The Town of Odyssey

I think St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 14 pretty clearly says that God is a God of order "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." And I think earlier in the chapter St. Paul talks about keeping services orderly and taking turns when speaking o...

I'm not a fan of the NIV, Message, or NLT, my translation is based off of the NKJV for the New Testament and St. Athanasius Academy Septuagint (SAAS) for the Old Testament.

Spanking in of itself won't solve the problem. My parents spanked me and I'm pretty sure Jelly's did too and yet we erred from the way they had taught us but as we've said came back specifically because our parents didn't force us to go to church.

Well first off dragging a kid kicking and screaming into church would disrupt things for everyone else a bit. But also, seriously? Even if dragging your kid into church causes them to abandon God the second they get out of your house it's the right thing to do?

And Jelly and I are saying that one service a week caused resentment in us and would have forever alienated us from Christianity if we had been forced to continue going.

Totally agree with what Jelly said above.

And what I'm saying is yes I didn't want to go to even one service every week when I was kid but because my parents didn't force me I do go to Church now and I go to multiple services a week because I want to because it's my choice that I've made to pursue a relationship with Christ. Sure most of us...

But as Jelly and I have said if we had been forced to go the church when we were rebelling we probably would not be Christians today how is that doing what is best for your children?

When does it become harmful because they resent being forced to do something against their will?

But they can't make the equally important decision whether to go to church or not?

But they can make a decision to be saved at that age?

Well I resented it and that caused me to stop going to church when I was in college and when I moved back home I didn't go either and if my parents had forced me to go to their church then I wouldn't be in my current church and a Christian. As for school, you don't want your kids going to school for...

Termite: Well I went youth groups growing up and those didn't keep me accountable. Not saying they never work just saying they didn't for me and I knew lots of kids who were forced to go and didn't enjoy it and got nothing out of the experience. odysseyfan: I think so, I mean obviously 10 and under ...

Top brought up an interesting point in another topic. He said that two services a day is too much. Agree or disagree? Also how long should a service be? An hour? Two hours? Is three hours too long? Also one service a week? Two a week?

Top made an excellent post in a topic in the debate forum. This brings about the question, which has nothing to do with gay marriage, how much is too much in teaching your children about Christianity? If its wrong to SCARE people into becoming Christians, then is it also wrong to just tell your 3 or...

If you had an animal stuck in a well would you get it out?

Or we could treat all days the same and do so to the Lord. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.

odysseyfan1 wrote:But when you're going out to eat, somebody has to serve you! If you (and everybody else) weren't there, they wouldn't be working. In essence you're causing them to work.

Exactly let's put them out of business and cause people to loose their jobs.

My priest wears a cassock, Jesus and the disciples probably wore robes. Should we wear robes? Are you arguing for a standard or are you saying that it just depends on what is socially acceptable?

I agree the Church is the people not the building, however I think the definition has to include more than just two people gathering in God's name, when we look to the Church in Acts it talks about prayer, communion, and a shared belief in the doctrine of the Apostles. Like I said earlier if a churc...

I think wherever you meet though it is important to be part of a larger church body, the verse in Acts says "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." I've been to several home churches and non-denominational churche...