Mithmeoi

Ok so this is just some thoughts. Things I've been speculating on and just turning over in my mind for the last few years.

Since even before I left Colorado, which was three years ago, I'd noticed something started changing about me. And I'm not referring to the fact that I'm all “grown up” now. Just little things about myself. The main one being my beliefs.

I've always grown up with church, and I think I've always kind of taken it for granted that I have. I know the Christian terms for things and I have always just kinda taken it that there is a God and all that jazz. Since I've left my little zone in Colorado I've talked with a lot of people who haven't even really ever been exposed to church so all that is just foreign to them.

I'm always hearing how in order to be a “good” Christian you MUST attend church. Which the more I hear the less inclined I am to believe that. I have met many good Christians who do not. I think here in America especially we've lost touch of what the true church really is. The church is not just a building, it's not just a place to go and listen to the man who stands behind the pulpit and gives a long winded sermon about redundant topics. It's not about trying to convert as many people as possible. It's about showing God's love to those who haven't seen it, it's about caring when nobody else does, it's about reaching out to the ones that are hurting. I believe the church are the believers, not the building and I don't believe you have to go to an organized church to grow.

A lot of people are turning away from churches now a days whether it be they were burned by them, forced to go as a child, scared off by the condemning ones, or just that it no longer seems to provide what they are looking for. I hear the “go there so you can fellowship with like minded folk”. You can be anywhere to do that, even online, although I know many are gonna discount that.

I know it is good to discuss faith and get different viewpoints from fellow believers, but I don't believe you have to do that in a church. It seems most think you need the church building, you need an organized meeting etc. Mass meetings, they are very impersonal, and I think far from what the original church was like. I understand that there were a lot fewer believers back then but I don't think the church was meant to be as it is now. It is not reaching it's full potential and I believe it is stuck in a rut.

We get so caught up in the trivial as well, Catholic, Baptist, Protestant, Episcopalian, etc that we lose sight of what we really need to be focused on. Oh I know churches have their outreaches and whatnot, but as a whole nobody is bold about anything. They go on Sunday morning and then for the rest of the week it doesn't matter. I realize there are always exceptions but it seems that's how it is most of the time. I know many are so concerned about mingling with the “lost” that they avoid anything non Christian. That's another thing I do not agree with, just because it's non Christian doesn't make it evil.

I have heard the line of “Oh you listen/read to such and such you're making a doorway for the devil”. I know one should be discerning with what one fills their minds with, but there are some things, i.e. Harry Potter. So many Christians won't even touch the books or movies and when someone asks them why, the only answer they can give is that it's “evil”. Which is really a lame excuse, and I'm sure if they asked someone whey they didn't like the Bible and only got a similar answer from that person they'd want some valid reason, and ask have they even read it before they can judge.

I think we should know what we face and why we don't like something. If Christians are gonna say they don't like Harry Potter, they should come up with a pretty dang good reason. Actually read the books and be able to pinpoint what exactly it is. A lot of Christians always need a good reason from someone who's against them but when it comes to the Christian being against something worldly, often they cannot come up with anything that is a valid reason.

Just because we are to be in the world but not of it doesn't mean we should block out everything. We need to be aware of things, try to not slip up yes, but there is also a point where you should have a strong enough faith to not fall into it. Resist the temptation to, but have knowledge of just what is out there. We need to understand what others believe in order to reach them. Don't get to involved in what they are into but don't ignore it completely.

I got more to add but for now this is long enough of a book. XD I'll just add what I want later, it's kind of a different topic but still similar… hah that and it's 1AM and I need to sleep or something.