Do you have to go to church to be a christian?

Online communication can actually be better for communication than a church setting. In theory.

That would make an interesting topic i think.

ewq1938 said:

I'm saying you are wrong to think that. Fellowship is real no matter what medium is used. The Spirit is what bonds us.

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Not being face to face makes a lot of the "oneanothering" commanded in scripture, impossible.

ewq1938 said:

Because Christians only debate each other online and never "meet regularly together for worship and Christian community"?

We need to think Christianity 2016 not limit ourselves solely to Christianity AD45 people.

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I believe you said that you see this (what we're doing right now) as communing. I disagree, at least on any meaningful level. I'm sure there are Christians who meet online for community that is more meaningful than this. And, for some people who can't, for whatever reason, this might be the best church available. But, technology, even "Facetime" has limits, and is not capable of facilitating the same level of community that happens when two or more people physically gather together.

ewq1938 said:

That isn't a word but whatever you are trying to say, there is no such command.

Ever heard of "facetime"?

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You've never heard of the one anothers???

You can't have the Lord's Supper together
You can't break bread (have lunch together)
You serve one another
You can't care for the widow who needs a repair on her house
You can't play catch with the orphan
You can't hold the hand of the dying

ihavefoundgod951 said:

Hokem!

Many saints where hermits (Google it)

What saves?


◄ Romans 10:9 ►
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New International Version
If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

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Quite honestly, hermits themselves still had interaction with their Church community. They still received the Sacraments, and to do so required them to seek out the Church. Hermits are those who lived on their own, so that they could focus on prayer, but they didn't survive on their own. There is a reason why there are many hermits who are Saints, they were known and loved by those who knew them. To be known and loved requires one to have some interaction with the outside world.

Think about it. If someone went out into the mountains to focus upon prayer, and reached a very high level of sanctity, even to the point of being able to perform miracles; if no one knows he is there, then how would he be known? Its like the phrase, "if a tree falls in the woods, and no one is there to hear it, did it make a noise?" The answer is obviously yes, but then who cares?

Erose said:

Quite honestly, hermits themselves still had interaction with their Church community. They still received the Sacraments, and to do so required them to seek out the Church. Hermits are those who lived on their own, so that they could focus on prayer, but they didn't survive on their own. There is a reason why there are many hermits who are Saints, they were known and loved by those who knew them. To be known and loved requires one to have some interaction with the outside world.

Think about it. If someone went out into the mountains to focus upon prayer, and reached a very high level of sanctity, even to the point of being able to perform miracles; if no one knows he is there, then how would he be known? Its like the phrase, "if a tree falls in the woods, and no one is there to hear it, did it make a noise?" The answer is obviously yes, but then who cares?

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Nice story, but we are not sanctified that way according to scripture.

ewq1938 said:

Yes you can.



You can go to Angie's list and hire someone.



You can do other things.




I'm not saying doing things in person aren't ok. I'm rejecting the ridiculous notion that one MUST go to church or else they are severed from Christ which obviously means they aren't a real Christian and can't be saved.

I am also done with this judgmental nonsense. This type of attitude toward other Christians is a spiritual cancer harming the body of Christ IMO.

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One must be part of a community of believes, which included weekly worship, in order to be in the family of God.

Disagreement is not being judgmental, although people shout it all of the time when they refuse to hear the truth. If I didn't care, I wouldn't waste my time. Going it alone is going to lead you to a bad place. I've seen it before.

thatbrian said:

Nice story, but we are not sanctified that way according to scripture.

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To seek seclusion in order to grow in one's walk with God, or for that matter prepare? Actually yes we do see many examples of holy men leaving society for periods of time, to find God's help, and to grow in grace through prayer and fasting. Moses, Elijah, St. Paul are just a few examples. Even Jesus went into the desert to pray and fast for 40days and 40 nights.

ewq1938 said:

Yes you can.



You can go to Angie's list and hire someone.



You can do other things.




I'm not saying doing things in person aren't ok. I'm rejecting the ridiculous notion that one MUST go to church or else they are severed from Christ which obviously means they aren't a real Christian and can't be saved.

I am also done with this judgmental nonsense. This type of attitude toward other Christians is a spiritual cancer harming the body of Christ IMO.

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Thatbrian is correct and is giving you good advice. You should not severe yourself from the Body of Christ. God made us social, and that we as humans need each other. Christ did not die for an individual, no He died for us all. Christ didn't come just to proclaim the Gospel to one person, but to rather He called His Church to go out and proclaim the Gospel, baptizing in the Name of the Trinity. One cannot baptize himself, but rather needs someone to baptize him. One cannot love his neighbor as himself, unless he goes out to meet his neighbor.

Erose said:

To seek seclusion in order to grow in one's walk with God, or for that matter prepare? Actually yes we do see many examples of holy men leaving society for periods of time, to find God's help, and to grow in grace through prayer and fasting. Moses, Elijah, St. Paul are just a few examples. Even Jesus went into the desert to pray and fast for 40days and 40 nights.

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Agreed, for a period of time, but that, unfortunately, is not what the OP is doing or planning on doing.

thatbrian said:

Agreed, for a period of time, but that, unfortunately, is not what the OP is doing or planning on doing.

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No I agree with you that the OP is going down the wrong direction. One should not isolate themselves from the Body of Christ. Even those holy hermits that he mentioned did not do that. There is a reason why monks even in the beginning of monasticism gravitated to each other and started communities.

Erose said:

No I agree with you that the OP is going down the wrong direction. One should not isolate themselves from the Body of Christ. Even those holy hermits that he mentioned did not do that. There is a reason why monks even in the beginning of monasticism gravitated to each other and started communities.

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I understand as well as most how difficult it is to remain with a church in which people hurt you, and talk behind you back, and are, putting mildly, difficult to live with; however, this is the method God has ordained in which to sanctify us.

ewq1938 said:

it is impossible for a Christian to be severed from the body of Christ since all Christians are part of the body. What you guys are promoting is "Churchianity".




Guess what happens daily online at Christian forums like this one?




What does that have to do with going to a literal church on Sundays?

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Now you are intentionally twisting our words. You know that I don't think that attending a church service makes you a Christian anymore than standing in your garage makes you a car; however, Christians in actual proximity to each other living in community, which means interaction, service and communion, is what the church is. Leave it, and you leave life.

ewq1938 said:

it is impossible for a Christian to be severed from the body of Christ since all Christians are part of the body. What you guys are promoting is "Churchianity".

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Actually it isn't impossible. One can sever themselves from the Body of Christ. Look here is the thing. Church is family, we are called to be brothers and sisters. We are called to love one another as Christ loved us. Christ interacted with us, still does. He calls us to interact with each other. To see Him in each other. Kind of hard to do if you don't see the other.

ewq1938 said:

Guess what happens daily online at Christian forums like this one?

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Does it? As far as you know I could be a computer pretending to be human.

ewq1938 said:

What does that have to do with going to a literal church on Sundays?

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Everything. Love, Christian love (agape) is giving of oneself to another. Kind of hard to give of yourself to another, when you don't hang out with another.

ihavefoundgod951 said:

Personally I go to church (a few)

But I believe yes you can be.

Who is a christian? Someone who believes in Jesus Christ.

Look at the criminal who was on the cross next to the Lord,

Luke 23:43 ►
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Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

The criminal had never been to church but he was saved by the grace of God

Hallelujah

What do you believe?

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Going to church I ask myself, why am I here? If I read the Bible I find I have no choice but to be with my family in Christ. And how I love them and desire always to be with them. They love me and I love them and we are united in Christ. In my young days coming to know Christ I also battled to stay in church, it was difficult for me, because there was something inside me that pushed me to tell other about Christ. Although I was still young and uneducated in the scriptures I never realized that I needed to learn from the elders. I just wanted to be alone, but came to my senses to know I need fellowship with the body of Christ for I was part of the body of Christ. Whatever our circumstances are, we need each other. I learned that the church was given gifts from the Holy Spirit, therefore the church needed me as much as I needed the church. I always thought, why do i really need to be there? Why is there a church? Did Christ not send His disciples into the world to preach the gospel to all nations? That's right, but i still needed to be have fellowship with my family by visiting them often. Also those who has the gift of teaching will direct me through the Holy Spirit and i will become wise as those who are wise in Christ. Even as today i am sometimes still guilty and desire rather to be busy with the things of God than being in church. I know it is wrong and understand the game satan tries to devour us. I think we must pray for one another and ask God to help us and direct us in His will to do only His will. The end time is near and gathering together will become more difficult as before. We need to stand strong and help your brother and sister to rise up from the attacks of satan that desires to defeat and separate us as the church. Let's get involved in any christian activity that will help with the building of the church. Be blessed.