I love God and Jesus, but I will no longer attend church services.

[Sanmario]

I am also into the same route of no longer attending church services, because I find the sermons in my Evangelical church too long and too boring and taken up with nonsense topics, very often the preacher is talking so self-pleased about himself and his family.



Then there are also some people in church who are always after telling you that they are above you, even though you are not after competing with them on who is superior, you or me.



So I decided not to go to Sunday worship in chruch and to weekday fellowship meetings, etc.



But I tell God and Jesus that I love them, and that I can and do get to them all the time every second with my mind and heart, talking to them all the time and everywhere, and in everything I do.



Now, I have a problem, when I die what church is going to do the funeral ceremonies for me.



Have you thought about that problem?



Let us all join together into an I love You God and Jesus but I don't like church, period, group; and we will always be available to each other for all kinds of mutual encouraging words and advice and also exchanges about God and Jesus and how we can get nearer to Them, and tell Them that They should make Themselves palpable present to us, otherwise it is not fair: we keeping our mind and heart always present to Them, but They God and Jesus are always silent, that is really a big disappointment for me -- and I tell God and Jesus that, still I love You God and Jesus just the same.



So, let us all who are fed up with church, join together to be always be present to each one another, world-wide, and also of course in our each one's local society; yes, that should take care of our problem with who are going to manage our funeral and burial when we die, I mean the religious parts.



What do you say, contact me, mdejess(@)gmail.com.

 

[idea]

I am sorry to hear about your recent falling away from your congregation Sanmario. I agree that faith in God comes way before faith in a church, but one of the points of Christianity is to learn how to love imperfect people, to mourn with those who mourn, and to otherwise support and learn to live with one another... it's not exactly a religion for hermits! You might want to shop around and attend some other services (although people are people, and you will find human nature wherever you attend). I personally attend a volunteer congregation, we take turns giving talks so you don't hear from the same person week after week etc. In any event, I hope you are able to find a "flock" that you find spiritually nourishing!

 

[atpollard]

The difficulty in going nowhere will not be "who will conduct the funeral services", it will be how do you do all of the "one another" commands that Jesus gave us? (You know, things like "love one another" and "bear one another's burdens" and "pray for one another".) I don't know what your town is like, but my local phone book lists hundreds of churches. Visit others. Find a place where you can both "get something out of it" and "be of service to others".

As an aside, I find that prayer helps such situations work themselves out.
"Dear God, open doors that need opening and close doors that need closing and make it plain enough that even I can tell which is which." is a prayer that has helped me more than once.

 

[Servant_of_the_One1]

Loving God and loving Jesus son of Mary pbub is faith.
So whoever loves them is saved, and whoever hates them or disassociate himself from them is not saved.

 

[BSM1]

I am also into the same route of no longer attending church services, because I find the sermons in my Evangelical church too long and too boring and taken up with nonsense topics, very often the preacher is talking so self-pleased about himself and his family.



Then there are also some people in church who are always after telling you that they are above you, even though you are not after competing with them on who is superior, you or me.



So I decided not to go to Sunday worship in chruch and to weekday fellowship meetings, etc.



But I tell God and Jesus that I love them, and that I can and do get to them all the time every second with my mind and heart, talking to them all the time and everywhere, and in everything I do.



Now, I have a problem, when I die what church is going to do the funeral ceremonies for me.



Have you thought about that problem?



Let us all join together into an I love You God and Jesus but I don't like church, period, group; and we will always be available to each other for all kinds of mutual encouraging words and advice and also exchanges about God and Jesus and how we can get nearer to Them, and tell Them that They should make Themselves palpable present to us, otherwise it is not fair: we keeping our mind and heart always present to Them, but They God and Jesus are always silent, that is really a big disappointment for me -- and I tell God and Jesus that, still I love You God and Jesus just the same.



So, let us all who are fed up with church, join together to be always be present to each one another, world-wide, and also of course in our each one's local society; yes, that should take care of our problem with who are going to manage our funeral and burial when we die, I mean the religious parts.



What do you say, contact me, mdejess(@)gmail.com.

I believe that churches have good acoustics because most preachers love the sound of their own voices.

 

[JR Miller]

As the great Bill Burr once said, "Ah, it's all a bunch of bull****. God is everywhere but I gotta go down there (church) to see him? Really? And he's mad at me down there and I owe you money, go **** yourself."

I say that only to illustrate the majority view of how the churches are run these days. Too many people go down there and feel just as empty coming out as they did going in. It doesn't do anything for people anymore. It is nothing more than a chore. There has to be a fundamental reinvention of mass and the church organization as a whole if you don't want to keep losing people. The bottom line is that going to church doesn't make a lot of people feel good. Some counter and say that it isn't supposed to and that you're there to worship God and...you know what...I'm not buying it, because they're the same people that tell everyone that if they don't feel right it's because they aren't right with God. You know I feel good about my relationship with God every second that I'm not in that church, but the moment I step through that door...boom...it all ends. It feels like punishment to have to be there. And who is the guy who insists that he has to be my go-between with the Lord?

In principle, I am highly in favor of religious community, church organizations and mass, and all that, but it has to evolve. Until then, I'm with Sanmario.

 

[Forever_Catholic]

Sanmario, I used to be a disillusioned Protestant who did something like what you are doing. I didn't attempt to form or join an organization outside of a church, but I went for years on personal faith alone, having no association with any form of organized religion. It was not only foolish, but remains my greatest regret in life. Those were my son's formative years, and I failed to properly raise him in the Christian faith or set an example when I was responsible to do it.

Since converting to Catholicism five years ago, I have continually seen, felt, heard, and known the presence and love of our Lord like I had never thought could be a reality on earth. Not just at Mass, but all the time. It only becomes deeper and more profound as time passes, and I will never, ever leave His Church.

I don't want to break any forum rules, so I'm not saying you must convert to Catholicism, but I am entirely confident that if you ask Jesus to lead you to where he wants you to be, he will give you that understanding, and will be as evident and close to you as you will let him be.

Why not give it a try? Maybe forming a group as you describe should be something in addition to finding a satisfying church life rather than instead of it.

 

[rusra02]

There are hundreds of churches claiming to be " true Christians." I believe it is important to find the true Christians, not so we have someone to conduct our funeral, but to "worship the Father with spirit and truth." (John 4:24) Jesus said "I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples—if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:34,35)
This one statement, I believe, gives the lie to most religion's claim to be the true faith. Find Christ's true followers and you will find the one true religion, IMO.

 

[BilliardsBall]

I am also into the same route of no longer attending church services, because I find the sermons in my Evangelical church too long and too boring and taken up with nonsense topics, very often the preacher is talking so self-pleased about himself and his family.



Then there are also some people in church who are always after telling you that they are above you, even though you are not after competing with them on who is superior, you or me.



So I decided not to go to Sunday worship in chruch and to weekday fellowship meetings, etc.



But I tell God and Jesus that I love them, and that I can and do get to them all the time every second with my mind and heart, talking to them all the time and everywhere, and in everything I do.



Now, I have a problem, when I die what church is going to do the funeral ceremonies for me.



Have you thought about that problem?



Let us all join together into an I love You God and Jesus but I don't like church, period, group; and we will always be available to each other for all kinds of mutual encouraging words and advice and also exchanges about God and Jesus and how we can get nearer to Them, and tell Them that They should make Themselves palpable present to us, otherwise it is not fair: we keeping our mind and heart always present to Them, but They God and Jesus are always silent, that is really a big disappointment for me -- and I tell God and Jesus that, still I love You God and Jesus just the same.



So, let us all who are fed up with church, join together to be always be present to each one another, world-wide, and also of course in our each one's local society; yes, that should take care of our problem with who are going to manage our funeral and burial when we die, I mean the religious parts.



What do you say, contact me, mdejess(@)gmail.com.

Have you considered attending a different Bible-believing church? I like my church, but if my pastor and staff were killed in an airplane together and my church's doors closed, rather than loving God and Jesus only at home I'd find a new church.

 

[Sanmario]

I love God and Jesus, but no to church and religion; I am now a free independent personal private Christian.

That is what I tell God and Jesus; and also when church folks from the church come to visit me, I will tell them to proceed to the corner McDo, and I will proceed there to talk with them.

When I see them I will tell them that I will no longer go to church because it is very very very boring, and the pastor and preachers are so boring and always into nonsense in their long long long sermons.

I will invite them and myself to pray and sing and talk about our concerns if any, in regard to God and Jesus: how we can get closer to Them; and I will tell them: how if they agree with me, we as free independent personal private Christians are going to meet, when anyone at all feels that he has to see anyone among ourselves, in order to tell God and Jesus we love Them, and we are not into any sinning at all –- that is our act of worship and our mutual sharing of spiritual life.

What about the breaking of the bread? We can do that ourselves at McDo or in any mall where there is a fast food section; Protestants of the Evangelical school don't need anyone, and not in particular any ordained whatsoever pastor to do that: you and I can do that for ourselves -- that is an act of DIY Christianity, nothing of and no more from church and religion.

Church and religion, when you think about them, they are just ways and means for certain humans to lord over others in the name of God, or whatever powers these persons happen to think that they are connected with and are talking for -- these powers; and they these humans of church and religion ideas and by their self-accredited connection to God, they will always live off you, off our hard earned money.


Now, what about our funeral and burial? We can do that all for each other: when one of us dies, the ones alive will take care of arranging the funeral and burial, and do all the religious acts: like prayers, words of encouragement based on God and Jesus for the surviving family, in the funeral parlor, and at the cemetery or crematorium; I ask you, can you not do that at all, do you really need a fellow human who is called or addressed as a pastor or preacher or priest?

 

[atpollard]

I love God and Jesus, but no to church and religion; I am now a free independent personal private Christian.

That is what I tell God and Jesus; and also when church folks from the church come to visit me, I will tell them to proceed to the corner McDo, and I will proceed there to talk with them.

When I see them I will tell them that I will no longer go to church because it is very very very boring, and the pastor and preachers are so boring and always into nonsense in their long long long sermons.

I will invite them and myself to pray and sing and talk about our concerns if any, in regard to God and Jesus: how we can get closer to Them; and I will tell them: how if they agree with me, we as free independent personal private Christians are going to meet, when anyone at all feels that he has to see anyone among ourselves, in order to tell God and Jesus we love Them, and we are not into any sinning at all –- that is our act of worship and our mutual sharing of spiritual life.

What about the breaking of the bread? We can do that ourselves at McDo or in any mall where there is a fast food section; Protestants of the Evangelical school don't need anyone, and not in particular any ordained whatsoever pastor to do that: you and I can do that for ourselves -- that is an act of DIY Christianity, nothing of and no more from church and religion.

Church and religion, when you think about them, they are just ways and means for certain humans to lord over others in the name of God, or whatever powers these persons happen to think that they are connected with and are talking for -- these powers; and they these humans of church and religion ideas and by their self-accredited connection to God, they will always live off you, off our hard earned money.


Now, what about our funeral and burial? We can do that all for each other: when one of us dies, the ones alive will take care of arranging the funeral and burial, and do all the religious acts: like prayers, words of encouragement based on God and Jesus for the surviving family, in the funeral parlor, and at the cemetery or crematorium; I ask you, can you not do that at all, do you really need a fellow human who is called or addressed as a pastor or preacher or priest?

My mentor taught me that every Christian should have a Paul, a Timothy and a Barnabas in their life ... You need someone further along to guide you past the pitfalls that they have already crossed ... You need someone younger in the faith that you can guide along ... You need someone who can come along side you to share the burdens when the road gets hard.

That means that you really need a church (but probably not the one that you are "not attending").
Christians gather together for the same reason animals run in packs, Jet Fighters have wing-men, and soldiers are not organized into squads of one ... if you go it alone, you WILL crash and burn (in life, not in hell) ... been there, done that, got the scar to prove it.

 

[Sanmario]

I said church and religion, I did not say that I can get along in life all alone without the presence of fellow humans; church and religion are not equivalent to fellow human presence.

"Church and religion, when you think about them, they are just ways and means for certain humans to lord over others in the name of God, or whatever powers these persons happen to think that they are connected with and are talking for -- these powers; and they these humans of church and religion ideas and by their self-accredited connection to God, they will always live off you, off our hard earned money."

And humans are not like packs of animals, unless some choose to not think and act for themselves and by themselves, as individuals, each distinctively in his own mind, will, and heart.

 

[BilliardsBall]

I love God and Jesus, but no to church and religion; I am now a free independent personal private Christian.

That is what I tell God and Jesus; and also when church folks from the church come to visit me, I will tell them to proceed to the corner McDo, and I will proceed there to talk with them.

When I see them I will tell them that I will no longer go to church because it is very very very boring, and the pastor and preachers are so boring and always into nonsense in their long long long sermons.

I will invite them and myself to pray and sing and talk about our concerns if any, in regard to God and Jesus: how we can get closer to Them; and I will tell them: how if they agree with me, we as free independent personal private Christians are going to meet, when anyone at all feels that he has to see anyone among ourselves, in order to tell God and Jesus we love Them, and we are not into any sinning at all –- that is our act of worship and our mutual sharing of spiritual life.

What about the breaking of the bread? We can do that ourselves at McDo or in any mall where there is a fast food section; Protestants of the Evangelical school don't need anyone, and not in particular any ordained whatsoever pastor to do that: you and I can do that for ourselves -- that is an act of DIY Christianity, nothing of and no more from church and religion.

Church and religion, when you think about them, they are just ways and means for certain humans to lord over others in the name of God, or whatever powers these persons happen to think that they are connected with and are talking for -- these powers; and they these humans of church and religion ideas and by their self-accredited connection to God, they will always live off you, off our hard earned money.


Now, what about our funeral and burial? We can do that all for each other: when one of us dies, the ones alive will take care of arranging the funeral and burial, and do all the religious acts: like prayers, words of encouragement based on God and Jesus for the surviving family, in the funeral parlor, and at the cemetery or crematorium; I ask you, can you not do that at all, do you really need a fellow human who is called or addressed as a pastor or preacher or priest?

Sounds like you should make a will including elements you want in your funeral ceremony--I have done so for me.

How do you feel about Hebrews 10:24-25?

Thanks.

 

[Sanmario]

24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25 English Standard Version (ESV)

You see, the difficulty with quoting the Bible to support anything at all is that you can also quote the Bible to support the exact opposite.

You don't agree with me? Then take up the big strife between the Catholic Church and the Protestant churches, on the role of good works and faith to obtain salvation.

What I want everyone to understand in concurrence is the concept respectively of church and religion, when I say that "I am a free independent personal private Christian, but no to church and religion," I mean the following I already stated earlier:

"Church and religion, when you think about them, they are just ways and means for certain humans to lord over others in the name of God, or whatever powers these persons happen to think that they are connected with and are talking for -- these powers; and they these humans of church and religion ideas and by their self-accredited connection to God, they will always live off you, off our hard earned money."

And humans are not like packs of animals, unless some choose to not think and act for themselves and by themselves, as individuals, each distinctively in his own mind, will, and heart.

[Posts 10, 12 above]

Whenever and wherever you come across a group of humans being lorded over by a or some fellow humans who "lord over others in the name of God, or whatever powers these persons happen to think that they are connected with and are talking for -- these powers; and they these humans of church and religion ideas and by their self-accredited connection to God, they will always live off you, off our hard earned money."


In regard to my funeral and burial , I already said above in Post 10:

Now, what about our funeral and burial? We can do that all for each other: when one of us dies, the ones alive will take care of arranging the funeral and burial, and do all the religious acts: like prayers, words of encouragement based on God and Jesus for the surviving family, in the funeral parlor, and at the cemetery or crematorium; I ask you, can you not do that at all, do you really need a fellow human who is called or addressed as a pastor or preacher or priest?

Some folks will come forward to tell me that I must be on guard against spiritual arrogance; see? that is an example of lording over others -- still thanks for the warning, appreciate it.

 

[Johnlove]

You see, the difficulty with quoting the Bible to support anything at all is that you can also quote the Bible to support the exact opposite.

You don't agree with me? Then take up the big strife between the Catholic Church and the Protestant churches, on the role of good works and faith to obtain salvation.

What I want everyone to understand in concurrence is the concept respectively of church and religion, when I say that "I am a free independent personal private Christian, but no to church and religion," I mean the following I already stated earlier:


Whenever and wherever you come across a group of humans being lorded over by a or some fellow humans who "lord over others in the name of God, or whatever powers these persons happen to think that they are connected with and are talking for -- these powers; and they these humans of church and religion ideas and by their self-accredited connection to God, they will always live off you, off our hard earned money."


In regard to my funeral and burial , I already said above in Post 10:


Some folks will come forward to tell me that I must be on guard against spiritual arrogance; see? that is an example of lording over others -- still thanks for the warning, appreciate it.

You said in your OP that you love God. I have a question for you. What makes you believe that you love God?


Jesus told us who it is that love him, does what Jesus said describe you?



(John 14:21) “Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them will be one who loves me; and anybody who loves me will be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and show myself to him.”


(John 14: 23) “Anyone who loves me will keep my word and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make a home in him.”


(Matthew 7:21-23) “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of Heaven but the person who does the will of My Father in Heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?’ Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!”