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Up until about ten years ago, I attended church, (Southern Baptist), on a regular basis, (you know, twice on Sunday, once on Wednesday, and just about any other time the doors were open). Then, I left the church I was attending, floated awhile, landed in another S. Baptist church, on a hit and miss basis, then eventually left altogether. I haven't darkened the church doors in at least three years, except for family stuff, (such as the dedication of my step-granddaughter). Since I was a child, I have had too many questions that no one could answer, to my satifaction, and, it seems that the more I studied spiritual and doctrinal issues, the less satisfied I was with the "organized religion" aspect of church. I can't say that I would never go back to church, but at this point in my life, I have no interest in it, and I don't know that I ever will again. Not that I am not interested in spiritual matters. I'm just not interested in the church.
I cannot vote on the poll because none of the choices apply to me.
I am weary when it comes to religious topics but to answer the question addressed....
I do not go to church because I do not believe in one "denomination" over the other. I was born and raised Catholic.. but in taking a theology class in highschool, I began to question my faith. So now I do not feel comfortable in going to a church in which I am not truely believing what I am practicing.
What would get me to go to church? Looong time to myself, to find out which "denomination" is best for me. Then I can go to that church.
Last edited by poprocksncoke; 02-02-2007 at 06:37 AM..
Reason: I can't spell.
I have a problem with the hypocrisy found in many churches. It seems that all they care about is having the biggest and best church building. They constantly ask for money for a building additions, a new hall, a new day care, etc., while homeless people are living under a bridge a quarter of a mile away.
The emphasis seems to have shifted away from helping people to having the biggest congregation with the best big screen televisions and sound system money can buy. How can you justify spending $2 million on a new church building because you have to have the best of everything? Shouldn't they build a modest church and spend the extra million on helping the poor and elderly?
I can sum up why I no longer go in just one word - hypocrisy.
I have a problem with the hypocrisy found in many churches. It seems that all they care about is having the biggest and best church building. They constantly ask for money for a building additions, a new hall, a new day care, etc., while homeless people are living under a bridge a quarter of a mile away.
The emphasis seems to have shifted away from helping people to having the biggest congregation with the best big screen televisions and sound system money can buy. How can you justify spending $2 million on a new church building because you have to have the best of everything? Shouldn't they build a modest church and spend the extra million on helping the poor and elderly?
I can sum up why I no longer go in just one word - hypocrisy.
Good point, HappyandMarried! And, that's another good reason why I'm not interested in church, anymore. In our county, (Santa Rosa), and in Escambia Co., (next door), there are more churches than you can shake a stick at, and many of them are huge! I have seen a number of them adding additional buildings, or adding to the main sanctuary, (not to mention the brand-new churches), and you know that there are millions of dollars involved, (as you pointed out ) One church just down the road, was rumored to have spent $65,000 on a steeple. A steeple, of all things! Makes me cringe, when I remember that my husband and I, like good church members, used to tithe, (at least we never sent money to those leeches on tv! ). In all fairness, many churches do reach out to the poor, etc. Yet, they still spend ungodly (pun intended), amounts of money, on things of no importance. Who cares if the choir has robes!? I doubt that our Creator gives a flying fig! So, who are they trying to impress? (Rhetorical question ).
I have a problem with the hypocrisy found in many churches. It seems that all they care about is having the biggest and best church building. They constantly ask for money for a building additions, a new hall, a new day care, etc., while homeless people are living under a bridge a quarter of a mile away.
The emphasis seems to have shifted away from helping people to having the biggest congregation with the best big screen televisions and sound system money can buy. How can you justify spending $2 million on a new church building because you have to have the best of everything? Shouldn't they build a modest church and spend the extra million on helping the poor and elderly?
I can sum up why I no longer go in just one word - hypocrisy.
Not every church is a mega-church like Lakewood Baptist in Houston; Joel Osteen's church. Personally, I don't consider that a church. It's more of a community center where people gather to hear "inspirational" speeches. These big churches preach how to make money and live the good life NOW. I'm old fashioned I suppose and prefer my little church with the nursery for the babies and a good Sunday School program for the youth; a food and clothing pantry maintained to help feed and clothe those who need it; you know the other members, etc. Too many so-called churches are nothing more than big-businesses today, however. And that is sad. No wonder people are suspicious of religion.
This doesn't apply to me as I'm a regular church goer. I do want to make a suggestion to those who feel spiritual but shun "religion". Try a non-demonitational church. They are not caught up in tradition, or ritual and are very warm, open, and welcoming. At least the ones I've been to have felt that way. Just as so many of you do, the non-denominational churches feel religion can be very divisive. If anyone is at least considering going back to church, perhaps it's worth a try!
After all, it's only one hour out of the entire week to worship the God who created you and loves you.
I am very interested in being a Christian, believing that Jesus Christ died for our sins. That being said, What about the neanderthals? dinosaurs? Was the earth here for a while before God created us and animals? Who was Cain's wife and where did she come from? I was wondering if anyone had a response to these questions...Thank you
I have a problem with the hypocrisy found in many churches. It seems that all they care about is having the biggest and best church building. They constantly ask for money for a building additions, a new hall, a new day care, etc., while homeless people are living under a bridge a quarter of a mile away.
The emphasis seems to have shifted away from helping people to having the biggest congregation with the best big screen televisions and sound system money can buy. How can you justify spending $2 million on a new church building because you have to have the best of everything? Shouldn't they build a modest church and spend the extra million on helping the poor and elderly?
I can sum up why I no longer go in just one word - hypocrisy.
I'm not sure I understand this. Yes, I'm sure many churches are wasteful. But how is a church going to accomodate it's growing congregation if it does not make more room? If everyone goes to a small, modest church-how can that church remain small and modest? Obviously, growing churches mean more people coming to Christ. How is that a bad thing?
As for "empire builders", I think there are less of those than people like to think. Just my personal opinion. Unfortunately, churches now have to spend money on things like better sound systems, big screens, etc. to try and pull in members who, like so many here, feel the church is there to entertain you.
If you don't want to attend church, that's your own personal choice. But don't blame the church. We are the church! If you don't like it, fix it! If it doesn't feel "friendly"-be the one to reach out! Join small groups, volunteer, get to know people! You are there to serve, not to be served. I don't mean that for you, personally, HappyandMarried. I'm just talking in general.
I was baptised Catholic as a baby, but I've never been Catholic. I don't believe in the Catholic theology of works for salvation or that priests must intervene between man and God. I don't believe that Mary is anything other than a bit of dust in the ground at this point and I don't believe she is a co-redeemer or Queen of Heaven. I don't believe in bowing to statues of Mary or saints and seeking intervention with God. I think that's blasphemous- clear idolatry. There is only one God. Mary was created and a human, not divine. So naturally I went looking elsewhere.
The denomination I found that most closely reflected my own views and was simple and to the biblical point and could be substantiated to my own satisfaction with simple theological principles was the Southern Baptist Church.
I believe all men are sinners and I believe that Jesus is God who came to die in our place and that He has given us salvation not because we deserve it, but because He freely gives it to us if we accept it and recognize our sinfulness and need for Him.
I don't believe you can call yourself a true Christian if you think or believe that there is any other way to get saved and go to Heaven other than Jesus Christ. He makes it clear He's the only way. I believe the Jews are His chosen people and He has a special convenant and plan for them.
I don't like the big convention preachers like Osteen, etc. I don't pay the least bit of attention to those who say that wealth is a sign of God's favor and who pray for material benefit and engage in the whole "prosperity gospel". I think that's blasphemous and I think many of those people are false Christians or neutralized Christians and their leaders are wolves in sheeps clothing who are demonically influenced to pervert the scriptures and lead as many as possible away from true faith.
I rarely go to church, though I see the need to congregate in three or more when praying and a gathering of Christians makes the perfect place to worship in numbers together in one voice.
I do not respect or attend churches where the preachers preach only on social issues and current issues. When I go to church, I want to hear about God. I want to hear why we can be assured that Jesus is God and the scriptures that prove it. I want to hear about salvation and the reassurance that we're saved when we believe. I want to hear that my salvation is irrevokable not because I deserve it or can do anything to earn it, but because it depends on God's Word and because God in His nature is Truth. I want to hear about eschatology and what God has prophesized about the future.
If I don't get this in a "church", I walk out and don't go back. I have no time for social worker preachers who are more worried about not offending anyone and sugar-coating the truths of the gospel than saying it straight. Hell is real. We need to hear about it. Demonic/angelic spiritual warfare is real. We need to hear about it and know how we can rely on Jesus to help fight the evil forces that seek to neutralize and defeat us. I want to hear a preacher offend people out of their complacency by challenging their pride when they think..."Well, I'm a good person and God, if He's fair, will let me into Heaven because I tried my best to do good"...That's not the way it works, a good preacher will snip that in the bud immediately and tell us why it's not good enough and why our human perception of "fairness" doesn't apply. He'll make the biblical points that without Jesus, even Mother Theresa will fall short and go to hell. It's about Jesus. A good preacher will point out the fallacy of the "but I'm a good person" argument. We all fall short, all sin bars us from Heaven. All fall short in God's eyes without the saving grace of Jesus. If I'm not hearing that message, but only a "feel-good" bs, I will leave that congregation and not go back.
Few churches nowadays speak the truth or address it. That's why I rarely go.
I'm not sure I understand this. Yes, I'm sure many churches are wasteful. But how is a church going to accomodate it's growing congregation if it does not make more room? If everyone goes to a small, modest church-how can that church remain small and modest? Obviously, growing churches mean more people coming to Christ. How is that a bad thing?
As for "empire builders", I think there are less of those than people like to think. Just my personal opinion. Unfortunately, churches now have to spend money on things like better sound systems, big screens, etc. to try and pull in members who, like so many here, feel the church is there to entertain you.
If you don't want to attend church, that's your own personal choice. But don't blame the church. We are the church! If you don't like it, fix it! If it doesn't feel "friendly"-be the one to reach out! Join small groups, volunteer, get to know people! You are there to serve, not to be served. I don't mean that for you, personally, HappyandMarried. I'm just talking in general.
There are more 'empire builders' in this area than I can count.
I don't want a preacher that doesn't know who I am when I see him in public. I want a preacher that knows me by name, knows my problems, and has a personal relationship with me. If his church is so large that the preacher doesn't know the members of his congregation how is he going to help them?
If I want someone to do nothing but read scripture to me I can find other ways to get that accomplished.
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) One church just down the road, was rumored to have spent $65,000 on a steeple. A steeple, of all things! Makes me cringe, when I remember that my husband and I, like good church members, used to tithe, (at least we never sent money to those leeches on tv!
). In all fairness, many churches do reach out to the poor, etc. Yet, they still spend ungodly (pun intended), amounts of money, on things of no importance. Who cares if the choir has robes!? I doubt that our Creator gives a flying fig! So, who are they trying to impress? (Rhetorical question
).
I want a preacher that knows me by name, knows my problems, and has a personal relationship with me. If his church is so large that the preacher doesn't know the members of his congregation how is he going to help them?
