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Location: In a little house on the prairie - literally
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Has the era of the mega church hit its maximum attendance and draw? Maybe, although from an anti-theists point of view, this again is a good thing, that the first steps towards reason maybe occurring. We are well aware that just because someone is not going to church doesn't mean they not believers, but it is that road that signals more and more don't see regular church attendance as importan
"This year, only 45 percent of Houston-area residents polled in the Kinder Houston Area Survey said they attended a religious service (other than a wedding or a funeral) in the last month.
That marked a major milestone for the region: for the first time in the survey’s 35 year history, the majority of Houstonians aren’t attending religious services regularly."
Maybe its the 'Create a Church- Get Rich Mentality" that has dominated so many of the mega churches, which turn into 'status based magnets, and move away from the claim of its origin for existing.
It becomes about a bigger building, more elaborate things, higher pay, and more monetary focus on increasing the value of the organizations simply for the sake of stature, more than the actual goodwill the organization uses its resources for.
Look at any Mega City with a Mega Church and ask why does crime, killing,and all such things continue to escalate not even in some cases 10 blocks from the facility, or the facility is so removed from communities, until it has no responsibility to any community.
Questions abound, is their more paganism than actual spiritual teaching taking place? Is there another format of send me $20 and I'll send you a prayer cloth", and people get a 10 cent handkerchief made by slave wage labor from some foreign locality.
There's a great deal of many people going to big name organizations, for the sake to say "they go there".
It may be that those who go for spiritual learning get it, who knows what the individual gets from their involvement and participation.
We've seen many many Mega organizations rise up and fall down, many names popularized and crash down to disgrace, there are many things when "power gets its grip" it does what power does and that is focus on power.
When that circle of power pursuits and power chase and power captivation becomes the elements within the circle, the circle may simply expand and burst or collapse in on itself.
It's unlikely the circle of gravitation from one to the next and one rises up and another falls down, the cycle has been going on for centuries.
Has the era of the mega church hit its maximum attendance and draw? Maybe, although from an anti-theists point of view, this again is a good thing, that the first steps towards reason maybe occurring. We are well aware that just because someone is not going to church doesn't mean they not believers, but it is that road that signals more and more don't see regular church attendance as importan
"This year, only 45 percent of Houston-area residents polled in the Kinder Houston Area Survey said they attended a religious service (other than a wedding or a funeral) in the last month.
That marked a major milestone for the region: for the first time in the survey’s 35 year history, the majority of Houstonians aren’t attending religious services regularly."
Sadly, I blame Osteen and other churches like him for the damage they've done to Christianity.
In your opinion he damages Christianity. He is Christian. Sometimes Christian do things that bring disrepute to Christianity. Hastert and Dear come to mind.
I think the cost of such a large place is prohibitive in the long run.
In your opinion he damages Christianity. He is Christian. Sometimes Christian do things that bring disrepute to Christianity. Hastert and Dear come to mind.
I think the cost of such a large place is prohibitive in the long run.
We will have to disagree about whether or not he's a Christian pastor, as he does teach a message contrary to the Gospel.
Having said that, his "church" has sucked huge amounts of money out of Christianity in America. Just imagine the things that real Christian churches could have done with that money! Hospitals, food pantries, actual evangelistic outreaches....
Sadly, I blame Osteen and other churches like him for the damage they've done to Christianity.
That could be part of it but honestly, I feel it's advances in knowledge overriding people's need for superstition. We used to not understand much and we feared everything, now we have scientific knowledge and understanding (which is always growing) and "cures" for many of our invisible terrors (such as medicine, housing for our safety and so on) so we no longer have to feel at the mercy of invisible forces, frightened of them, and therefore make a show of worshiping whatever their, or its, whims might confusingly and inscrutibly be.
I think a decline in "religion" as an organized, showy "I'm doing everything in the right order - see, it's Sunday and I'm at church" situation is a natural result of increasing knowledge and giving people control of their lives, health and so on rather than begging spirits to take care of those things.
We will have to disagree about whether or not he's a Christian pastor, as he does teach a message contrary to the Gospel.
Having said that, his "church" has sucked huge amounts of money out of Christianity in America. Just imagine the things that real Christian churches could have done with that money! Hospitals, food pantries, actual evangelistic outreaches....
You were doing pretty good 'til you blew a tire at the end there....
We will have to disagree about whether or not he's a Christian pastor, as he does teach a message contrary to the Gospel.
Having said that, his "church" has sucked huge amounts of money out of Christianity in America. Just imagine the things that real Christian churches could have done with that money! Hospitals, food pantries, actual evangelistic outreaches....
I take Joel Olsteen at his word he is a Christian. Just as I take you at yours.
I have never been to a mega church. I do not think it would be a spiritual experience.
I think you make a good argument for taxing churches. That money can be used for the community.
I know you live in a rural area. There are thousands of churches in my county. We would be able to end poverty and homelessness here.
I take Joel Olsteen at his word he is a Christian. Just as I take you at yours.
I have never been to a mega church. I do not think it would be a spiritual experience.
I actually read an article I saw on his organization. It was written by an atheist that went to it and rather enjoyed the service. I find that sad.
To be honest, I don't want my church to be "enjoyable" for atheists. I'm not suggesting it be offensive, but I don't want an atheist to think it was entertaining, or enjoyable. We talk about Jesus here. I read the Bible and share what it says and what it means. If you don't believe the Bible, my church would be boring to you.
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I think you make a good argument for taxing churches. That money can be used for the community.
I know you live in a rural area. There are thousands of churches in my county. We would be able to end poverty and homelessness here.
If those rural churches are anything like mine, they are struggling month to month to pay the light bill, much less solving the issue of poverty. I can tell you though, that there is one church I know of with about 6 people attending each week but they have $400k in the bank. The reason the do is because they had large blocks of land donated to them when farmers died. I wouldn't be completely opposed to taxing things like that. But I do believe that taxing all churches across the board will harm good churches that are making an impact in their communities.
I take Joel Olsteen at his word he is a Christian. Just as I take you at yours.
I have never been to a mega church. I do not think it would be a spiritual experience.
I think you make a good argument for taxing churches. That money can be used for the community.
I know you live in a rural area. There are thousands of churches in my county. We would be able to end poverty and homelessness here.
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There are thousands of churches in my county. We would be able to end poverty and homelessness here.
It's many things of such which churches could do, but in many cases a great many chruches fail to do what they teach. (and that is work together).
Far too often they are in a manner "competition factions"... What are they competing for if they claim to be saving souls for God.
Then why are they not practicing as an organization, what they claim to teach and preach, which is "unity" with other organizations for the aims of saving souls under ONE GOD".
If they have such as a full circle programming, it would likely not be so difficult for them to work for a unified cause within city and community to uplift the people within and through-out city and community.
There are many pastors within poor communities but the pastors seem to live well and at a level often above the stature of the people within some congregations within the communities of the poor. It's interesting to say the least.
Some Churches run good programs and do very good community works, unfortunately some don't in a variety of ways.
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