Looking at Church as More Than An Institution or An Organization

I want to start out by saying I believe that the Church is not an institution or an organization...it is a living breathing organism! I am the Church...me...I am the Church...I am a part of a community that is the Church. This community is not limited to the institution, the organization or the wall of a building. This is who we are, this is our identity as part of the Church we are more than Christians we are Christ Followers. You can get rid of every church building, you can ban every church activity...You CAN NOT outlaw or ban the Church.

I also want to say that many people who claim to represent the church (Institution/organization) and claim to represent Christ (through their words, not deeds) have done some horrific things and misrepresented the Christian faith and they do not represent me...the Church.

I also believe that separation of church and state as so many people, who have there own authoritative reference and have their own belief/faith system, claim is about the not allowing the Church (individuals) say what they want in any public government forum. I would argue that separation of church and state is for two purposes, in context when that was written...go back to history and context of time when it was written. The state controlled the institution of the church...so this was written to not allow the state to CONTROL or LEAD the church. Second purpose, is that we would not have a theocracy set up like many of the Islamic nations have set up currently, but to promote the experiment of democracy.

With that said, state should never control what another person says...I truly believe this for everyone. Freedom of Speech for all, yes everyone is offended by something someone else says. If people want to seek to stop every offensive speech, I would submit that our nation will be very quiet, because I hear things said from people with different point of view that they take from their authoritative canons, their personal faith thoughts, their "religious" view that I find offensive. But I either make a choice to remove myself from listening to them espouse their views, I get over it, I listen with an attitude of understanding where they come from or I just plain ignore what I believe to a lie. Why can't we all have this attitude? Instead we want to shut people up, call people names, say how stupid they are or worse ban what they say through laws. Seriously people? Seriously? You want to make a law about what people say...seriously get a life. If I chose say a Bible verse on a public school campus, is that truly going to harm any one? Seriously, it will hurt when I say Jesus Died for You? this is what I believe, this is who I am as a Human being, this is what i know to be Truth. You really want to ban what I say? How about when you say that you believe, because of your faith and the books you read, that God does not exist, I find that offensive, that is is YOUR religious statement, can I get that ban? What? No! It is different?!? It is your personal faith and religious view of a church institution.

Let me go back to my original thought, I am the Church, it is who I am, it is a part of my DNA. I don't go to church, I am the Church! I am a Christ follower. It is what is inside my heart, mind and soul, again it is who I am. I feel the Bible is Truth, this is what my foundation is built on...I believe heart, mind, and soul in Jesus, that He is God and that He died for my sins...this is my faith...this makes up the person, the individual, the human of Chris Jarrell...and people want to ban my thoughts, my voice, my views, my life. Really? Are you sure?

These thoughts stem from this article and the comments that follow on this article...
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/undergod/2009/10/friday_night_acolytes.html

I wanted to express my personal views. my thoughts...what I believe to be true. I want to stay positive on these thoughts...I did not knock anyone or any faith or did I put anyone down or condemn someone. These are MY views.

Your thoughts, your opinions? By the way, no one has ever been converted by calling them names, or by losing an argument.