Negativity
One of the many things that eventually drove me away from the Church of Christ is that it is a negative religion with a negative view of the world and of human nature. It's a negative religion because it defines Christianity in terms of what you don't and can't do (e.g., drinking, smoking, gambling, and dancing) instead of positive actions and attitudes (e.g., volunteering, giving money to charity, having a loving attitude, or visiting the sick). The COC has a negative view of the world because it believes that the world is hopelessly corrupt and beyond redemption. They're just waiting for Jesus to come back and destroy it and all the sinners with fire. This is one reason why they deny global warming and deride environmentalists. Why bother trying to save the earth when God will destroy it soon anyway? The COC also has a negative view of human nature and interprets everyone's actions in the worst possible light. In fact, it's safe to say that the COC assumes the...