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":27182,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-is-the-church-both-the-body-of-christ-and-the-bride-of-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":30903,"position":5},"title":"Why is the church both the body of Christ and the bride of Christ?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Please, why is the church called the body of Christ and at the same time called the bride of Christ? Thanks. Answer: People are known by a variety of names and titles because one name doesn't completely describe a person or his relationship with other people. I'm known as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30903\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}