The current Christian Church

[Allie]

Firstly, let me say like I always do, that I am very young. Please be patient with me, as I am quite new at debating and make mistakes.

Here we go:

The perfect church. I've been thinking about this for a while, and would like to hear your ideas. Keep in mind that we are talking a Christian church, and while I respect all of your views, for this thread we are talking Christianity.

I didn't post on the Christian-only board because I would like to hear the non-Theist opinions.

Questions for debate:
1. Do you think the church is currently set up in the best possible way? If not, how would you change it?
2. Do you think any vital part of Christianity is missing in the church today?

For example, I think it would be much better to have the church split into groups. Everyone is on a different level, so the more advanced Christians would go and delve deep into the Bible and into the details, while the new Christians would hear more of the basic message. There could be many groups, with certain teachers specializing in certain types of teaching--I think that would be wonderful.

Also, I think churches today are missing something incredibly vital--prayer! We won't feel the power of prayer if we don't pray! At my church, at least, there is no deep prayer. I think that is extremely important.

With that said, go ahead and post your opinions! I'm excited.

[Cathar1950]

i've read your post. your thinking process is headed in the true and correct direction, oboviously guided by the Spirit. one comment though, remember, "church" is supposed to be crafted after a family unit. family units don't divided into smaller groups to be taught on different levels because they need the "rounding out" they recieve from the whole group or family. true spirit inspired preaching will have something for everyone in the message, but you are correct in thinking that a "first principles" type class is needed at the birth of new family members. just like new babies need constant attention so the parrellel in the natural and spiritual is the same, newly born again babes in the Lord need a teacher who delivers the word in the light of the Spirit. i used to teach a class of that same nature and it proved to be extremely sucessful, providing an excellent springboard for learning to hear the voice of the Lord by the newbies. the whole church is in desperate need of proper, spirit inspired teaching. please read my post "open letter to pastors everywhere if you get a chance.

god bless and raise you up in Him.

teacherterry

The family might be a good metaphor but the churches were more like Greek clubs, schools, and assemblies. Paul like the metaphor which he seems to take literally that they were the body of Christ but he is just one of many voices in the NT even if Pauline thought ended up in most of the NT writings.
What we see in the early church is experimentation and the NT has brought a number of these experiments together while it also excluded others even as it was being written.
Of course there are a number of different approaches and experimentation still happening but even those seem to settle down and become mainstream.
There is the New Wineskin approach or the lets all be alike movements as well as whatever pop stuff that happens such as mega churches and Christian rock or healing and such ploys.
The myth of Christian origins is that there was one true church and they have been falling away every since what ever time they happen to pick and all they have to do is get back t the beginning. There was no original church that we can find; we only have the propaganda of the orthodox while the facts show us there were many schools of thought, many diverse communities and other influences some managed to end up in the NT. The true first Church is like the historical Jesus; all we have is the traditions of the diverse believers as they evolved and experimented with their new faiths as they tried to be faithful to whatever gospel they received, and there were many.

[critenlee]

The best that go together.


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[Cathar1950]

I was off topic.

I think people will pretty much gravitate towards what makes them feel comfortable. Sometimes it is where they feel comfortable. Everyone is different but many are similar and some are like oil and water. Of course this is all coming from the individual believer such as yourself.
It seems that if they are not praying with what would make you more comfortable you have a number of options many which I can't even imagine. You could go somewhere where there is the right depth of prayer for you or find some side prayers. You could try to fire everyone up or bum them out to get a little depth. Some people like singing, crying and dancing others like silence.
Maybe you are not listening hard enough and the lack of depth is yours.

[MikeH]

The whole of the Christian church should look much more like these groups according to the New Testament:

http://thesimpleway.org/
http://www.jpusa.org/

[jwitness]

Many factors have contributed to the development of new religious groups. Some have said that the various religions all represent different ways of presenting religious truth. But a comparison of their teachings and practices with the Bible indicates, rather, that the diversity of religions is because people have become followers of men instead of listening to God. It is noteworthy that, to a large extent, teachings they hold in common, but that differ from the Bible, originated in ancient Babylon.

The instigator of such religious confusion is none other than Satan the Devil as the Bible describes him as the god of the system of things. – 2 Cor 4:4.
It is vitally important to make sure that we really are worshipping the true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and that our worship is pleasing to him.

[McCulloch]

Many factors have contributed to the development of new religious groups. Some have said that the various religions all represent different ways of presenting religious truth.

Both you and I would disagree with those who would make such a claim.

But a comparison of their teachings and practices with the Bible indicates, rather, that the diversity of religions is because people have become followers of men instead of listening to God.

No, wait a minute. No one is listening to God. They are all listening to various people who claim to speak for God. Some choose to listen to Moses and the Prophets. Others to the Apostles. Others listen to Smith or Russell. All of them humans claiming to have a message from God.

It is noteworthy that, to a large extent, teachings they hold in common, but that differ from the Bible, originated in ancient Babylon.

You have evidence of that? How much of the Biblical mythology originated in ancient Babylon?

[Cathar1950]

Many factors have contributed to the development of new religious groups. Some have said that the various religions all represent different ways of presenting religious truth.

Both you and I would disagree with those who would make such a claim.

But a comparison of their teachings and practices with the Bible indicates, rather, that the diversity of religions is because people have become followers of men instead of listening to God.

No, wait a minute. No one is listening to God. They are all listening to various people who claim to speak for God. Some choose to listen to Moses and the Prophets. Others to the Apostles. Others listen to Smith or Russell. All of them humans claiming to have a message from God.

It is noteworthy that, to a large extent, teachings they hold in common, but that differ from the Bible, originated in ancient Babylon.

You have evidence of that? How much of the Biblical mythology originated in ancient Babylon?

It looks like it all depends upon which myth they follow.
Each with its own story developed by someone else.
Each believing the know the "real" story.

The experimentation always has promise much like the early church, some stuff rises to the top, and works, while rewriting their story.
Now matter how far they can go back there is diversity from their very beginnings and it is a new myth to make new beginnings.
Like the early church the current church is in transition and still experimenting.