Why I Don't Go To Church

Anyone that knows me will tell you that I love my Jesus. We have a very special relationship that I cannot put into words. Every day, I talk to him more than a few times. Sometimes, he gives me what I ask, sometimes he doesn't. But every prayer is heard and every prayer is answered.

It has been said to me (on a web group I am a part of) that I am not a REAL christian. "A REAL christian has to be baptized in the holy spirit and go to church."

Hmph. On a side note, did you know the leading cause of atheism is christians?

John 3:16:
" . . . He who believeth in him shall not perish . . ."

NOT
"Only he that were baptized and go to church every sunday . . ."

I don't believe this crap about "you have to go to church" or "you have to be baptized".

I read the bible. I pray. I have GREAT conversations with Christ. I have GREAT conversations ABOUT Christ! I have fellowship with fellow Christians on an almost daily basis. I have no fear regarding my salvation.

So what do I need church for?

I have found, in my personal experience, that 75% of churchgoers are hypocrites, and 9 times out of ten the PASTORS are hypocrites. I don't feel like I have to sit in a room surrounded by hypocrites and be preached to by a hypocrite in order for my soul to go to heaven.

Let me elaborate:

Exapmle one:
Recently (in the past year) I attended an area church. The pastor and his wife preach about gossip and how it is unGodly and how we shouldn't do it b/c it's a road to Hell, yadda yadda yadda.

Recently (in the past week) I saw said pastor and his wife at the local wal-mart. Mrs. Pastor had no problem telling me all the goings on in the church recently - I should say all the goings on of the congregation of the church. "so-and-so is pregnant, did you know she's not married yet?" "so-and-so just went into AA, i didn't even know he drank!" "so and so just got arrested for beating his wife - what's going on in the world today?" and so on so on so forth.

See? The one thing they preach out about the most and they are doing it right in the middle of WAL MART for God's sake!!

Example Two:

A church in Dallas that a friend attended for a long time had a retreat a few years ago in regards to keeping your marriage in tact. One of the seminars, led by the pastor, was about staying faithful to your spouse.

Less than a month later, the pastor's wife kicked him out b/c he was caught in bed with another woman.

Get my point?
Who are YOU to tell me that God doesn't want me to do something, when you are out doing it yourself??

Example 3:

I worked for a church for six years. I found out I was pregnant (I wasn't married) and the church decided to go ahead and keep me on even though it was a "public sin" as long as I didn't tell anyone I was pregnant. (oohh-kaaay). Then 9/11 hit. This church made a decision that would long affect it - even today, five years later. It decided it would hold a layoff.

The four people that were considered the biggest liabilities were laid off.

These people were:
A single mom with a special needs teenage boy.
A single unwed mother 8 months pregnant.
An older woman that had just been in a car accident and was still trying to cope with chronic pain.
A married mother of two small children who's husband had just been laid off.

I ask you, were these people LIABILIIES or the ones in the most NEED?
And this was a church, people!!!

Fact is, I love my Jesus, and I really don't want our relationship tainted, thank you very much, so I will continue to worship in the manner that I have been and fully enjoy that relationship.

By the way, for those "gung ho" in witnessing (I mean FORCEFUL witnessing) -
TELLING PEOPLE THEY'RE GOING TO HELL DOESN'T WORK!!
SHOWING Christ through YOUR actions DOES.