A Few Good Things About the COC
So far I've posted some very negative things about the COC, and, for the most part, growing up in that church was a negative experience. However, as with most things in life, it wasn't completely bad. Some aspects of it ultimately had a positive impact on my life.
First, there was definitely a sense of community in the church. People really looked out for each other and came together during times of trouble. When someone lost a job, people passed the hat to help the family get by. When someone was ill, people sent cards, called, and visited in the hospital. When someone died, people sent flowers and food and passed the hat again to help pay for the funeral. My own family was the beneficiary of this kindness during some very difficult times, and I'll always be grateful for that. It was a big comfort to me to know that this big social safety net was there for us.
Second, the church taught me to view religious claims and leaders with a healthy dose of skepticism. We were taught to question religious beliefs and compare them to the scriptures to see whether they matched up. Of course, I'm sure my former Sunday school teachers would be appalled to learn that I eventually turned that skepticism on the COC itself, but learning to think critically has helped me be on guard against charlatans and snake oil salesmen in every realm of life, not just religion.
Finally, being part of the "peculiar people" that is the COC meant that I was an outcast in school. It was horrible for me at the time, but in retrospect I realize that it helped me grow into a very independent person. I learned early on not to care about what other people think of me. I learned that I can stand alone and be my own person and that I don't need validation from people who don't have my best interests at heart. I'm grateful for those lessons in self-reliance that I never would have had if I had grown up in a "normal" church.
First, there was definitely a sense of community in the church. People really looked out for each other and came together during times of trouble. When someone lost a job, people passed the hat to help the family get by. When someone was ill, people sent cards, called, and visited in the hospital. When someone died, people sent flowers and food and passed the hat again to help pay for the funeral. My own family was the beneficiary of this kindness during some very difficult times, and I'll always be grateful for that. It was a big comfort to me to know that this big social safety net was there for us.
Second, the church taught me to view religious claims and leaders with a healthy dose of skepticism. We were taught to question religious beliefs and compare them to the scriptures to see whether they matched up. Of course, I'm sure my former Sunday school teachers would be appalled to learn that I eventually turned that skepticism on the COC itself, but learning to think critically has helped me be on guard against charlatans and snake oil salesmen in every realm of life, not just religion.
Finally, being part of the "peculiar people" that is the COC meant that I was an outcast in school. It was horrible for me at the time, but in retrospect I realize that it helped me grow into a very independent person. I learned early on not to care about what other people think of me. I learned that I can stand alone and be my own person and that I don't need validation from people who don't have my best interests at heart. I'm grateful for those lessons in self-reliance that I never would have had if I had grown up in a "normal" church.
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