Do we need Churches (Religious Institutions)?

I do not think we need them.
Free religious teachings and religions from institutions monopolizing them - and we have a better world. 

OR, do not limit the number of institutions... let there be billions of churches, one customized church for each individual...

Just a thought

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Permalink Reply by Peter Brabyn on May 10, 2012 at 6:06am

Namaste Anand,

What an excellent question, but as it is stated above, there are differing definitions of Church.

Do we need a place to come together for support, worship, ceremony, cohesion and the general benefit of the community? Yes, we most definitely do. These aspects of 'Church' and religion are beneficial to humanity, to individuals and to society.

Do we a place to evangelise, to enforce dogma, to sow seeds of doubt about different thinking and to indoctrinate the young? I don't think so.

Dogmatic church is something I dislike. Telling people how and what to think I abhor. These things grate on me so much that I started my own, an Interfaith Church, one which I like to call a non-prophet organisation where we ask people to BYO beliefs.

Church should only ever be part of the journey, never the destination. A church is a kindergarten for the spiritual seekers, somewhere to go to hone their concept of deity, and to share their successes and the successes of others in their own search for God.

As the spiritual head of my own church, I do not seek to tell anyone the nature of God, after all, who am I to know? I am just a person who thinks he knows a bit about the spiritual side of things, that doesn't mean I'm right. I do not seek to convert anyone any more than I seek to be converted, I simply seek to help people think, and to see the signpost that are already there in their own lives.

How any one person sees God is not my business and in my humble opinion is not the business of any other person or organisation, even church (of any flavour).

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