re: Are people going to church still?

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A fitting name as well. I shall start doing so as well. It’s been too long. Last service I went to was at the Pantheon in Rome, but that was a Catholic ceremony. It’ll be good to go back to church again and make that my weekly routine. After all, we are creatures of habit, are we not?

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Indeed we are. As my old pastor used to say: “Inside of you are two dogs fighting. The one that’s going to win is the one you feed the most.” Now, going to church makes you no more a Christian than walking into a garage makes you a car, but, surrounding yourself with people who share your goals and your struggles- can only be beneficial to the aspiring/practicing Christian.

The most important thing is to keep ourselves focused on Christ. Church attendance is not absolutely necessary for this, but it certainly helps. Thank you for your post- it’s tremendously encouraging!

Yes

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What is it you mean by this? Early Christians were marginalized or they marginalized others?

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Very early Christians were definitely marginilized and persecuted but post-Constantine they started driving both those buses.

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That’s inexcusable but at least priests aren’t preaching to people in the pews about God favoring those who rape kids.

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Yeah, they really have to cherry-pick the Old Testament.

I think you should amend the Title

It would read better as
“Are people still going to church”

My only problem with church is I don’t connect with anyone at church. They are all so damn squeaky clean and it just irks me for some reason. People feel plastic to me there. I’d like to find a group of real folks who also happen to be Christian. I love Jesus, don’t get me wrong, but like the worship with the hand in the air like you’re grasping Jesus’ cheek, it just all feels so forced.

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My only problem with church is I don’t connect with anyone at church. They are all so damn squeaky clean and it just irks me for some reason.

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You need to find your local druggie church, then.

That's not an insult. We have like 3-4 of them now.

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I no longer see a need for organized religion

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When was the last time you did?

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If you want to have a relationship with god you do not need to do it with a massive group of people

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According to who?

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Listening to the same biblical stories year after year growing up was like watching the same movie again and again

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Didn’t take, huh? I could be wrong, but it sounds to me like you never got anything out of it to begin with.

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I personally have a hard time relating to stories about the way people lived over 2000 years ago as they do not compare to the complexities today’s fast paced technology driven world and many of the erhical issues we face as a society

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Seriously? Could you maybe provide some examples? Because it seems to me like the Bible explicitly deals with literally all of the moral and ethical issues that we face today. Technology? A non-issue. We still have the same 5 senses and run the same spectrum of emotions as Adam and Eve.

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The widespread sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church and Southern Baptist Convention put me over the edge.

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Translation: I already didn’t want to go to church. “I really am not interested in “holiness.” Here’s a good excuse that like-minded people will agree with. I am now justified in my rebellion.”

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We don’t need hierarchies or dogma to live moral, meaningful lives

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Well, the omnipresent, omnipotent IMSA_fan has spoken! Say, on what authority do you make these claims? What evidence do you have to support them? By what standard do you judge moral actions? What method of enforcement will you employ to ensure cooperation with your standards?

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Community, compassion, and purpose can thrive without institutions that have repeatedly failed the vulnerable and taken trillions of dollars of capital in the process.

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Friend, I understand your frustration and agree wholeheartedly with your points about corruption in the church (RC and Pro). But, you’re throwing the baby out with the bath water. Judging Christianity by those who suck at it is of no benefit- unless you’re just looking for an excuse not to submit your life to Christ. You know what the Bible says about excuses?

Romans 1:20
NASB 1995
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

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This is a Protestant phenomenon.

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The United States of America is a Protestant phenomenon

you're welcome