Any ideas on how the half hour / hour spent at church could be more productively used ?

Question

Many people spend at least an hour of their week and sometimes much more worshipping a deity at one or another temple. Wouldn't it be more helpful and productive to spend this time helping people, doing charity work, visiting an elderly neighbour or whatever.... you know stuff that actually helps people.

Answer 1

My time at church is not about helping other people. That time is for me to spend time with my God and learn more about HIM. After church, we do many things to help others, but that time is for me and my GOD.
Oh, and I also do plenty of charity work throughout the week, not just on Sundays, so one to one and a half hours a week of time in church isn't going to make or break the world.

Answer 2

The same could be said for going to work everyday. Just give all the money to the poor, doing charity work, visiting the elderly, etc.

It's a choice that people make, sometimes out of necessity.

Answer 3

Did you ever think that that hour or so in church does them good? Its like recharging your batteries. Its the one place you can go and know that you are with people that love you. And these churches that you are complaining about do more for the poor than you could ever do so don't complain about me going to church especially when obviously you do not and will be able to pick up my slack in all those things you mentioned. Or is that you just want Christians to do those things and you are to self-absorbed to help your fellow man.

Answer 4

Ultimately this world is not all there is. Your relationship with God is top priority, with goodness to others very next. You have to love God with all your heart, and anyone you love you are going to spend time with. Then if you love Him you will love those He loves: other people. So you will find time to help them besides the hour a week you spend worshipping your maker.

Answer 5

i might particularly spend an hour helping out in a soup kitchen. i'm greater of an action, arms-on type of man or woman. i'm not a primary church-goer, yet I do appreciate helping human beings. My non secular area is inner maximum. possibly that's why i do unlike sitting in front once I do circulate to church.

Answer 6

Yes, public service beats church service anyday. In ancient times when I was forced to sit there for an hour, I would run piano concertos in my head, totally oblivious to what was going on around me. I would have been better off doing something more productive as you stated.

Answer 7

Church isn't about you...or using time wisely.

Church is about worshiping God. It is a time to get away from your normal routine and get to a quiet place to worship.

Your idea of helping the community is important. We are to do that too..but not on Sundays. That is set aside to Worship Jesus.

Answer 8

I talked myself out of going to church, but now I understand that church is for worship. Christian fellowship is nice if it happens, but most believers hop in their cars and speed off to get on with their day (myself included). The Bible says faith comes through hearing, so I go to "recharge my batteries" , too.

Answer 9

i would say that that time would be better spent helping others, as you have said. i think that, in the case of Christianity,Christ would be out helping ppl. i think there's a reason we hear so little of Him preaching in a formalized setting, i.e. a synagouge, n that's bc that isn't where the ppl that *needed* Him were. the ppl that * needed* Him were out in the city, and in the countryside, bc then, as now, if u couldn' t afford nice things, and nice clothes, well, to the rich, God obviously didn't favor you, so you shouldn't be in His house. i don't think that salvation is found in a building. i think it's found in going out and helping others, and just trying to be a decent human being to ur fellow creatures.

Answer 10

Spend the hour figuring out the nature of rationality.