So, basically it found that people who stop going to church don’t like church? Not that surprising. Still, yes, such findings are good to find ways to improve things. God bless.

Well, I am a church going Christian and I agree:
“….it is “full of hypocrites,” and even more of them consider Christianity to be more about organized religion than about loving God and people, according to a new survey.
Almost half those surveyed — 44 percent — agreed that “Christians get on my nerves.”
…..view Christianity as anti-gay, judgmental and hypocritical.”
So, I have no doubt that many non-Christians and/or former Christians believe the above.
Perhaps some churchs will make good use of this info and change.
Peace!

Quote: 86% of Americans polled said they believed they could have a good relationship with God without Church involvment.
I believe they can also. We’ve been actively involved with Churches for the past 18yrs., and haven’t been for the last 6 months. Our Church split apart because of some serious problems that we felt weren’t delt with in a loving Christian manner. We couldn’t believe the hurt people were causing for a few. We’re happier doing our usual charity work by ourselves. We may try again somewhere, sometime, as long as glbt are accepted as we are, as long as egos and fights aren’t apparent. Organized religion is too much like a club house, not enough about love and kindness, at least to us.

Jews, Muslims , Hindus , and Buddists are unchurched ? Huh ?

Henrietta:
The church you had to leave because of the unfair treatment of glbt is worse off without you!
Looks like I’m one of the many unchurched, as I haven’t belonged to a church since 1986. Been to my former church (with my sister on visits) and to bury my folks, but regular…no.
Many churches are beautiful, and when I have gone overseas to England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, I popped into as may churches as I could…they are wonderful, wonderful buildings. However, it is the people that make a church, not the buildings. If those people are there to be with their god once or twice a week, and say all the memorize words on those days, but forget about it the rest of time, then I can understand why folks don’t find a need to be there. One can “worship” in their own home, in the woods, on the beach, or not at all, but still have a personal connection with their god.
As to the Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists being “unchurched?” Are the Christians the only ones with a formal building to worship in? NO!
Note the ages: 900 were ages 18-29, and 502 were age 30 and over. The majoriety of those asked were under 30. They are of a generation that feels less need to hit church on Sundays.

Frankly, comments such as the survey answers generally sound more like excuses and cop-outs to me than like honest criticism.
In my experience, not only churches but homes, businesses, schools, government offices, libraries, media outlets, clubs, charitable organizations, and any other institution I’ve been in contact with are full of hypocrites and people who get on my nerves. And I wonder how many of those taking the survey would admit to being hypocrites themselves? At least one of the reasons for being involved in a church is to try to become LESS of a hypocrite – I don’t see that happening anywhere else in our society!
Did people stop watching football because the Patriots are cheaters? Did they turn in their Major League Baseball season tickets because of all the players using steroids? The major political parties are LOADED with hypocrites – it doesn’t seem to keep people from supporting them! No one is quitting their job or dropping out of school or avoiding the malls because of the hypocrisy they encounter there. If integrity is really so important to people, how come the church is the only place where hypocrisy seems to be an issue for them?

SRB what you say may be so, but the people that answered the survey all have, personal reasons for their decisions, and none are I believe as easy as saying churches have hypocrites in them. Saying hypocrites is one way to get off the phone from the survey. PS has her personal reasons, my husband has his, and now we have a very disappointing happening to remember forever. Nothing is as easy as what you point out. Nobody expects perfect people anywhere, but in a church you hope to get as close as you ever will with strangers you would never know if you didn’t go there. Pagansister it wasn’t about glbt, the split. Can’t say more.

“Who – us?! But we’re so – loveable!”
To be honest I find many Christians annoying. I do not listen to any of the local “Christian” radio stations and I find almost of the “christian” popular music to be saccharine or simply dull. This puts me in a a minority with many colleagues – and that suits me fine. With all of the publicity from the last 8 years this is no wonder at all. The triumphalist hooting and boasting was sure to generate a well-deserved backlash. AND YET, there are those who still inspire me and hold my attention for a wide number of reason. I guess they are the ones who remind me of Micah’s prophesy to “Love justice, do kindness and walk humbly with God”. I suppose that until even the TVangelists get this message, hypocrisy will forever haunt the narthex, the chancel’s and the pulpits of American churches.

Hmmm… 67% of conservative Christians support Bush’s illegal, immoral invasion of Iraq for oil, the slaughter of more than half a million Iraqis, the displacement of more than 2 million more, and no doubt, the secret CIA prisons and ongoing torture program. Jesus teaches not to save up material possessions, to turn the other cheek, to be peacemakers… Hypocritical? How in the world could you suggest that?

“Unchurched”, Hmmm….sounds like a disease. I’m tired of people who whine about people who don’t go to church and those who even go so far as to suggest that Americans don’t have any rights unless they belong to a church! Good Lord! That’s nothing but a con-man’s talk! They just try and drag people into their pews for the money for the most part. And if you disagree with any of their points….out the door you go buddy! And they wonder why people don’t go there???? Get a clue conway….if they would STAY our of people’s personal lives and therefore politics, they MIGHT start salvaging the reputations they have managed to blacken.

Truth be told, I find most people to be annoying from time to time — whether they be churched, synagogued, mosqued, templed, or not. And religious people are no more prone to ccgnitive dissonance than anyone else. But those who claim to have access to ultimate truth and set themselves arbiters for what is good and right ask for and deserve closer scrutiny. Politics and pro-sports are human-made institutions prone to all our foibles and follies. The trouble is, so is religion — and when religious people pretend that it is’nt, it gets on my nerves.
WWTBD — What would Tom Brady Do?

Did’nt intend to be anonymous. The above snarkiness is mine.

Henrietta:
Obviously misread your post when you mentioned leaving your last church. Sorry. However I still believe your former church is worse off without you.

Well said, sinsonte. Those who pretend to be or believe they are plugged in to the fount of righteousness can reasonably be held more accountable for their behavior.

“The Church is full of hypocrites.” This is news? We begin every worship service with a confession of sin. Not because we think that we are “perfect” or better than others, but precisely because we acknowledge that we aren’t perfect, that we are hypocrites, and need God’s forgiveness. Who is the bigger hypocrite, those who admit their own hypocrisy or those who criticize others for their hypocrisy?

My pastor always used to say, “Where else are you going to find them?”

“Who is the bigger hypocrite, those who admit their own hypocrisy or those who criticize others for their hypocrisy?”
I would say that the hypocrite who persists in his hypocracy because he believes he can go to church and be absolved of his pretense is the bigger hypocrite by far (Summed-up my that most annoying of bumpersticker: “Be patient. God is’nt finished with me yet.”)

As humans,we have and will continue to fall short of perfection.Peace of mind and tolerance of those who disagree with our views,can help us look at our own hypocrisy.

Well, its hard to have a good relationship with God and His people without being part of a church Gives you a context within which to love people.

sinsonte:
Enjoyed your last post!

Dana:
“Well, it’s hard to have a good relationship with God and His people without being part of a church.”
For some that might be true, however I have heard that your god is everywhere, not just in a building. If a person wants the social network of a church, as well as the “good relationship with God” then that’s fine for them and off to church they go. However nature is a wonderful way to communicate with higher beings…not just a man made building. Some of those buildings are beautiful, but so is nature.

Well, if the truth be told – there’s a little hypocritical spirit in us all. As Christians, we mean good but we do, at times, put on airs, pretend, etc. It’s a way of life – and – yes, it’s another way of lying or deceiving especially if intentional. But what I love about the Lord is He’s forgiving. Do we take advantage of his forgiveness – probably. Intentionally? Subconsciously sometimes. But God is more patient & understanding of His creation than we can imagine. My mother does not believe in organzied religion even though me and my siblings are regular church goers. It’s not the title or the building, it’s really my personal relationship with the Lord that matters. My witness becomes hypocritical when I fail to remember my frailities or my past and impose my unwelcomed judgments or criticisms on others. Trust, we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. But God is faithful . . . . . for that I’m grateful.

Fellowship is good for the soul. Some of the Christians that are in the church are there for the right reasons and they can have a positive influence on ones life.
If you don’t go you don’t know.

someone572000:
“If you don’t go you don’t know.
True…but Sunday morning is sure is more comfortable in bed.

So Christians aren’t perfect. Now, that’s a surprise. Or, is it a fact that Christians are supposed to realize that they aren’t perfect, and trust in God through Christ to remedy that very problem by accepting his forgiveness and gift of eternal life. We should try to grow spiritually, and become a better light, but for those of us that started out a “1″ or “2″ on a scale of 1 to 10, getting to “5″ is quite an accomplishment. And, slipping down a notch or two is going to happen. So what does the “unchurched” observer who knows that I have “claimed to be a Christian” conclude? I’m a hypocrite.
I guess we have to live with the fact that those “outside” will forever judge those “inside” wrongly, or, at least, be bit askew in their observations, simply because they really don’t have a good clue about what’s going on between God and the the individual Christian. That’s a reason why the Bible tells the Christian, “don’t let others judge you,” and also points out the hazards of attempting to “judge another man’s servant,” both statements holding true beyond their immediate Biblical context.
We already have a judge who looks on the heart, and the many self-appointed judges that can only look on the externals don’t count for much, except to perhaps reveal to us how we are coming across. If they have valid point, great, take the ball and run with it.
Someone seems put out by the bumper sticker statement that God isn’t through with us. Sorry, but that’s a fact. Also in that category is the one, “Not perfect, just saved.” They are meant to answer the very criticisms that Christians incessantly get thrown at them. Hey, God is perfect, but I’m forever working on it. Sorry if stating that as a fact offends some. In my estimation, it’s even more offensive, or should I say pointless, to take offense at truth. In fact, I think that the Bible has something to say about that being something that we can expect to happen.

“I guess we have to live with the fact that those “outside” will forever judge those “inside” wrongly, or, at least, be bit askew in their observations, simply because they really don’t have a good clue about what’s going on between God and the the individual Christian.”
You could take the study and try to understand what the problem is and to do better or you could decide it’s the fault of all those observers. If you cared to understand and try to do better I could suggest you think about who seems to most represent Christianity in America. It’s very fundamentalist preachers who make a lot of money by picking on some people who don’t deserve it by focusing their religiosity on two or three issues and ignore some more important ones that should be part of a moral church’s agenda.
It’s apparently good politics and good for fundraising to oppose rights for homosexuals and real sex education for our kids and the right and ability for people to get the abortions they sometimes need. If these Christian leaders do that they get by without talking about living wages and health care and affordable educations and purposeless wars and so on.
But when the people who do most of the speaking for Christianity in America pick those few issues to concentrate on and use them to harm others while ignoring issues that are a lot more important to most people but that would embarrass the politically powerful, pardon some of us if we see hypocrisy.

I grew up in the Episcopal church, married a baptist and attended his church. There were also a few other styles of protestants churches that we attended as we followed our high school choir director to sing with him.
We we finally settled at the church where my husband grew up with, it seemed fine. We were welcomed and made friends. We always got invites to come to one thing or another. Real family like, including many of his family members who were very active in that church. When a crisis arose and I lost the baby I was expecting, we hear NOTHING from anyone. If they can’t be there for the hardships why bother. That was the start of my dislike of “christians” .. although they are not what I consider rightful of that name.
I tried going back to my Episcopal church. I loved that church, it felt like God was there… at least as long as it was empty of the people. At the end of each service the Dean would stand at the back to shake hands. He wouldn’t even look at me most of the time, he was to busy talking to his big money people. I didn’t tithe my 10%, I could barely survive on what I was making. In their eyes, if you didn’t pay to be there you didn’t belong. Sounds like a country club to me.
I was over joyed to find the pagan community. They are open and welcoming. Yeah as with any group there are issues. That is human nature. I celebrate life and the earth in the manner that works for me.
I rather hug my trees, than shake the hand of a “trained christian leader”

Thanks pagansister for your compliment. Having been Churchgoers, and nonchurchgoers throughout our lives I understand both sides of the complaints by both sides. The truth is people of one mind worshipping together, eating together, working to help others together is great. TOGETHER is the magic word. When cliques start going in different directions, egos that can’t be approached to straighten out dissensions between members and their clergy it becomes unhealthy, and a burden on everyone. Denominations themselves inadvertently encourage this with their rules, and regulations. You can stay with this if you are willing to put up with it, or you can choose to leave, God is always with you, and if you live with the Christs direction who do you have to fear. That is in the bible, also. You reminded me ps of our first Easter with our little daughter, My in-laws-(Rev. and Dr.) stauch members of United Brethren Church, came for a visit in GA from CA, Easter Sunday we took them to a Lutheran Sunrise Service in a lovely park, after it was over my father-in-law asked very seriously what time we were going to Church, I said Dad you’ve been there.

Perhaps it’s me but i don’t know how 1402 people can represent millions it seems like a lazy survey. But at any rate they should have gone on to survey other social connections among humans and i am sure that all social connections between humans suffer the same lower numbers then ever before.
As for Christians resisting the approval of homosexuality, we’re not alone. But even if we were alone it still wouldn’t change the fact that homosexuality is not a good thing, and our God abhors it.
Hypocrites are indeed in the church that’s were they belong along with the rest of us sinners.
Their are some huge churches and I am visiting some in my new area, there are no people anywhere more benevolent then Christians. We are on and will continue to be on the front lines of need. We stay to help longer than the government, those agencies and the feel good weekend do gooder are long gone while Christian missionaries are still bringing food, water, and shelter to those who the world forgets. Maybe those people the survey was looking of in churches were in the mission fields, places they just don’t bother to go.

I was waiting for you to chime in, cknuck. As I predicted, you, like so many of your co-religionists, offer-up the that old chestnut, “Yes we’re hypocrites (beat your breast here), but we’re a better breed of hypocrites ’cause we’re bathed in the blood of the Lamb (more breast beating — like the hypocrite in the temple Jesus spoke about)” It’s not that Christians don’t do good or are more hypocritical than anyone else, it’s that their hypocracy is so blatant. Jesus taught the perils of wealth and yet there are mega-churches across this country that preach the “Gospel of Prosperity.” X-ians claim to follow the Prince of Peace, but huge numbers voted for the war-mongering George Bush and countless more hoop and holler at rallies where various Republican candidates vow to bomb Iran. In this the most X-ian of countries, children are homeless and go to bed hungry. And despite Jesus’ directive to “love thy neighbor,” many churches make their rent demonizing gays and lesbians. I can understand being unable to see when there’s a beam in one’s eye(gay people is your’s, cknuck), but it appears from the evidecne that a lot of the “churched” in this country have a whole ‘friggin forest that needs to be removed.

Henrietta:
Thanks for your Easter Sunday story!

I have to agree with the poll. While at this very moment I dont belong to any certain church it is for that very reason that I have a hard time sticking with one. People who claim to be christian are
some of the most judgemental people you will find.
I can have a relationship with my Higher Power right here at
home and not listen to the fakeness of people who claim
to be doing by Gods will on one hand and talking out the side of
their mouth against gays,people of color,foreigners, liberals…
the list goes on.
Is it not sad??
The only church I attended that I felt completely comfortable
in was a new age church who had a wide range of participants
and made everyone feel welcome. Unfortunately the church moved
and was too far away to attend regularly.

“The findings echoed a previous study by The Barna Group that found the vast majority of young non-Christians view Christianity as anti-
gay, judgemental and hypocritical.”
” As for Christians resisting the approval of homosexuality, we’re not alone.” cknuck
We have an example of why the young non-Christians view Christianaity as anti-gay, judgemental and hypocritical.
Fortunately for me I know many Christians, in my family and friends and on this site who don’t think there is any “sin” in a person following his/her true nature, no matter what that may be.

Thanks sin and pagan, I don’t approve of homosexuality and even if I did that still would not make it either right or less of a sin. Being judgmental or hypocritical simply means I disagree with you, period, that’s a tactic although lacking imagination and predictable it’s been used for years and it does wear some people down, not all. There will always remain a few that will stand by the truth.

“There will always remain a few that will stand by the truth.”
Well isn’t that special. You are standing by the truth, bless your heart. And I suppose it hasn’t occurred to you that a lot of other folks, including those you are arguing with, are just as sure they are standing by the truth.
But their truth doesn’t cause a lot of people the harm your truth does. I’d urge you to rethink what’s true, but I’m pretty sure you can’t. I hope a lot of others can.

cknuck, your version of the truth indeed does hurt a lot of people, as brought up so well by nnmns. And there is so much hurt in the world without more. People loving each other, no matter what the combination, m/f, f/f,m/m hurts NO ONE! Your god loves them. Is She wrong?

addition to post: “Your god loves AND accepts them.

Just for the record, most homosexuals do not approve of prejudice-supportive Christians. And, we are not alone in this.
However, we know that even though prejudice-supportive Christians have choosen a lifestyle of bigotry and discrimination, we still know that the too are God’s children. And, while we do not condone their lifestyle, we still love them. Its not the person, it is the lifestyle.
Peace!

I can see why people that do not go to church say that people that go are hypocrites. I grew up going to a local church in NC. I saw how “Christian’s” treated each other and outsiders. Each religion thinks that their religion is the only correct or right religion to get to God. Hello, God loves everyone not matter what religion. As a Christian I do not go to church, because after going on a regular basis over twenty years and seeing to very closed minded views of bapist, methodist, and penocostals, I have had my fill of people who call themselves Christian on Sunday and live like what ever any other day of the week. I had a grandfather that passed away over a year ago, that was a “devote Christian”. He cheated on his wife for over 30 years and he was also a president of a bapist college. Another example, my so called dad, who wasn’t molested me and my two sisters, and he said he was a Christian. I have lots of other examples of deacons, and preachers, but I am not going into that. We all sin, and we ask for forgiveness, but don’t hide who you are by going to church on Sunday and judge people, that is what happens, why do you think there is so many churches splitting? Go to church to get closer to God. Live your life to the fullest and treat people with respect everyday of the week, not just Sunday and then maybe people would not be hypocrites.

I have not found the level of hypocrisy claimed here in any church I’ve been in and I’ve only found love even for the homosexuals whose lifestyle I am so against are treated with love and respect. In my church some are against homosexuality as I am and some are not. It’s a lot better world then the one we live in day to day. I happen to think that God hates homosexuality it’s against the way He designed man and woman. I know another pastor who believes differently I love her but I have regard for her opinion. I think it does the world no good to promote homosexuality as normal and there is no evidence God created it, I think it is a side effect from sin. I don’t see people who don’t go to church do much good in the world for anybody but themselves. There has been no greater force for good then Christian fellowship.

“There has been no greater force for good then Christian fellowship.”
I presume some folks would say Jesus had been the greatest force for good. I, however, will go part way with you on that cknuck. Citizen groups of various stripes have done a lot of good.

cknuck:
“I don’t see people who don’t go to church do much good in the world for anybody but themselves.”
I really hope you’re kidding! The ONLY people who do good in this world go to church?????? No true, so not true.

cknuck, I just reread your post: “I think it does the world no good to promote homosexuality as normal and there is no evidence God created it.”
There is also no evidence that he DIDN’T create it.
Also, correction to typo: Not true, so not true. (10:30 post)

When the United States of America gives the glbt the same rights of everyother citizen then that will show love and respect that no one can deny.

“I don’t see people who don’t go to church do much good in the world for anybody but themselves.”
Oh please!
There are wonderful people who go to church that do incredible things for others and make the world a better place for the rest of us. There are wonderful people who never go to church that do incredible things for others and make the world ab better place for the rest of us.
There are greedy, selfish, mean, prejudice-supportive, discriminatory, and bigotted people who go to church and think of no one but themselves…and, are often cruel and uncaring in the name of God. There are greedy, selfish, mean, prejudice-supportive, discriminatory, and bigotted people who do not go to church and think of no one but themselves.
Church attendance does not equal good deeds or pleasant people. Church attendance equal church attendance and nothing more.
In the interest of full disclosure, we are in church at least once per week.
Peace!

i grew up in the “conservative, protestant, american church” and i am sick of it. the most hateful people i have known in life are “born again” christians. i have recently began to explore i relationship with god outside of organized religion. we forget how much god loves us and the mystery and wonder of the bible. it is long long story of god’s passion for all creation. american christianity has boxed god in a bunch of doctrines that way people down.
i have decided that i would rather trust christ than be a “christian”
the following books: Wide Open Spaces (jim palmer) and The Shack (william young) have helped me rediscover a true relationship with god. i highly recommend them for anyone discouraged with our country’s branch of christianity.
by the way, i know i am a hypocrite and that is why i cling to the love of god

gross, thanks for the info about Wide Open Spaces by Jim Palmer, and The Shack by William Young. I googled them and they sound very interesting, want to read both of them.

No one forces anyone to go to church and if one sees so many problems with the church why not have some guts and make change or are you so afraid you will be just one more hypocrite in church doing nothing. Isn’t doing nothing the biggest reason people don’t go to church. It’s a lot easier to talk about it then to be about it.

Ted Haggart went to chuch every Sunday.

from my experience usually people who dont go to church have some kind of issue submitting to GOD and usually are looking for an excuse not to by blaming other people.the people who truly love GOD are the ones that regardless of what other people say and do they go to church to praise and worship the GOD that made them.

gerardo-
The article does not say that the people polled do not believe in God. It says they don’t go to church. There is a huge difference.
It is very possible to believe in God and not believe in Church.
Peace!

cknuck,
“I happen to think that God hates homosexuality it’s against the way He designed man and woman.”
Um, that would be the way God created HETEROSEXUAL men and women. It is NOT the way God created God’s gay and lesbian children. Figure it out.

To answer your question frankly and truthfully we created homosexuality in our sin and we’re fastly developing it to it’s next level. I seriously don’t believe that there are homosexual children or at the least there would not be without adult help.

cknuck:
“……..we created homosexuality in our sin and we’re fastly developing it to it’s next level. “….don’t believe that there are homosexual children or at the least there would not be without adult help.”
Most of us here know your feelings about homosexuality. This article is about church attendence.
But….”we” didn’t create homosexuality, your god made 2 kinds of folks, homosexual and heterosexual. Adults have NOTHING to do with what gender children are attracted to, when they become adults. Studies have shown that children of homosexual couples don’t “turn out to be homosexual” any more than children of heterosexual couples.
What is the “next level.” Sounds like a game.
How did “we” create homosexuality in our sin?” Sin is a really over used word. Not being a Christian, I find that Christians tend to over use it to explain just about everything.

First off, “unchurched” means “not in church”. So Jews are not in Church, nor are Hindus or Muslims or any other religion that doesn’t go to church. No one is calling them evil by calling them unchurched, it just means they don’t go to church (because they go to temple, mosque, ect.)
I’ve heard the saying “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald’s makes you a cheeseburger.” I like that, because it’s true. I know the church has a bunch of people who go because their parents go. Or they go because their friends go. Or because they’ve always gone and that’s just what you do. People don’t necessarily even believe and God and they’ll still go
But there are also those that go because they love God and people. Some people love God and it fills them with anger when they see “sin” happening, whether it be adultery, homosexuality, greed, cruelty, lying, whatever (those are all things the Bible says are sinful, none is greater than another). Often times people get so mad at those things, they judge the people doing them, instead of loving the person even though they don’t agree with their lifestyle. That makes them fall into the sin of being judgmental.
1 Corinthians 5 says “I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?”
I am a Christian. I attend church multiple times per week. And I know that I’m not perfect, and that no one in the church is, or outside of the church, as has been made very clear already. But there really ARE a lot of Christians who judge everybody, they hate gay people but don’t have as much of a problem with the man who cheats on his wife and have no problem telling a lie if it makes them look good. There ARE a lot of churches or preachers that are in it for the money, or use money to buy themselves nice cars and expensive suits when that money could be used to feed the poor or ophaned children. No one is denying that (at least I hope not!).
The problem here is that some of you won’t acknowledge that there are also people who genuinely love God in the church, and genuinely love people. Like I said, I’m not perfect, but if you’re gay I’m not going to treat you any differently than I treat a compulsive liar, and I’m not going to treat you any differently than I treat my best friend. Jesus “did not come to condemn the world, but to save it”. Jesus hung out with tax collectors (aka money hungry and greedy thieves basically), and hookers, and he shared his truth to them in love, without being judgmental. The people Jesus was always yelling at and telling them they were wrong were the religious hypocrites. Not because they were religious, but because they were so concerned with looking good religiously that they neglected loving people, which is what God really wants from us. We’re all hypocrites on some level, the question is whether or not we’re going to be satisfied with our hypocritical selves, or try to live for something bigger.

2 quotes, summing up my attitude toward church membership
“I love mankind, It’s people I can’t stand.”
Linus
“I would never join a club that would have me as a member”
Groucho
As long as there is an “inside” and an “outside” people will be taking sides. Hypocrites are everywhere and no group is absent of them. There are good people everywhere and absolute villains everywhere – that is the way of humanity, deal with it. If all you see is what you want to see, you don’t see much – and that includes the people in your won community of well-intentioned, good-spirited, like-minded people.

Jesus did hang put with a lot of people but He said His whole reason for coming here and hanging out with those folk is so they might be saved.
Groucho was a comedian and he said things for comedic affect, and with the amount of sense this quote makes jest, one can only take away a laugh, no philosophy just humor. I do like the “If all you see… quote though.

cknuck:
“……..He said is whole reason for coming here and hanging out with those folk is so they might be saved?” 17 years being raised as a Christian, before I “saw my own light” never answered just what I was supposed to be saved FROM? Yes, JC died on the cross…so did a lot of other folks in that time. He was another human being, no more special (IMO) than any one else’s son. But just what is so bad that I needed to be saved from it? Thought I’d ask.

Ashley:
Even though I am not a Christian, I can totally acknowledge that some folks love God and love people. That’s not so hard to understand. Personally, I like going inside churches for the solitude, to see how beautiful the architecture is. There are some beautiful, ancient church buildings…simple ones and elaborate ones. However, even though I love being inside, it is not for worshiping a divine being. I can also find beauty in the woods, on the coast of the state I live in…just about anywhere outdoors, away from man made structures. First worship of divine beings were held outdoors…nature is divine in itself.

Hard sell then soft sell, pagan? People need saving from their sins and from hard sells and soft sells.

Never failed to realize you love your god and that you love people…as long as they are straight, cknuck. Hard sell,soft sell? Whatever. What “sin” is JC supposed to save me from? That has never been answered. Some religions think people are born sinful just because their parents had intercourse.
Attending church makes some people feel good about their beliefs, and gives them a place to sing to and praise their diving being, so they feel less “sinful.”

As you understand it, right?

Yep!