"You don't need to go to Church to be religious"

[notself]

This is from Exodus 20

8 Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

9 For six days you shall labour and do all your work.

10 But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.

This is from Deuteronomy 5

12 Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.

13 For six days you shall labour and do all your work.

14 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you.

15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.

I don’t see where church or temple is mentioned. The two sections talk about rest.

 

[fellowChristian]

Luke 2
46Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.

47And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.

48When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.”

49And He said to them, **“Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” **

I have family who used to say that but after I said this…

" Even Jesus went to Temple."

It pretty much stopped.

It is so true.

**“Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” **

 

[notself]

It wasn’t the sabbath and Jesus was with teachers, not attending a sabbath ritual.

Churches and temples may be the Father’s house, but everything is the Father’s house.

 

[pyropam]

My way of thinking was very similar to some of these other posters until my conversion in 2007 to the Catholic faith.

After attending RCIA classes and really doing a lot of soul searching, my way of thinking has changed.

" Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy."

When someone tells you that they don’t have to be in church, you can bet that they are definately not keeping the Sabbath holy. Are they devoting this entire day to God? Probably not.

I remember being a protestant and missing church for several years. A common problem is that when they attended church services, they weren’t really worshipping God, they just meet to impress others. They frequently listen to “hell, fire, and brimstone” type sermons which eventually push many of them away from their churches. They are not spending this time together to worship.

Now, I mostly feel sorry for these people with protestant beliefs. We need to pray for them. When you are encouraged to make your own interpertation of scripture, you can come up with all kinds of things.

As Catholics, we have some important realizations that they as protestants do not have:

1. We attend mass because of the “body and blood” of Jesus Christ. It is right there for us. (They, if they really understood, would never miss the opportunity to see him, sit with him, and have him physically enter their body).
2. “The gates of hell will not prevail against my Church”. We know that the “original” church is the Catholic Church. We don’t have to figure out what the bible is saying, we can turn to the church and know that they are not wrong. (The others really struggle with this and end up with so many different types of churches over scripture interpretation).

My simple suggestion for you is to “pray” continuously for these people. Invite them to join RCIA classes, and make sure you go to each and every class with them.

God Bless
Pam

 

[notself]

The one group that I can think of (there may be others) who actually keep the sabbath holy are orthodox Jews. The do absolutely no work from sundown to sundown the following evening. The do not cook or drive or do any work at all.

I know a lot of Christians who go to church on Sunday morning and mow the lawn on Sunday afternoon, or work on some project or other.

Keeping the sabbath holy seems to vary with religious beliefs.

Since the OP was can someone be religious and not attend church, I think it depends upon the person and their beliefs more than a specific practice.

 

[c659smith]

The one group that I can think of (there may be others) who actually keep the sabbath holy are orthodox Jews. The do absolutely no work from sundown to sundown the following evening. The do not cook or drive or do any work at all.

I know a lot of Christians who go to church on Sunday morning and mow the lawn on Sunday afternoon, or work on some project or other.

Keeping the sabbath holy seems to vary with religious beliefs.

Since the OP was can someone be religious and not attend church, I think it depends upon the person and their beliefs more than a specific practice.

Let me ask you a question.

If I mow the lawn and have my walkman on listening to scripture am I keeping the sabbath Holy?

What did Jesus say to the Pharisee and Scribes when he healed people on the Sabbath?

This is where Sacred teachings and Traditions come in.

Should a surgeon, doctor, fireman, policeman not work on the sabbath?

What a mess we would have.

Sunday blu-laws are a protestant thing that makes no sense.

Tell me how many watch the Super Bowl on Sunday?

Go to an amusement park such as Disney on a Sunday?

Go to Church yes we must for it reminds us to keep Holy his day and everyday, The problem comes in where hypocrites keep the sabbath holy and then do evils throughout the week.

 

[c659smith]

The one group that I can think of (there may be others) who actually keep the sabbath holy are orthodox Jews. The do absolutely no work from sundown to sundown the following evening. The do not cook or drive or do any work at all.

I know a lot of Christians who go to church on Sunday morning and mow the lawn on Sunday afternoon, or work on some project or other.

Keeping the sabbath holy seems to vary with religious beliefs.

Since the OP was can someone be religious and not attend church, I think it depends upon the person and their beliefs more than a specific practice.

I guess you better not pick a doctor or surgeon that is an ortrodox Jew–He will let you die rather than break the sabbath laws. Is that what you are saying?

 

[notself]

What I am saying is that different people have different ways of keeping the Sabbath holy. Some follow a system that requires going to church. Others do not. Some people follow very stringent interpretations of what keeping holy means. Others follow less stringent interpretations.

The original post was about a person who said that one does not have to attend church to be religious. I believe this statement is true. Now, to be a Catholic, one is instructed that one must attend church in order to follow the commandment. To be an Orthodox Jew, one must do no work on the Sabbath, not even mow the lawn.

I would assume a doctor who is an Orthodox Jew, would operate on the Sabbath in an emergency. Saving a life would certainly be a justification for breaching the Sabbath.

People can be religious without attending church or temple and people can be irreligious while attending either. Religious practice starts with intent. If one goes to church just to fulfill a ritual practice, their intent is not necessarily religious. It is intention that counts.

Here is a story about intention:

Ralph and Edna were both patients in a mental hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Ralph suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there. Edna promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled him out.

When the Head Nurse Director became aware of Edna’s heroic act she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, as she now considered her to be mentally stable.

When she went to tell Edna the news she said, “Edna, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you’re being discharged, since you were able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in and saving the life of the person you love. I have concluded that your act displays sound mindedness. The bad news is, Ralph hung himself in the bathroom with his bathrobe belt right after you saved him. I am so sorry, but he’s dead.”

Edna replied, “He didn’t hang himself, I put him there to dry. How soon can I go home?”

 

[c659smith]

What I am saying is that different people have different ways of keeping the Sabbath holy. Some follow a system that requires going to church. Others do not. Some people follow very stringent interpretations of what keeping holy means. Others follow less stringent interpretations.

The original post was about a person who said that one does not have to attend church to be religious. I believe this statement is true. Now, to be a Catholic, one is instructed that one must attend church in order to follow the commandment. To be an Orthodox Jew, one must do no work on the Sabbath, not even mow the lawn.

I would assume a doctor who is an Orthodox Jew, would operate on the Sabbath in an emergency. Saving a life would certainly be a justification for breaching the Sabbath.

People can be religious without attending church or temple and people can be irreligious while attending either. Religious practice starts with intent. If one goes to church just to fulfill a ritual practice, their intent is not necessarily religious. It is intention that counts.

Here is a story about intention:

But just as the Jews at the time of Christ saying He was wrong in curing the sick at one end of the spectrum and intention at the other end of the spectrum. Jesus was saying to get to a middle ground.

This sis where sola Scripture / many Protestants and Catholics divide.

It is one thing to feed the poor and another to intend on it.

It is one thing to visit the sick, clothed the naked, and keeping Holy the Lords day and intending on doing it.

This is not to say there are not protestants that do not do a good job of accomplishing those intention by works but these works for the Protestant faith in general are not necessary for salvation.

Church on Sunday not necessary?

Then we all better be experts and have theology degrees even protestants for then we will be left to our own demise.

Such is the culture of death we find ourselves in today.

How can you say that Christ went to the Temple on the Sabbath and we do not need to?

For we are to do as He did.

 

[David_Poem]

How would you respond?
I was told this by another friend of mine and instead of taking off with a rant I thought I’d post here and get some insight before responding to her in a later conversation (we often discuss religion).

…I hope this is the right place for this, if not, moderators please move.

What if ? well the God of my understanding states to keep sunday Holy for him.That means I should go to Mass.Do not confuse religion with spiritally.I like to go to mass because its Faith in action,I need to learn to have the humility .And because if i want to be happy i need to do want God wants me to do .I need to be a better person.

 

[Pokedaughter]

Sabbath=

The Hebrew Word Shabbath (sabbath) means “intermission” (from the Lexical Aid to the Old Testament from KJV Study Word Bible)

Where we get the word “Sabbatical” from.

In the Old Testament it was the time when God sanctified His Creation (Genesis) Resting on the Sabbath was also a covenant sign of Israel’s recoginition of God’s authority over them. Keeping the Sabbath holy was the Israelites’ way of showing God they trusted Him. That they trusted God to honor their labors with fruit.

There was actually a sabbtical year when the land was not tilled.
(Lev. 25:4ff) It was called the 7th year.

The New Testament Greek word for Sabbath is “Katapauo” and means “to make to cease, to cause to rest, to restrain”. It is referenced in Hebrews 4.

In my opinion God’s Sabbath for us (New Testament Believers) is a time for us to be dormant (untilled, or “still” before Him) and let Him speak to us. Normally that would be on a Sabbath or 7th day when religious entities meet coorporately, but can also be a period of time from moments to years. “Be still and know that I am God”(Psalm 46:10). People who work in the church obviously don’t rest on Sunday because they are laboring for God on that day. Therefore their Sabbath will be a different time than that of a lay person.

(Hebrews 4 also talks about the Sabbath as the Everlasting Rest of us, the Saints, the believers. “Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest” (Hebrews 4:11) This is where God says “It is finished!” Woo Hoo!)

 

[Swan]

What I am saying is that different people have different ways of keeping the Sabbath holy. Some follow a system that requires going to church. Others do not. Some people follow very stringent interpretations of what keeping holy means. Others follow less stringent interpretations.

The original post was about a person who said that one does not have to attend church to be religious. I believe this statement is true. Now, to be a Catholic, one is instructed that one must attend church in order to follow the commandment. To be an Orthodox Jew, one must do no work on the Sabbath, not even mow the lawn.

I would assume a doctor who is an Orthodox Jew, would operate on the Sabbath in an emergency. Saving a life would certainly be a justification for breaching the Sabbath.

People can be religious without attending church or temple and people can be irreligious while attending either. Religious practice starts with intent. If one goes to church just to fulfill a ritual practice, their intent is not necessarily religious. It is intention that counts.

I agree. Keeping the Sabbath holy can be done in different ways. Some folks find God in nature, for example. I think that it is extremely un-Christian, however, for one to judge another’s way of keeping it holy. I went to Easter Mass with my husband and once we were back in the parking lot you’d have thought we were at the mall. No one would let anyone out of their parking place! Yet those folks had followed the “go to Mass” rule.

 

[Swan]

I don’t attend “church”…I attend “meeting”. The church meets for worship. One of the Quaker witnesses is that buildings are not “church”…the people are the Church. “Going to church” is an odd statement for most Friends.

“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” is something Friends very much believe…each First Day he is present among us.

Doyle Penrose was a Quaker artist in the 19th century, he painted a scene of Jordan’s Meetinghouse with Friends at worship and the “Presence in the Midst”.

It’s one of my favorite prints…I have it hanging in my dining room instead of the more traditional “Last Supper” by DaVinci.

One does not have to meet with others to be religious, but we draw strength from one another in the Presence…we sometimes receive vocal ministry as moved by the Spirit from those we worhsip together with.

If I am not able to attend Meeting, I “enter Meeting” alone at home…it still is a profound experience, but I do miss the Gathered Meeting.

Thank you, Publisher! I will be attending my first meeting this coming First Day.

 

[notself]

It is one thing to feed the poor and another to intend on it.

It is one thing to visit the sick, clothed the naked, and keeping Holy the Lords day and intending on doing it.

Church on Sunday not necessary?

Then we all better be experts and have theology degrees even protestants for then we will be left to our own demise.

Such is the culture of death we find ourselves in today.

How can you say that Christ went to the Temple on the Sabbath and we do not need to?

For we are to do as He did.

I think you need to re-read my post. Intention as I used it means the thought behind the action. One can go to Church with bad intention; the intention to impress one’s neighbors rather than to worship God.

I also said one can be religious, although not Catholic, and not go to church. Many people lead moral lives and pray to God yet do not go to church. They are religious. You may feel that they are not religious in the same way you are but the still meet the definition.

I never said that you do not need to go to Church. I said some people feel they do not need to go to church. Here is a definition of religious from an online dictionary:

In the ordinary sense, this word refers to the quality by which a person is pious or prayerful, believing in God and acting according to God’s moral laws. …

That is how most people use the term.

 

[c659smith]

I think you need to re-read my post. Intention as I used it means the thought behind the action. One can go to Church with bad intention; the intention to impress one’s neighbors rather than to worship God.

I also said one can be religious, although not Catholic, and not go to church. Many people lead moral lives and pray to God yet do not go to church. They are religious. You may feel that they are not religious in the same way you are but the still meet the definition.

I never said that you do not need to go to Church. I said some people feel they do not need to go to church. Here is a definition of religious from an online dictionary:

That is how most people use the term.

To be moral is not religious an atheist can be moral.

Wherever two or more of you are gathered there you will find me.

Where did I hear that before can you tell me?

Is it your contention that evangelizing is not necessary?

This is how we know we are in Him

“Whoever claims to live in Him, must walk as Jesus did”.
1 John2:5b-6

They do not meet Jesus’s definition in no sense of the word.

 

[notself]

You are limiting the concept of religious to Christians. Are you saying that no one can be religious except church going Christians?