Church or Club?

[Menotu]

It's Sunday. We see many people going to church. Once there, they socialize, sing, laugh, eat, cry...compare hats, ask where he bought that blazer.

But are they there for the right reasons?

It seems, in many churches these days, it's more of a social club than a place of worship.

I've been to churches where people literally in front of me were talking bad (gossiping) about the people a few pews away.
I've seen people 'hit on' others for dates.
I've seen people cursing immediately afterwards (or before) service. I see people singing their hearts out for 1½ hours or so, but later, you wouldn't be able to tell they were Christian much less part of a church once the service is over.

To be fair, I've also seen much love and compassion. But it seems this is the exception many times more than the rule.

It makes me wonder: are churches today more of a social gathering and less of a place of worship?

What's your opinion?
What's your experience?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 40 by Menotu]

Well if you had a bad experience with one Jehovahs witnesses I dont think should prejudiced you against the whole. Its like if someone is mugged by a black man deciding that all black people are violent. We're not perfect and we are all at different stages in our spiritual development.


JEHOVAHS WITNESS

[Thomas123]

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.�


This snippet of John expresses an approximate of what my expectations would be for an atmosphere appropriate for a house of worship. It is hard to enforce absolutes in human behaviour but can these gatherings really accommodate all that there is between sham and devotion.

I know a girl who works on the meat counter at my local shop adjacent to the Chapel.She told me that she dreads when Mass is over because of the caustic rudness of some of the congregation to her, as they buy meat on their way home. How does that work?

Many of the artificial constraints on behaviour at these events have largely disappeared, including social coercion and authority but for me it is simpler than that.

Children behave well in well run schools where education is a non negotiable mantra.Well behaved children misbehave in weaker schools where the process of learning has not been delivered properly. Many religions today fail to define clearly what they are really about and ,as a result, their gatherings and their buildings have indeed become..clubs for a chat.

[Aetixintro]

[Replying to post 1 by Menotu]

There is no other way! If a better church is found then all good for you. Best wishes, even. All (Christian) churches are conducted according to the Bible therefore they are supposed to be Churches of the Bible without exception!

To be clear, "Atheism" will never be an alternative for obvious reasons!

The way to Utopia is given by moral people and they are, with no reservation, "white list" religious people, i.e., Abrahamic religions and Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism, Sikhism, etc.

Therefore, further, they are probably there for the right reasons, less or more hypocrisy. There are "few" saints in the World, but if they exist at all, they are there with the proper religions!

(Music, "Keep the Faith" by Bon Jovi, youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZQyVUTcpM4.)

[Menotu]

[Replying to post 43 by Aetixintro]

All (Christian) churches are conducted according to the Bible

That an opinion or fact?
I wonder why, then, do so many of the churches, using the same bible worshiping the same god, have so many different views, adamant they are the correct ones, not the other churches?

To be clear, "Atheism" will never be an alternative for obvious reasons!

Did someone say it would?

The way to Utopia is given by moral people and they are, with no reservation, "white list" religious people, i.e., Abrahamic religions and Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism, Sikhism, etc.

This would, it seems, include the priests that molested young children...? That's not a Utopia I want any part in, thanks. But for those who do, by all means have at it. And good luck to you

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 43 by Aetixintro]

All (Christian) churches are conducted according to the Bible

That an opinion or fact?
I wonder why, then, do so many of the churches, using the same bible worshiping the same god, have so many different views, adamant they are the correct ones, not the other churches?

To be clear, "Atheism" will never be an alternative for obvious reasons!

Did someone say it would?

The way to Utopia is given by moral people and they are, with no reservation, "white list" religious people, i.e., Abrahamic religions and Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism, Sikhism, etc.

This would, it seems, include the priests that molested young children...? That's not a Utopia I want any part in, thanks. But for those who do, by all means have at it. And good luck to you

I would say that there are many churches that CLAIM to be Christian but they belie that by their actual actions. They are SUPPOSED to conduct themselves according to the Bible, but they do not.


.

[Menotu]

[Replying to post 43 by Aetixintro]

All (Christian) churches are conducted according to the Bible

That an opinion or fact?
I wonder why, then, do so many of the churches, using the same bible worshiping the same god, have so many different views, adamant they are the correct ones, not the other churches?

To be clear, "Atheism" will never be an alternative for obvious reasons!

Did someone say it would?

The way to Utopia is given by moral people and they are, with no reservation, "white list" religious people, i.e., Abrahamic religions and Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism, Sikhism, etc.

This would, it seems, include the priests that molested young children...? That's not a Utopia I want any part in, thanks. But for those who do, by all means have at it. And good luck to you

I would say that there are many churches that CLAIM to be Christian but they belie that by their actual actions. They are SUPPOSED to conduct themselves according to the Bible, but they do not.


.

Seems that would be a reasonable assumption, for both churches and people. But then again, who decides if how these churches (or people) conduct themselves are wrong or right?
After all, they almost always, have legitimate scripture to support their POV

[JehovahsWitness]

Seems that would be a reasonable assumption, for both churches and people. But then again, who decides if how these churches (or people) conduct themselves are wrong or right?
After all, they almost always, have legitimate scripture to support their POV

That would be God. He decides if worship is acceptable to Him or not.


JW

[rovalin]

You don't have to judge them all and put them in the same pot if you've met a few cases of these. Indeed, it is not typical for people in the church to gossip, but socializing is normal. After all, the church must unite people, make them friends, and bring understanding between them. It is impressive when a holy place creates friendships with the same ideals. I recently visited a pentacostal church, and it was a pleasure to talk to the people there, to feel the warmth of their words and eyes.

[nobspeople]

It's Sunday. We see many people going to church. Once there, they socialize, sing, laugh, eat, cry...compare hats, ask where he bought that blazer.

But are they there for the right reasons?

It seems, in many churches these days, it's more of a social club than a place of worship.

I've been to churches where people literally in front of me were talking bad (gossiping) about the people a few pews away.
I've seen people 'hit on' others for dates.
I've seen people cursing immediately afterwards (or before) service. I see people singing their hearts out for 1½ hours or so, but later, you wouldn't be able to tell they were Christian much less part of a church once the service is over.

To be fair, I've also seen much love and compassion. But it seems this is the exception many times more than the rule.

It makes me wonder: are churches today more of a social gathering and less of a place of worship?

What's your opinion?
What's your experience?

While I don't doubt there are those there for the right reasons, it seems many or maybe even most are there just to socialize. Which is good, in a way.
Outside of special circumstance, that would be the only reason I'd go back.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to Menotu in post #1]
I believe that churches are more of a social club than a place of sincere worship. Sure, there are sincere people, but I think they are a very small minority. I don't even think that most pastors are heading up pure worship. They tickle the ears of their flocks and tell them what they want to hear. Then they pass the plate (or basket).