Is church attendance required or even essential?

[Sam Adams]

The reason I don't go to church Shiloh is because I don't like the people inside them. At this point in my walk I find them a hindrance more than an aide. It is really that simple.

I am going to be very judgmental and say that it is people like you that are the reason for that. We are all judgmental, it is part of being human. What I have come to not be able to stand are those that refuse to see the truth in their actions. People that will argue the what the meaning of "is" is to avoid the truth. People who say " I didn't call you a hypocrite, I said you are guilty of hypocrisy"...

I am a work in progress and I have no doubt that God will one day lead me back to the right church, but this is my season of solitude.

[Guest shiloh357]

Except that you can't point to anything I have said that is judgmental of you.  Pointing out that you are judging people while at the same time saying that you don't like people who are judgmental is simply showing you the internal inconsistency in your argument.  And yes it is hypocrisy, like it or not.   I am not saying you are a bad person, I am simply saying that your argument isn't really sound.  It's always easy to blame other people to say that it's everyone else's fault.  You can blame me all you want, but the problem lies with you, not me.

[Guest LadyC]

 

So far, I haven't seen anyone offer up a reason to stop going to church altogether.   I mean, not all churches are the same.  If your former church wasn't to your liking, why not find that is, instead of just not going at all?

I would but so far the Churches I have attended all look like this "world".

 

 

this has been a problem throughout church history. paul wrote extensively about it, and addressed worldliness church by church by church in his letters. and yet never once did paul say that believers should stop going.

[hmbld]

Strong's Concordance

ekklésia: an assembly, a (religious) congregation

Original Word: ἐκκλησία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: ekklésia
Phonetic Spelling: (ek-klay-see'-ah)
Short Definition: an assembly, congregation, church
Definition: an assembly, congregation, church; the Church, the whole body of Christian believers.

 

 

Sam, by Strong's Concordance, wouldn't meeting here at this website qualify as an assembly, or church?  Maybe not ideal as in face to face with fellow believers, but in some ways it seems better than knowing everyone in church is rushing to get home or have their day off.  

[Guest LadyC]

Sam Adams, given our inability to see eye to eye in the other thread, it would be refreshing if you were to respond to the things i have said to you in THIS thread. i completely understand where you are coming from, but feel i have contributed some suggestions that are invaluable that you are totally ignoring.

[ayin jade]

.

In 1 Cor 5, Paul tells us to judge those inside the church.

Because there is very little church discipline today, sin abounds inside the church

to the point there is little difference between those in the church and secularists.

Which is why most "churches" today... have become temples of baal.

.

 

The only ones I call temples of baal are the mormon monstrosities they build here. 

 

But overall I agree about the lack of church discipline. And a lack of fellowship doesnt help the lone wolves out there either. 

 

To the op: 

If the church you are attending is bad, look around at others. Do not abandon churches as a whole because you are bitter over the one you just attended.

[Hippie333]

Doctrinally, or Theologically.....I can see having issues in certain churches....but blaming people for being..."FLESH" ...is kind of a copout to just not go and pad our own walls don't you think??

 

 

btw, lets be kind in this thread as well.....

 

 

God Bless,

Hip

[Sam Adams]

Lady C:

My sincerest apologies, this thread has been moving very rapidly and I do not mean to ignore you.

I do not like to attend church at this time because I do not like the people who fill most of them. I receive no edification at this time, I walk away feeling worse than when I walked in the door. It is truly that simple.

I went to church and was myself, I found people preferred mask, it made things so much easier for them. If no one ever has any bumps in the road they didn't have to figure out what to do about them.

[ayin jade]

Is church solely about edification for ourselves? Isnt it also about worshiping Him?

[ayin jade]

Btw, do you pray for those in the church you left? You view them in a sense as enemies. He tells us to pray for our enemies.