Religion
Watch this postCan I be a Christian if I don't go to church?
Community Terms & Conditions
Content standards
These content standards apply to any and all material which you contribute to our site (contributions), and to any interactive services associated with it.
You must comply with the spirit of the following standards as well as the letter. The standards apply to each part of any contribution as well as to its whole.
Contributions must:
be accurate (where they state facts); be genuinely held (where they state opinions); and comply with applicable law in the UK and in any country from which they are posted.
Contributions must not:
contain any material which is defamatory of any person; or contain any material which is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory; or promote sexually explicit material; or promote violence; promote discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age; or infringe any copyright, database right or trade mark of any other person; or be likely to deceive any person; or be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence; or promote any illegal activity; or be threatening, abuse or invade another’s privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety; or be likely to harass, upset, embarrass, alarm or annoy any other person; or be used to impersonate any person, or to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person; or give the impression that they emanate from us, if this is not the case; or advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse.
Nurturing a safe environment
Our Silversurfers community is designed to foster friendships, based on trust, honesty, integrity and loyalty and is underpinned by these values.
We don't tolerate swearing, and reserve the right to remove any posts which we feel may offend others... let's keep it friendly!
Wendy
I suppose it depends on what you go to church for. For me I want to hear God's Word properly taught and to receive the Sacraments Christ appointed for His Church and in order to do that it necessarily means that I need to be where the Word is proclaimed and where the Sacraments are administered in accord with our Lord's institution.
There are lots of folks who claim the label of "Christian" and I am not here to judge any of them. That's way above my pay grade and I'll leave it up to Christ who will judge rightly upon His return. But to only go to Church and be nourished in the faith through God's appointed means of grace (Word & Sacrament), only twice each year at Christmas and Easter is about like a fellow who only wants to eat food twice each year. I am reasonably certain that such a person would certainly die. Likewise, if a person only received spiritual nourishment twice each year I am reasonably certain that person's faith will also eventually die.
I might also point out that at our Lord's direction the Apostles were sent out to form congregations and appoint pastors throughout the Mediterrenan world so it's not really man's invention, but the Lord's direction. If that is the case, then perhaps we should take a hint and do what He directs.
Welcome and many thanks for your first comment in our Forum.
If you already know your way around, then we will leave you to it.
If you are looking for some lively discussions, head on over to the Forum homepage to see what's trending right now and feel free to join in the discussions, with all our friendly members, perhaps ask a question or even start your own post.
Why do some atheists have to try and belittle someone who has a different viewpoint to them? Note I say 'some' as I have met many atheists who accept we are all different. I would no more laugh at you because of your belief i.e. there is no God, than I would laugh at someone who has a strong Christian belief.
My mother was a Christian, although not devout, my father an atheist. My father had experienced a very negative side of Christianity during his childhood but he never once blamed Christians, rather the people who claimed to follow that faith. They brought my sisters and I up to follow our own path and never once derided us for the one we chose, be that Christian or not.
I have already mentioned in this stream that I'm a grumpy old woman but that doesn't mean all pensioners are grumpy, but maybe I am delusional and all OAP's are grumpy!
Such a lot of negative replies to this accusing Christians of being hypocrites. Please remember our faith has been around for 2000 years and is practised in just about every country in the world. You are absolutely entitled to disagree, you may have come across a few Christians who were hypocritical but the millions of others just practise our religion in peace and invite others to join us.
There are so many styles to choose from because people are looking for what suits their own style and where they can feel closer to God.
Worship for me is time when we put time aside, alone or with others to open ourselves to God. Rant and rave if we have to, question and doubt, but also to thank Him for all our blessings. That can take the form of hymns, scripture, praying or just being and letting the Holy Spirit speak, cleanse and revive us, enabling us to go out into the world showing the love of Jesus in thought, word and importantly in deed.
I understand your view that the church does not appear as dynamic and forceful as once it did. To an extent I can agree with that view. But although times change God does not and He is still at work in the world, we do not always understand why things happen, but that is faith. The church continues to do much good work around the world with things like relief organisations, food banks and individuals giving of themselves to help others.
Can we agree that instead of buildings and the institutional view of church we can define church as the people of God being and living as the hands, feet and voice of Jesus, doing to the best of their ability and circumstances what he would do in the here and now,
The kind of pentecostal action you adhere to no longer has results, indeed it can and has turned people away. That does not mean it is wrong, indeed it is a ideal. However we must work with what we have in a world that desperately needs faith. I believe that we must not dilute the gospel message in any way but approach evangelism in a different, gentler way. We need to lead and not push.
I don't know that anyone knows the answer so it is good we have different views. Whatever we do or do not God has a plan.
People do not have to be Christain or have a Faith to work in food banks or other charities.Personally I have worked for a charity for 20 yrs. and am now a volunteer for Visability and am not a Christian ,I adhere to my own personal values and respect that others have their own views
The question remains, are we doing enough to spread the word even when the world does not want to hear it? Do we repent of our failures? Yes we do at the very least at once a week in church. Do we ask for God's guidance? Yes frequently. So yes I agree with you we are failures in so many ways,, but I believe there are so many people out there, whether or not they acknowledge God coming His will among His people, so I am not as despondent as you and I truly believe that God is working His purpose out.
Why not just be true to yourself and whatever you believe because at the end of the day who really knows the truth and at the end of the day,well it won't really matter unless of course you expect to go to heaven and then find out you have ended up somewhere else.If people respected each others beliefs I think people of all religions would get along better,but unfortunately that is not the case and until tolerance improves there's not much hope of things improving.
Professor Brian Cox has explained how the universe began, and how it will ultimately die; never once did he mention the word 'god.'
The universe is infinite, unless you can prove otherwise? I don't understand your 'pointers to both beliefs' and your 'conclusion of uncertainty.'
Let me ask the devout among you, 'when you are in prayer - what do you think you are doing - and what do you think is happening?'
There is a difference between 'doing' and 'happening' so please try to answer both elements, if you can?
I was raised as a Christian and as someone once said to me 'you can take the man out of the church, but you can't take the church out of the man, so perhaps that has some influence on me, but I doubt it somehow, as my current beliefs are anathema to most Christians.
As to what is happening when I pray, I often wonder that myself and have been known to silently scream that He probably doesn't exist anyway and i'm wasting my time but still I pray in the hope that just possibly He might be listening and i'm not wasting my time.
As to prayer Celtwitch, I pray most mornings that when I look in the mirror I won't see my mother. My prayer hasn't been answered yet but I can always hope for the impossible.
Can I be a vegetarian if I still eat Big Mac's?
Can I still be a cyclist if I don't have a bike?
Can I be a skydiver if I don't have a parachute?
The question I'd like you and Richard Dawkins to answer is why you keep returning to the subject of religion at all. I can understand those atheists who come to believe that belief in a god is a delusion that will fade away, and who then dismiss the subject from their minds. I believe that they are misguided and there have been plenty of people who reached that position only to abandon it.
However I do understand their position. Yours I don't.
Afterthought: We Christians, I'm afraid to say, are not immune to temptation or mild teases. My current one is to attempt to predict how long it will be until your next outburst on the subject.
From Google:
- a sudden release of strong emotion.
- a sudden occurrence of a particular activity.
From Dictionary.com:
1.
a sudden and violent release or outpouring:
2.
a sudden spell of activity, energy, etc.
3.
a public disturbance; riot; outbreak.
4.
a bursting forth; eruption.
(note 2 and 4)
Merriam-Webster:
: a sudden expression of strong feeling
: a sudden increase in activity
These don't all emphasise strong feelings.
I have been wondering whether it's something you're driven to do, rather than a calm choice to fill a leisure moment. Also Richard Dawkins is a very busy man occupied with teasing out the secrets of the universe. Wouldn't one suppose him to regard this one as done and dusted years ago, allowing him time to get on with science?
In case you hadn't realised, I'm pushing (as gently as I'm able!) for explanations and 'proof' that god is real. So far, all I have seen is obfuscation and blather.