Church: How Would You Define It?

@MelchiorJ13 @madhatter @mort @glen @gazplend @smellyfingers @misslittleDHP

Does my opinion count? Im a church goer...I'm a music leader with my guitar and voice....church is a strange place at times...it's not a crutch it's a place to meet God (if you believe) I don't believe in religion, religion causes problems. Being a Christian isn't always easy but I'm glad I am...yes I have changed a lot and I write things you wouldn't expect a Christian to write but I have gifts and I use them. Church isn't all that bad however, yes it gets bad press...but like everything else it's the minority and that small group is what ruins it for the rest...I have problems with religious institutions I think they stink and many seem corrupt but it's not the whole church...yes maybe we experience boring and bad church but it's not a right to drag down the worldwide church..anyway that will do for now lol

@rracmada @TaintedTulip God is all powerful. He can see what we are all doing yet we have go to one of many specific places to worship Him. And why does God need to be worshiped exactly?. Has He got a massive ego complex or something?. I used to go to church when I was a child. Well, it was more like a school where I was fed propaganda and scolded for asking questions, when my family were in the next room singing how brilliant He is. God is vengeful and full of rage yet ful of forgiving. So if I dont go to church He will spite and smite me but He will forgive me afterwards so, it's all good. It's a good place to meet people, sure yo make friends but I'll bet you a £1000 not one would give you shelter, God forbid, if your house burned down (exclude your family from the options available) The church like to ignore scientific fact. The earth is about 6000 year old apparently, Noah was about 600 when God flooded the earth and was over 900 when he died.!! Noah built an ark when he was 600?. Both impossible. The religious people take it on faith. They take everything on faith, some believe the Bible is not meant to be taken literally, some believe it should. If I told you I could fly, I speak every single language and I am the messiah you would A) have me locked away in a hospital B) you would be gullible enough to follow me. I would persuade you to drop your life and follow me around the world because I am your ticket to salvation . Religion can be a good thing if it gives you comfort, you are free to do as you like but I am really sorry there is no God, is no heaven, the church is a lie. It's a control element. One of the richest organisations on this Earth preaches about giving to the poor. That in its self should have already raised concerns.

For me, mountains and forests are my church, that's where I can feel connected and whole. Man made buildings make me feel separated from the divine, especially when some dandied git is spouting nonsense. But, to each, his own, I won't deprive anyone of the comfort of their choice. Perhaps this isn't how you meant it, but gays aren't debatable; they're real, I've met some.

Church to me is indeed not the place to be. If I believed or even conceived a thought about church it would be that it seems so fake. I simply cannot shake the feeling of being told a lie. Through the naive eyes of a child, untamed and wild, I believed in the word of the lord. But of church I soon grew bored. And of church I go no more. Because science for me

@rracmada yes it does. I completely agree with you on that note. @blindsilence lol personally, I'd choose A. I've not been to church very often anyway. I don't doubt you on the church being a lie. @VikingHorn I see. Like you church is your place of serenity and escape, yes?@youmedancing That's how I grew up. I had my sisters atheist while my gay mothers encouraged me to go to church... Let's just say it was a very confusing time for me. I feel the same way with you about the church telling lies as well as being one.

@TaintedTulip exactly, you'd have me locked away. So who decides who is the second coming? I'd hate to be the shrink with that job.

@TaintedTulip Serenity, yes, but not escape; it's engagement, actually. Escape is what we do in our work-a-day life; most people treat it like a video game. Yay, I'm racking up points, I'm racking up $, I'm in the bonus round! All right, I got the Mercedes! If you don't make a point to put the game console down, you don't even realize there's a whole house around you, with a kitchen where you give yourself sustenance, a bed to recharge, and look at that! I have kids! If we take the time to pull our heads out of our butts once in a while, we wouldn't find ourselves speeding off a cliff of ecological disaster, I don't think. By the way, I love talking about these things, ask all the questions you want!

@blindsilence lol me too. @VikingHorn I agree and I wont hesitate with an my questions.

@TaintedTulip You might enjoy reading my post, Gnostic Cross. It doesn't actually present my beliefs, as I'm not a Christian of any sort, even heretical, but I do find Gnosticism at least reasonable and plausible.

@VikingHorn Okay. I'll be sure to check it out!