Why Should I Go To Church?

[Lisa*Lisa]

Well, that is wonderful. I hope that when you fully recover from the after-effects of all that, you will bless others with the knowledge and wisdom-from-experience that you gained during all of that. It must have been a somewhat painful experience.

bless you
tal

It's been about 12 years now, I'm over it. It wasn't easy to leave, but my mother left at the same time that I did, and I have no other family in the JW's other then her. So, I didn't loose any family members over it, just all of my friends.

But, it's much harder for alot of JW's, like my best friend. When she left, her mother, father, sisters and brothers will never speak to her again for the rest of her life. They are forbidden to. She lost her entire family overnight, forever. It's very sad.

 

[laconicstudent]

Since JW's aren't "real christians", I wonder if Catholics are? Or Mormons, or the Amish, or the Quakers, and everyone else.

Well, this forum uses the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed as its definition of Christian, are you asking me or was that just rhetorical?

This whole "I have the truth and god loves me more then you" stuff is just down right ridiculous.

How is claiming to have the Truth ridiculous? Is everything relative now?

It reminds me of the pharasees so much.

With the qualitative difference being that the Church has the Holy Spirit and the Pharisees did not.

 

[SummaScriptura]

LOL...thats the truth! I"m finding this thread actually quite amusing........everyone thinking that they are the only real christians and everyone else is swine.<snip>

I hope this is hyperbole. Nonetheless, I'm done with hype from all sorts of people. Best wishes to you. Unsubscribing.

 

[Melethiel]

Since JW's aren't "real christians", I wonder if Catholics are? Or Mormons, or the Amish, or the Quakers, and everyone else. This whole "I have the truth and god loves me more then you" stuff is just down right ridiculous. It reminds me of the pharasees so much.

Truth is Truth. There is only one Truth, not multiple truths. The definition of Truth (and by extension of Christ, who is the ultimate Truth) was decided long ago by the Scripture and the Councils of the Church. However, I have not seen anybody here claim that "God loves me more than you."

 

[Lisa*Lisa]

Lisa,

What do you make of this Scripture?

Hebrews 10

24And(AF) let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25(AG) not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and(AH) all the more as you see(AI) the Day drawing near.

I see that as an option, not a commandment. Kinda the way you see eating meat.

 

[tadoflamb]

Luke 4:16
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.

 

[Melethiel]

Of course it is not a commandment, per se...but I do think that purposefully isolating oneself and avoiding the fellowship of the Body of Christ, and avoiding the use of the Means of Grace which God has mercifully provided for us, is detrimental to one's spiritual health. We are part of the Kingdom of God NOW, participating in the heavenly worship of God. When God initiates the New Creation, I will venture to say that there will be no isolation. While all Christians are part of the Church, a single Christian by himself does NOT constitute the Church.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

It's wrong to say that a person alone with Jesus is not a part of the church.

 

[laconicstudent]

It's wrong to say that a person alone with Jesus is not a part of the church.

Except, unfortunately, Jesus won't Baptize, Chrismate, Ordain, Marry or Bury you. You need the Church, other human believers, for that.

 

[Lisa*Lisa]

Well, this forum uses the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed as its definition of Christian, are you asking me or was that just rhetorical?

Even tho we disagree on just about everything we have talked about so far, and we don't seem to get along very well, I still have something to say to you.

I have a daughter your age, 20 years old. I know alot of 20 year olds. The fact that you are living a godly life at your young age is really a huge deal, not many can pull that off today. Kudos to you for not falling into the world's traps.

 

[laconicstudent]

Even tho we disagree on just about everything we have talked about so far, and we don't seem to get along very well, I still have something to say to you.

I have a daughter your age, 20 years old. I know alot of 20 year olds. The fact that you are living a godly life at your young age is really a huge deal, not many can pull that off today. Kudos to you for not falling into the world's traps.

Why, thank you, I appreciate it.

 

[Lisa*Lisa]

Why, thank you, I appreciate it.

You're welcome. Have a good night, I'm signing off.

 

[talitha]

Since JW's aren't "real christians", I wonder if Catholics are? Or Mormons, or the Amish, or the Quakers, and everyone else. This whole "I have the truth and god loves me more then you" stuff is just down right ridiculous. It reminds me of the pharasees so much.

Lisa*Lisa, no one said "God loves me more than you."
and to answer your question:
JWs - no
Catholics - some
Mormons - no
Amish - yes
Quakers - some
everyone else - some

 

[Melethiel]

It's wrong to say that a person alone with Jesus is not a part of the church.

I never said that - but I did say that a person alone does not equal the Church. Part of it yes, but not the entirety.

 

[Memento Mori]

I have not finished reading the thread, but I wondered if anyone else thinks it's significant that Jesus taught us to pray "Our Father" and not "My Father."

 

[Jpark]

Never mind.

 

[Dorothea]

So let's recap, shall we? So, I don't love Jesus, and my baptism isn't good enough. I have a big ego and I"m prideful. My choice of death services aren't good enough either (whatever that means). Churches are to judge, and it was pointed out that it might be a good idea that I don't go. I have disregarded Jesus and his rules. Did I miss anything? I want to make sure that I got everything.

This is exactly what I"ve always found in the churches. Half nice people and half, well, lets just call them people that I wouldn't want to associate with at all.

That's why I don't go. Why on earth would anyone want to subject themselves to this kind of treatment?

Weell, truthfully, we don't go to church because we get along with some of the parishioners and not with others, or because we don't like the priest. We go because we need to be there to receive His Holy Gifts and to be in the Body of His Church. It's not about what we want, it's about what we need and what the Holy Spirit graces us with in the sacraments.

 

[Dorothea]

Baptism is baptism. It's between a person and God. It's a symbolic gesture of dedicating yourself to god and washing yourself clean. Period, end of story.

That's not what baptism means, and I'm sorry that you've downgraded it to that level.

 

[Dorothea]

And they would say the same thing about you. Guess what? Nobody has the 100% accurate truth, nobody. Everybody is wrong to some degree, so stop pointing fingers.

Christ gave us the 100% truth. It has been preserved for nearly 2000 years. I am guessing you have a relativism belief perspective. Everybody has a part. Nobody can know the whole Truth. God didn't give it to us. Christ didn't tell us...it's not in the Bible. Whatever reason. There is absolute Truth, and we either believe it or deny it. I don't mean this to be cruel or offensive, but there is truth and it should be defended.

 

[laconicstudent]

Indeed, the NT clearly states that Baptism is for our salvation.