i am a Christian, with a little problem with Church buildings?

Question

i have an issue with Church buildings....i just started thinking about this a few days ago. it is hard for me to understand why we, as Christians, believe that God created everything on this earth. yet we choose to destroy part of His creation in order to put up a building to worship Him. and, why do we worship in a man made building? how is this building supposed to bring us closer to God when His very own creations in nature are right outside the door? isn't being outside in His beautiful creation the closest we can get to Him? i am a Christian and plan on continuing to be one, but doesn't my thinking have some logic?

Answer 1

Sure, until some sunday morning you get struck by lighting during the 3rd chorus of amazing grace. Buildings serve a purpose. Perhaps your feeling, as I do, many churches put too much emphasis on the building. We can't get rid of them, but we can be sure we don't worship the building.

Answer 2

Firstly, we have dominion over this earth. He didn't say to "protect the earth and the creatures in it at the expense of your own lives and comfort". He said to have dominion over it and subdue it. There is nothing wrong with cutting down trees to build a church building.

Secondly, a church is just a building. We build them as a place for us to meet and worship. The building is nothing without the believers that worship in it. We could just as easily hold church outside, except that one never knows what the weather will be like.

The Bible tells us that WE are the temple of the Holy Spirit, not some building that we construct. Wherever WE go His spirit goes with us. He doesn't dwell in temples made of hands.

Interesting tidbit: ancient writings from various civilizations at the time of the first temple in Jerusalem contain many awe-struck descriptions of the temple's beauty, but the most incredible part, to these pagan observers, is that the temple contained no idols.

Answer 3

There is no real destruction of what God created. After all, do you live in a tent? The world is temporary, and God is going to destroy it and replace it with a new earth.

But people do tend to put too much emphasis on a church building. It is just a place where people can come together for communal worship, etc.


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Answer 4

I don't think it's any worse than erecting a building to live in, or a hospital, or a school. God doesn't live in the church building, He lives in us. There's nothing wrong with your appreciation for nature, and it is true that you can see God through His creations. But, I don't have a problem with church buildings as a place to gather together and worship and study the Bible.

Answer 5

It's not the building you go into to worship thats as important than it is to just worship God,, If you think about it you ,, we the people are the church,, not the building..A church building is use so that everyone who wants to gather in one place to worship can,, And if you look at it this way God created the earth for our use,,

Answer 6

God made us to be stewards of the Earth. The erecting of buildings does not necessarily destroy His creation. If that were true, we would have to say eating, even vegetables, is destroying a part of His creation.

We build buildings to stay warm and out of the rain. Yes, often times man goes to excess and appears to build a monument to themselves and pollute and destroy parts of His creation.

But that's the exception, rather than the rule.

Even Jesus' favorite hang-out was the Temple in Jerusalem. Talk about appropriation of natural resources?! That place was HUGE and He regarded it very highly and as a Sacred place.

Answer 7

The church is not confined to 4 walls. We are the church not the building. I don't just go to church to worship. I don't think worship should be limited to just Sundays.I try to worship all week long. I go to church for edification and after a week of being beat down it helps being with other believers.Do you live in a house? God gave us trees for wood so we can build shelter. What if it's storming outside? Should we stand in lightning to worship?

Answer 8

Well, it all depends on how you look at it--at your preferences and what inspires you. Many people find being in a beautiful man-made church (look at St.Peter's Basilca) inspires them spritually. There is a certain "holiness" to it. Its imagery and design is for the purpose of inspiring prayer and worship. It is like a sanctuary, with usually, the lighting and low level of volume condusive to prayer. Also, the above-mentioned practicalities are important to many. However, on the other hand, yes, nothing is more grand than the grand sights of nature, assuming that your place of worship has a great view/location. There are advantages to both. In the end, who cares? It's whatever works for YOU and that YOU prefer.

Answer 9

We are the temple of the Lord. No matter where we are, in a busy, noisy city, or out in the peace and quiet of the countryside, we can draw nigh unto God, because he is "not far from every one of us."

John 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Answer 10

I can see your logic yes, but . . . . . . (come on, you knew it was coming)

God granted us Stewardship of the earth, yes this means we are supposed to take care of it, but we are also permitted to use it.

A great deal of Church design is influenced by theology. To begin with, when churches were being built, people did not have such a rosy view of nature. Outdoors was where you worked until you died. Outdoors was the home of fierce creatures. Outdoors was freezing to death or heatstroke. Indoors represented safety, community, warmth, home, and all that good stuff.
So when Churches were being built, they were built in a grand style to give people an idea of humanity. High ceilings that seemed to fade into the sky, steeples reaching towards God (or in orthodox churches, onion bulbs to represent God coming down), beautiful stained glass windows, and all sorts of representational decorations. It was built in mind to make people feel like they were communing with God.

Things have changed since then. I do agree that out in Creation is the closest you can get to God. I feel the same way, but the Church is about the Body of Christ, not just you. Church in a building, is about forming a relationship with the people around you, your brothers and sisters.

So I would suggest spending your one on one time with God someplace you feel his presence (I like the desert) but continue going to church (even if it was built with nature) and develop your relationship with the Body there.