The book suggests that the defining problem driving out most people who leave is … just how American life works in the 21st century. Contemporary America simply isn’t set up to promote mutuality, care, or common life. Rather, it is designed to maximize individual accomplishment as defined by professional and financial success. Such a system leaves precious little time or energy for forms of community that don’t contribute to one’s own professional life or, as one ages, the professional prospects of one’s children. Workism reigns in America, and because of it, community in America, religious community included, is a math problem that doesn’t add up.

  • TheLepidopterists [he/him]
    ·
    11 months ago

    My in-laws are Methodists and I got in a little trouble with my wife a while back for inquiring with my MIL about whether their family's church was staying with the "progressives who aren't bigots are a minority that is tolerated" branch of the church or schisming with the "if you allow a minority of non-homophobic/transphobic Methodists to remain in the church, eventually they'll overthrow the conservatives" branch.

    I did phrase it a little more diplomatically of course.

    I actually still don't know which they are.

    • axont [she/her, comrade/them]
      ·
      11 months ago

      I actually still don't know which they are.

      I think a lot of church members are confused too, since the whole reason they became Methodists instead of explicitly bigoted Baptists or Pentecostals was to avoid this kind of church politics in the first place.

      I doubt it'll get handled democratically either. Methodists are just gonna show up to church one day to see a sign saying "no wokeness allowed" because their preacher joined the openly bigoted side

      • TheLepidopterists [he/him]
        ·
        11 months ago

        If they can afford to. My understanding is that joining the openly bigoted side means that they have to pay a bunch of fees to the national branch, which most of them probably can't afford to due to declining membership.

        Local bigoted institution goes bankrupt is also an acceptable outcome though

        • usernamesaredifficul [he/him]
          ·
          11 months ago

          ok my bet is the side that costs more money will loose that's normally how religious schisms settle

        • GarbageShoot [he/him]
          ·
          11 months ago

          It seems like breaking right would really make them vulnerable to vandalism if they already need to pay a fee that they can't afford just to try it.