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new-fangled churches


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IDK if anyone has these in their towns, but it seems like in Hawaii there are a lot of these "new" churches popping up. they have meeting halls in the mall, next to the bowling alley and even in a public school. It kind of seems like a good way for them to rope new members, by offering activities for kids to get involved with like concerts and dances and beach picnics, who's gonna say no to church people?

 

It is just so pop to be involved with one of these new churches, that it seems more like a club and social activity than a church. I know that if I went to one, I would meet a lot of people that I deal with in my professional life, which I know is where they "network." But, that doesn't seem right.

 

My adult cousins and aunt go to one called "New Hope." I have seen videos of their um, services. Yeah, they have videos and even a web site! It involves a lot of music, dancing and stuff that I'm not used to. Not that I went to church much as a kid, but I always equated it with being serious and not so much lighthearted and "fun." I'm just wondering if anyone else might wonder the same thing....?

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HokeyReligions

We have them around in Texas - mostly in strip centers (strip shopping, not strip clubs!) I think I've seen the "New Hope" sign. I always think about Jim Jones when I see these places.

 

I always thought church was supposed to be fun and enjoyable as well as serious. I've just never held with faith through fear, and a lot of the churches I was dragged to as a child preached FEAR GOD. If there were turly a merciful and just God, who created us in His image, and whom we look to for love and guidance and is supposed to love us, why would we fear Him? I wonder how these new churches handle that?

 

It isn't God who changed, its our society and interpretation of His word.

 

BTW: I'm agnostic - which means I seriously doubt the existence of a supreme being, but I'm open-minded enough to accept that I may be wrong about that!

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It isn't God who changed, its our society and interpretation of His word.

 

How do the new churches deal with that idea? Whenever I listen to the "god talk channel" on the radio for kicks, they often are talking about modern ideas, modern problems, like sex, drugs, society, media and propaganda. I guess my question came about because I was listening to a show once when a caller asked about dinosaurs and how the snake talked to eve in the garden of eden. The expert on the radio said that christians believe that dinosaurs and talking snakes did a ctually exist all together, and a listing of animals in the bible was an incomplete list. It had to be, because it would take too long to list every single species. And, he said that humans could communicate with the snakes and dinosaurs. your point that god hasn't changed, it's our modern interpretations, makes sense.

 

In talking to some people like my cousins who go to a "new church," I've decided it sounds like some mix of different christian systems that involve jesus christ and interpretations, maybe additions to the traditional bible. it seems many people are "recruited" as they are interested in the popular idea that their feelings of failure because of modern society's pressures is something expected and understandable, and that belief in a religion will make them better. actually I'm not sure if its belief that the religion exists, belief that god and jesus exist or what.

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I've got so many different thoughts about this, I'm not sure where to start!!! But, I'll go by using my faith background (Catholic) as a reference.

 

Here in East Texas, Catholics Christians are way outnumbered by Protestant Christians. According to the 2003 Official Catholic Directory, of the approximately 1.3 million people living in this region, only four percent, or approximately 56,000, are Catholic. So it's not uncommon for communities to get their start by meeting in storefronts, in funeral homes, in community centers or people's homes, and those folks stay there until they have the funds to purchase their own property and build a worship site (initially often a steel multipurpose building that can later be used as a social hall once a proper church is built). My guess is that you're seeing pretty much the same thing with these Christian communities.

 

My other thought is that because Protestants don't follow the same strict "guidelines" that Catholics do (core beliefs/dogma that doesn't change or splinter because of interpretation - a Catholic is pretty much a Catholic is a Catholic, the only distinctions being the different rites). Therefore, it's not uncommon to see new churches popping up everywhere just a l-i-i-i-ttle bit different from the one next door, all professing belief in Jesus Christ as savior and God as creator, with the Holy Spirit thrown in ...

 

I think Prots are WAY ahead of their Catholic counterparts in evangelizing, or bringing Christ to others. They go out and beat the bushes whereas we just stay "at home" in hopes of receiving people. Thus the really neat social centers for youths, the variety of fun events and ministries that go into peoples' homes. An analogy would be how campaign promises work -- a politician uses something appealing to bring the people aboard his campaign, and the "goods" get delivered when he's elected to the position he seeks.

 

quank

 

nice comment, Aquaria: "sheep go to heaven, goats go to hell." I'd like to use that on my husband next time he gets on his "we need to raise goats" kick!!!! MAAAAaaahhhh!

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The problem with many of these 'religions' is that they use methods which amount to brainwashing. Don't dismiss me as a conspiracy theorist wierdo. There are known and proven methods of indoctrination - people like the military use them deliberately; many religions use them too. Whether or not they do it deliberately, I don't know, but it creeps me out.

 

This guy's done a good job of describing the psychology behind 'brainwashing' or 'indoctrination'. This stuff has been studied for years for, among other things, advertising purposes. I urge everyone to read it; it's a real eye-opener.

 

http://www.ctyme.com/bwash/bwash.htm

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hi,

i was reading a bit of the article you linked to, and it's pretty interesting. it reminds me of a time that my mom and brothers heard about a free concert. we went and it was exactly as it described, the tent, the angelic girls in dresses, the repetitive music and the people who decided to get up to the mic and share.....

when i went to journalism school i studied propaganda and public opinion, which i thought was fascinating especially when talking about the media, the government and the military. it's interesting to see how religions and churches use certain "techniques" in dealing with the public.

 

aloha!

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hi,

i was reading a bit of the article you linked to, and it's pretty crazy. it reminds me of this time that my mom and brothers heard about a free concert. we went and it was exactly as it described, the tent, the angelic girls in dresses, the repetitive music and the people who decided to get up to the mic and share.....

when i went to journalism school i studied propaganda and public opinion, which i thought was fascinating especially when talking about the media, the government and the military. it's interesting to see how religions and churches use certain "techniques" too.

 

aloha!

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I never could figure out why so many churches have services on Sunday morning. How can anybody put money in the plate if they're drunk and broke from Saturday night. It would be so much better to hold services on Friday after work and move paydays to Thursdays (for people who don't get paid then already.)

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the people who wanted debauchery could byob then confess it away if there would be a going-out and church activity all in one place.

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