Megachurches

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   Ruach Eishposted 12 years ago

   What does everyone think about the issue of megachurches?  Especially those of you in America where I know there are lots of them.  Are they good or bad?  (I reserve my own views at this point, I want to hear what other people think/believe).

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      tritrainposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Just yesterday I saw what looked like a giant ship, all lit up, but sitting on land.
      
      It turns out it was a GIGANTIC church!
      
      At some point I would think that the church ministers begin to lose touch with their flock.  Wouldn't you say?

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         Ruach Eishposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Definitely, and that's not good for anyone. Not the Pastors, not the congregation, not the Lord and not the non-Christians we are supposed to demonstrate the light to.

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            Mark Knowlesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            It is people "demonstrating the light" that is the problem.
            
            Once you get the ridiculous notion that you have something that you are "supposed," to share out of your heads - the mega churches will vanish.

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         melporposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I never care for belonging to a megachurch. Money is obviously the driving force here and the pastor does not supposed to be enjoying this much prosperity. In the end the closeness of the pastor to his congregation suffers.

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      Stump Parrishposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I am sure the gay anti-gay preachers all dream of running a cash cow's. Look at the pool of young males they have to choose from, amen. Please explain the need of a $250,000 chandalier in a church. Does god grant wishes according to the size of the church property? The way churches spend all that tax free money she must. Churches aren't happy with simply having a tax free status anymore. No they heard god tell them to open schools daycares and in the case of one mega church here in SC, a large truck part assmbly plant. These businesses dont have overhead, labor or taxes to worry about so they can and do undercut legitimate businesses in the community. I'm getting a lttle tired of watching the list of peoples who are being persecuted, attacked. or financially burdened for the glory of a pagan religion wanna be who couldnt even come up with an original line of bullshit.

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         Ruach Eishposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Brilliant!!  The way you get yourself across as much as what you say.  Thankyou very much for replying.  We don't as far as I know  have any churches as bad as the one you describe here in the UK but no wonder you're fed up.  They're not real churches at all as far as I can see - just money-making scams.

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            Stump Parrishposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Why thank you, that really brightened  morning. I agree with you and will take it one step further, all churches have turned into a money making scam in one form or fashion. Just my opinion but There is another mega church here in my hometown where the preacher is just a little preoccupied with money. Each sunday if the collection plate isn't as full as he would like, he will lock the doors and keep passing it until he feels they have given enough. He is taking food out of the mouths of his followers and drives his Benz home to a $500,000 house the poor people in the church built him to live in. 
            
            It has become just a little too easy for mainstream christians to distance themselves from their more radical fellow believers. Anyone any christian disagrees with is simply labeled as not being a true christian, lmao as I obviously haven't had the privilege of meeting my first true christian. I'm 53 and not holding my breath.

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               Ruach Eishposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               I have certainly got more of a response than I expected with this thread.  I would like to think you have just met your first true Christian in me - but you have to be the judge of that.  In any case I don't actually attend a church at all because none of the ones that I've ever been in have ever been what I believe a 'church' should be according to what I have read in the Bible.  I think they stopped being real churches when they started building buildings especially devoted to the purpose of worship many centuries ago.  I would rather go to 'church' meeting in China or North Korea where they have to meet in open fields at the dead of night to try and avoid being arrested and tortured for their faith.
               The funny thing is I often find myself agreeing with my atheist friends having denounced the established church for precisely the same reasons that they have - it just so happens that I have faith - but it would appear to be a different sort of faith than the kind manifested by most of those who call themselves 'Christians' in the so-called developed world these days.
               The reason I started this thread is because I am intending to write a hub on the subject of megachurches - why they are biblically wrong - and I would like to say that you have certainly helped my research and given me more information and ammunition.  Thankyou.

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                  Stump Parrishposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  "I would like to think you have just met your first true Christian in me - but you have to be the judge of that. "  I hope you realize that my taking that with a grain of salt is no reflection on you. And to be honest I dont think it's up to me to judge whether or not you, or anyone elsefor that matter, is a true christian. Again no disrespect intended with that statement. I honestly don't care about a persons beliefs. I worry about how those beliefs will affect me, those I care about, and those the holier than thou set condemns, based soley upon their beliefs. How does anyone justify this scenario...a christian professor spends his entire life studying the bible and the acient languages it was written in. His fellow christians accept him as a knowledgable christian and an excellent professor for years. It comes out that this man is gay and imediately every bit of knowledge he has is dismissed and or discounted simply because he is gay. His knowledge didn't change, the sorry excuses for christians simply changed their impression of him and decided his knowledge was no longer needed or valid based upon this decision. This is what passes for intelligence here in America's bible belt. And they are proud of it, amen.

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                     Ruach Eishposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Words fail me.

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      Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think the back door is as big as the front door - people don't tend to stay long.  I wrote a bit about the pentecostal mega churches in my hub "throwing the baby out with the bathwater"

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         Stump Parrishposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Checked that one out and it lead me to the hub on the new sect of pastafarians  your creating. I am a little concerned about this as I am in the habit of making my own pasta and sauce . Am I committing a form of blasphemy by doing this?

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            Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            it means you're non-denominational

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               Stump Parrishposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               That's the nicest thing I've been called all week, thanks.
               
               If I had to pick a denomination I believe I would select the 100 dollar bill denimination.

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      Beelzedadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Prophets = profits.

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   kirstenblogposted 12 years ago

   MegaChruches, larger cages for God?

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      Stump Parrishposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Why did that make me think of the freak show at a traveling circus, lol. Step right up folks and see what the fuss has been all about. Only $1 for the adults and kids are free. Be sure and stop back tonight when we move god to the dunk tank.

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         kirstenblogposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Sounds about right

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   TahoeDocposted 12 years ago

   I'm not inclined to like any churches, BUT if I was a Christian, I would be very upset at these mega-churches. They seem to be teeming with corruption and hypocrisy and that reflects badly on all Christians.

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      Ruach Eishposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Very very very true - you've hit the nail on the head, hole in one.  (I speak as a Christian myself).

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   Shadesbreathposted 12 years ago

   I think people like having something to belong to. It provides a sense of community. America in particular is also in love with money and wealth, so it's more fun to belong to a community awash with gold. If you can do so and feel that you have the blessings of God while you are at it, that works out even better.
   
   The guys running the churches are businessmen, selling a product, a theatrical experience based loosely on convenient bits of the Bible. For the followers who are having orgasmic blasts of spiritual ecstacy and fall weeping and writhing on the floor and all that while attending, I say, "More power to them." I spend my money on booze to get there, they spend theirs on the guy in the pastor suit. Who am I to judge?
   
   I will say that God, if one exists, probably doesn't have anything to do with any of that stuff though.

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