So I went to a mega church today.......

[Rii]

^ If you use derogatory insults like "McWorship", you have already decided.

True enough. When I hear "megachurch" all I can think of are the Fosterites in Heinlein's Stranger In A Strange Land, slot machines and all. Reading the novel as a child I thought the idea of such a religion positively ridiculous. Now I see Heinlein was merely extrapolating trends observed in American Christianity.

I still don't understand why people are being taught to hate large churches. Whatever happened to freedom of religion?

Nobody is threatening to take your icecream away, drop the persecution complex.

 

[TheLonelySquire]

^ If you use derogatory insults like "McWorship", you have already decided.

I just love the "tolerance".

 

[bigdaddy]

All churches are just about money, otherwise you can just pray to a god in your own house.

Agreed.

Disagree. But that's OK.

If you're a believer, you go to church - that is, to a building set aside for worship - because it's good for believers to get together now and then just to worship together.

Why can't you just invite 10-20 people to come over to your house and pray? Because The Church brainwashes you to go to a church and give them money so they can go pay off the little children they raped.

 

[Kestra]

^ If you use derogatory insults like "McWorship", you have already decided.

I just love the "tolerance".

I have a feeling I would disagree with your exact sentiment, but I'm somewhat surprised by all the negativity here as well. Why do people really care about how others choose to spend their time, money, or where they choose to worship?

I think my only issue with a megachurch is when they let out after service and there are cops there, directing traffic and annoying the rest of us by stopping the normal flow of traffic.

 

[Amaris]

Agreed.

Disagree. But that's OK.

If you're a believer, you go to church - that is, to a building set aside for worship - because it's good for believers to get together now and then just to worship together.

Why can't you just invite 10-20 people to come over to your house and pray? Because The Church brainwashes you to go to a church and give them money so they can go pay off the little children they raped.

Woooahh there, just a second. I have major issues with the modern Christian church, but that's just not right or fair.

J.

 

[Kirby]

Although our former youth pastor (who was one of the best preachers we ever had) did have a distinctly Jim Rome-like demeanor about him.

LOL! Did he refer to the congregation as 'clones'?

I go to a rather large Catholic church. I believe that we can fit about 1000 people, and they have 6 masses each weekend, and most of them fill up. Our church is a place of worship first, but just about every night of the week, there are small groups, lectures, bible study, etc. going on. We participate in habitat for humanity, we sponsor and feed homeless families, we even have a decon who maintains a hospital and school in Kenya. We don't have a cafe, or a gym. We do have a library, and a small book shop though.

I don't know much about the mega-churches but I will attest that there are plenty of churches that are not 'all about the money' and do a lot of good for people. A lot of people make snap judgments about things they don't know about.

 

[Rii]

Why do people really care about how others choose to spend their time, money, or where they choose to worship?

The Korean Presbyterian Church next door recently built a playground directly adjacent to our fence. The kids like to harass our dog by banging on the fence and throwing wood chips and such over it. We recently received a call from the local council after they received a complaint about our dog barking in response to this harassment.

It's not a big deal, I don't even resent the kids except when they wake me up on a Sunday morning, but these things do affect people.

I don't give any more thought to Megachurches than I do Scientology, and have about equal respect for the two. If the subject comes up I'll offer my opinion. That's what's happening here.

Now, would you like fries with your sermon today?

 

[Kestra]

Why do people really care about how others choose to spend their time, money, or where they choose to worship?

The Korean Presbyterian Church next door recently built a playground directly adjacent to our fence. The kids like to harass our dog by banging on the fence and throwing wood chips and such over it. We recently received a call from the local council after they received a complaint about the noise from our dog barking in response to this harassment.

It's not a big deal, I don't even resent the kids except when they wake me up on a Sunday morning, but these things do affect people.

That doesn't really seem like something that would be limited to a church, though. I get that it is in this instance, but it's like the people around my high school that didn't like having a high school built behind them. Wouldn't that be more of a zoning issue than something to do with a megachurch?

 

[TheLonelySquire]

Agreed.

Disagree. But that's OK.

If you're a believer, you go to church - that is, to a building set aside for worship - because it's good for believers to get together now and then just to worship together.

Why can't you just invite 10-20 people to come over to your house and pray? Because The Church brainwashes you to go to a church and give them money so they can go pay off the little children they raped.

More tolerance....

Let me ask you though, are you consistant? Do you also defend those little children who are murdered by the thousands before they are even born?

 

[TheLonelySquire]

^ If you use derogatory insults like "McWorship", you have already decided.

I just love the "tolerance".

I have a feeling I would disagree with your exact sentiment, but I'm somewhat surprised by all the negativity here as well. Why do people really care about how others choose to spend their time, money, or where they choose to worship?

I think my only issue with a megachurch is when they let out after service and there are cops there, directing traffic and annoying the rest of us by stopping the normal flow of traffic.

Well that is no fun to be sure. But with a little planning it can generally be avoided.

 

[Kestra]

More tolerance....

Yes yes for any single thing in this world there is probably someone who is intolerant of it. Sometimes there are a lot of people who are intolerant of it. It's not really necessary to point it out every single time. It's annoying, especially as it's being done sarcastically and with no other content.

 

[John Picard]

Disagree. But that's OK.

If you're a believer, you go to church - that is, to a building set aside for worship - because it's good for believers to get together now and then just to worship together.

Why can't you just invite 10-20 people to come over to your house and pray? Because The Church brainwashes you to go to a church and give them money so they can go pay off the little children they raped.

More tolerance....

Let me ask you though, are you consistent? Do you also defend those little children who are murdered by the thousands before they are even born?

Nice. You preach "tolerance" yet judge people without knowing who they are or the personal(private) trials they endure. Christians are funny, because the love to shove a finger in someone's face and scream, yet when the tables are turned they cry and whine about being repressed or the targets of harassment.

 

[Amaris]

Nice. You preach "tolerance" yet judge people without knowing who they are or the personal(private) trials they endure. Christians are funny, because the love to shove a finger in someone's face and scream, yet when the tables are turned they cry and whine about being repressed or the targets of harassment.

Not to get too into the issue, JP, but don't put what he says against other Christians. He speaks only for himself, no one else.

J.

 

[TheLonelySquire]

More tolerance....

Yes yes for any single thing in this world there is probably someone who is intolerant of it. Sometimes there are a lot of people who are intolerant of it. It's not really necessary to point it out every single time. It's annoying, especially as it's being done sarcastically and with no other content.

The content is what it is. It's pointing out that while many here actually preach tolerance for whatever lifestyle they endorse, they actually don't practice it themselves. Certainly hypocritical and unfortunate.

 

[John Picard]

More tolerance....

Yes yes for any single thing in this world there is probably someone who is intolerant of it. Sometimes there are a lot of people who are intolerant of it. It's not really necessary to point it out every single time. It's annoying, especially as it's being done sarcastically and with no other content.

The content is what it is. It's pointing out that while many here actually preach tolerance for whatever lifestyle they endorse, they actually don't practice it themselves. Certainly hypocritical and unfortunate.

Please practice what you preach.

 

[Kestra]

More tolerance....

Yes yes for any single thing in this world there is probably someone who is intolerant of it. Sometimes there are a lot of people who are intolerant of it. It's not really necessary to point it out every single time. It's annoying, especially as it's being done sarcastically and with no other content.

The content is what it is. It's pointing out that while many here actually preach tolerance for whatever lifestyle they endorse, they actually don't practice it themselves. Certainly hypocritical and unfortunate.

Are there specific people in this thread that you believe preach tolerance yet are being intolerant here? There's also a difference between expressing dislike for something and being intolerant of it.

Edit: Ack! Not the rolleyeyes!

 

[Rii]

Why do people really care about how others choose to spend their time, money, or where they choose to worship?

The Korean Presbyterian Church next door recently built a playground directly adjacent to our fence. The kids like to harass our dog by banging on the fence and throwing wood chips and such over it. We recently received a call from the local council after they received a complaint about the noise from our dog barking in response to this harassment.

It's not a big deal, I don't even resent the kids except when they wake me up on a Sunday morning, but these things do affect people.

That doesn't really seem like something that would be limited to a church, though. I get that it is in this instance, but it's like the people around my high school that didn't like having a high school built behind them. Wouldn't that be more of a zoning issue than something to do with a megachurch?

Yeah. It was just a personal anecdote, it has very little bearing on my disdain for megachurches in general.

 

[TheLonelySquire]

Why can't you just invite 10-20 people to come over to your house and pray? Because The Church brainwashes you to go to a church and give them money so they can go pay off the little children they raped.

More tolerance....

Let me ask you though, are you consistent? Do you also defend those little children who are murdered by the thousands before they are even born?

Nice. You preach "tolerance" yet judge people without knowing who they are or the personal(private) trials they endure. Christians are funny, because the love to shove a finger in someone's face and scream, yet when the tables are turned they cry and whine about being repressed or the targets of harassment.

Sorry John, there's no justification for murder of any kind and no way to spin it. No mater what "trials" the mother may go through.

And I don't really care if someone criticizes my faith. I just pointed out the hypocrisy.

 

[John Picard]

More tolerance....

Let me ask you though, are you consistent? Do you also defend those little children who are murdered by the thousands before they are even born?

Nice. You preach "tolerance" yet judge people without knowing who they are or the personal(private) trials they endure. Christians are funny, because the love to shove a finger in someone's face and scream, yet when the tables are turned they cry and whine about being repressed or the targets of harassment.

Sorry John, there's no justification for murder of any kind and no way to spin it. No mater what "trials" the mother may go through.

And I don't really care if someone criticizes my faith. I just pointed out the hypocrisy.

What gives you the *right* to impose your beliefs on others?

 

[Kestra]

Yeah. It was just a personal anecdote, it has very little bearing on my disdain for megachurches in general.

Oh. Well let's hear a positive anecdote, then!