So many people who post here who want to preach or "spread the gospel" (according to them) have said that they do not want to have a discussion or debate about what they spew as truth.

This is why I don't go to church.

The preacher stands up there on his pulpit or stage and preaches what he wants or interprets to a somewhat captive audience and there is no discussion, no debate etc.

If anyone dares to question the preacher they are viewed as disruptive or argumentative. Sometimes even "anti-God." How dare they question God or the Bible.

News flash, that preacher is not God, and the Bible is used by hundreds of sects and religions who are at war with each other.

I will question all of it.

When are people going to come into their own power and start thinking for themselves and stop letting religious leaders on pulpits tell them how to think and believe?

When?

when will people realize the traits of respect or mutual agreement don't equate to being 'told how to think'

??

there is not a church I have attended which doesn't have bible study time for those questions people may have


should someone disrupt a card reading, spell casting, or other occasion with questions?

there is a time and place, there is nothing that should be particularly disturbing or new about that fact

What does my post have to do with card readings? (Those are one on one two way conversations, like therapy.)

Specifically, I am referring to people here on mingle who will preach the gospel (according to them) but will not discuss or debate the reasoning of what they are preaching, and comparing it to a preacher on Sunday standing behind a pulpit preaching to a crowd.

He does not want to discuss anything, he just wants to influence people to agree with him.

Its why I don't go to church.

"Bible Study" is a better approach, but all is still subject to the interpretation of the Church or the preacher in charge. If you don't agree with them or him, you are free to go to another church or start your own church. That is why there are so many different denominations.

So preachers who say, "It's my way or the highway" are the cause of so much separation of people and religions.

I agree, prechers who say its any way but the bibles way, or Gods way contribute to separation

and there is still a time and place for everything,, when you go to learn, you listen so you can learn

church is NOT Meant to be a two way discussion, there is a speaker,, if you don't like what he speaks on you can leave or choose another speaker to observe, like with ANY speaker who is in front of an audience

people didn't usually show up to hear other audience members but to hear the speaker,,


there are many churches which have many teaching and preaching styles,, I don't see the problem or how that means that people somehow are being 'told what to think' when they respectfully listen or even (shock and awe) AGREE with the speaker/preacher

..and that is why I don't go to church.

great choice,, its why I don't go to anti OBama, or anti religion gatherings too

choice is a wonderful thing

There are seven churches in my town and I was curious about why there are seven different churches. (Even though there are much more than that.)

So I went to one in particular curious about why his church was different from another church. I ask him "What does your church believe or teach about such and such...?"

Instead of answering my questions he just said, "What does the Bible say?"

I asked him a few more questions and his response was the same.

I just wanted a clue about what his church believed and taught, but got nothing.

I finally had to ask someone else, an outsider, about that particular church and they told me that it was a very fundamentalist church that took the Bible pretty literally. So I wondered if they still thought stoning people and burning witches was something they would do if it were still legal.

There are anti-religious gatherings? I have never heard of such things. Or anti-Obama gatherings either.

interesting question

it occurs to me that because something is legal though, doesn't make it mandatory

its legal to smoke, yet I don't,

I don't know that church, but following the lead of Christ , I wouldn't imagine such a thing would not be frowned upon , even if our mortal flesh and blood government did decide to make it 'legal'

Well, as you know, the old Testament does not follow the lead of Christ.

So when a preacher asks, "What does the Bible say?" and he does not exclude the Old Testament, I have to wonder if he is following the lead of Christ by including the Old Testament.

The reason I sometimes like to debate or discuss issues is because I want to UNDERSTAND why people believe the way they do. It is not because I want to convinced them that they are wrong.

I want to challenge them to think about their beliefs and try to extract the truth from them about why they believe the way they do.

That's a hard thing to do. I don't think people know why they believe the way they do.

my understanding is the old testament is before Christ and therefore cannot be following his teaching

but the old testament, meant for the chosen people, was fulfilled upon Christs return when he eliminated the chosen status, and the new testament became the law

they are out there,,easy to search for and find on the news or the internet

According to what religion?

What you have stated above sounds like a particular conclusion, probably confined to a particular sect.

Is this the consensus for all protestant religions? What about Catholics? Muslims? Mormons? (We know it is not accepted by Jews)

people assign themselves labels

no detail has an absolute consensus amongst everyone,, except the fundamental requirement for Christians to believe Christ died and arose

my understanding is based upon reading and studying the bible,

Matthew 5:17

17"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.


which I Take to mean God doesn't play favorites or rank Christians by their label, religious, or otherwise

Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.


This verse should be a clue to people who are anti-gay rights.

I don't think so,, one is about a label, the other is about behavior

nowhere does that line say to me that behavior and sin are no longer to be taken into account,,

saying Im not giving you preference for your gender, is not the same as saying I approve of and support whatever you wish to do,,,or that I didn't create you as man and woman with different strengths , weaknesses, and purposes within family or community

See that just proves that everyone interprets the verses in the Bible according to there own prejudices and beliefs.

some judgemnts are right,, so are some beliefs,,

What is "right" IS a judgement and an opinion.