Controversy: Anyone up for it?

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Originally Posted by FindersKeepers

Churches are businesses.

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Or rackets. It is hard to tell.

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Originally Posted by FindersKeepers

Churches are businesses.

But, that's not the way to judge a church. Judge it by its acts and its contribution to the world.

Other than the Mennonites that I work with and find amazing, the Catholic Church performs more charitable work than virtually any charity. I know the Church has large financial holdings, but it also is very generous to those in need.

At the end of the day, when we're adding up the pluses and subtracting the minuses, that has to be taken into account.

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If they are businesses, it's out of necessity. Are there scammers out there? Of course.

That said, we agree for the most part.

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Originally Posted by Mister D

If they are businesses, it's out of necessity. Are there scammers out there? Of course.

That said, we agree for the most part.

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What is a church?

What is a church?

It is an assembly of Christian believers. Isn't it?

The term has several meanings. Are you trying to make a point?

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Originally Posted by Mister D

The term has several meanings. Are you trying to make a point?

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When a group of Christian believers becomes a business then it is no longer a church, is it?

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Originally Posted by MisterVeritis

When a group of Christian believers becomes a business then it is no longer a church, is it?

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I'm not sure what FK means by business. I assume she means they must inevitably incur costs to operate, clergy are professionals and a church cannot exist without money coming in.

Were church buildings needed, or is fellowship where a community lives? Many churches are beautiful edifices but is not the church Christian believers?

In the beginning what was the church like suffering great persecution, their writings of what Jesus taught confiscated by a beast system of authoritarians.

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Originally Posted by Orion Rules

Were church buildings needed, or is fellowship where a community lives? Many churches are beautiful edifices but is not the church Christian believers?

In the beginning what was the church like suffering great persecution, their writings of what Jesus taught confiscated by a beast system of authoritarians.

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Imagine that. The persecuted became the persecutors

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Originally Posted by Cotton1

Imagine that. The persecuted became the persecutors

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A misunderstanding. Those persecuted, imprisoned, tortured, murdered who personally witnessed Christ's teachings, or heard of the pure things Christ taught, did not persecute, but paid the price with their lives as they gave up comfort and "safety" for the faith Christ shared.