Why you don't go to church?

Okay I never said Jesus was sexist I don't think he was at all. I believe he was a good man and I respect him, but he does have an awful lot of corrupt followers (that's not his fault tho).

Now God the father I have a huge problem with. In the garden of Eden he gave Eve two extra curses just because she ate the fruit first. "with pain you will bring forth children yet your desire will be for your husband and he will be your master and rule over you" I think just ONE of those awful curses would have been enough not both!!!!! And as for Adam and Eve becomming "one flesh" that's sick and sex is evil and degrading to women!!! What kindof porn loving pervert is God to create something so sick? How could having sex even be worth having a some annoying kid? I'll never be able to worship a God who created sex. It's gross and disgusting and more trouble than it's worth! Everyone should stay away from it like me!!!!!! That way abortions would go obsolete as well.

I confess that I have not read the thread itself, but am confining my response to the original question, "Why don't you go to Church?"

For myself, it has to do with what transpired the last time I did attend church - I was raised Catholic, and returned to the Church when I was about 30. On the second Sunday I was back, Monsignor Zorbach devoted the entire sermon to politics.

In fact, he spent the sermon railing about how one of our state senators, a prominent woman, had been photographed entering the Catholic Cathedral in the city. He was infuriated by this, because she had long been a pro-choice advocate, and he considered her damned and excommunicate for her political stance.

OK, that's annoying, but I sat through it.

Until he proceeded to give out, from the pulpit, her HOME ADDRESS AND HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER to the entire congregation, urging them to call her and visit her to share their outrage at her godlessness.

I stood in the middle of the sermon and walked out, and I will never return.

Watcher_Don that's the best decision you ever made. Catholicism is one screwed up religion. My mom is Catholic

Originally posted by ufo_believer...yet your desire will be for your husband and he will be your master and rule over you"

Proof positive that God did not pronounce that judgement, attesting to The Bible's origins from man and man alone, as there is not a liberated woman in the free world who considers her husband her master, much less her ruler.

Originally posted by LadyV

*It's more of a get together than what it should be
*Everyone is too concerned with what everyone else is wearing
*you listen to "one" person's view/interpretation/ideas on everything
*Some Christians are hypocrites "Love your neighbor except those who are different"
*the majority of the people there were out the night before drinking, having sex, doing drugs, or any other things that is "unchristian" but sit there on Sunday morning and act righteous....those same people are great at telling others they are ungodly because they sin...
*though many Wiccans attend a church for worship if a Wiccan church is not in their area, I don't.

I agree completely. I believe that one can find thier "holy shelter", if you will, inside themselves. As Jesus said according to the gospel of thomas, Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's) kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is within you and it is outside you."

From my take on this it means that Church and the kingdom of God is not in halls of wood and stone, but rather all around us and inside of us. I believe church was just 14th century peasant propoganda.

Originally posted by ufo_believer
Okay I never said Jesus was sexist I don't think he was at all. I believe he was a good man and I respect him, but he does have an awful lot of corrupt followers (that's not his fault tho).

Now God the father I have a huge problem with. In the garden of Eden he gave Eve two extra curses just because she ate the fruit first. "with pain you will bring forth children yet your desire will be for your husband and he will be your master and rule over you" I think just ONE of those awful curses would have been enough not both!!!!! And as for Adam and Eve becomming "one flesh" that's sick and sex is evil and degrading to women!!! What kindof porn loving pervert is God to create something so sick? How could having sex even be worth having a some annoying kid? I'll never be able to worship a God who created sex. It's gross and disgusting and more trouble than it's worth! Everyone should stay away from it like me!!!!!! That way abortions would go obsolete as well.

If you belive in God, then how can something he made be degrading? How can it be degrading to women?

Yes abortions would go down....
Then the population....
Then there would be few people, who in turn forgot how to have sex..
Then there would be the utter destruction of the human race.
If thats what you want, then so be it, but i dont think many will agree with you

I think sex is a beautiful act. There is no better expression of emotions. BUT when you throw in a GOVERNMENT that is courupt that rules over a MEDIA that is courupt you end up haveing a frequent display of something that is meant to be kept sacred. I think that your issue is with the media, not god.

Why don't I go to church?

Statistics is a good a reason as any.

I don't attend church regularly for the same reasons I don't attend widow's socials, tea parties or bridge clubs.

I'm not a little old southern lady.

Another reason is I'm an American.

Despite most of us claiming to be Christian only about a third of us attend church regularly, which is driven up predominantly by southerners, where attendance is more like 50/50, but still... mostly senior women.

Were I to live in France I'd probably claim to be Catholic, but still wouldn't attend church (where it's more like 5-8% attendance).

I'm really not sure where it's considered "normal" to go to church. Probably somewhere. Like on that TV show 7th Heaven. They go sometimes, since their Dad is the pastor. Wait I know! Islamic theocracies! Yeah, baby.

Theocracies rule!.

I have attended church regularly in my life, and still do on occasion to accomodate crazy relatives, but short of becoming a clingy, half-delirious, little old lady looking for strangers to hug and taste my chicken & dumplings, I seriously doubt I'll be making any regular commitments.

Plus they hate it when I raise my hand to correct the sermon.

Originally posted by Watcher_Don
For myself, it has to do with what transpired the last time I did attend church - I was raised Catholic, and returned to the Church when I was about 30. On the second Sunday I was back, Monsignor Zorbach devoted the entire sermon to politics.

Originally posted by Watcher_Don
In fact, he spent the sermon railing about how one of our state senators, a prominent woman, had been photographed entering the Catholic Cathedral in the city. He was infuriated by this, because she had long been a pro-choice advocate, and he considered her damned and excommunicate for her political stance.

That sucks!

Originally posted by Watcher_Don
OK, that's annoying, but I sat through it.

Until he proceeded to give out, from the pulpit, her HOME ADDRESS AND HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER to the entire congregation, urging them to call her and visit her to share their outrage at her godlessness.

Isn't that illegal or something? If not, it should be. I'd feel obligated to let someone of authority know this happened.

Originally posted by Watcher_Don
I stood in the middle of the sermon and walked out, and I will never return.

Good for you brother for walking out. Have you visited any other churches?

Same reason I don't listen to politicians/teachers/parents.

Originally posted by Th0r
Same reason I don't listen to politicians/teachers/parents.

Though not perfect, teachers and parents can be a valuable source of information and wisdom. To deny these is not really denying ignorance, is it? Well, some people (myself included) have to learn the hard way many times.

Originally posted by Th0r
Same reason I don't listen to politicians/teachers/parents.

Doesn't seem to be the brightest thing....many older people, those you can trust anyway....have life experiences and you can learn a lot from them! Remember, a "smart" persons learns from other's mistakes......but a "wise" person... listens and doesn't make the same mistakes....

For a while, I was a seeker, trying different denominations and services. Found the Methodists to be Catholic "Lite" (we have exactly the same Mass, but it's four minutes shorter, because we dropped a few words we didn't like). Found Baptists to be (no offense meant) kinda scary people. Found a little non-denominational place that was great, but for some unknown reason it became a regular Peyton Place, with this one sleeping with this one's wife and the preacher's wife wearing slutty outfits and groping folks and so on...

Originally posted by Watcher_Don
For a while, I was a seeker, trying different denominations and services. Found the Methodists to be Catholic "Lite" (we have exactly the same Mass, but it's four minutes shorter, because we dropped a few words we didn't like). Found Baptists to be (no offense meant) kinda scary people. Found a little non-denominational place that was great, but for some unknown reason it became a regular Peyton Place, with this one sleeping with this one's wife and the preacher's wife wearing slutty outfits and groping folks and so on...

That's gotta be frustrating. I kinda know what you mean though, I went to about eight churches over a fifteen year period until I found one that truly lifted my spirits.

While I am not Catholic if I where, I am afraid I would have to say this the same way.....You reward and judgements are not on this earth , so then why expect your other involvements should be here as well? It goes without saying that God has said clearly that Judgements, Forgiveness, Damnation, and Reward are his and his alone...that being said the church is only a formulation of a tool, to which a baseline knowledge of God can be obtained. The time of innocents so to speak.

We are how ever told that ours is a life of growth , spiritualy and physicaly. Also that God wishes us to use free will after the time of innocents ends...therefore we are expected to grow to self realization and personal relationship directly with God.

There are so many different christian denominations it makes you wonder which one, if you could go back in time and ask him, Jesus would say was right; like which one follows his teachings right? So are methodists really similar to Catholics?

Originally posted by ufo_believer
There are so many different christian denominations it makes you wonder which one, if you could go back in time and ask him, Jesus would say was right; like which one follows his teachings right? So are methodists really similar to Catholics?

I didnt know Methodist have mass that is why I thought Catholic was the religion , But I would assume he would say as he did in the past , he often stated that the words and teachings where of his fathers design, thereby setting president that a direct relationship was present for all whom wished to take communion with God. So in that I would take it as church was a human contruct to build companionship and there by allow for clear and open relations, however the teachings have fallen the way of the dinasour... in that they have fallen to the politics and back stabbing, as well as the disagreements.........I actually think that these things where placed there by an insurgent of evil influence.....the best tactic in battle is seperate , confuse and blind the enemy and Satan knows that tactic all to well and has used it in religion.........So which is the right religion or church .....none I would guess is the correct answer, God is to be served directly, this is the self realization that the assention from innocence teaches us.

Originally posted by ufo_believer
There are so many different christian denominations it makes you wonder which one, if you could go back in time and ask him, Jesus would say was right; like which one follows his teachings right? So are methodists really similar to Catholics?

If a church believes that John 3:16 is correct then they hold the answer to salvation. It's that simple. They need to stick to the Book and talk about it's applications to daily life. The church should encourage you to read the Book yourself as often as you can to help develop your own understanding. They should be asking you to talk to God and get answers to difficult situations and questions. Whatever label reads on the illuminated sign outside, this is what should be inside.



[edit on 18-3-2005 by saint4God]

``
well, I share some of the points, thoughts, sentiments presented by,
among others, wellwhatnow & toolmaker & namehere & RANT...

~~~~~

I don't attach myself to any one of the popular demoniations which
are also; legal tax-exempt organization members..
So, Therefore -
I do not attend a recognized 'church'
I do however tune in on different TV evangelists, at my whim,
be it fridays or saturdays @ 10 PM 'message-study' episodes
even doing a 'Crystal Cathedral' sitting, once in a while, to see
what the sermons are gravitating around.

I tune in on various shortwave programs, some in the day
some at 2 or 3 AM...there's a better package of information on
SW Radio than TV (in my view)

What I do really miss, are the thought-provoking 'Morality Dramas'
such as one titled "UNSHACKLED"...but those programs have been
swept aside by the Church of Economics and all those Info-Mercials
and the ubiquitious Home-Shopping liturgy.

oh well, the garden time, yoga time, prophecy study time
are a few of the independent, unrecognized, Churches i enter

right now i'm in the church of march-madness, enjoy

I am a Methodist. I attend church because I feel at home there. But the church is like everything else humanity takes. Humanity takes it and screws it up. Some of you are bitter because you went to church once and it did not work out. Have you ever gone to other churches?

When I was younger I used to go to church often with my parents. As I've grown and matured I quickly became uncomfortable in church.

I've never said to myself that I don't believe in God. And, I've never said that I hated God. I believe in a God, a higher power, and I fully believe in in a creator.

As I think now, I'm not religious but I understand and am open minded.

I've discovered on my own that religion doesn't work for me and my beliefs.

I believe now that a lot people today go to church to fit into their society, or their religion simply to put a label on who or what they are.

I choose to not be labeled. Plus, I've never understand how one must reserve a one hour time slot out of a 7 day week to prayer or worship or be thankfull.

The Church shouldn't be used as a tool for vengeance.