Discernment is not all
This whole church thing is an extremely volatile issue. There are a lot of walking wounded out there -- people who have been hurt at one time or another by church leaders, manipulative practices or wrong teachings.
And yes, I was there too at one time, although in my case it was pretty mild compared to what some others have been through. It's all in my "Pondering Church" category archives. That category started as a result of my experiences.
Eventually, though, we have to stop reacting and start responding. Yes, it's not wrong to question or to point out iffy teachings & practices. Yes, we have to practice discernment. But discernment needs to go hand-in-hand with wisdom. What are we going to do with our discernment? Sit on the sidelines and point fingers?
I get tired of all the negativity about church. I can sit here and write about everything the church* is doing that I don't like and can't agree with, but that not only wouldn't help, it would just make me feel totally proud of myself for being so clever and discerning. How can these people not see it?!
In the end, I'm not responsible for what the pastor does or says. I'm only responsible for my reaction to it. If I react badly, it isn't going to help anybody, least of all myself. It certainly isn't going to change things either. And remember the old saying: two wrongs don't make a right.
Because I've been on both sides of the fence, I can understand that some situations do warrant a need to walk away, and that some people have been so wounded they need a season apart from the church to rest and heal. But I would also like to say that although a certain response may be right for you, personally, where you are at and during this particular point in time, it may not be right for me. We are all at different stages of the journey, and God works differently within each of our lives.
*[whether my local church or the institutional Church]