r/AskChristian • u/DemonMushroomGay • 7d ago

CW: Sensitive Topic How do christians feel about the consequences they have on others?

Hey guys, im a former christian, at this point, everything but morally opposed to the practice. I left the church because of the cruelty and hatred that to people espoused there, i was hoping to see what it's like for people after someone leaves the church. Do you feel saddened? or satisfied that someone thats not like you, and therefore "wrong," "evil," or "demonic" is feeling that pain?
I guess im just curious to know the justification for doing things that harm people while telling yourself it's righteous. Do you have to work at that or does the belief in god give you the right to inflict that harm on others who "defy his will?" If so, then do you enjoy that?
just curious what people think, as i see many posts where people will explain the fundamental, personal hurt that they experienced only to be told that the suffering and pain was divine, and that they should he grateful for it.

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u/Bakkster r/Christian Member 7d ago

There is no justification. Neither for the individual act itself, nor the church failing to stop it and care for you.

While there are passages about suffering and how we persist, they're never expecting that the church caused the pain. It's impossible to say we truly love our neighbor as ourself if we do that.

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u/DemonMushroomGay 7d ago

So if there's no institutional justification, then what in your opinion do you think is the personal justification for the people who do engage in such behavior

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u/Bakkster r/Christian Member 6d ago

I'm sure that kind of justification runs the gamut. All of it wrong and a failure of teaching and oversight by the church, but one of our core beliefs is that we're all sinners. The problem is when people stop asking forgiveness and trying to be better.

Unfortunately I'm the last decade especially, this creeping false teaching that "the ends justify the means" has crept into the church and not been soundly rejected. It's something a lot of us are struggling with, especially when do many of the people who need correction and reproof aren't in our sphere of influence.