THE SHADOWS, beautiful Beaches, Sleepwalk

CHURCH IN PRAGUE

A very interesting topic as it goes. Usually to ask me such a question would be like asking me if I ever thought about going to a Republican meeting or something and perhaps in Georgia(where I live) the two are a lot a like in many cases. Here churches are like pubs. So me not going to church would be like me living in England and not going to a pub. Not going to church here makes me sometimes feel left out of things. Sure there are people here that don`t go to church and there are all sorts of different churches including one that appears to be aimed at more "alternative" types of people(those with tattoos etc). Church is from what I recall very different in England but then like I said there are so many different types of church here that I have not experienced.

Sometimes I feel like I should go to Church if for no other reason than to be part of the community. However I would not feel like I belonged there, It might help my job if I were networking at church. My wife had a friend that went to MLK`s church and she wanted to go because she wanted to experience the dancing and singing aspect. When my step daughter was younger we put her in Cheerleading as an activity that was through a church. It is weird when you see a preacher driving a mustang and telling you about Jesus you know? Does not seem right to me. They do basketball and soccer (football) too and it just seems that so much of what goes on in Georgia is tied in to Church, which is in turn tied in to making money. you I would like to find a "church" where I belonged but sadly I am more eastern minded than western but also more atheist than agnostic so perhaps a Georgia church is not for me.

BONE CHURCH., CZECH REPUBLIC

questions i would like to know, in the bible does Jesus talk about building churches and going to them on Sunday in your best clothes?

Does Jesus explain that the church must be set out in a certain style of architecture and have certain rooms etc?

I don't know myself and this is a genuine set of questions.

If the church brings a community together that's all good and fine but are people ostracised if they don't take part or do not obey the church hierarchy?

False dichotomy of the day: churches or Nature.

Top tip: It helps if you post pics of Nature that look like they come from CDs featuring "relaxing sounds for anxiety and depression" while posting pics of churches that look like Castle Vania/Gol Guldur.

humanspirit wrote:
As far as I understand nor Jesus nor any other master has talked about making his teachings an "organized religion".
But ALL their disciples from before Buddism onwards have created organized religions, temples, churches and so on. It can't be helped, it is a human all time condition.
IF people get comfort of being in a church so let it be it, the feeling of being in a sacred place.
The master is the one who counts while alive, NOT what regular men formed a movement of later.
But it will continue to be done just the same, till the end of times.

mikey mikey wrote:
Did not mean to hurt anyone's feelings Mikey. Just posted what I felt at the moment. The bone church I found acccidently, and was quite surprised ,I suppose it is the bones of those they consider saints of theirs.
Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and opinions.
I do not mean to disrespect those who think differently Mikey.
Sorry if it happened.
My mother, was Catholic, time ago when she was on this earth, travelled to Prague ,brought some beautiful pictures of
the church I posted ,the arquitecture is beautiful, it reminded me of her suddenly, and find it very nice,
although it has nothing to do with beliefs.
but as we have said before, each one to his own. No problem with that.
I hope the time will come, when men will be so happy, they will not need religion at all.
But the way it goes, looks like it won't happen yet.
It probably will happen if religions stop being political. And I just don't see that now.

EDIT: This reminds me of HIghlander when having to talk with an immotal enemy, their law was to meet
on a Holy Ground, where they could not fight or kill.


There can Only Be One

A relevant question would be were there any churches,synagogues,mosques or temples in the garden of Eden.

humanspirit wrote:
I can't see much need and opportunity for human architecture but, if you could expand on the nature of your question, I would be happy to discuss the topic.

mikey mikey wrote:
Did god provide a building for humans to worship him/her in or did man come up with the idea.

By the way isn't synagogue a Greek word for gathering? and not a specific type of building?

The Greek influence on the middle eastern areas and cultures is very interesting don't you think.

mikey.. i have a question for you and i dont mean to pry, i just know youre a pretty devout kinda guy. unintentional rhyme there.

do you take descriptions of the afterlife literally - is hell a place of fire and demons? is heaven baby angels with harps?
i was reading a book the other day, and it said modern clergy understood it to be metaphors.
but this book was from the 70s, and the feeling i get from christians is that they believe such places exist, and when i went to church as a kid, thats what we were told. yet when i asked a priest what heaven was like he said its whatever you enjoy most, he said he loved waterskiing, and his heaven would be that... so, why am i so confused over these two styles of dantes inferno vs personal heaven.
i dont know what religion i am to be honest. i believe theres a higher power blahblah.. but i watched stigmata when it came out and it really changed my views on a lot of stuff. id fallen away from church for several years at that point.
i think its all the same in the end, whichever gods you believe in is just different flavors.. but then you have your god say that no other idols thing.. and i think thats churches doing to lock in people and prevent them exploring things. and thats my problem with a church.. politics and money is always lurking. how do you reconcile the two things of personal beliefs and a church that has to protect its interests of $, power, faith and followers. they have to do things which are not in the best interests of people, and be dishonest in certain respects, as it is a business essentially.
i realize this turned into a ramble fest.. but i dont really get much chance to ask someone when i have the thought in my head, and i respect you, so thats why i ask. if i dont ask now, i may never know.

humanspirit wrote:
I don't know for sure if it's that big of a deal anymore to be a member of a church in small town America, and fitting in or be ostracized from a community because of your going to a local church or not, but I do know most church parking lot's are empty during the week, and many of the helping type of services a church could or would do for people in need has really slacked off , or stopped completely.

Elvis Presley Church might be more fun.

My daughter is getting married in a Tennessee wedding chapel in Feb 2013.
https://rhinestoneweddingchapel.com/
Her guy is a guitarist and she's music mental so they were going to Tn on holiday anyway and they decided to go the full tacky 9 yards.

She's not decided yet whether to have the complimentary (Fucking awful), Elvis impersonator in attendance or not.



True story.

batou wrote:
And I thought you only did one liners!

As part of the 'suck fest' thought I'd add that mikey does indeed have a certain 'quality'. As an anarchist organised religion is the antithesis yet somehow mikey has me holding back with my 'knee-jerk' kinda wrath. I suppose it's about being genuine or 'true' to oneself...it's apparent mikey has found his truth and is comfortable with questioning it, by us or himself. Whenever I'm back up Holy Island way I'll be sure to share a mead with him.

im like a dishwasher.
on acid. i have two speeds, fast and later. dont underestimate me man, im full of surprises. like you'd think i was full of dishes but im not, im full of candy.
hows that for a kitchen aid?

batou wrote:
Normal service has been resumed.

humanspirit wrote:
Well God told David to provide a tabernacle (a tent) for the ark of the covenant . Once David had a palace he wanted to build a big Temple but God said that he could not because he had "spilled blood". It was made by his sons and the ark of the covenant was moved into it.
Jesus describes the Temple as my Father's House, as a child and later when he throws out the money changers, but we learn that the human body is also the Temple of God.And the early Christians were reminded of this by Paul.But we are also reminded to gather
humanspirit wrote: Indeed.humanspirit wrote: Very much. Christ is a Greek word.