Ok, first of all im not here to offend anyone, just hear me out and reply mannerly. Im a very nice person. =]

Ok, So first of all I Believe in the bible, the one with God, Jesus.etc you catch my drift.\

Now i used to go to Catholic church since i was like 5 to like 15, then we left, why well ill tell you why.

First of all in my opinion, church isnt needed, if you believe in god you can talk to him any time any place you want. But church is nice to gather and worship and hear people talk. Now the old catholic church i used to go to got so boring, i grew up having going to church be a, Awww man nooO!. type thing. I didnt like it, first of all the thing that pissed me off most about the catholic church that we went to was there was statues and decorations and a bunch of crap and stuff at the front, like why the hell are then bringining in statues and junk when you can use that money to help people. And then every time the repeated the same prayers the same schedule, it was just boring, re-reading stupid sentances and repeating the priest. Like common, Doesent the bible say not to worship in vein repition? Another thing that i find interesting is that the catholic church constantly talks about marry and marry this and marry that, like shouldent it be more on god and jesus, were not supposed to worship marry. Were supposed to worship god, and no one else but him. The new church I go to is Christian, it has quite a bit of memebers, its very just easy going, show up in jeans and messy t-shirt. They dont care, theyre all nice, you can talk with people before church, the minister, is just talking about god reading the bible he has stories. Its great, hes funny he gives us updates. When we donate money they just dont take it they tell us what its going too, usually outreach trips to help others in foreign countries. Its great, even though I dont go to church that often i like to go there. I usually go like 1nce ever 2-3 weeks. But i dunno it seems alot more friendly and careful than the old catholic church i used to go to. For me i dont know if im christian, catholic or what but i just believe in the bible and what it says, i worship god and no one else. Its simply by just going by what the bible says. Anyways lemme hear your input.

=]

Have a nice day.

As...random as that was, I think it brings up a valid point. Too many denominations get so preoccupied with how they look to the outside, or how true they stay to ancient traditions, they all but forget the message and the original Christian way of life. This is why you see the surging popularity of small groups that worship in places like cafes and bookstores....because without all the distractions, and the meaningless rituals, you can really hear what God is trying to say.

Being a Christian I can practice my faith without ever setting foot in a church door. The church was turned into a business with a political agenda instead of a fellowship of worshipers.
The Church is a spiritual body, not a man-made organization (1 Peter 2:5). No city or organization is the mandated place of worship (John 4:20-24).
Worship is to be thankful for all God has done in my life and around me. It is not for reward or gain but an appreciation of generosity and love.
It is simply the highest form of “Thank You”
I believe that one should walk the talk.
I do a lot of philanthropic work within the community. As a past president of a national service club (not a religious based organization) our motto is “serving the communities greatest need” I believe that 99% of the people that do this kind of service do it from the heart and not for reward religious based or not, it takes a special type of person to give of their personal time to serve others less fortunate.

I personally feel that every human is in someway my brothers and sisters and therefore are family to me. I spend many hours helping the less fortunate in society because I feel it is the right thing to do. I do not judge them for living on the streets or there drug habits but if they really want to change there circumstances I am more than willing to show them a way they can achieve their goal some off you may interpret this as preaching. However I see it as sharing what has worked for me.

Irish

Church is good for getting to know more Christians in your area, a type of study group, a place to learn and ask questions when you need help. I loved going to church when I was a Christian, because it was one of the few who said "come as you are" and that meant dirty clothes and all. You were there to worship the lord. The collection plate wasn't even passed around until a member got up themselves and put their money in it, and it was passed by them. No fancy sculptures or paintings. Just a long white building that had a home like look to it.

Nice thread

Well if you would say that in the 16th century you would be burned as a Heretic (as many thousands of people found out)by the very Church you went to. How dare you take God away from the Church dont you know they have their bottom line to look after?

I agree with your posts guys. =] anyways, thats all i have to say.

Have a nice day.