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What would you want in a church
March 4, 2019 at 6:53 pm
Rather than asking for the endless list of things most of the site will list that they don't like about "church" or religion, or focusing on the belief in God or which God, etc.
I'd like to know if a new Church denomination of Christians (meaning followers of Christ and the Abrahamic God) were to start a "new church"
what are 3 things you'd like to see in the church statements dictating church behavior and beliefs / what are 3 things you'd definitely not want to see in the "rules of the church"?
"There ought to be a term that would designate those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, since the word 'Christian' has been largely divorced from those teachings, and so polluted by fundamentalists that it has come to connote their polar opposite: intolerance, vindictive hatred, and bigotry." -- Philip Stater, Huffington Post
always working on cleaning my windows- me regarding Johari
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RE: What would you want in a church
March 4, 2019 at 6:59 pm
Temple prostitutes. Religion is sooo naughty.
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RE: What would you want in a church
March 4, 2019 at 7:08 pm
What I'd want:
1. A commitment that at least 75% of the collection plate/tithes go to help needy people.
2. A commitment that the church will pay taxes on the fairly assessed value of church property.
3. Congregation members each devote one hour a week to community service (their choice of who they help and how).
What I'd not want in church rules:
1. An endorsement of 'conversion therapy'.
2. An endorsement of public prayer (don't split rabbits on this, we all know what I mean).
3. An outright condemnation of ANY religion or lack thereof.
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax
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RE: What would you want in a church
March 4, 2019 at 7:09 pm
(March 4, 2019 at 6:59 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: Temple prostitutes. Religion is sooo naughty.
Serious thread, GS.
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax
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RE: What would you want in a church
March 4, 2019 at 9:28 pm
OP. I'll ask an honest serious question first.
Are we to assume that this establishment is "for profit" or not "for profit"?
If "for profit", who profits? Can I have a breakdown. I may be interested. (from a spiritual perspective).
No God, No fear.
Know God, Know fear.
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RE: What would you want in a church
March 4, 2019 at 9:43 pm
No thanks, there are enough denominations already, and no need of another.
But I doubt that will stop xtians. It's gods will ya know.
Being told you're delusional does not necessarily mean you're mental.
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RE: What would you want in a church
March 4, 2019 at 11:59 pm
I'd like to see the profits that each church makes going back into the church (repairs,etc) or back into the community, not back to the main office in some capital city. Same goes for wills.
I'd like to see Sunday school replaced with basic childcare. Let them make up their minds about what they believe in when they are adults.
I'd like to see them pay taxes based upon the average profits made each year. Those churches that run at a loss should be exempt.
I'd like to see new churches designating enough carparks for all the attendees, not parked up and down the street for miles.
I'd like to see a people capacity limit, say two hundred.
I'd like to see a ban on preaching about the laws of the land and politics.
I'd like to see more time spent on fellowship before and after church and less time being preached at.
I'd like to see people who live under the poverty line banned from contributing to the tithings.
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RE: What would you want in a church
March 5, 2019 at 1:52 am
Less dogma. More openness to the questioning of assumptions. (This is the best way to discover/weigh the merits of core beliefs anyhow.)
A commitment to helping people without the "sales pitch" that they adopt a new belief system. (This might sound unreasonable, but if you SHOW people the good you are doing them without asking their critical minds in return, they may be more apt to participate in your moral project.)
A prevalent acceptance among members of the fact that those critical of the church's belief system may have some good points and a willingness to explore valid criticisms of the institution and it's dogmas.
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RE: What would you want in a church
March 5, 2019 at 2:28 am
(This post was last modified: March 5, 2019 at 2:31 am by fredd bear.)
The ideas are certainly Utopian.
I'd prefer no organised religions at all.
However, people would probably insist of having some.
In that case , I'd like to see:
No professional priest /ministers. All religious leaders would be expected to work at a real job, not some grace and favour deal to met the letter of the law.
No religion would be permitted to own land or accept large donations or any kind of inheritance.
All church land and buildings would be owned by the congregation. When a church was no longer viable, all property and assets would be sold and divided among the remaining congregation, or default to the state.
Any religious schools would be self sufficient, and meet state education guidelines. Their land would be leased from the state.
There's probably a lot more, but I can't think of it right now. My aim would be to prevent the existence of a priestly 'class' and to prevent any religion from gaining any kind of civil power/influence by becoming wealthy in its own right. No priest or minister would be able to become wealthy by being a priest/minister.
Mega churches and televangelists would not be possible.
Some evangelicals might recognise a "primitive Christianity" lurking in the background.
As all this happens, I will be training the flying pig in my kitchen.
