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View Full Version : What's the point of a church?


jakethebake
07-18-2005, 09:17 AM
I was thinking yesterday that the role of "The Church" used to be to tell people what to believe. But (in the U.S. at least) today many (if not most) people first figure out what their beliefs are (drawing on many sources), then go out and find a church with the same beliefs. They join and leave different churches regularly. They choose what parts of the teachings of any church to believe or not believe. So what's the point of the church?

Darryl_P
07-18-2005, 11:31 AM
I'd say it's to strengthen people's beliefs and to energize them into being more true to those in their everyday lives.

A secondary reason is to have a chance to socialize with like-minded people -- something everyone needs from time to time.

superleeds
07-18-2005, 11:33 AM
Control

SheetWise
07-18-2005, 11:39 AM
For the people you describe, it's a place to get married and bury their dead.

Dov
07-18-2005, 02:00 PM
[ QUOTE ]
What's the point of a church?

[/ QUOTE ]

The Steeple.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

I'm in a strange mood today.

Dov
07-18-2005, 02:02 PM
It's how a lot of the business deals in the country are put together.

It also creates a bigger demand in the fashion market.

Wow, I really am in a strange mood today. Maybe I should stop posting for a while. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

Stuey
07-19-2005, 12:15 AM
The church's point is to make money and they are very good at it. Longest running business I know of, forgot prostitution. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

SheetWise
07-19-2005, 01:04 AM
[ QUOTE ]
Maybe I should stop posting for a while.

[/ QUOTE ]

Never! /images/graemlins/spade.gif

fishsauce
07-19-2005, 01:05 AM
I'm pretty sure a church has different meanings and purposes for different people, and I do not know all of them. But I do know one purpose it has for many: it provides a way for people to feel good about not thinking for themselves.

Quaalude
07-19-2005, 01:07 AM
The hypocrites need somewhere to go:

Matthew 6:5-6

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

/images/graemlins/grin.gif

CancerMan
07-19-2005, 01:16 AM
Aside from control... Churches act as a way to morally support the community around it with beneficial programs. Like AA and Sexaholics anonymous, NA things like that. Churches are also for socialization... and a bunch of other reasons that I don't really think I should have to go into.

lehighguy
07-19-2005, 02:24 AM
A lot of the Bible study kids in my dorm say its a good way to learn more about a particular faith/idea set. It also fosters a sense of community and goodwill.

Lastly, it provides a good mechanism for public works and voluntering.

SheetWise
07-19-2005, 05:16 AM
[ QUOTE ]
Lastly, it provides a good mechanism for public works and voluntering.

[/ QUOTE ]

Public works... voluntering... involvement... lifestyle... [regressive]... etc.

This should be under a new subject/heading.

What is the personal/familial +/- from a step away from ...
What is the personal/familial +/- from a step toward ...

einbert
07-19-2005, 07:55 AM
Mostly a place where like minded people can come together and socialize and take comfort in the fact that other people have the same beliefs about God, religion that they do.

BeerMoney
07-19-2005, 09:35 AM
Man who fart in church sit in own pew.

mostsmooth
07-19-2005, 09:34 PM
[ QUOTE ]
So what's the point of the church?

[/ QUOTE ]
to collect money from people

vic1225
07-19-2005, 09:45 PM
From my perspective a church is the office of a priest. In the majority of churches, as while as the sessions we see on tv, priest are snonymous with salesmen. The stronger they preach (the stronger their sales pitch is) the more people they attract, more clientele, networking, and donantions. I am not trying to offend anyones religion and I believe we don't have to attend church to believe in God, especially the God a paticular church wants us to believe in.

Overdrive
07-20-2005, 12:21 AM
[ QUOTE ]
The church's point is to make money and they are very good at it. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

You bet your sweet ass it is.

Cased Heel
07-21-2005, 02:39 PM
I don't know but there is a pastor in Houston, TX named Ed Young and his commercials are laughable.

He's the pastor at 2nd Baptist Church (which is enormous and has thousands of parishioners). Anyway, he runs commercials all the time telling people to "come home". NOWHERE, NOWHERE in these commercials does he mention God, Jesus, or being Baptist. In fact, he offers people to "visit one of our campuses".

OK...maybe I'm ignorant and maybe it's illegal to mention God, Jesus, or your religion on TV? If so, then I'm off-base here. If not then this is another example of how watered-down religion is becoming (at least in the US)