I was raised Southern Baptist and have noticed a trend toward destructive behavior. Particularly in the pastors becoming controlling and their adoption of the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message. I was always taught that Southern Baptist did not have hierarchy and the pastor was just another member of the church; however, now the the trend is the pastor is the ultimate authority and to question him about anything is now questioning his authority. Aren't believers supposed to be discerning and not take everything someone else says as "gospel"? Also, I believe the role of the woman in the church is being downplayed.

I guess I am an idealist. I believe in free will and therefore do not believe I can save another person or bend them to my will. Everyone has the right to chose what he/she will believe. Also, common sense, I believe, would dictate that each person will be different according to their differences in personalities. I think cookie-cutter christians are boring.

It might be an idea to document the things that have brought you to this suspicion. There are certainly cases of other large church organizations that are arranged such that destructiveness can build within the individual churches (UPC comes to mind).

I have spent quite a bit of time going through this site and reading. I have come to the conclusion that the SBC may have some abusive practices among some of the leadership, but that it does not qualify as destructive based upon what I have read here.

I was raised in the SBC from the age of five. For whatever reason, I was blessed (or cursed) with a nature that prevents me from accepting certain things at face value. Religion is high on that list.

After years of being basically told to "shut up, sit down, and accept what the pastor/Sunday School teacher says", my divorce finally provided the proverbial straw.

Is the SBC destructive? I've been in some that were absolutely toxic and, when I left, followed the injunction to "shake the dust of that place from your garments". I've also been in some SBC churches that followed the teachings of Christ and where the pastor did consider himself to be just another member of the congregation.

I am no longer affiliated with any church and, at present, am not planning on so doing. I do continue my study of the Bible in all its variations along with the Qu'ran and several other religious texts. Makes for an interesting day for an old retired soldier!!

I was the member of a spiritually abusive church where to question the senior pastors was the equivalent of questioning God himself. I'm not a yank, so have not encountered the southern baptist influence. However it sounds like some questionable practices have come into your church

This guy has written about the southern baptists. Its fiction but I think he has used his experiences of the southern baptists to write