community churches

[danm]

when a community shrinks in numbers The church then doesn't have the numbers to keep going so then someone has to decide what they are going to do. In our area (10 mile radius) there are aleast 3 very active churhes two of them being united & one menonite,there where about 6-8 when I was growing up (now 36) With the shrink in numbers there have been some very bitter disputes like 'I will never go to THAT church' this is especially true with the United since they had the most churches. My question is WHY? Why the statement,why the resentment? Can not rural people see what is going on for change? Is the church seeing this resentment? Was looking at the title of this room & thought it was time for a church/communtity issue.

[cakadu]

A very interesting point, Dan. I wonder if it is more a question of personalities in the church rather than the church itself? At times, that can be a major barrier. I think one would need to ask the person making the statement to elaborate on why they didn't want to go. Personally, I think each one of us has a belief system that we live by and we then look for a place to worship that falls in with our own personal beliefs. I am not familiar with all the different religions out there, but to me fundamentally they all worship a being greater than themselves, which is God. How and where one worships is perhaps not as important as why; what are your thoughts?

[danm]

You have some very wise words.Everyone has there own reason & that is getting down to an individuals beliefs & experiences.I guess as long as you are doing your part in helping the church/community that should be enough.It is just a shame that some have to be selfish & ruin it for the rest. I think you have to be willing to open yourself up to know why you worship & only you know. Did you see the movie contact? There was a line in there were the priest was asking Jodi foster If she loved here deceased father.She said certainly,He then asked her to prove it. Sounds like the modern day Christian defending himself & his beliefs? Anyway watch the movie its really insightful.Thanks for putting up with my spelling.

[noelm]

Interesting thread. Years ago I was a session member in the united church in Wetaskiwin, AB. I found that people took extremely strong stands on whatever their beliefs were about whatever issue we were dealing with. I recall a time when we were talking about whether there should be infant baptism, or baptism when the person is old enough to know what is going on. Both sides dug in a would not budge. I pondered this penchant for people to have extremely strong views on the fine details of religion, and the only conclusion I was able to come to is that because our future (life after death) is unknown, and people fear what might happen (go to hell, for example), they are very frightened of 'doing the wrong thing'. My own spiritual (not religious) experiences tell me that the Creator (God, Allah, or whatever other name is used) is not mean and vindictive as is suggested in parts of the old testament, and that as long a person's intent in his/her heart is right, the action is right. The fine details of one denomination's services or rituals compared to another's are inconsequential, and not worth arguing about.