• If going to church doesn't make you a Christian, then why even go to church?
    Certainly it is authorized (?) in the Bible.

    Heb 10
    [24] And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
    [25] Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is...

    ...and Paul speaks repeatedly of coming together as a church in 1 Cor. Additionally, Acts is rife with examples of the early disciples meeting regularly for teaching and "breaking of bread" (Communion).

    And Jesus' rules for excommunication [further assented to by Paul] seem to strongly imply an assembling together. Else, from what is one being excommunicated? Can someone be denied entry to a group with whom they do not associate/assemble?

    Matt 18:17
    If he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen... [Jesus]
    Aussie



    You need to apply better critical thinking than that. Notice how Jesus in the gospels used the word church, despite there being no Christian buildings around, and when no Christians met weekly? Perhaps the definition of church has been distorted over time. For instance, take note of how the early Christians behaved. Read Acts 2 and Acts 4, and ask yourself why the early Christians forsook all their possessions and gave the money from the proceedings unto the apostles. After they did this they lived together 24/7, not considering anything that they had as theirs, but as common property.

    Acts 2 "[44] And all that believed were together, and had all things common; [45] And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need."

    Acts 4 "[32] And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common."

    Notice how the early Christians lived together after they had forsook all, and they considered the things they had in their dwellings common property? There was no church they went to because they were the church. So then from whom and when did this idea of meeting in a religious building come from? Perhaps it's time to do some research. And if you are wondering why the early Christians sold all their possessions, maybe you don't know what Jesus taught. Take a read of Matthew 6, Luke 12, Luke 14 as a start. Please share your thoughts after that.

    Oh, and those scriptures that apparently prove Christians are meant to meet in building a few times a week, they don't actually prove that. Not forsaking the assembly simply means not ceasing to live together, as practised by Jesus with his disciples, and as practised by the early Christians with the apostles. It was only later in Christianity that people stopped living together, and invented a new system to replace it.
  • If going to church doesn't make you a Christian, then why even go to church?
    I would first question the assumption that this notion of "going to church" is actually authorised and grounded in the Bible or in Jesus' teachings, the founder of Christianity!