@cinder, I'm sorry for derailing your thread, but I'm going to go off on a little sidetrack here.
@Mezame83 -- Thank you for the kind words. One of the reasons I wrote what I did is because Sub's post is something I could have written myself -- not about anyone here, but about my experiences in the church.
@Subhumanoidal -- I know we don't always see eye-to-eye (but believe me, I have fierce arguments even with the people I'm closest to here, so I know I'm not the easiest to get along with), but I appreciate your honesty about what you have observed in life, and within the church.
There are some times when I mention that I have been on CC since 2009 -- and the reason I bring this up is NOT because a long time gives anyone more clout or value -- not at all.
But what it DOES do is give a person more time to observe the site and its members. I have seen many people here come and go, or go and come back, and a few here, have been here a very long time, and you get to know a little bit about them through their posts.
Some people here who have "unsure" or "not a Christian" in their profile actually have very strong roots in Christianity, but the church and Christian circles have let them down and hurt them time and time again when they needed loving Godly representation the most, and they are trying to work through their pain like anyone else.
I have seen a few long time members here who once publicly identified as being Christian change their status to something else, simply because they were trying to cope, and we all have our own ways of coping.
I have had times myself when I wanted to change my own spiritual status in my profile, but I haven't because I know people would automatically assume I'm a rebellious heathen who knows nothing about the Lord -- as my Bible is open to Jeremiah because I'm on the 7th time of reading the Bible all the way through, and I have been a very rooted part of Christian schools and the church for my entire life.
Again, this does NOT somehow make me a "better" Christian or even a "real" Christian, and some probably judge me to be UN-Christian as well. But what I have found is that is that if you're real and say you're struggling and wrestling and crying out to God, and maybe out of pain you go silent on Him for a while, or choose to change your spiritual label -- it seems like Christians will either make it their mission to save your ignorant, helpless self as aggressively as possible, or else shun you for being on par with the antichrist.
I'm always a little sad and bewildered as to why a third option isn't recognized, because it's the one I seem to run into the most frequently -- people who were VERY strong believers and active parts of the body of believers, but were condemned, shunned, and excommunicated when they tried to talk about and seek help for their actual problems.
I often consider myself to be very much a part of this last category, and I have a deep sympathy for others who are going through it as well.
I hope this won't be offensive but, don't give up, Sub.
Keep on searching, and God bless you.