Comments on: A Religion Editor's Journey in – and out – of Faith http://philcooke.com/william_lobdell/ Change Revolution Tue, 22 May 2012 20:38:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Mary Hutchinson http://philcooke.com/william_lobdell/#comment-2469 Mary Hutchinson Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://philcooke.vintom.com/william_lobdell#comment-2469 <p>Heartbreaking.</p><p> </p><p>As one who had her own fall from faith after seeing too much to close, I weep and pray for him.</p> Heartbreaking.

 

As one who had her own fall from faith after seeing too much to close, I weep and pray for him.

]]> By: matt g http://philcooke.com/william_lobdell/#comment-2470 matt g Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://philcooke.vintom.com/william_lobdell#comment-2470 I want to comment so badly about this article...but my immediate reponse would not do it justice.  This deserves more than a reaction.  It deserves detailed attention. I want to comment so badly about this article…but my immediate reponse would not do it justice.  This deserves more than a reaction.  It deserves detailed attention.

]]> By: Calix http://philcooke.com/william_lobdell/#comment-2471 Calix Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://philcooke.vintom.com/william_lobdell#comment-2471 Wow.  This is one of the most stunningly heart-breaking accounts I have read in a very long time.  I'm reminded of the awful - but often true - cliche that "Christians are the only group who shoot their wounded."  I'm sure some will be inclined to blame the Catholics or the Mormons or the Prosperity/Faith movement for his fall - indeed, on the LA Times site, many already have.  That would be a mistake.  The path of the Christian, in my experience and observation, is an odd thing.  First there is that warm flush of new birth, a presence of the Divine which Lobdell recounts (and I experienced.)  Then there seems to be an invariable and unavoidable decline away from that closeness of God that can take place over years, or even decades.  It happened to me, and I've known so many people personally, and read so many accounts similar to Lobdells, it seems almost axiomatic.  For completely different reasons, I came to a place similar to Lobdell nearly a decade ago, after twenty years in Christ, where everything I believed, everything I knew, everything I felt, everything I thought, everything I had experienced - it all rang false, it all was just a lie.  In that "dark night of the soul" I found myself torn of everything I held dear and believed in.  By grace, however, I realized that all that was left was Christ, and Him alone.  I now realize that I know nothing, except Christ Jesus and Him crucified.  I hope and pray that William Lobdell comes to the same realization of the singularity and all-sufficiency of Christ.  I sincerely and fervently pray that William Lobdell be embraced and healed by that "warm, glowing light" he encountered all those years ago when he gave his heart to Christ.  Because he has certainly earned such grace for his brave explorations of the fallings of the church. Wow.  This is one of the most stunningly heart-breaking accounts I have read in a very long time.  I'm reminded of the awful – but often true – cliche that "Christians are the only group who shoot their wounded."  I'm sure some will be inclined to blame the Catholics or the Mormons or the Prosperity/Faith movement for his fall – indeed, on the LA Times site, many already have.  That would be a mistake.  The path of the Christian, in my experience and observation, is an odd thing.  First there is that warm flush of new birth, a presence of the Divine which Lobdell recounts (and I experienced.)  Then there seems to be an invariable and unavoidable decline away from that closeness of God that can take place over years, or even decades.  It happened to me, and I've known so many people personally, and read so many accounts similar to Lobdells, it seems almost axiomatic.  For completely different reasons, I came to a place similar to Lobdell nearly a decade ago, after twenty years in Christ, where everything I believed, everything I knew, everything I felt, everything I thought, everything I had experienced - it all rang false, it all was just a lie.  In that "dark night of the soul" I found myself torn of everything I held dear and believed in.  By grace, however, I realized that all that was left was Christ, and Him alone.  I now realize that I know nothing, except Christ Jesus and Him crucified.  I hope and pray that William Lobdell comes to the same realization of the singularity and all-sufficiency of Christ.  I sincerely and fervently pray that William Lobdell be embraced and healed by that "warm, glowing light" he encountered all those years ago when he gave his heart to Christ.  Because he has certainly earned such grace for his brave explorations of the fallings of the church.

]]> By: Brian Sinks http://philcooke.com/william_lobdell/#comment-2472 Brian Sinks Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://philcooke.vintom.com/william_lobdell#comment-2472 Unfortunately, it looks like W. Lobdell is on the verge of becoming an atheist, as he writes in a later live transcript. It is heartbreaking when you see people fall away because "religion," run by people, fails them. <em>The sobering thing is that it exposes where they put their faith.</em> I think that his faith was at least partially based on ministers' interpretation of God rather than based on his own personal relationship. Other than religious (nonspiritual) church friends and then finally writing a pastor for answers, I don't see him referring to other brothers and sisters of faith that he talked to and received any support from. I wish we could sit around in a coffee shop with Bill and chew on the Word together. When I was starting to think for myself as a young Christian adult it was times talking to others and simply sharing our experiences (many times in coffee shops) that challenge me on what I believe. On <em>my own time</em> I started to study the Bible and pray to God for answers and I got them. Then it was back to the coffee shop and talks also with the pastor. My faith was and is based on my wondrous one-on-one experience with God/my Savior/His Spirit and not only on someone's religious interpretation or their experiences. None of this should take away from the fact that Lobdell does a tremendous job identifying the danger of Christian media: when we tell others what and how to think. <em>We need more "coffee shop" media where we just share our experiences to inspire others to go back to the "source" and start their own unshakable one-on-one adventure with God. </em> Unfortunately, it looks like W. Lobdell is on the verge of becoming an atheist, as he writes in a later live transcript. It is heartbreaking when you see people fall away because "religion," run by people, fails them. The sobering thing is that it exposes where they put their faith. I think that his faith was at least partially based on ministers' interpretation of God rather than based on his own personal relationship. Other than religious (nonspiritual) church friends and then finally writing a pastor for answers, I don't see him referring to other brothers and sisters of faith that he talked to and received any support from. I wish we could sit around in a coffee shop with Bill and chew on the Word together. When I was starting to think for myself as a young Christian adult it was times talking to others and simply sharing our experiences (many times in coffee shops) that challenge me on what I believe. On my own time I started to study the Bible and pray to God for answers and I got them. Then it was back to the coffee shop and talks also with the pastor. My faith was and is based on my wondrous one-on-one experience with God/my Savior/His Spirit and not only on someone's religious interpretation or their experiences. None of this should take away from the fact that Lobdell does a tremendous job identifying the danger of Christian media: when we tell others what and how to think. We need more "coffee shop" media where we just share our experiences to inspire others to go back to the "source" and start their own unshakable one-on-one adventure with God.

]]> By: Jean-Victor Côté http://philcooke.com/william_lobdell/#comment-2473 Jean-Victor Côté Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://philcooke.vintom.com/william_lobdell#comment-2473 This paper was reported about in La Presse on September 1 on the same page as the news that the largest synagogue in Berlin had just reopened after three years and a half of renovations. The rabbi Chaim Rozwaski, back in Berlin from Belarus in 2000, had lost all his family during World War II. He said that it was a miracle of historical proportions that there were still Jews in Berlin. In my view, splitting Christianity from Judaism was an error of historical proportions. This paper was reported about in La Presse on September 1 on the same page as the news that the largest synagogue in Berlin had just reopened after three years and a half of renovations. The rabbi Chaim Rozwaski, back in Berlin from Belarus in 2000, had lost all his family during World War II. He said that it was a miracle of historical proportions that there were still Jews in Berlin. In my view, splitting Christianity from Judaism was an error of historical proportions.

]]> By: John Fitzpatrick http://philcooke.com/william_lobdell/#comment-2474 John Fitzpatrick Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://philcooke.vintom.com/william_lobdell#comment-2474 I attended a high school seminary, where (Bishop)Ziemann was my spiritual advisor. I graduated from Mater Dei in 1979 and spent summer evenings at (Msgr.)Harris' beach house and later private apartment in Orange. I was there in Rancho Santa Margarita when Pecharich resigned that Sunday, without mentioning why. There are stories I've never told anyone, and probably never will. Every turn I made to find my spiritual path lead to disappointment, or worse. Reading this made me feel normal though - like maybe there is someone else that's walked the same path as me. Thanks for writing it. I attended a high school seminary, where (Bishop)Ziemann was my spiritual advisor.
I graduated from Mater Dei in 1979 and spent summer evenings at (Msgr.)Harris’ beach house and later private apartment in Orange.
I was there in Rancho Santa Margarita when Pecharich resigned that Sunday, without mentioning why.
There are stories I’ve never told anyone, and probably never will. Every turn I made to find my spiritual path lead to disappointment, or worse.
Reading this made me feel normal though – like maybe there is someone else that’s walked the same path as me.
Thanks for writing it.

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