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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]what drives me away?

-massive hypocrisy

-the ability to justify or write off anything as 'god's will" and absolve oneself of personal responsibility

-intolerance 
[/quote]

There are some very mild forms of liberal Christianity that don't do any of these things.  They focus on social justice, love and tolerance.

You don't need religion for those things, but some religions do emphasize them and don't deal in fear or divine retribution the way Catholicism can or fundamentalist Christianity does.[/quote]

I've been to those churches and while I applaud the social justice focus (the one I went to was Unitarian and very focused on BLM and also spoke openly and inclusively of LGBTQ+ issues, which I really appreciate), I still think there are problems with these churches in terms of hierarchies.

The one I went to had several pastors, and I got to know one of them socially, and his family. His wife did something really inappropriate to someone I know -- not just something "unChristian" but also counter to the social justice philosophy of the church. But because he is a pastor and this is his wife, no one is holding her accountable for this behavior. It is disturbing, and almost reminds me of how cults operate. I couldn't believe it -- if anyone else in the congregation had done something like this, they would have been held accountable.

That was the last straw for me. I've basically been agnostic for years but continued to seek out a religious community because I want my kids to feel like they are part of something larger than themselves or our family. But seeing how the values the church espoused -- tolerance, accountability, culture of consent -- could be flouted by some members of the community but not others just drove home for me how many people become church leaders because they want power. It's almost more craven than politicians, because with religious people there is this veneer of morality and goodness.

I'm sure there are decent people who are religious community leaders. But I think it is too dangerous to place that much power in a select group of people. Maybe the Quakers are onto something with their egalitarianism. [/quote]

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