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Christianity was supposed to be about becoming like Jesus. | |
We went in the wrong direction. |
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Christian Pioneer - eBook for Cell Phone Everything you Know is Wrong |
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| Church - A Mini School As early as the first century Christian assemblies began to have Catechetical schools. Christianity was reconfigured from being transformed and living for Christ, to memorizing doctrinal bullet points. A weekly Mass was introduced which had more in common with the Mediterranean mystery religions than it did with Christianity. As overseers (bishops) became increasingly important, an organizational system began to evolve that exercised greater and greater control. As Christianity became systematized, Christian life became a sort of schedule of works that had to be performed.  Even after the Reformation, most retained much of the Catholic tradition. Seminary instruction for pastors was considered essential as only very smart people were supposed to understand the depths and mysteries of Christianity. What came down to us was the Sunday sermon that mirrored the seminary lecture. One might see in Ephesians chapter four a description of church and the object was not to lecture, but help each believer to become more like Christ. Using that metric, it is difficult to see any church as other than a failure. There is a school-like environment of one way transmission of information. The idea that whatever is transmitted is to be accepted and not questioned. The information that is usually transmitted often seems unrelated to real life. Churches can be faulted usually in three areas, doctrine, personalities, and structure. Many do not appreciate the structural problems. When churches are run as organizational systems or collectives, they become mechanical.    They operate with mechanical efficiency moving people through programs, events, activities, sermons, Sunday School, and even fellowship dinners. Organizational systems are unable to cultivate the relationships that should be at the heart of Christianity (us with God and each other).    Almost all brands (denominations) of Christianity see their churches incrementally embracing the world. Many past church practices were boring and unrelated to being like Christ. However, indulging emotions and sensations is not a step forward. |
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Information about Christianity and the Christian life. |
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