Do you have to go to church

[BryanW92]

I do have a pastor I supose you could call him, I dont think he is a pastor but deffinatley a sunday school teacher, and we talk frequently online about scripture. I have been using that as my sunday school or church if you will, I alwasye thought the quote of where two or more gather was proof you dont actually need to go to the bilding we now call a church. A chaplan I was talking to told me that was an excuse not to go but I really wasnt using it as an excuse I honestly thought thats what that scripture meant. Especially since like michaelmynameis pointed out I thought the bible said that the people were the church.

michaelmynameis and I are correct right, the bible in the NT referes to the church as a group of believers as in people not a building right?

And I love your answeres but some say that we should not neglect fellowship with other believers, but to those couple who posted that as there answer do you mean it has to happen in a Church specifically?

And does it have to be in person? As I mentioned I have been in communication with someone who teaches a class at his church but we have been talking online.

If you are online, you really aren't "gathered together".

 

[Alithis]

If you are online, you really aren't "gathered together".

it does sort of make the laying on of hands difficult

and as the social and spiritual aspect is of the utmost importance ..it makes me think .. hmm how much respect do i afford my fellow believers if i cant be bothered facing them in person .?
yes ,sounds harsh as im sure there are folks who will say they are housebound for this or that reason ..

but heres the odd thing ...

in 1989 and earlier(ie pre internet) the housebound had this weird thing happen ..local churches would go to their house ..put them in a car and drive them to church ..i know .. outrageous concept isn't it

 

[1yugioh]

it does sort of make the laying on of hands difficult

and as the social and spiritual aspect is of the utmost importance ..it makes me think .. hmm how much respect do i afford my fellow believers if i cant be bothered facing them in person .?
yes ,sounds harsh as im sure there are folks who will say they are housebound for this or that reason ..

but heres the odd thing ...

in 1989 and earlier(ie pre internet) the housebound had this weird thing happen ..local churches would go to their house ..put them in a car and drive them to church ..i know .. outrageous concept isn't it

He lives in a diffrent state, I cant exactly get in a car and drive there every sunday it has nothing to do with being housebound or not having enough respect to talk face to face. I appriceate the honesty but there is a polite way to voice your opinion and please forgive me if this was not your intention, but your reply came across as sarcastic not polite.

 

[Alithis]

He lives in a diffrent state, I cant exactly get in a car and drive there every sunday it has nothing to do with being housebound or not having enough respect to talk face to face. I appriceate the honesty but there is a polite way to voice your opinion and please forgive me if this was not your intention, but your reply came across as sarcastic not polite.

Apologies for the misunderstanding-and the perceived tone.
as my reply was to BryanW92 's singular post .. not the conversation with you .
I did not intend to offend .i had not at the time read your posts .

 

[zelosravioli]

Yugioh, just when I started reading the bible my best friend said I should go to church also, of course he was a Mormon. Although I quickly discerned that they were not following the Bible, I kept going because I had already made friends there, and they were really great people. I ended up witnessing, or trying to teach ‘them’ every Sunday. I eventually worked with an ex-Mormons for Jesus ministry. You are in a difficult place for now, but time moves quickly, and you will see something change in this situation soon. Pray for patience and just be as good a daughter as possible for now.

I found I could have great discussions, or debates with Mormons during Sunday school time, without letting them on to my total rejection of Joe Smith and the BOM. I did find the sanctuary and services painfully dull and I groaned every time I heard the repeated “I bear testimony that …”

I was super zealous about reading the bible and I quickly saw that JS had seriously plagiarized the Bible and made up the BOM. I also soon found the LDS church had numerous other problems. So, although I don’t recommend going to any LDS services, it is possible ‘if’ you really educate yourself in scripture first. But I see that you shouldn’t do anything that will rouse your mom to be mad either. So for you, pray, pray something will eventually motivate her to go with you to a bible believing church, someday.

(On the other note, Gods Church, or the Body of Christ are those who trust in Him and believe Him. You were put in Him, and you are a part of His body when you believed. It may be hard to find local believers if you don’t go to church, but what is more important is finding a couple of Godly knowledgable believing ladies in your immediate area that you can befriend outside of Sunday. Call a local bible church and see if they have a wise young or older lady who can meet with you for coffee or i.e.Dennys. The goal of His body is to be connected with others who love and care for one another. We shouldn’t be alone in our salvation, we were meant to be loved and have friends in Christ.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

with exceptions later, test everyplace you go like , or beware of like, the lds group.... you don't have to give up eternal life because of those around you, wherever you may be, at any particular moment or day, -- just don't grieve ABBA by disobeying Him if He says it's time to move on.

He knows, remember, who and where the others are that HE WANTS you to be with/around/in fellowship with. He arranged it actually before even creating the world ! So keep on keeping on praying and trusting Him to guide your steps (all 'you', me 'too' )... and
do not let false 'conviction' of not going to a building affect you, any more at all than the woman at the well who did not go to Temple nor to Jerusalem- notice JESUS DID NOT TELL HER TO GO - no, HE SAID(and says) those who worship(SERVE) Yhvh (must) worship Him in Spirit and Truth. and in many other places and Word from Yhvh He described in much more (and simple) detail
how to be ekklesia (people set apart to Him, in Him)....

 

[faroukfarouk]

I'm convinced of the relevance of Acts 2.42.

 

[1yugioh]

Apologies for the misunderstanding-and the perceived tone.
as my reply was to BryanW92 's singular post .. not the conversation with you .
I did not intend to offend .i had not at the time read your posts .

O I am so sorry, I thought it was directed at me, I appologize, I really am sorry. In hind sight I probably should have mentioned that he was in a diffrent state to begin with, but at the time I didnt thing it was verry important. Sorry again.

 

[ToBeBlessed]

Okay guys so I have a quesiton. Its kinda long but please take your time to read all of it. And I would like to apologize ahead of time for my horrid gramar and spell mistakes, I am a mather person.

Here it is, do you have to go to church? Dont get me wrong I am not against the idea, its not that I dont want to go. But my mom (great grandmother I call her mom cuz she raised me) is Mormon and I dont want to go to a Mormon church.
To make things stranger my mom dosent believe the strange beliefs that Mormons have and I really dont want to start going to her church cuz then she would go and I dont want them to pump those strange beliefs into her head anymore than mine.
Now am I old enough to make my own choices by law, yes. Does that matter in my household, no. I would completly destroy my relationship with my mother if I went to a diffrent church.

So I figured I could just wate till I was out on my own to start going to whatever church I wanted. However, some christians seam to think that I am going against the scripture “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Now I dont know if I am going against that scripture or not, because when she wants me to lie I wont, I try to prevent her from doing so, and I tell her that I dont think something is scriptual so I wont do it. So I do think I put what god wants before what she wants. when I know for sure its wrong, or unscriptual.

However, other christians, seam to be under the impression that not going to church is like a soul damning problem. And while Going to church is certanly a good thing, and I do think I am missing out, I never really considered it a command, and certainly not a 'this determines where your soul goes when you die' kind of issue.

So is going to church now when I could just waite till later and not destroy my relationship with my mother really that big of a deal?

I know this can be a pashanet topic, anything with religion is, but please be respectfull with your answer. No personal offense to anyone on this form, I have just had some really rude responses from other people in the past.


I would suggest finding a bible study group in your area that teaches from the Pauline epistles. This will help get your mom away from the Mormon church and give her a different set of scriptures than what she has been hearing. Not many people teach from these epistles.

Stay strong in what you believe, your on the right track. God bless.

Keep in mind that the MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENT is to "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, your soul and your mind". Keep in the Word. Keep in praise and worship. Keep in touch with other believers who can give you advice and strengthen your faith when you feel weak.

No. Going to church is not something that will cause you to not go to heaven. What is most important is your relationship with God and keeping that strong through prayer, reading the Word and having contact with fellow believers that can give you Godly advice as you progress throughout your life and grow in spiritual things.

Other Christians are your support system.

 

[Alithis]

O I am so sorry, I thought it was directed at me, I appologize, I really am sorry. In hind sight I probably should have mentioned that he was in a diffrent state to begin with, but at the time I didnt thing it was verry important. Sorry again.

think no more of it ..lol we get these little misunderstandings on here often God bless you