<p><em>This is post number two in my series about the six reasons why I left the church based off <a href="http://www.barna.org/teens-next-gen-articles/528-six-reasons-young-christians-leave-church" target="_blank">this article</a> by the Barna Group. This originally was supposed to have two reasons but once I got started I realized this needed its own post.</em>

<p><strong>Reason #3: “They wrestle with the exclusive nature of Christianity.”</strong>

<p>"I came to the point that I realized my theology condemns 92% of the world’s population. There's something wrong with that."

<p>This is a quote by <a href="http://crystalstmarielewis.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Crystal St. Lewis</a>, who I had a chance to hear speak at <a href="http://www.outlawpreachers.com/" target="_blank">The Outlaw Preachers</a> (re)Union 2011. With my strict Baptist upbringing it was more like 99% because anyone outside of our church was probably going to the bad place downstairs.

<p>For me, the exclusive nature of the church did not come into conflict with reality in relation to the path of salvation (at least not really, more about this later); it showed up in the willful perpetuation of ignorance in regards to other religions, the denial of other denominations being in the family, and the indignation that flares up when you can find beauty in other religions. Here is just a small slice of how other denominations and religions were <strong>stereotyped </strong>and <strong>viewed incorrectly </strong>by my particular sect:

<p><strong>Presbyterians </strong>– Liturgy? Pfffft. They’re doing it wrong. All that repetition means empty hearts and empty prayers.<br />
<strong>Lutherans </strong>– They don’t drink coffee. It may as well be a different religion.<br />
<strong>Methodists </strong>– No one really talked about them, but we’re sure they’re weird too.<br />
<strong>Church of God</strong> – Female pastors!<br />
<strong>Episcopals </strong>– They like the gays. (This denomination was particularly deemed dangerous, though no one was ever any more specific than “They’re into some weird stuff.”)<br />
<strong>Pentecostal </strong>– They speak in tongues and like to dance. Do you need any more evidence?<br />
<strong>Non-denomination churches</strong> – They can’t pick sides so they try to make everyone happy.<br />
<strong>Catholics </strong>– “You do know they worship Mary, right?” And all they want to do is buy indulgences so they can sin. (Barely considered to be part of the Protestant branch. Get thee out of my Christian tree!)<br />
<strong>Seventh Day Adventists</strong> – Something about a Watchtower and they think we all can become god or something.<br />
<strong>Mormons </strong>– Salt Lake City, baby! They like to marry multiple women and the guy who wrote The Book or Mormon was a crazy.<br />
<strong>Anglicans </strong>– Something to do with the old church. And they’re more or less Catholics.<br />
<strong>Jews </strong>– We only like the Messianic ones. All the others only live by a bunch of rules and don’t love God, because you can’t love God through rules. (Please, let us all take a moment to guffaw or belly laugh at the incredible irony here!)<br />
<strong>Muslims </strong>– They worship Muhammad and are against everything you know and love.<br />
<strong>Wiccans </strong>– WITCHCRAFT.<br />
<strong>Buddhists </strong>– They worship the jolly fat guy statues in restaurants. Maybe something about reincarnation? The Dalai Lama is offensive anyway.<br />
<strong>Hindus </strong>– Reincarnation. Need I say more? Also all the weird, thousands of gods thing. Jesus doesn’t like that.<br />
<strong>Agnostics </strong>– Are in denial. They have that God-shaped hole but don’t want to commit.<br />
&gt;<strong>Atheists </strong>– Are angry people who just refuse to see the logic in our beliefs and don't want to give up control.

So even though there is a huge group of self-identifying group of Christians in the world, and even though most of the Protestant denominations are nearly identical in doctrine and differ only in a few preferences, we can safely knock about 80% of them out of the running for Heaven because they aren’t Baptists? There is something desperately wrong when we are knocking out members of our own group to feel more secure in our own salvation. (Survivor, anyone?)

The ignorance of other cultures and belief systems around me did a lot of damage. Not only had I condensed the Holy World down to a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the people on this planet, but I unfairly discriminated against people of other religions because of my ignorance. Once I left the church I stopped being <em>afraid </em>of humanity and I started to see how absolutely colorful, diverse, and beautiful it is.

Perhaps you can identify with this. Maybe when you read one of the names of the groups above your stomach turns just a little bit. What you need to remember is their beliefs are as sacred to them as yours are to you. They are human at the bottom and they want the same basic things you want out of life. You might be surprised if you take the opportunity to learn a little bit about one of the groups you have presuppositions about.

It's easy: go rent/buy a book by someone who is of a different faith. “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Muslim-Next-Door-Quran-Media/dp/0974524565/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1318469568&amp;sr=8-1-fkmr0" target="_blank">The Muslim Next Door: The Qur'an, the Media, and That Veil Thing</a>” by Sumbul Ali-Karamali, is a great example.  Maybe find <a href="http://ramblingtaoist.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">a blogger</a> and read what they have to say from personal experience about their faith. If you're really courageous, send them an email and talk with them about it! Watch <a href="http://www.netflix.com/Movie/A-Life-Apart-Hasidism-in-America/70018988?strkid=1451695563_0_0&amp;lnkctr=srchrd-sr&amp;strackid=73420d99b57c05b6_0_srl&amp;trkid=222336" target="_blank">a documentary</a>. You don’t have to believe it, you don’t have to like it, and you don’t have to condone it. But hearing other people’s stories might help you understand someone else’s true heart and help you find nuggets of truth in other people, other denominations, and other faiths.

Open your heart and start to see people how Jesus sees them: incredible, intricate, amazing people with beautiful hearts. Fall in love with humanity.</div>