Return.

So why have I returned to the Church?

I returned to the Church in 1989.

The reason that I returned to the Church was that I uncovered the reason for the flood of violence, hatred, and evil which engulfed us all in the 1980s.

This was the practice of Satanism in rock music.

At first I thought that it was only contemporary rock stars who were practicing Satanism.  But it eventually became apparent that this practice went back to the 1960s.

To escape this evil influence I investigated various Churches.

Although some Evangelical Churches preached that rock music was Satanism most of them were hard-right conservatives who were homophobic and literal in their interpretation of the Bible.

Eventually I settled on the Uniting Church which was the most accepting of gay people.

I was pleased to find a more creative approach to worship.

And I took part in the Church's debate on sexuality and homosexuality in the Church.

I was then confirmed into the Uniting Church.

But I still believed that rock musicians practiced Satanism.

After many prayers about the existence of Satan as a being I received the answer that there was no devil in reality - the devil was an explanation for why bad things happened to good people and why there was evil in a world created by a good God.

But there are other explanations.
Evil is the acting out of ignorance of people with free will.
There is no need for a devil.

But many people still believe that there is a devil.
As shown by the number of people in our entertainment industries who are involved in Satanism.

So there you have it.

Leaving and Return.

My new experience of Church is good.
It is not perfect but I experience something real of God and share in the peace, joy, and love that is God.


Photo: My Confirmation 1997.