Thinking about leaving my church?

[kate]

I know...it sounds like I'm leaving God. But that's not true!
I feel like I can become closer to God on my own. I don't feel..."right" at church. I feel much more comfortable talking to God on my own. I also cannot sit in one spot for an hour and a half. I squirm about and tap my feet uncontrollably. It's very hard for me to sit there. It's not like I don't love God, because I do.

And since the end times are upon us, the church is supposed to become raptures. False preachers, pastors living in riches...i do feel like the people working in my church are only doing it for money. The Sunday school teachers all receive a pay. In fact, they are paid enough that they live off it! Everyone gets paid there. That's the only reason I think they are there. My mom teaches a grade 5-6 Sunday school class in the mornings on Sunday and she does NOT want to be paid. The only people I think should be paid is the pastor and his son, who works in the office. He makes the bulletins, updates the Facebook page, and plans stuff. Those are the two jobs that deserve pay.

I don't feel very comfortable in there...there's something, off about it...I can't put my finger on it. My parents force me to go every Sunday. FORCE. I feel absolutely terrible about not wanting to go. I seriously think there's something evil about me that makes me feel so uncomfortable. It's bringing me down and making me ashamed. I feel like by not wanting to go to church, I am spitting in the face of god,


What should I do?? Do you go to church or do you keep a close relationship with god by yourself?
OLD: I will pray for you. I will pray that you can find God and free yourself of this unholy life.
OLD: If you really think that, the fine...once again, I'm shooting many prayers down your way!
STEVEN: Do NOT discuss how my religion is false, that God isn't real, or anything like that! NO!
Horse: what do you mean by mental cage???
Horse: mind prison, oops

[Horse]

God is the next step, you've almost broken free from the mind prison!

[Bravo]

Church is horrid. Read and interpret the bible for YOURSELF. Don't let clergy cherry-pick and do it for you.

[Old]

The end times?

Do you know what an airhead is?

At least you figured out religion is a business and the customers are suckers.

[2 Shepherds]

For now, attend the fellowship with your mother. When you are older, ask God to guide you to a fellowship where you feel spiritually safe and encouraged to grow in your walk with God.

[Krista]

Jehovah's Witnesses do not receive pay. We are ALL volunteers. You may be interested in learning what all we do voluntarily.
Yes, we go to our Christian meetings for God says at Hebrews 10:24, 25 we should not neglect our meeting together.
It is important that we worship God in the way that he approves. Many people believe that all religions are pleasing to God, but the Bible does not teach that. It is not even enough just to claim to be a Christian. Jesus said: “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will.” To have God’s approval, therefore, we must learn what God requires of us and do it. Jesus called those who do not do God’s will “workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-23) Like counterfeit money, false religion has no real value. Even worse, such religion is actually harmful. Jehovah gives everyone on earth the opportunity to gain everlasting life. To have eternal life in Paradise, however, we must worship God properly and live now in a way that is acceptable to him. Sadly, many refuse to do so. That is why Jesus said: “Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.” (Matthew 7:13, 14) True religion leads to everlasting life. False religion leads to destruction. Jehovah does not want any human to be destroyed, and that is why he is giving people everywhere an opportunity to learn about him. (2 Peter 3:9) Really, then, the way we worship God means either life or death for us. God’s servants base their teachings on the Bible. The Bible itself says: “All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man [or woman] of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) To his fellow Christians, the apostle Paul wrote: “When you received God’s word, which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of men, but, just as it truthfully is, as the word of God.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13) Hence, beliefs and practices of the true religion are not based on human views or tradition. They originate in God’s inspired Word, the Bible. Those who practice the true religion worship only Jehovah and make his name known. Jesus declared: “It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.” (Matthew 4:10) Thus, God’s servants worship no one other than Jehovah. This worship includes letting people know what the name of the true God is and what he is like. Psalm 83:18 states: “You, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” Jesus set the pattern in helping others to get to know God, as he said in prayer: “I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me out of the world.” (John 17:6) Similarly, true worshipers today teach others about God’s name, his purposes, and his qualities. God’s people show genuine, unselfish love for one another. Jesus said: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:35) The early Christians had such love for one another. Godly love overcomes racial, social, and national barriers and draws people together in an unbreakable bond of true brotherhood. (Colossians 3:14) Members of false religions do not have such a loving brotherhood. How do we know that? They kill one another because of national or ethnic differences. True Christians do not take up weapons to kill their Christian brothers or anyone else. The Bible states: “The children of God and the children of the Devil are evident by this fact: Everyone who does not carry on righteousness does not originate with God, neither does he who does not love his brother. . . . We should have love for one another; not like Cain, who originated with the wicked one and slaughtered his brother.”—1 John 3:10-12; 4:20, 21. Therefore true Christians do not go to war and kill their brothers in other countries.
True christians also follow Jesus organization for preaching house to house all their lives until the end comes. Acts 20:20, Luke 10;1,2

[Charles]

i do both.
the bible teaches us to worship and to learn about god in a asemble- a group- 2 or more people.

[Hunter]

Church is not the only way to be close to God. You don't need to go to church to be a Christian. And maybe it's not church in general, but this church that you need to leave?
But, there are two other things you mention that I would like to address. You say that the end times are upon us. I do agree that the end is on its way, but the end times are not yet upon us. The other thing is that you talk of people in church getting paid. Church should not be about pay. No one in the church should be paid. That's the way it is at the churches I've been to, and that's the way I believe it should be.

[Steven]

Christianity is a lie and nothing else. god is not real, the mere concept of a Heavenly god is only a thought form that has been created to stop the Gentiles from knowing the truth about real spirituality.

Please visit
Exposing Christianity.com
Joy of Satan.com

[blockhead]

Look for a church that doesn't have a pastor....and one that doesn't get paid.
Tithing is supposed to go to what is called a storage house....Not a pastor
Tithing is supposed to help the needy......Not the pastor.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints .....is what your looking for....No pastors in this church.