Then I joined the Worship committee. Big mistake. I had a concept of what Christian behavior was supposed to be from more than 25 years of example. What I witnessed in that committee was shattering. It opened my eyes to the sin that lives in the bosom of that Christian church.
It was downhill from there. I tried different churches, but when I looked behind the scenes I saw the same unchristian activity. That's when I stopped going to church completely -- I couldn't stand the hypocrisy.
Today, I'm a Member of the Church of the Bathroom Mirror: if you don't like the person you see every morning, then you change that person for the better. The central principle of the Church lies in the Golden Rule.
Earlier today, I saw the results of a poll that asked "What created the Universe, God or the Big Bang?" I was amused that my answer was not an option: "The Big Bang was the tool used by the Great Architect to build this place." As for the Bible, I've been spending so much of my life with a technical translator that I recognize that the original Word of God has been corrupted by mistakes, if not by outright manipulation, to compound the misunderstanding caused by the drift and evolution of the meaning of words.
Why do Christians look outwards to the actions of their neighbors when their own actions go against the teachings of Jesus? Or perhaps you forget Matthew 7:5? "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye."
This is just not true. How did you come to this conclusion? Due to the incredible number of manuscripts extant we can be confident that modern Bibles are over 95% accurate and true to the original writings. Futher, the Bible commands us to have fellowship with our Christian brother and sisters, a function which is fullfilled by attending Church. One should not look to what a Church can do for them but what they can do for the Church. We are called to be the salt and light and that can't be accomplished in front of the bathroom mirror.
Blam,
those doing the wrong things you witnessed will have to answer for their actions. You can’t control those, you have to answer for yours though and the Word clearly tells Christians to gather and attend church. The hypocrites will indeed answer for their actions but don’t let them drag you down as well.
You see the wrongs, fight the good fight to expose and right the wrongs. You dropping out speaks to the great falling away.
We are witnessing the great falling away and even more so the persecution of Christians that Christ spoke off. It will get worse as evil continues to infest our society. Eventually society will break down and the law of the jungle will apply.
I am convinced that *churchianity* is the biggest detriment to Christianity that this world has seen.
The strongest and most mature Christians I know are those for whom church is optional.
I am also convinced that the church in the book of Acts would not even recognize what is called church today.
I too, am disgusted by much of what I see going on in churches today and can understand where you’re coming from.
The *original* implies the first, which cannot have been corrupted as it is the *original*. However, anything coming after that has the potential to be corrupted.
Granted there are translations of the original which could be better, but if you throw out the original, there is nothing left to go to or build on.
Don't fall for the lie of *Hath God really said....?*
If you don't want to do church as usual, look into a ministry which does what God has called us to do, reach out and make disciples.
One such ministry I recently found out about in Central NY (CNY) is this.....
Matthew 25 Farm