Church of...?

Question

I just have a question. Church by most religious scholars is defined as the place or building where a group of believers worship God/Jesus/Lord, etc. and fellowship with one another. So isn't is a little misleading to call yourself a church when God isn't even on the agenda? An example would be Church of Scientology or Church of Satan, neither of which have anything to do with God.

etc means the different names of God. And the church of Satan seems like their exalting humans, certainly not God. From what I've read it seems that Satans believe that we {human} are the captains of our fates or masters of our souls (excuse if I used captain/master backwards, cannot remember quote exactly) And Church of Scientology well most definitely doesn't believe or worship in God. Now I'm not judging those two religions (if they can be classified as such) but isn't church usually equated with Christianity and secondly did those other religions before the advent of Christianity call the places they worshipped in churches? No.

Answer 1

Your right!

For me the word "church" means the people, the people are the body of the church, you can have "church any where, you do not have to have a building! During the time of Christ, he would preach to them OUTSIDE!!

I have a hard time with the Church of Scientology, what do they stand for? What are their beliefs? Heck L.Ron Hubert was in jail when he wrote his book!

I would be interested in seeing what others have to say!

Answer 2

No you are wrong. You are defining religion by Christian’s standards. For example Buddhist don’t have a God a really they don’t worship anything. A Buddha is a person that has attained spiritual perfection by physical means. The purpose of religion is no to worship, it is to increase peace of mind and spirituality; also they perform other social roles. Honestly worshiping is really not even a good way to increase someone’s spirituality. A prayer is no necessary worshiping Buddhist have hundreds of prayers. A prayer is a form of meditation with words or a ritual. If you were born in orient you would have a totally different view of religion.

Answer 3

Your definition of "church" only covers worshipping christian symbols. There are plenty of other churches that worship many other gods.

A church doesn't have to promote the worship of ANY god. It only has to provide spiritual guidance. The specific form is completely open. Adherents to scientology would probably argue that their religion provides spiritual guidance.

The church of satan is all about god. It's all about how god, as portrayed by christians, is a liar, monster, cheat, faker, and a cosmic fraud who takes credit for things he has no right to claim as his own works.

We can make as many churches as we like and we can make them about anything we choose. We don't have to follow your rules, or those of any of your so-called "scholars". Your rules are for the enslavement of you and people like you. Enjoy your rules. The rest of us don't need your rules.

EDIT: It doesn't matter what the pre-christian religions called their religious buildings and organizations. Today, many of them use the word "church". Language changes with time, and today the word "church" is used by many groups for many reasons. They will continue to do so, despite your objections. You may feel free to be a voice in the wind, if it amuses you.

Your synopsis of the church of satan is pretty accurate. They believe that the individual is supreme. You may disagree with their philosophy, but your disagreement provides no grounds for denying them the use of the word "church". I believe they are rather attached to the word "church". I suspect they will be unimpressed with your implied position that they should stop using it.

Answer 4

I understand where you are coming from, and I certainly am not condoning the church of satan or scientology, but church can have a much broader meaning of the word. As far as I've always thought of it, "church" meant a group of people who have smiliar spiritual/religous meet to discuss their beliefs/worship/"fellowship" etc.

Answer 5

Etymology: Middle English chirche, from Old English cirice, ultimately from Late Greek kyriakon, from Greek, neuter of kyriakos of the lord, from kyrios lord, master; akin to Sanskrit sura hero, warrior
1 : a building for public and especially Christian worship
2 : the clergy or officialdom of a religious body
3 often capitalized : a body or organization of religious believers: as a : the whole body of Christians b : DENOMINATION c : CONGREGATION
4 : a public divine worship

Try giving the ENTIRE definition next time. No it isn't, outdoors is my church, the wind ant the rain my bible, and nature my "religion."

Answer 6

The word church has more to do with religion and less with God, since there are religions that have a somewhat ambivalent attitude towards God (buddhism, for example).

I happen to know Scientology for many years now and I can tell you frankly that it is the best thing that has happened to my life.

Scientology began with L Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics in 1949. It is the only book to have become a New York Times best-seller in 2 different decades-1950s and 1980s, in addition to being a perennial best-seller. This book is basically about Auditing, the fundamental Scientology technique for handling incidents of emotional and physical pain in a person’s past (technically called engrams). As L. Ron Hubbard audited more and more people, he noticed that as these incidents of physical and emotional pain in a person’s past are effectively handled and erased through auditing process, the person:
1. Becomes more intelligent
2. Becomes saner
3. Becomes better able to handle his environment.
4. The amnesia on time-track becomes to diminish, i.e., the person is able to recall earlier incidents in his life. The earliest incident you are able to recall in your life is, may be, 1.5-2 years. Few people are able to recall earlier. Yet, you were alive earlier!

As people were thus audited, they were able to recall their pre-natal life. This led LRH to hypothise that memory is a property of the cells, since in intra-uterine life brain is not fully formed.

As the process went ahead, people were eventually able to recall their past lives. That was the birth of Scientology, because it indicated that there must be something that survives death and carries on to next life. This something is called soul in traditional religion and theta body in Scientology.

Scientology brings to humanities the exactitude of science (as LRH put it). By actual demographic studies, it has become the fastest growing religion in the history of mankind. It has come a long way sine its early beginning. Today you can actually go to an advanced Scientology organization and walk on the “bridge” to freedom. The decision is yours. The choice is yours.


“I do not sing what I believe, I only give them fact.
If they believe quite otherwise, it still will have impact.
For truth is truth and if they then decide to live with lies,
It’s their choice not mine, my friend, they are free to fantasize.”
--- L. Ron Hubbard

“Get on the road to freedom,
Help us fee all mankind,
The pain and all the sorrow,
Are only in your mind.”
---L. Ron Hubbard

Good luck and best wishes!

Answer 7

A chruch is a place of worship as you just stated. These are religions following the beliefs of and worshiping their perspective gods. Keep in mind that there is more than one god after all.

Answer 8

Well, the problem is that the definition of a church is not exclusive to religious scholars. Try looking up the word in a dictionary, and you will find that both of your examples are in fact churches by definition (actual, not limited).

Answer 9

I think you'll get allot of answers that they fall under the ETC. and fellowship under that premise.
It's not church as most of us know it but I guess they had to call it something. Maybe they felt left out. (oops, shouldn't say that too loud. tip toeing out softly)

Answer 10

Actually, "a building" is only one definition. "The church" is often used as a euphemism for "organized religion".

Update:
Okay, that's it. All these dick-headed fundies run around out there demanding respect. I give a perfectly decent and respectful answer, and I get a "thumbs down".
F*** all you goddamned hypocrites!
There is ZERO reason to suffer fundies!

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