toldailytopic: Is attending church necessary for salvation?

[Nathon Detroit]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for March 2nd, 2011 11:11 AM

toldailytopic: Is attending church necessary for salvation?

Take the topic above and run with it! Slice it, dice it, give us your general thoughts about it. Everyday there will be a new TOL Topic of the Day.
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[Nathon Detroit]

Regarding attending church service the Catholic church says.... “Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit grave sin”

What say ye?

 

[chrysostom]

not if you repent just before you die

 

[SovereigntyIsGods]

not if you repent just before you die

That does earn you a good long stay in purgatory though.

 

[SovereigntyIsGods]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for March 2nd, 2011 11:11 AM

toldailytopic: Is attending church necessary for salvation?

Take the topic above and run with it! Slice it, dice it, give us your general thoughts about it. Everyday there will be a new TOL Topic of the Day.
If you want to make suggestions for the Topic of the Day send a Tweet to @toldailytopic or @theologyonline or send it to us via Facebook.

Nope. Salvation is by Grace through faith alone and it is not our own doing, it is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8).

We should desire to meet together though:

Heb 10:24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
Heb 10:25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

"Church" is not a building, but wherever believers choose to congregate and "stir up one another to love and good works".

 

[Town Heretic]

Define church for this purpose. oly:

 

[SaulToPaul 2]

Define church for this purpose. oly:

Good request. Most consider attending church gathering in a building with stained glass windows, an "altar", and a phallic shaped steeple on top in honor of Baal.

 

[Town Heretic]

Good request. Most consider attending church gathering in a building with stained glass windows, an "altar", and a phallic shaped steeple on top.

Interesting. My winter writing room has four hanging stained glass windows that were once in an old nearby church. Lovely light through them. I don't know if my desk qualifies as an alter though. :think: No steeple either, so there goes the hindmost.

My answer, all considered: I certainly hope not. :noid:

 

[zippy2006]

Is believing in the historical person of Jesus necessary for salvation? :think: (think of a savage who has never heard the name)

 

[red cardinal]

Good request. Most consider attending church gathering in a building with stained glass windows, an "altar", and a phallic shaped steeple on top in honor of Baal.

oh wow! I didn't actually realize that people still believe steeples are "phallic" symbols!!! :noway: Tell me it ain't so!!!!!!! :deadhorse:

 

[Buzzword]

Not required for salvation per se, but in my experience the Christian life is quite hollow if we never spend time with each other encouraging, challenging, and having fun together.

Is believing in the historical person of Jesus necessary for salvation? :think: (think of a savage who has never heard the name)

If it were necessary, God would have sent trillions to hell in the 2000 years since Jesus walked the Earth.

God does not require a church building, a missionary, a Bible, a priest, or anything else we consider Christian "conventions" in order to reveal Himself.

He may use names and stories which already exist in the person's culture.
A great example of this is the Great Spirit in Native American tribal mythologies, which existed for millennia before followers of the historical Christ set foot on this continent.

If, as we believe, God is omnipresent, then He certainly doesn't need us to get the job done.
He still calls each of us to minister to those in our sphere of interaction, but IMO the fact that He is a just and loving God means that He will NOT reject a person because of their ignorance of His existence.

 

[SovereigntyIsGods]

Is believing in the historical person of Jesus necessary for salvation? :think: (think of a savage who has never heard the name)

Abraham didn't know Jesus' name.

 

[zippy2006]

Is believing in the historical person of Jesus necessary for salvation? :think: (think of a savage who has never heard the name)

Abraham didn't know Jesus' name.

Is believing in the historical person of Jesus necessary for salvation? :think: (think of a savage who has never heard the name)

If it were necessary, God would have sent trillions to hell in the 2000 years since Jesus walked the Earth.

Then maybe we shouldn't worry about telling people about Jesus :idunno: If you don't go to church because it isn't strictly necessary for salvation, then why do you proclaim Jesus as God and try to bring other people to that truth?

God does not require a church building, a missionary, a Bible, a priest, or anything else we consider Christian "conventions" in order to reveal Himself.

Neither did he require Israel, or the cross, but He used them as He uses the Church and His people. Who are we to decide that God's appointed methods for dispensing grace are to be ignored? :think:

 

[SaulToPaul 2]

oh wow! I didn't actually realize that people still believe steeples are "phallic" symbols!!! :noway: Tell me it ain't so!!!!!!! :deadhorse:

What are steeples? What do they symbolize? What is their purpose?

 

[Buzzword]

Then maybe we shouldn't worry about telling people about Jesus :idunno: If you don't go to church because it isn't strictly necessary for salvation, then why do you proclaim Jesus as God and try to bring other people to that truth?

So basically, your question was intended as a trap, rather than a genuine desire to learn?
Way to prove the atheists right.

I go to church because it is enriching for me and my wife to fellowship and worship with fellow Christians.
I proclaim Jesus as God because He has made a change in my life and commands me to share that change with those in my vicinity so that they may be changed as well.

Who are we to decide that God's appointed methods for dispensing grace are to be ignored? :think:

Who are you to question God's omnipotence and His ability to reveal Himself to individual people?

Who are you to decide that "Christian" people and "Christian" books are the only tools in God's belt?

Who are you to decide that the methods described in the Bible are the limit of God's ability and power?

It appears you are worshiping a BOOK rather than God.


I worship a God who is bigger than and thus not limited to any particular man's words about Him.

 

[ghost]

No, church is where you go to learn how perfect the flesh

Gal 3:3

 

[zippy2006]

So basically, your question was intended as a trap, rather than a genuine desire to learn?
Way to prove the atheists right.

Either that or a rhetorical question answering the OP

I go to church because it is enriching for me and my wife to fellowship and worship with fellow Christians.
I proclaim Jesus as God because He has made a change in my life and commands me to share that change with those in my vicinity so that they may be changed as well.

He also commands you to gather in his name and remember him in a certain way.

Who are you to question God's omnipotence and His ability to reveal Himself to individual people?

Apparently you're the one doing that, proclaiming Christ's name when He can get along just fine without your proclamation. I myself don't confuse myself by conflating following God's command with questioning His omnipotence.

Who are you to decide that "Christian" people and "Christian" books are the only tools in God's belt?

Where did I say that?

Who are you to decide that the methods described in the Bible are the limit of God's ability and power?

Putting words in my mouth again.

It appears you are worshiping a BOOK rather than God.

:squint:

I worship a God who is bigger than and thus not limited to any particular man's words about Him.

Then stop talking lain:

 

[CabinetMaker]

Attending church is not required for salvation. As others have said, it is a place to recharge our batteries, if you will. We can gather to worship and fellowship with others who believe as we do.

 

[Nang]

Church attendance is not "necessary" or the cause of salvation; but it is advisable:

"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25

This reference to the end times, when false prophets and false christs are predicted, gives reason for the visible church. Christians protect each other from error and heresy.

Lone Ranger's are very vulnerable to false teachings . . .

Nang

 

[godrulz]

not if you repent just before you die

Going to church does not make you a Christian anymore than going to a barn makes you a cow or going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger (Jn. 1:12; Jn. 3:16; I Jn. 5:11-13; Rom. 10:9-10).

Church attendance is important. Being in right vertical relationship with God naturally leads to right horizontal relationships in the Body of Christ. The Lone Rangers on TOL are unbiblical in their avoidance of local churches just because they don't agree with their pet, sectarian views. Christ loved the Church and died for it (Eph. 5). The local church is emphasized numerous times in the NT, but we are part of His invisible, universal church through faith in Christ alone (salvific issue vs church attendance).