| Sep 17 @ 5:01 PM |
Something to think about
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uab_5
Posts: 4,759
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if going to your church makes you a christian...does going to your garage make you a car? 
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| Sep 17 @ 5:40 PM |
Something to think about |
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CPUfan
Posts: 7,983
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Putting a car in the garage makes it a garage... so I guess it's only the act of people going to a church that makes it a church?
Interesting problem... Does the church legitimise the churchgoers, or do the churchgoers legitimise the church?
A church without folks is a building without bodies. There are so few people in England going to so many churches that they aren't churches any more. So the church goes round and desanctifies the ground and then anyone can live there...
Now let's say I started my own religion and bought one of those churches, did the advertising and the televangelism and set up coffers all over the place. If no one came to my church, would I still be God?
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| Sep 18 @ 12:07 AM |
Something to think about
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southernlass
Posts: 2,240
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I've yet to find a church that I feel I can really call home. Were I to somehow magically be able to walk into the doors of the church in Georgia that Dr. Charles Stanley pastors, I think I would feel very much at home and the thought of being under his tutorship every Sunday would be an exciting one. I'm a little bit envious of those who are able to call his church their place of worship, but since I live in Texas and would like to get to know my neighbors, I'm settling for the Baptist church down the street.
Unfortunately there's a little more fire and brimstone going on over there than I personally care to digest or expose my daughter to, but again, for me church is more about interaction with my Christian neighbors or "fellowshipping," as well as worshipping God and learning from the pastor there. I don't go to church every single Sunday though, by any means. First of all, I don't want church or Sunday school shoved down my daughter's throat because I feel it could possibly turn her off before she even gets started truly learning about the Christian life, so we take it easy in this regard.
We tend to acknowledge Sunday as a day set aside to listen to the word of God even if we don't go to church, and we have a variety of pastors on television that we enjoy learning from. For us, the Christian life is about a lot more than showing up to church; it's about learning to be Christ-like in our behavior, in word and deed. It's about including God in our daily lives through prayer, gratitude, and acknowledging Him through whatever we're going through, through out the day, every day, not just on Sunday.
This seems to work well for us, though I'm still in hopes of God guiding us to a church that will be just right, that will fit our specific needs more closely. Until this happens, we enjoy church but don't feel that our faith really has all that much to do with church.
[Edited on 9/18/2009 12:23 AM]
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| Sep 18 @ 9:19 AM |
Something to think about |
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yashaenka
Posts: 8,291
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I think this has more to do with the Institutions of religions rather than the religions themselves.
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Myth #4
Going to Church Makes You a Christian
Last Sunday four out of ten Americans went to church. But does that mean that all these people are Christians? of course not. Even some thieves go to church. Some people go to church because it's a social habit. Others attend because their family makes them go. At the encouragement of a minister, they may even go to special classes for confirmation or membership.
It is true that Christians go to church and take an active part in church life. But attending church doesn't make you a Christian Are you a real Christian
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| Sep 18 @ 10:36 AM |
Something to think about
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Bj864
Posts: 3,970
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I'm still in hopes of God guiding us to a church that will be just right, that will fit our specific needs more closely.
I think a non denominational church often works best for many people. You might think about giving that a try. They are often more centered in today and resolving todays problems and challenges.
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| Sep 19 @ 7:50 PM |
Something to think about |
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Jankia
Posts: 11,914
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One of our parishoners that I see now and then at our services isnt an active member of the church but her husband is.
When I asked her husband why she only comes with him during Christmas,Easter etc. he said she doesnt really believe in God but loves to hear the church choir.
So,just going to church doesnt make you anything other then a person that wants to attend church services.
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| Sep 23 @ 3:43 PM |
Something to think about
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Thor1960303
Posts: 3,345
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if going to your church makes you a christian...does going to your garage make you a car?
Only if you're as delusional as many of the people in the churches.  I don't see much of a difference in believing that one day you will be raptured out and believing that you're an automobile.
Some years ago there was man who lived in Jacksonville who had worked for the railroad for many years and was forced to retire. He was so infatuated with trains that he hitched his wife up to a wagon, put train whistels, bells and lights on it and ran up and down the streets pulling his wife in a wagon making train noises. He was known as the "Jacksonville Train Man" and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band put out a song about him some years back.
HERE is an article from one who fondly remembers Jacksonville's Train Man.
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| Sep 24 @ 9:35 AM |
Something to think about |
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yashaenka
Posts: 8,291
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There is an old saying from the East it goes something like this and I am paraphrasing.
It is not the structure that makes a dwelling useful [home, church etc] it is the empty space inside but alas there must be portals to reach the empty space inside. Thoughts?
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