you have to go to church to be a Christian. what do you think?

Question

Wow, loads of answers...i'll leave it to the community to decide. Thanks a bunch guys. Hope you all have a nice day! :)

Answer 1

Strongly Disagree. Many people cannot go to church for physical reasons or perhaps they have no way to get there, But they Love the Lord Jesus Christ very much. Actually some people who attend church can be very Cruel and self centered, However in saying this, the Bible does tell us that we are NOT to FORSAKE the Assembling. So in that sense I would rather go to a persons home and have Christian Fellowship and Worship than to a Church where, people stare at what your wearing, and fall off to lala land when listening to the Sermon...NO you do NOT have to go to Church to be a Christian...Hugs

Answer 2

No...i don't think you do. After all, a Church is just a building and a religion is about your beliefs, and a personal relationship with God. Plusy, there are some pretty corrupt churches, i admit that. But they're not all bad and i think that's important to remember - a church can be a good support network for people who are Christians, if they want to use it.
But i don't remember reading any part of the Bible that says explicitly you have to go, or else you are not a "proper" Christian.

Answer 3

Church can be anywhere were 2 or 3 gather in which they all have common beliefs. It is not necessarily the traditional building with a preacher up front.

You definitely don't NEED to go to church, but fellowship with other believers is very important. It's good to have that encouragement, guidance...basically just people you can really relate to. Community has so many benefits and helps us to grow in our faith.

It is also good to go to some sort of gathering to be fed. Yes we can (and should) read and study on our own, but there are many benefits of hearing it from others. It helps us to see things from different perspectives, to understand things we aren't clear on and introduce things we may have not read/thought about otherwise.

Answer 4

As stated in Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." But no, you don't HAVE to go to church to be a Christian, but if you want to grow and be fed spiritually, you have to fellowship with other believers, and the church is the one place where you can do that.

Answer 5

Ultimately, Christianity is not about religion, but relationship. I believe that the essence of Christ's ministry was the redemption or reestablishment of a relationship with God and others. A Christian has a personal relationship with God as established through the death and resurrection of Christ. And as a result, I believe that Christians are given a special call to be active in reestablishing relationships with other people. Part of this active struggle to redeem our relationships - with others and with God - occurs in a community of believers ("church") as well as in every other facet of our lives. Ultimately, I believe that someone who has become a Christian will and needs to find some kind of community of believers from whom to receive support.

There is no clear cut answer as I believe there are Christians who do not go to "church" in the traditional sense and people who go to church regularly, call themselves Christians and yet would not actually be Christian. Ultimately, I believe that a Christian will actively engage in redeeming their relationship with God and with others. Having the support of a Christian community, or "church", is essential to the pursuit and development of a healthy relationship with Christ. I believe, however, a more appropriate question to ask would be: are we being a Christian when we are not in church?

Answer 6

Church attendance does not make nor exclude a person of Christianity. However, able Christians should go to church regularly. See Hebrews 10:25.

Answer 7

Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. But after you become a Christian you should go to church to learn about God and to interact with other Christians.

Answer 8

No- this is something a christian should WANT to do, and God wants us to fellowship and learn His word with other believers, He annoints pastors to teach! So it is good to get spiritual food at a good church.
BUT as Keith Green once said "Going to church does not make you a christian just like going to Mc Donalds does not make you a hamburger"

-We are saved by God's grace when we believe and repent of sin.
He gives us a desire to follow Him, study His word- go to a good church or bible study- we WANT to do this because we love Him- we want to know Him more and stay on His narrow path with Him.
It is easy to stray, but with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, when one is saved- it always draws us back in instantly! That is why God has given those who are saved His Holy Spirit, to keep us from falling away!

Answer 9

No, you do not have to go the a physical church, to be a follower of Christ. Actually, the christian church has been diluted into a social club. The true gospel is not being taught, because the true gospel is contrary to the world's view of "religion."

Answer 10

I agree, and not only because my religion (Roman Catholicism) requires Mass attendance on all Sundays and holy days.

It's also because we are creatures with souls and with intellect -- and the very first duty of such creatures is to worship our Creator.

For Catholics, God in the person of the Son is physically present at the Mass -- physically present in the Eucharist.

Regular Mass attendance, then, guarantees us a very real (and very physical) encounter and union with God. Thus, the Church's attendance requirements do us a great spiritual favor.

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