Good post. I grew up in the United Church, which is (or has become) almost the opposite extreme. Rather than things being black and white, absolutely everything was a grey area. Everything was essentially between you and God (if you believe in God, which was another grey area in itself). And unless you were into the social aspect of the church (I wasn't), it all seemed very superfluous. I think it must be a very difficult balance for any church: be flexible enough that you don't alienate your paritioners, but at the same time, be strong enough that they actually feel that you continue to be part of their lives and decisions. I consider myself an agnostic, but occasionally I will ask myself: if I were to go back to church, what would I want in a church. I dunno, the Quaker style sounds pretty good to me: an emphasis on social activism and a leaderless congregation style.
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