Is it crazy to want to start my own church?

Now, I believe in a higher power. But the current houses of worship don't suit me. They've been corrupted by man.

Christ is an ideal, a figure to aspire to be like, a friend who is always there. Not a vending machine to put a prayer into and receive what you want.

People are so hung up on Jesus' death that they forget the little stuff. They hate each other because of tiny things.
Sure, Matthew 27:25 seems to put the responsibility for the death of Jesus at the hands of the Jewish people, but I don't think that God wrote that bit. I don't think they ever said that, even.

Who would say "And all the people yelled back, "We will take responsibility for his death--we and our children!"?
No one with any morality in their heart. People are bad, but they're not that bad.

So, I've made a claim that not all of the bible is literally true... Where do we go from there?
We separate the wheat from the chaff. We remove the hateful from the loving. An all-knowing, all-loving creator wouldn't damn his children to an eternal existence in Hell. A monarch or a king would like us to think that God would damn anyone who disobeyed what the king had written into the bible, but it doesn't make it true.

Just because some bishopric declares that you can buy your way out of responsibility for awful and immoral things doesn't make it true. Just because they say that God told them that he wants us to tithe ten percent to the church doesn't make it true. They're buying and selling the human spirit, and claiming that they're doing it in the name of God.

If I started a church, it wouldn't be like that. It would focus on the positivity of the message of God, not on whether or not eating shellfish is against God's will. It would be about loving one's neighbor, no matter if they be the same creed as you, or if they are the polar opposite. It would be about stopping hate, not starting it. When I see the Westboro Baptist Church, I get furious. They think they know morality? That they comprehend God?

My opinion on that matter is that God, and the devil, are both inside a person. It's up to a person to choose whether they want to walk a moral path, or if they want to go down the other road. The folks of the Westboro Baptist Church have gone down the road of absolute evil, and they dress themselves up in the clothes of God. Truly monstrous.

So, what do you think? Am I crazy for wanting to start my own church at some point? This isn't something I plan to do tomorrow, or even this year, but just something I've been thinking about.

reply to post by Grifter42


No, it's not crazy at all! I think we will see more and more of that sort of thing popping up as people continue to wake up. Something for you to remember: most people spend a fair amount of time on both paths to which you referred. We are flawed and weak. A church that would help people accept and realize this fact could go a long way toward bringing us all to our own true and individual spiritual path. Namaste.

reply to post by Grifter42


Not crazy at all. I thought of that before because I so wanted to fellowship but was so disillusioned by the current church structure - it just blows me away sometimes. A friend told me that was very arrogant of me to act like an "authority" without having tried ALL the churches in the area. I don't need to! I've visited so many and I can tell you what it's going to be like before I arrive.

But, she didn't know where I was really coming from on the idea of home church and the whole non-501(c)3 (tax exemption status) thing. And there are more reasons I won't go to a typical church building anymore.

You could start by holding a meetup through meetup (dot com) or just sending the word out to friends and meeting at a coffee shop.

I encourage you in this! There is nothing wrong with people gathering to study and worship in their own way. If I have time I will add more resources to this thread so that you can come back and have more help should you decide to go this path. Which, really, can start anytime with you and just one more person.

PS - everyone, please remember, Westboro was trained by the FBI from Quantico, Virginia. Why? Well, the results sort of speak for themselves. www.npr.org... 2011/062911.FBI_Involved_Westboro_Baptist_Church_In_Training_at_Military_Base.html

S&F for you

The problem with organised religion is that it becomes a hiding place for the garmented ones. The people who use the religions as a way to manipulate others or to hide what they are in a group of nice people (wolf in sheep:s clothing).

There are plenty of less dualistic (our way is right/your way is wrong) materialistic views around the world that you can choose than the usual dogmatic version of Christian view. The protestant churches in Europe is very open to other faiths and spiritual experiences even if some of them still cannot see fully beyond duality.

An example Rumi Sufi Mystic


A Sikh song.

The creator is one
God gives this Glance of Grace to those people and they are filled with absolute joy and fulfillment.
Let self-control be your furnace, and patience your goldsmith.
Let understanding be your anvil, and spiritual wisdom your hammer.
With the Fear of God as your bellows, fan the flames of the body's inner heat, the Tapa.
In the crucible of love, melt the Nectar of the Name.
In your heart the Divine Sound Current is forged.
Such is the labor of those upon whom God has given the Glance of Grace.
Oh Nanak, God gives this Glance of Grace to those people and they are filled with absolute joy and fulfillment.

No way man, great idea! I'm gonna open a good Khahreeeschan church we'll use our tongues to lick vanilla ice cream cones, play with rubber snakes, guzzle Wild Turkey 101 and dance Like monkeys! I'm call in it "The Church of What's Happenin Now" , we'll be chillaxin down in the lay low an groovin to the COSMIC FUNK!!!!

cleversprite
reply to post by Grifter42

 

No, it's not crazy at all! I think we will see more and more of that sort of thing popping up as people continue to wake up. Something for you to remember: most people spend a fair amount of time on both paths to which you referred. We are flawed and weak. A church that would help people accept and realize this fact could go a long way toward bringing us all to our own true and individual spiritual path. Namaste.

Soul under pressure and a work in progress. . If the place was more harmonious then the flaws would not be noticed as much and maybe not even created. Namaste (on all levels of meaning)

reply to post by Grifter42


I've often considered starting my own cult/church.
You get to meet new victims/people, make lots of money/friends. And help destroy humanity/make the world a better place.

Ok,...I just want people to worship a giant bronze statue of me and sacrifice virgins in my name.

Since you only mentioned Christians in your post, I would suggest that what you are looking for may already exist outside of a Christian-centric perspective. Maybe look into the Bahai faith. An extensive study of world religion should keep you busy and thinking and contemplating. I'd say such a study would be extremely beneficial for someone interested in starting their own church, too.

What Hubbard said "You don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion."

Eventually even you have pure goals the others might not, when church is established there is always those who are for money.
Church offerings are the start just like in all churches, money is needed to cover the costs first but later for pure greed.

reply to post by Grifter42


Personally I think you should follow your heart. If you want to start your own church and feel like you are being called to do that, go for it. Would probably help if you were ordained, or had some background in theology, but whatever.

I did have to comment on this part of your OP:

People are so hung up on Jesus' death that they forget the little stuff. They hate each other because of tiny things.
Sure, Matthew 27:25 seems to put the responsibility for the death of Jesus at the hands of the Jewish people, but I don't think that God wrote that bit. I don't think they ever said that, even.

What you might be overlooking here is that many of these people felt that Jesus was blaspheming against God. It is not a stretch of the imagination to think that people who were zealous (or even fanatical) about their religion could or would say such a thing if they felt their God was being blasphemed. You can see similar statements (and worse) being stated today by religious fanatics, so it is not out of the realm of possibility that people in the crowd actually said what is reported in Matthew.

Yup, you're a complete loon. Certifiable and most likely psychopathic. Anyone that want's to start a cult, which all religions are, has to have mental issues, as do the people that follow them.

reply to post by Grifter42


Go ahead but remember this

ALL churches end in apostasy yours will be no different.

KBadger
Yup, you're a complete loon. Certifiable and most likely psychopathic. Anyone that want's to start a cult, which all religions are, has to have mental issues, as do the people that follow them.

Garbage like this should be bannable.

Ah, the free speech and thought police are here...

Kmhotaru
reply to post by Grifter42

 

Not crazy at all. I thought of that before because I so wanted to fellowship but was so disillusioned by the current church structure - it just blows me away sometimes. A friend told me that was very arrogant of me to act like an "authority" without having tried ALL the churches in the area. I don't need to! I've visited so many and I can tell you what it's going to be like before I arrive.

But, she didn't know where I was really coming from on the idea of home church and the whole non-501(c)3 (tax exemption status) thing. And there are more reasons I won't go to a typical church building anymore.

You could start by holding a meetup through meetup (dot com) or just sending the word out to friends and meeting at a coffee shop.

I encourage you in this! There is nothing wrong with people gathering to study and worship in their own way. If I have time I will add more resources to this thread so that you can come back and have more help should you decide to go this path. Which, really, can start anytime with you and just one more person.

PS - everyone, please remember, Westboro was trained by the FBI from Quantico, Virginia. Why? Well, the results sort of speak for themselves. www.npr.org... 2011/062911.FBI_Involved_Westboro_Baptist_Church_In_Training_at_Military_Base.html

S&F for you

No such story this about westboro is made up

KBadger
Ah, the free speech and thought police are here...

Not sure if you bothered to read the terms and conditions when you signed up here, but bashing members is not permitted. You come in this thread and start calling the OP a certifiable loon and a psychopath, and for what? Then you turn around and call every religion a cult, and say that anyone who is religious has mental issues.

You offered NOTHING constructive to the thread whatsoever, and didn't even bother to dress your ignorance up by addressing anything the OP said.

Thought police? I don't think so. Believe whatever you want, but I think you could probably find a more constructive way to communicate with other people on this forum, don't you?

DeadSeraph

KBadger
Yup, you're a complete loon. Certifiable and most likely psychopathic. Anyone that want's to start a cult, which all religions are, has to have mental issues, as do the people that follow them.

Garbage like this should be bannable.

Let KBadger speak. He has a right to his opinion. Everyone does.

There is no more reason to ban him for his words than there is to ban me.

I'm sorry he feels that way, but he is another human being and ought to be allowed to voice his thoughts.

I don't much care for one portion of his quote. I may very well be a loon, acknowledged. The jury is out on that one.
But to call me a psychopath, that's hurtful. I care about my fellow man.

I hope one day, you can let go of your bitterness. Until that day, let it out. It helps if you let it out, instead of bottling it up.

I appreciate the input and suggestions from you folks, even if negative.

Reply to Deadseraph

My point is entirely valid and completely constructive to the op. Just because you easily take offense is an issue purely of your own.

reply to post by Grifter42


NOT crazy.. I too have wished to start a church. As a young man, I was the layreader for our units and met with the chaplain weekly.

Some time later, I had studied the bible inside and out. the Out part left me with answered questions the inside could not provide.

And from then on, have HATED ALL religions. for they are TRULY corrupted.

Jesus was all about helping the poor, and the church today is all about "God wants you to be rich"... the biggest bunch of crap I ever heard.

Ever see a church parking lot? full of HYPOCRITES of the MOST greedy imaginable. the majority of them are less like Jesus than the people they snear at and gossip about, and mostly either REALLY DUMB, or recovering Drug/Alcohol Addicts. Holier than thou on Sunday, and heathens the rest of the week.

So, many are doing jobs in dishonest fields.. ANd they are the EXACT type of people that Jesus would desire to "change their ways"..
If you have a 401k with more than say 20,000. and you claim to be a christian who "Loves Jesus", you are a HYPOCRITE!

Maybe starting churches based on Goodness and Ideal of the teaching of Jesus yet leave all the mumbo Jumbo behind will be the future.

PLUS, the fact that the deceiver has his hands on the editors of the Bible do NOT help things at all.

reply to post by Grifter42


Apologies for calling you a psychopath. It is in my experience however that most people who wish to start a following of some sort usually have at least very narcissistic tendencies that go hand in hand with a more psychopathic profile.