When church membership can be damaging

Cars make some people very happy. They also kill people. Likewise, the Church is many things. Among these things, it functions as a vehicle and a platform. Much like other vehicles or platforms (tools), depending how this “tool” is used, it can be really positive or really negative in our lives.

In its function as a platform, the Church provides many things to us. One of those things is an opportunity for spiritual and wise individuals to give us counsel and direction.

No human follows 100% of the advice and counsel 100% of the time. The Church is a resource that we can use as much or as little as we want to. Like a hammer (tool) we can use this tool to accomplish a lot of great work.  We could also use the tool to hit ourselves (or others) over the head repeatedly.  

Physicians and personal trainers are also a great resource or tool. I used to be a personal trainer and currently I am a physician. We also give a LOT of health advice about how to achieve optimal physical health. These guidelines include a strict diet and daily exercise among many other things. Some people avoid going to the doctor or personal trainer because they have not followed 100% of the doctors/trainers advice. They, for various reasons, lack motivation to follow certain guidelines at times. THAT IS OKAY. But, much like a person with a potentially helpful hammer, they hit themselves over the head, and then determine that hammers are not helpful or good. They avoid going to the doctor when they need it most because they are ashamed.

Lets say that a doctor recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise and a patient only accomplished 29 minutes daily. So they chose to not return to the doctor any more out of guilt and shame.

Failing to read your scriptures orfailing to follow other things absolutely every day is much like being a 29.9/30, and no reason to quit going to the church (or abandon using hammers, visiting the doctor/trainer).

The recommendations given by the church are EXTREME—much like the lifestyle of a buddhist monk or catholic priest. Every standard in church is frankly not what everyone wants to live by. Just as not everyone wants to be a buddhist monk or a catholic priest. That is okay. Failing to live a celibate life may prevent someone from officially being a catholic priest or a buddhist monk, but they can still glean a lot of fantastic utility out of much of the guidance and support that a buddhist monk or catholic priest might offer them. Similarly, not every person in the church may want or feel able to follow the law of chastity taught in the church, but that doesn’t mean that they cannot benefit from other aspects of the church in their life.

No matter where you go, or what you do, people are going to judge you, inside the church and outside of the church, or inside or outside of any other group or organization.  I would be absolutely blown away and frankly in disbelief if a church member expressed that the church did not add many wonderful, helpful, beautiful and enriching aspects to their life. The same thing could be said of Buddhists and catholics. But not everyone in buddhism or Catholicism practices the monastic or priest/nun way of life. That is okay!!!

There is a LOT of counsel and direction. I think it is impossible to follow all of it. I am fairly certain that not even the really spiritual and wise people follow all of it all of the time. Getting good direction from wise and spiritual people can be wonderfully helpful in our lives.

Sometimes their counsel and direction is spot on and maybe sometimes it isn’t. This may be because although they are really spiritual and wise, they are also imperfect humans.  I feel that they are doing the best that they can. And so should we, but when we don’t. Don’t use the hammer to hit ourselves. Just say, Im not ready for this right now—maybe I will be later, or maybe I wont. But I am ready for these other things, so I will enjoy those.

The church is INCREDIBLY helpful to me in my life and I am SO thankful for it. I believe it is a gift from God in answer to many prayers. I testify, in the name of Jesus that it can be a blessing to us and the world.