Can't they just be sprititual without going to a building and paying out money?????
2007-06-09 08:20:18 · 21 answers · asked by running2adream 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Becuase of a false belief that it's the building that constitutes the church.
People make up the church not edifices.
2007-06-09 08:23:09 · answer #1 · answered by Maurice H 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
A church is built to show our love and adoration for God. Some are lavish, some are very simple. It is a place of tradition, of commonality. Yes, people SHOULD be spiritual inside the building and out. But going to church to worship as a group is what we do. And we love it, for the most part. As to paying money, I don't think that giving a couple of bucks to a church is a problem. Buying crack may be a disaster but religion is a process of loving and caring - a few dollars for our fellow man is money well spent.
2007-06-09 15:27:21 · answer #2 · answered by Pete W 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The short answer is "what business is it of yours what people chose to do with their money?"
The longer answer is that people do need a place to come together. There is really a lack of community space in most towns to do things. Even non-religious activities. My wife organizes a lot of group activities for writers and there is one small room at the library and one or two coffee houses that have meeting rooms for use.
Our church has a sanctuary room were several hundred of us can gather for services. It is a very nice but modest space built over 100 years ago. That space is also used for musical and dramatic performances by our church members and by the greater community. A local organization of traditional/folk music holds concerts there. Weddings, funerals, memorials and other events are held there, too.
We have a room where we can have meals together and socialize and a kitchen for preparing food. Other meeting rooms where various presentations and discussion groups are held. Other rooms where religious education classes are held for our children and youth. These spaces are also rented out for modest fees to groups such as Alcohol Annonymous, parenting groups, social action and environmental groups. Our church is the meeting place for the region's Humanist Society. We have English tutoring classes for Somali and Sudanese refugees who have been relocated to our city.
In the past we have had a daycare center so that low-income families can earn a living while having a safe place for their children to be instead of staying at home on welfare (there is some planning to start this up again as some social services have been abandoned by the community). Lots of other activites that I can't even think of right now. We barely have room for all the activites that we sponsor and are trying to find ways to expand our space in an environmentally conscious way.
So, we have built a center that serves the needs of members of our congregation and is also a resource for the greater community around us, regardless of their particular faith or lack of faith.
If you can find something wrong with all that, I'd like to hear it.
BTW, I am an atheist, a religious humanist, a card-carrying ACLU Liberal and a Unitarian Universalist.
2007-06-09 15:42:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
1. A building is a central place to worship at.
2. Being 'spiritual' without a building leaves one with the limited ability of oneself.
A. Everyone for self is similar to anarchy, chaos.
B. There may be a time for one (leadership), (1 is better than 0), but it can also get lonely for that person for a while.
2007-06-09 15:59:22 · answer #4 · answered by jefferyspringer57@sbcglobal.net 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Buildings have things like bath rooms which are really handy when 1,000 people get together for 3 hours on a Sunday morning.
The people are the Christian Church, not the building.
So if 3 Christians are riding together somewhere in a Volkswagen, that Volkswagen has become a church.
Pastor Art
2007-06-09 15:26:20 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
A building is not necessary to worship the Lord. There have always been home "churches" from the Book of Acts, to the present day.
2007-06-09 16:17:30 · answer #6 · answered by Not perfect, just forgiven 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I am not religious but I understand that religious people like to have guidance and a community. Church not only gets them in touch with their spiritual beliefs but it gets them in touch with other like minded friends or acquaintances. They also like to have priests to guide them as they are not always sure what to believe. A church is also a peaceful place to them where they can shut the outside world out of their mind and focus on God.
2007-06-09 16:27:27 · answer #7 · answered by Barry 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They had gathered in all this money and couldn't think of anything useful to do with it.
Also a bit of an ego trip.
It gave the people in charge status and help widen the gulf between them and the punters.
Boosted the mystery of the cult too
2007-06-09 15:26:14 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Buildings are for fellowship and corporate worship to God....
Tithes and offerings are given as unto God...for his purposes not to become independantly wealthy. The church is a body of believers not a building of brick and mortor.
2007-06-09 15:27:29 · answer #9 · answered by bonsai bobby 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Do you like to worship in the rain snow and ice?It is a more convenient way to praise God although I get your drift.Willing sacrifices is what God calls for in every aspect of life and spirituality is a way of life isnt it..Oh and of course Hebrews 10 vs 24 and 25 encourages us to congregate together.
2007-06-09 15:24:45 · answer #10 · answered by Truth 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋