Obviously she follows sola scriptura. She told me that going to church can be ‘helpful,’ because of the fellowship and to hear teaching, but it’s not required. I seem to remember some things in the Bible that basically say to belong to a church (obviously, not in those exact words!
). Do you guys have any recommendations as to what I can say to her to help point out that attending church or belonging to a religion (I mean, not just “winging it” spiritually) are important, if not vital, to one’s faith?what I would say and how I would say it would depend in large part on my relationship with that person, but I would first ask, what are his views on marriage, because his statement makes as much sense as saying “I don’t believe in marriage because I think you just need a relationship with that person, without any obligations, commitments, or desire to render what is due that person, and no empty rituals.”
I would share with him that our Catholic faith is all about our personal relationship with Christ.
I agree with Budgie2. It’s one thing to believe Jesus’ teachings, but it’s another to follow them. We are called to follow Him, which includes ministering to the poor, loving others as ourselves, and worshiping together as the Body of Christ. The Body is not meant to be fragmented.
Actually I have been discussing just this with a couple of fundamentalists through email the last couple of months. They believe that all Christian denominations are apostate and evil. Every single one of them. Their justification for forsaking local fellowship is that they believe the Bible commands us to to have nothing to do with evil and unclean fellowship and we are commanded to “come out from her”. The “her” to them is apostate churches. They have found their own little house church and have, “nothing to do with apostate Christianity. Protestant or Catholic.”
I would say they have missed out on exactly what Scripture says. We are supposed to cast the apostates out, not abandon our churches to them (sadly, that is happening far to often). I’ve heard the arguements - “That church is full of hypocrites!” So rather than go in and be the light God has called you to be, you’d rather abandon the church and become a spiritual hermit? Even the first church in Jerusalem had phonies (like Annanias and Saphira). When God delivered me out of the Roman Catholic Church, I asked Him to show me where He wanted me. I had to visit about 7 different churches, but God brought me to the place He wanted me (and yes, there were some hypocrites there, too). If they are serious about sola scriptura, they will accept scriptural correction, repent and ask God to show them where He wants them, and check out different churches until God plants you where He wants you! The warning to “come out of her” is directed to anyone who is involved in anti-christian activities (this is a simplified explanation). I could misuse the same scriptures to encourage people to come out of the Democratic Party, Harry Potter movies, or even sporting events (why limit this to just a church?). The point is, we MUST be in the church God wants us in!
It sounds so easy but they will not accept it from any one other than… well themselves.
). I was told, in more than one way, that of course I would say that. I was deceived by “churchianity” and I worshiped the worship of God. :yukonjoe:
I was just about to ask this same thing, especially for specific Bible passages. What I’m hoping to point out to her is the fact that we should belong to a congregation, or in other words we can’t just worship on our own. Does anyone have suggestions for Bible verses I can point out to her? Thank you!
I will just generally point you to the NT which has mentions of the “breaking of bread” when Christians gathered together. This was not ordinary meal, but an early version of and fulfillment of Christ’s command to “do this in remembrance of me.” That, in turn, has deeper roots in the unleavened bread and wine of the todah sacrifices of the OT.
that is a very good point!