If God wanted us to be holding indoor worship services...

[dutch508]

Star Member totodeinhere (11,511 posts)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213756046

I see that some churches are resisting the governor's order barring indoor worship services in California.

Well I have a question for those members of the clergy.

If God wanted us to be holding indoor worship services wouldn't he eradicate the coronavirus so it would be safe to attend indoor services? But since he obviously has not done that, doesn't that mean that he doesn't want us to attend indoor services? Surely a just and merciful god would not want good churchgoers to die a hideous death would he?

https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article244219407.html
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Star Member The Velveteen Ocelot (85,467 posts)

1. Butts in the pews means bucks in the collection plate.

Most "mainstream" churches are still doing services online. It's the fundies and the prosperity-gospel preachers who want live services because it's easier to get access to their wallets that way.
   

Star Member mr_lebowski (14,493 posts)

3. So ... maybe let all the people who believe in imaginary sky daddies and are foolish enough

to congregate in this manner, given the situation ... wipe each other out?

The notion does have its benefits ...

Star Member RKP5637 (58,392 posts)

4. ... but when was the last time their pastor or god had any intelligence and logic. Oh, I forgot ...

god works in mysterious way. What a load!

Star Member TreasonousBastard (35,163 posts)

9. God has already spoken, or so it seems...

Matthew 5:
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Luke 18
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

 

[SVPete]

Yawwwwwwwn ..... God doesn't micro-manage events on planet Earth. Not that I expect Star Moron totodeinhere believes in any god other than the one (s)he sees in the mirror when (s)he gets out of the shower.

[Movie buff- The Sequel]

Yawwwwwwwn ..... God doesn't micro-manage events on planet Earth. Not that I expect Star Moron totodeinhere believes in any god other than the one (s)he sees in the mirror when (s)he gets out of the shower.

Indeed. To do so would eradicate people's free will.

As is usually the case on such matters, it's just cynical and mean- spirited atheist DUmmies trying to promote hatred of Christians on matters that the DUmmies don't know a thing about.
Case in point: "TreasonousBastard"'s comment which perverts Scripture and takes it completely out of context.
The passage cited from Matthew 5 isn't a condemnation of group/ public prayer; It's a condemnation of shallow self- righteousness, of people who do such things just so they can appear holy in the eyes of other people rather than out of a sincere desire to serve and worship the Lord.
The section from Luke 18 has no bearing whatsoever on any point the DUmmies are trying to make. It, too, is a condemnation of self- righteousness and pride, of viewing oneself as better than others rather than humbly submitting to God and seeking His mercy and forgiveness. Plus, notice that in that story, both men went to the temple to pray. They didn't stay at home or something similar.

"The Velveteen Ocelot"'s logic is, once again, faulty.
a) When it comes to tithing and other such church donations, churchgoers are given other options such as online or mail- in donations.
b) With many churches seeking to have indoor services (While adhering to the usual policies of mask- wearing and social distancing, of course), the main reason I've heard among the churchgoers is not financial; It's a matter of worship in community. The churchgoers want to be able to enjoy worship in the direct presence of their brothers and sisters in Christ.
c) From what I've seen, and this is what COMPLETELY shoots down the Ocelot's claims, many pastors and other church officials want worship to stay online in the interests of ensuring the public health, it's largely the regular churchgoers who want indoor worship to return (Again with all the proper COVID safety policies in practice). If the Ocelot's claims had any backing to them, the opposite would be true.

[SVPete]

...
As is usually the case on such matters, it's just cynical and mean- spirited atheist DUmmies trying to promote hatred of Christians on matters that the DUmmies don't know a thing about.

Case in point: "TreasonousBastard"'s comment which perverts Scripture and takes it completely out of context.
The passage cited from Matthew 5 isn't a condemnation of group/ public prayer; ...

"The Velveteen Ocelot"'s logic is, once again, faulty.
a) When it comes to tithing and other such church donations, churchgoers are given other options such as online or mail- in donations.
b) With many churches seeking to have indoor services (While adhering to the usual policies of mask- wearing and social distancing, of course), the main reason I've heard among the churchgoers is not financial; It's a matter of worship in community. The churchgoers want to be able to enjoy worship in the direct presence of their brothers and sisters in Christ.
c) From what I've seen, and this is what COMPLETELY shoots down the Ocelot's claims, many pastors and other church officials want worship to stay online in the interests of ensuring the public health, it's largely the regular churchgoers who want indoor worship to return (Again with all the proper COVID safety policies in practice). ...

The amount of ignorance the average DUmmie spouts when talking about what Christians do/believe and should do/believe is often jaw-dropping. It must take significant work to maintain that degree of ignorance!

TreasonousBastard's comment is an illustration. Had (s)he ever read the Book of Acts and Paul's epistles (s)he would know that gathering together was the NT norm, and it included group prayer.

Star Member The Velveteen Ocelot often is among the less loony among DU-folk, but her post in this DU-thread is not an example of that.

a.) Our family's (Evangelical) churches set up, years ago, ways for members to do donations online. We do that. Whether through online donation or mail or ??, our church - which has not met in-person since March - has not lacked for funds and has been able to assist churches that have been adversely affected, community organizations (e.g. food banks), and healthcare people.

b.) The IRL reason Evangelical churches I'm aware of want to gather together is that this is a norm that is commanded, and for very practical reasons - worship, teaching, prayer, and fellowship (fellowship is far more and deeper than sharing recipes at a potluck!). The church a couple of family members attend had services a couple of times when our county partially re-opened. It did the masks-and-distancing thingies.

c.) Our family's (Evangelical) churches are not meeting because of safety. All but one Evangelical "mega-church" I know of in Silicon Valley ceased meeting in mid March; the exception, at first, limited the number of people in each of multiple rooms, but soon after also ceased meeting. Our churches are not among the few thousand congregations in CA that are demanding that churches be allowed to meet. I don't know much about that group, but AFAIK, they are not defying the shutdown by meeting, full congregation, every Sunday. I suspect many of the congregations would, when they do start to meet, do the masks-and-distancing thingies.