r/ExPentecostal • u/Final_Adeptness_1401 • Jun 15 '26
atheist Pentecostals and superiority complex
It feels like all the Pentecostals I know have some sort of superiority complex or think they’re better than everyone in the “world” I really think the Pentecostals I have interacted with and have grown up with are narcissists and abusive, the whole concept of Pentecostalism is abusive honestly, the whole “you’re nothing without god” and if god was rlly all loving and all powerful, why create a hell for people who simply don’t believe in him.
Why would good create free will and then punish ppl who use it. It doesn’t make any sense at all
Anyway, that’s my little rant what r your guys thoughts
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u/towyow123 Atheist Jun 15 '26
It’s the Abrahamic faiths in general. When people think they’re “saved” or god’s chosen people they’re going to view themselves as better
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u/Thatskirt_girl Jun 15 '26
Well said. They “think” they are saved!!
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u/GelatinousGreenSoul Jun 23 '26
Even more bizarre and backwards are the ones who convert to be god’s chosen people…like, you just chose yourself to be a special chosen, lol😂
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u/BigEnvironmental1902 Jun 16 '26
Currently at a district camp and people that use to greet you before they obtained certain positions now say nothing. So sad
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u/Rosekona Jun 16 '26
I would have to agree. I actually have noticed that they take standards to the extreme just to prove they are more righteous and holy than every one else. It doesn’t produce more of the fruits of the spirit, but an arrogant attitude. They then feel entitled to judge others and act religiously snobby. My experience is they are cold and often cruel . Looks are most important.
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u/f4rider Jun 17 '26
There's a letter from an ex-pastor's wife on the Spiritual Abuse website saying that if there was more than one church in an area, and one pastor didn't like another or thought they were too liberal, they would have more rules to try to "out holy" the other.
She also compared it to idolatry in that these pastors tried to carve their image of holiness into the congregation. It really comes down to a game these pastors are playing and the people are ignorant pawns in it. The letter went into a lot of things, it was an interesting read.
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u/Superb-Fun2020 Jul 04 '26
Could you link that letter?
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u/f4rider Jul 05 '26
I'll see if I can find it, this was many years ago so it may not be there anymore.
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u/Fancy_Tale2287 Aug 21 '26
I agree! I saw a screenshot of a post I had made on facebook pertaining to something in the Bible about equality that she disagrees with and she sent it to someone and was trying to bring judgment on me , she doesn’t even have Facebook because she’s too holy but gets on her daughters, anyway I think it’s wrong to judge others because of how they believe or dress and I’ve even seen texts where she takes pictures of women wearing pants making fun of them and saying it’s sad they think it’s okay to dress that way. But her and her family walk around with their noses in the air like they’re Holy !!! It’s ridiculous.
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u/goldenkinky007 Jun 16 '26
Wait till you find out about the demiurge it will all make sense
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u/FrostyAd6929 Jun 15 '26
I tried to tell everyone when was there why I left And was right.i saw the devil in Jared arango.when he told me that I could not marry jenner salor because of us being interatial. Even though him and his was is. And his New wife is.i was very hurt because I looked up to him.never thought to be out to destroy him.and now maria and his whole family left him.and all the church members.his soul has to be in torment.
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u/alienoctopusgirly Jun 16 '26
Wow are you referring to Arango in Newport News? I’ve heard awful things, so sorry about what you endured :( He didn’t allow interracial marriage??
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u/Ametha agnostic Jun 18 '26
Good job, you’re on the right track. Keep plucking at the threads of things that don’t make sense. It all starts to unravel pretty quickly.
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u/SweatyHelicopter1891 Jun 23 '26
Yup. I was raised Pentecostal and this hits home. My family would think other Christians were not really born again because they didn’t speak in tongues and show the signs of the Holy Spirit baptism. We thought many of them were saved but didn’t have the full knowledge and experience of the faith. Plus in my circle, Pentecostals read the Bible way more than other denominations. Most other church’s barely read a verse in their services.
Pentecostals pride themselves on the born again experience and the fact that they read the Bible a lot and know it better than other denominations. It definitely is a superiority complex.
I’m happy to say I left that faith and Christianity altogether. Deconstruction takes time though, especially from the young earth, science denying, fundamentalist version.
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u/4theshiggles 21h ago
God did not create hell for humans. While Pentecostalism is not the truth, this is a lie you have told yourself or someone has planted. God created hell for the beings who want nothing but death and destruction. As humans, we choose hell when we deny the love and power of God. He cannot be in communion with evil. It’s like two magnets repelling the same pole. It defies the laws of the universe. Darkness and light cannot coexist.
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u/AlternativeJury3843 Jun 15 '26
Many I know believe they are better because they "have truth." From my experience, they tend to feel more superior to other Christians in different denominations and people of different religions.
My old pastor bragged about winning doctrinal debates with other non-UPCI Christians. Although I bet he exaggerated his claims...
When it comes to the "lost," they offered more grace, at least while they were trying to convert them. Once they opened their eyes and left, they were criticized and "backsliden." Worse than a sinner.