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

[Rii]

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.

It was unpleasantly phrased, but fundamentally accurate. The institution of the Church has less to do with one's relationship with Christ than with the desires of men everywhere to accrue power. Christians have been persecuted, and they have been persecutors. It's not their personal qualities as men which changed, or their faith, merely their power.

Institutionalised religion is a power base like any other, and like all power is merely an end unto itself. That power has waned since medieval times amidst the rise of the nation-state, but it still functions as a power base, particularly in the United States and Islamic nations. The identity conflict between religion and nationalism in Turkey is particularly illustrative. Christianity, as a collective, supported slavery when slavery enjoyed support, supported discrimination against women when discrimination against women enjoyed support, supports war when war enjoys support. Religion is not an identity which shapes men so much as a label that they wear.

Just to be clear, I'm not talking about individual Christians or Muslims, I'm talking about the institutions of religion and the people, collectively.

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!

Well, the fence thing aside most of them are decent folks. On the whole, I don't mind living where I do.

 

[Amaris]

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.

It was unpleasantly phrased, but fundamentally accurate. The institution of the Church has less to do with one's relationship with Christ than with the desires of men everywhere to accrue power. Christians have been persecuted, and they have been persecutors. It's not their personal qualities as men which changed, or their faith, merely their power.

Institutionalised religion is a power base like any other, and like all power is merely an end unto itself. That power has waned since medieval times amidst the rise of the nation-state, but it still functions as a power base, particularly in the United States and Islamic nations. The identity conflict between religion and nationalism in Turkey is particularly illustrative. Christianity, as a collective, supported slavery when slavery enjoyed support, supported discrimination against women when discrimination against women enjoyed support, supported science when science enjoyed support. Religion is not an identity which shapes men so much as a label that they wear.

Just to be clear, I'm not talking about individual Christians or Muslims, I'm talking about the institutions of religion and the people, collectively.

I agree with that. I was simply taking issue with the whole "paying money to children being raped" thing.

J.

 

[Michael Chris]

Why can't you just invite 10-20 people to come over to your house and pray?

I go to people's houses, a cafeteria at college, and various other places for church all the time. It's not mutually exclusive.

 

[Amaris]

Why can't you just invite 10-20 people to come over to your house and pray?

I go to people's houses, a cafeteria at college, and various other places for church all the time. It's not mutually exclusive.

For a second I thought you had said a cafeteria college, and I was really serious about asking you where it is so I could enroll.


J.

 

[Michael Chris]

Why can't you just invite 10-20 people to come over to your house and pray?

I go to people's houses, a cafeteria at college, and various other places for church all the time. It's not mutually exclusive.

For a second I thought you had said a cafeteria college, and I was really serious about asking you where it is so I could enroll.


J.

Well, they do have a nice culinary program!

 

[JustKate]

Why can't you just invite 10-20 people to come over to your house and pray?

I go to people's houses, a cafeteria at college, and various other places for church all the time. It's not mutually exclusive.

Yeah. There are special dynamics in small groups and other special dynamics in large groups, and both offer good (and bad) things, so why not take advantage of both?

Mind you, "large group" is relative, since I go to a church that has only about 150 members, and the average congregation size is considerably smaller than that, but still, it's definitely larger than, say, a Bible study group.

 

[Michael Chris]

Why can't you just invite 10-20 people to come over to your house and pray?

I go to people's houses, a cafeteria at college, and various other places for church all the time. It's not mutually exclusive.

Yeah. There are special dynamics in small groups and other special dynamics in large groups, and both offer good (and bad) things, so why not take advantage of both?

Mind you, "large group" is relative, since I go to a church that has only about 150 members, and the average congregation size is considerably smaller than that, but still.

Yeah, my church is probably 300-400 or so. Not really a mega. That said I have regularly gone to a church with less than 20 people and a church with more than 12,000 people. It all works.

 

[Kestra]

Well, the fence thing aside most of them are decent folks. On the whole, I don't mind living where I do.

Thanks for obliging my request!

I've never really been to a megachurch, but there's this insanely large temple in India and it's a large tourist attraction. I don't like it as a place of worship but the architecture is stunning and I love going there.

http://www.akshardham.com/

How's that for a megachurch?

 

[Amaris]

I go to people's houses, a cafeteria at college, and various other places for church all the time. It's not mutually exclusive.

For a second I thought you had said a cafeteria college, and I was really serious about asking you where it is so I could enroll.


J.

Well, they do have a nice culinary program!

Oh, I love to cook.


J.

 

[Michael Chris]

Oh, I love to cook.


J.

Well, if you ever want to move a couple thousand miles to go to a community college in my hometown it's for you!

 

[Amaris]

Huzzah!



J.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

a church with more than 12,000 people.

Now that I'd like to see... how big was the building?

 

[Michael Chris]

a church with more than 12,000 people.

Now that I'd like to see... how big was the building?

There are several services. So it is not everyone at one time. It is a pretty big facility though.

 

[sidious618]

My church to George Lucas is in my closet and I'm the only one who attends mass. Others are welcome, though, but no one replies to my ads.

 

[JonathonWally]

My church to George Lucas is in my closet and I'm the only one who attends mass. Others are welcome, though, but no one replies to my ads.

So, you're saying you worship in the closet?

 

[iguana_tonante]

It's not us you'll have to convince of the piety of your McWorship, it's God.

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

Maybe Rii has already dediced she dislike megachurches but, as she pointed out, it's not her you should convince, but your God.

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 don't think people really care about it one way or the other. Just mocking it.

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.

I think you are a bit confused about tolerance. It doesn't mean you have to like everyone and everything. In that case, you should even need to be tolerant. Tolerance means disliking someone or something, yet not trying to impose your dislike on them (short of criminal behaviour, yadda yadda). Some people here have shown a dislike of megachurches: yet, I have not heard anyone saying they should be put down and people attending rounded up for good. Tolerance. Some people disliked the idea of same-sex marriage: and thus, they actively work against that, engaging in discriminations and infringing on their rights. Now do your math, and tell me if you see a difference.

Institutionalised religion is a power base like any other, and like all power is merely an end unto itself. That power has waned since medieval times amidst the rise of the nation-state, but it still functions as a power base, particularly in the United States and Islamic nations. The identity conflict between religion and nationalism in Turkey is particularly illustrative. Christianity, as a collective, supported slavery when slavery enjoyed support, supported discrimination against women when discrimination against women enjoyed support, supports war when war enjoys support. Religion is not an identity which shapes men so much as a label that they wear.

Just to be clear, I'm not talking about individual Christians or Muslims, I'm talking about the institutions of religion and the people, collectively.

Very well put. I agree completely.

I've never really been to a megachurch, but there's this insanely large temple in India and it's a large tourist attraction. I don't like it as a place of worship but the architecture is stunning and I love going there.

http://www.akshardham.com/

How's that for a megachurch?

Well, if we are talking about large churches, around here we have something called the Vatican...

 

[Samurai8472]

I forgot to mention that the Wifi in the main dining area was AWESOME

Here is the link to the churches website

http://www.hopewdm.org/

At first I thought I was at a really good rest area or an airport

 

[TheLonelySquire]

It's not us you'll have to convince of the piety of your McWorship, it's God.

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

Maybe Rii has already dediced she dislike megachurches but, as she pointed out, it's not her you should convince, but your God.


I don't think people really care about it one way or the other. Just mocking it.


I think you are a bit confused about tolerance. It doesn't mean you have to like everyone and everything. In that case, you should even need to be tolerant. Tolerance means disliking someone or something, yet not trying to impose your dislike on them (short of criminal behaviour, yadda yadda). Some people here have shown a dislike of megachurches: yet, I have not heard anyone saying they should be put down and people attending rounded up for good. Tolerance. Some people disliked the idea of same-sex marriage: and thus, they actively work against that, engaging in discriminations and infringing on their rights. Now do your math, and tell me if you see a difference.

Institutionalised religion is a power base like any other, and like all power is merely an end unto itself. That power has waned since medieval times amidst the rise of the nation-state, but it still functions as a power base, particularly in the United States and Islamic nations. The identity conflict between religion and nationalism in Turkey is particularly illustrative. Christianity, as a collective, supported slavery when slavery enjoyed support, supported discrimination against women when discrimination against women enjoyed support, supports war when war enjoys support. Religion is not an identity which shapes men so much as a label that they wear.

Just to be clear, I'm not talking about individual Christians or Muslims, I'm talking about the institutions of religion and the people, collectively.

Very well put. I agree completely.

I've never really been to a megachurch, but there's this insanely large temple in India and it's a large tourist attraction. I don't like it as a place of worship but the architecture is stunning and I love going there.

http://www.akshardham.com/

How's that for a megachurch?

Well, if we are talking about large churches, around here we have something called the Vatican...

Point taken. I'll try not to confuse people's dislike of Christianlty as intolerance next time.

And there's no need to dredge up gay "marriage" again. Thanks.

 

[JonathonWally]

Point taken. I'll try not to confuse people's dislike of Christianlty as intolerance next time.

And there's no need to dredge up gay "marriage" again. Thanks.

Why not? It was only done after you brought up "abortion" in an unrelated discussion in a poor attempt to wedge people.

 

[TheLonelySquire]

Point taken. I'll try not to confuse people's dislike of Christianlty as intolerance next time.

And there's no need to dredge up gay "marriage" again. Thanks.

Why not? It was only done after you brought up "abortion" in an unrelated discussion in a poor attempt to wedge people.

No, it was clearly relatable. One was talking about the rape of children. The other talked about the murder of them. So unless gay unions are being cast in that light I see no connection.