what do you think about a church locking the doors?
414378
I think that church's preacher is violating laws and endangering the lives of his followers. If the church some how caught on fire with the church doors locked people might have been killed or seriously burned. Suggesting a little boy jump off a building is child abuse and permanently damaging. Turning up the heat may have caused heat stroke. Before more damage is done this preacher ought to be reported to  the fire department and either the local police or state police. In addition, the preacher should be reported to the National Association of Church Business Administration (NACBA), 100 North Central Expressway, Suite 914, Richardson, TX 75080-5326  or phone 800.898.8085. The NACBA ( http://www.nacba.net ) should be able to guide you from there. People's lives may be a stake. Don't wait to report these dangerous misguided actions. Good luck.
472309
As one of Jehovah's Witnesses I can assure you while not all have windows, many of our Kingdom Halls do! The one in my area has several. Not all have windows because it does cut down on the cost of building, as well as shortening the length of time it takes to build. Also, less (or no) windows encourages less crime and vandalism.
969720
Yes, because it would not be stiffled by dogma!\nIt takes room to grow and expand, but religion puts up road blocks in the mind that prevent people from being able to do this!\nTear down the walls!
1047727
I am a Christian and I totally know what you mean.  I got away from my believes for a while because of all of the "rules".  Yes there are certain rules you should follow, but Christians these days take some things overboard.  I beleive that church today has gotten away from the heart of the ministry and more into the rules.  It is blinding Christians and it is very sad!  How are you supposed to witness to somebody if you are to worried about what they arre wearing, their music, what they do for fun and all of that???  Christians today need to let that go and realize that they are missing the chance to witness and care for others who are hurting just because of their uptightness.
998115
Freedom of speech just like You are demonstrating here, and We are demonstrating back.  Hopefully People would pray for You.  If They are strong in Their beliefs, Their faith, You wouldn't be anything more than a temporary distraction.\nIt wouldn't be loitering, but it might be tress passing, depending on if the People's yard You were standing in didn't want You there.  Lots of Church's are by houses.\n\nWhy, are there People standing by Your house holding signs that read There is a God, and  an afterlife, so get with the program?
20475
They really are getting rich, you have to give them credit for that.  \n\nSome scams are successful, and no one can really do anything about one that calls themselves a church.
123906
We are heading toward a global economy that can track every item, every transaction and human traffic. Crime will be a thing of the past since that which would be illegal--drugs, human trafficing etc. will be legal (albiet highly taxed).\n\nTo accomplish this, the church would have to be removed first to avoid any interferance.
554568
Hi bellbree,\n\n I was walking to the corner market for a loaf of bread when I had to pass by a neighborhood church. I was somewhat acquainted with the structure as it was always mentioned in the newspaper's community section. Known as "The loft," folks would gather there on Thursday evenings for poetry readings. \nHowever, this day happened to be a Saturday afternoon and a pair of gentlemen greeted me as I walked by. They invited me inside to sample an hour of their presentation. Ok, I went inside and found myself to be a prospective new recruit for their brand of religion. \n\nMost of the pews were filled with hooded monks chanting a haunting rhythm. There were others who like me, were wearing their regular denims. The service began like most other church-goers would be familiar with. A grand master of ceremonies led the group through some songs and gave a sermon. Near the end of the hour it was time for their ritual of "laying on of the hands." Some of the parishioners would come forward and ask for prayers for their ailments or for a sick grand mum who fell down in the tub. All the hooded dudes whose faces could not readily be seen would all place a hand on the person and their combined energies were presumed to have a strength and expedite a solution to the problem. \n\nOK now, there was another new guy in the pews who was watching eagerly. I recognized Mark W. Reinhold from the wanted poster at the post office. When he saw a chance, he approached the ring of conspirators and described how he was never able to settle down. The hooded goons closed in upon him, all to make a physical connection. The master of ceremonies began a prayer, a dogmatic mix of logic and pure hocus-pocus. I immediately saw the effects as the tension went out of Mark's body. When the beseeching was near an end, the master asked, "Are the brothers ready?" \n\nA suspenseful few moments passed until he almost shouted, "NOW!" \n\nOn that cue, the brothers began to pummel their hapless victim. Continually delivering blows over head and to the solar plexus until Mark was down on the floor getting stomped. After another minute, the grand Pooh-Bah decided the treatment administered was sufficient to induce a relaxing calm that would assuage the nervousness in Mark for a long, long time. \n\nI can't say for certain that Mark W. Reinhold was apprehended and locked up because, I had a loaf of bread to buy and some other errands to do that day. I hope for you bellbree, that you find a sense of closure to this bad episode of life. \n\n-Bryce
1174152
Goodness, no!  Why would I invite a stranger into my house?  That's a silly question.  Who knows what would happen next.  My daughter might be exposed to religion way before her time, my family might be burned at the stake because we're Wiccan, who knows.  I'd rather keep my door firmly shut.
255806
Probably not. However, I have seen over the years that a lot of the people inside the church buildings do. It's a rarity to find a church that just anyone can walk into and feel loved. That is what people are searching for... l-o-v-e. If they can't find it in church they will find it somewhere else - anywhere else. When Jesus was on the earth he reached out to the people that the "church" of that time considered unclean. He did not reach out to the churched people but to the prostitutes, tax collectors and theives. He loved the unloveable and he commanded his followers to do the same. He loved the "hell" out of them. He didn't beat it out of them. If someone knows they are loved and that they are better than the situation they are in, they will likely pick themselves up and become the type of people they have the potential to be. If they are looked down upon because of their situation and feel they are no good, they will stay in that situation or worse.\nIf the people in the church building would understand that church is not a building but a body of people, we might get out of the building once in a while and live the way Jesus wants us to. Then people might dare to set foot inside a church building. Jesus lived to set an example, He died to set us free and He rose to settle it forever.
578933
We should allow anyone who wants to come to church.\nBut they need to be hearing the truth on what God finds acceptable or not. If pastors allow people to go on living in sin and He never confronts them, I feel sorry for him in eternity.\nIn our church we have prostitutes, homosexuals, alcoholics, drug users, and sinners of all sorts. We encourage all to come, and they either get their lives straight or become convicted and leave before to long. Sin can never feel comfortable in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
612714
yes, very wrong. a church-institute who forbids their members to protect themselves against a deadly disease is antisocial and very unchristian i think.
655946
I would never go to church again. Nothing is as boring as sitting down to listen to a lecture on a subject that I dont care about, droning out some old hymns, putting money in the offering plate, and shaking hands with the elderly. In fact, i might give up sex if it would keep me out of church forever.
356472
i don't think so, the law shouldn't be affected by the church. and if you're Muslim and want to vote, wouldn't you feel unconfortable in a church?  I think that only Christians would vote if the elections were held in churches, and that isn''t democracy.
352949
everything. the congregation, the pastor, the church staff, volunteers, etc. Also staying dead on with the scriptures and being open to new converts and believers. Also, just because a church doesn't have all the amenities you may want at the present time doesn't mean that it should be overlooked.  \n\nSometimes all they need is you to step up to the plate.  I run the powerpoint/overheads at my church on saturday nights, a service which usually draws around 1,000 people.
992044
I have been to several different churches.  Some do, and some don't.  The focus never seems to be on an image, statue or drawing.  I think people are worried to much about the wrong things!
1115806
There's supposably one in a church near Lawrence, Ks in a town called Stull, I think.  Missed my chance to check it out and I think it's been torn down, but I know people who claim they've seen things there, although they were too scared to get close or go inside the place.