Is your church truly following Christ or just controlling people?

[Anonymous]

Ask yourself whether your church is truly following Christ or whether it's focused on control.

- Do you push your beliefs onto others?
- Do you expect people to conform to everything your church teaches?
- Have you noticed that your congregation is mostly older, with many younger people leaving?
- Do you use the fear of eternal hell to pressure people into attending or staying?
- Do you believe that anyone outside your church cannot be truly saved because they don't follow your interpretation of Christianity?
- Do you expect complete behavioural transformation according to what your church defines as "Christian"?
- Do you discourage independent thinking, questioning, or disagreement?
- Does your church create an "us versus them" mentality?
- Is your church mainly a Sunday social club, or are genuine friendships and a sense of family encouraged throughout the week, as Christ taught?
- Is there a strong emphasis on giving money? Are guilt, fear, pressure, or selective interpretations of Scripture—particularly the Old Testament—used to encourage donations?
- Are people free to question leadership and doctrine, or is disagreement viewed as rebellion?
- Does the church rely on social conditioning, guilt, or fear in the name of religion to influence people's beliefs and behaviour?

A faith that is built on fear, control, and conformity is worth examining. Healthy faith encourages truth, love, freedom, discernment, and genuine relationships. People should be free to ask questions, think for themselves, and test what they are taught against Scripture.

«Matthew 7:15–16 (KJV)
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?»

«Matthew 24:24 (KJV)
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.»

[OneViewpoint]

Unfortunately in the USA Christianity, especially Evangelical Christianity, is overrun with literally mentally ill control freaks and needy lost people looking for answers in what is basically a series of small cults. It is fucking sick and twisted.

And then there are the "Wealth Ministries" of openly corrupt con men selling a salvation lottery to people desperate to believe they can get get rich by "believing". It's basically preying on the gambling addiction of desperate losers.

And all of these sick twisted people are so far from the New Testament and the teachings of the guy they supposedly believe in that it's pitiful / hilarious. What's even more pathetic is that they know they are hypocritical pieces of shit. They know it! But they manage to go through life choosing to deny it every day. It contributes to their self loathing and drives them to cling even harder to the cult.

[strateguy632]

following Christ checklist:

push your beliefs onto others. luke 4.44

use the fear of eternal hell to pressure people mat. 13.41 your list is bad categories: if those examples are 'control' and don't control, then not follow christ either.

[strateguy632]

also mat. 12 30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.' avoiding your 'control' examples is not following christ either.

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

It looks like a particularly lengthy way of asking if a church is a cult?

Which may only preach converted... I'm pretty certain cult members won't pause and think it through, for reasons you already mentioned, conditioning is too strong

[LC75LC71]

I see pastors rollin caddy's.. I'm not an atheist but why does God need money?

[strateguy632]

yes luxury exposed problems including vatican.

[FrodoSkywalker007]

Oh dear...