Well, while harboring hate is a sin in itself, if you have committed your life to Christ, accepted Him as your savior, then you have recieved His gift of forgiveness. God is the final judge, not the church, which is made up of flawed humans. Although, I think if you search, you will find a church full of good people who are trying to live like Jesus. And even if you don't, remember there are hypocrites everywhere, in every religion, and outside of religion. Don't hold your grudge against "the church" forever, okay? Some of us are good people, and we can more than make up for the "bad" ones. We can try, at least. And also, there are churches that are not so organized. If it's the ritualistic stuff you hate, don't look to Catholicism. Try an evangelical church. An apostolic prophetic church... try one with contemporary worship and younger people and you are more likely to find open minded Christians, and less stifling rules and rituals.

Organized religions are MAN made. So, if you believe in heaven, yes. (My opinion only)

Hebrews 10.25 says " Let us not give up meeting together." The christian is part of the Body of christ, so should meet with others to serve him together...after all, you will be spending eternity with them, so why not start getting to know some now? Besides, we are not here for ourselves, but for others, to help them grow, to teach the children the faith, to listen to others' pain, to counsel, to instruct, to encourage. We are meant to be together, just as a family which goes its separate ways during the day, meets together at night to celebrate its existence. Will you get into heaven if you do not? getting into heaven is not a points test? it is by grace. the thief on the cross gave his heart to the Lord at the last moment, and so could not attend anything, yet he is in heaven. But he had an excuse. Do we? I think not. There are many congregations around. we must be able to fit into one of them. that doesn't mean there will not be hypocrites in there (as the joke says: always room for one more! lol) or disagreeable people, or outright nasty ones. God knows who are his, and he is also changing them into the image of His son. Everyone who belongs to God is at a different stage of that transformation, and some need a lot more help to be godly than others (perhaps they need you to help them?) I still haven't answered your question exactly, but I am getting there. Will you still get into heaven? If you love Jesus and serve Him, yes. That is the criteria. BUT, there is a curious statement by paul in the following passage from 1 Corinthians 3: 10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. Look at that last verse there. Paul is talking about what we put on top of the foundation of faith laid down by Christ and the Apostles. He is saying that some of us clearly do a better job than others, and that some of what we do is of a better quality than other things we do. And on the last day, when the Lord shows to us exactly what we did put down on his foundations, we will be saved...BUT ONLY AS ONE ESCAPING THROUGH THE FLAMES. that is, by the skin of our teeth. We will be shown this vision of our works, our thanks to Jesus for what he did first. What will we see? Answer: how much we failed. And that will be a time of regret, deep regret, for having wasted the talents that Jesus gave us. One of those talents is serving other believers. Don't give up on them. They need you.

We as Christians are, I believe, suppossed to "assemble ourselves together", or go to church, but only if it is a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching Church. The true Church of Christ is the body of those who have been Biblically saved, (see John chapter 3 and Romans 10:9-13 on being saved.) not organized religion. I go to a Baptist Church, but I do not consider myself a part of an "organized religion" because organized religion is one of Satan's biggest weapons to keep people from being saved. As far as going to heaven, Jesus said He is the only way to heaven, (see John 14:6) not a church or organized religion. I hope this is helpful. Thank you and God bless you!

The Bible says the only way to get into Heaven is by accepting the Payment Jesus made for all sin on the cross. It says we are all sinners. Romans 3:10 As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned,and come short of the glory of God. It says no sin can enter into Heaven. Revelation 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. There has to be a death payment made for sin. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus made that death payment. Romans 5:8 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. All we have to do is accept the payment Jesus made, nothing else. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Just remember, D.E., that if you are a believer, other Christians need YOU, not just your money. Everyone needs to know that they are not alone. The Bible says in Hebrews 10:25 - "... forsake not the gathering of yourselves together ... to exhort (or encourage) each other ...". This is paraphrased, but it simply means we should meet together to help each other in our daily Christian walk. Will we go to hell if we don't attend some sort of church gathering? No. But, we can be strengthened (and helped) by this. As one of the others said, there are hypocrites in every church. There are hypocrites at your job. There are hypocrites everywhere. Please keep looking. You can find a church somewhere where you can be happy and where you are truly needed, (not just financially, but spiritually as well). And also realize, you do not have to go to EVERY service to serve God. Just try not to shut yourself off from like minded Christians. They may need you more than you need them.

i have a distaste 4 organized religion also. but i due attend an apostolic church where the jesus of the bible is taught. also they excercise spiritual gifts,fasting and prayer. i disagree with some of there teachings n extra biblical practices. but its better than being around a bunch of rationalizing, faithless ,powerless cessationist. the book of timothy tells us to stay away from people who have a form of godliness and deny his power. read HEB 6 the holy spirit gives us the 6 fundamental teachings of christ. read the scriptures and learn about these GOD GIVEN doctrines. many false teachers esp cessationist are out there DONT HOLD PROPHECIES IN CONTEMPT AND LET NO MAN DECIEVE. remeber true disciples are not slaves to SIN. GOD BLESSHYA!

To me I believe church is a fabrication and a place where people go just so they can appear to be religious but some of the same ones who go to church are the same ones sinning harder then the ones who do not go to church as often. I am a person who do not go to church because I do not believe that the people nor the ones that preach the word of God are true and real believers. My sister and my grandmother are the prime examples of that, my sister will lie, manipulate, and cheat her way into and out of situations but yet she claims that she is a child of God, she attends church service after church service and she still comes out more santanic then ever. I believe if God knows that you love him and believe him and that he is truely in your heart you wouldn't have to put up with so much BS that you find in churches today. I love God with all my heart, soul, and life and I will be happy the day that he brings me home, but I do not need a church, pastor/preacher or church goers to validate how much I love God....,

The last time I heard, it was Saint Peter who was the bouncer outside the Pearly Gates, not the Pope or the Archbishop of Canterbury, etc. The church is a middle-man between you and your beliefs, and has no ultimate say over what happens to your soul after you die.

Which churchs' "God" do you believe in?

I don't go to church. I DO believe in GOD. I Pray for my family and friends. Always believe and you should be OK.

No becuase you won't have the papers and border control won't let you in.

there is ONLY ONE UNFORGIVABLE SIN:::::::::::: denying Jesus Christ as God is the only thing that will keep you out of heaven. I am UNSUBSCRIBING TO THIS question, to avoid the possible influx of negative and hateful comments. great question, btw.

Short answer: "Yes" - if the church really is that bad. Many think they are getting in but they won't. Some think they won't get in but they will. Do you really love God? Do you even know what that means? Read your Bible and find out. The answer you are currently seeking is somewhere in the New Testament but you may as well just read the whole thing and get a proper understanding. Hint: "When I was hungry, you fed me ..." Jesus wasn't happy with the religion of his day either, but that doesn't mean you can use it as an excuse to stay ignorant.

I am a G2 We do not need a Church to pray We try to help as many people as posible We believe that all religions have the same GOD,but with maybe a different name You do not need a Church God is with all of us all the time I pray at night mostly If you hate the church Do the same Good luck Stu

1) "The Latin phrase Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus means: "Outside the Church there is no salvation". This expression comes from the writings of Saint Cyprian of Carthage, a bishop of the third century. The axiom is often used as short-hand for the doctrine, upheld by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, that the Church is absolutely necessary for salvation. The theological basis for this doctrine is founded on the beliefs that (1) Jesus Christ personally established the one Church; and (2) the Church serves as the means by which the graces won by Christ are communicated to believers. An Eastern Orthodox Church Bishop has expressed this doctrine as follows: "'Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus. All the categorical strength and point of this aphorism lies in its tautology. Outside the Church there is no salvation, because salvation is the Church' (G. Florovsky, Sobornost: the Catholicity of the Church, in The Church of God, p. 53). Does it therefore follow that anyone who is not visibly within the Church is necessarily damned? Of course not; still less does it follow that everyone who is visibly within the Church is necessarily saved. As Augustine wisely remarked: 'How many sheep there are without, how many wolves within!' (Homilies on John, 45, 12) While there is no division between a 'visible' and an 'invisible Church', yet there may be members of the Church who are not visibly such, but whose membership is known to God alone. If anyone is saved, he must in some sense be a member of the Church; in what sense, we cannot always say." Some of the most pertinent Roman Catholic expressions of this doctrine are: the profession of faith of Pope Innocent III (1208), the profession of faith of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), the bull Unam sanctam of Pope Boniface VIII (1302), and the profession of faith of the Council of Florence (1442). Whether these expressions constitute dogmatic definitions is the subject of investigation by Catholic theologians. The axiom "No salvation outside the Church" has been frequently repeated over the centuries in different terms by the ordinary magisterium." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extra_Ecclesiam_nulla_salus 2) Actually, you cannot answer this question because you cannot prove the existence of Heaven, or God, for that matter. It is just a matter of faith and dogma.

Of course not you silly goose! There's no such thing as heaven. Just enjoy your life.

The true chuch is the union between God, the holy ghost, and man. Pray as one or a group, and let it be known that jesus Christ is the gateway to eternal life.

You do not need to attend church to get into heaven. You need only accept Jesus Christ as your savior and try your best to live by his example. Acknowledge your sins and ask forgiveness. God wants us to gather in His name, which is why we have organized religions that gather in churches. But if you are uncomfortable in church, you could get together with a couple friends and chat about the bible. You might be able to find a bible study group that meets somewhere other than in a church. Sing His praises, think of Him, talk to Him, believe in Him. Good luck and God bless.

The building is NOT the Church...the Church is the people who gather who believe in God.

No because Heaven according to Scripture is actually not meant for humans to dwell in. A renewed earth under Messiah's reign from Jerusalem is the final destination after the resurrection.

I don't see why not. Even Jesus railed against the corruption of the synagogue. The Bible says "where two or more are gathered in my name, there I will be also." He also tells us not to forsake meeting together, but that doesn't mean you have to meet in a church. Early Christians used to meet in small groups at one another's houses to pray.

If you end up in Hell it is because you CHOSE to go there.

It depends on the religion, but I personally believe that I will get into heaven even though I don't support any specific church. However, many organized religions would disagree with that.

If you truly love God, then you are already in heaven come what may. Hate is not in your vocabulary if you truly love God.

I don't see why not. Even Christ himself decried the corruption in the synagogue. A lot of people will say that the Bible tells believers not to give up meeting together. While this is true, it doesn't mean you have to go to church. The first Christian churches were clandestine groups of friends who met in one another's homes to avoid persecution by the Roman empire. If there is a hell, I doubt they went to it. If you don't like the condition of modern churches, then gather a group of like-minded friends and have spiritual discussion together.

It has been the purpose of my entire life to understand God (using the OT and NT and extra biblical writings), I have been on this "path" for over 4 years; reading early church fathers, early teachings, studying the bible, and flirting with some biblical criticism. I have discovered that the church is a pack of viscious hypocrites thinking that they are saved and you are "damned". I scream back at them at the top of my lungs that you are all wrong. Where in the bible or other writing does it say that you need to "go to church"??? What is the Church??? The greek is ekklesia which means the called out ones. It essentially means the "body of Christ". The church, according to early christian teaching and my understanding of them, a group of peopl (very small) that gathered together, in a strict community of doing good deeds being Jesus Christ to the world and hating alll forms of unrighteousness. That is the core of 1 John (New Test.). 1 John should be pretty much the hand book of the Church (I love it with everything that I am, it bugs me even now, it really is an annoying epistle it seriously annoys you with its paradoxal lectures). Anyways, I will one day publish a book called something like "An Introduction to Christianity". Anyways, I want to finish reading every document christianity produced up to the fourth century. I want to really give out an honest opinion on such an urgent matter. So, 1) Organized Religion is Man's religion, 2) God is Love (and love is everything that Christianity is about and last of all 3) Christianity teaches its adherants to try to be as Holy as possible. It teaches its followers to love one another even unto death. That is "true" religion and besides this there is no other ( I am sure that I have a majority if the scholars/theologian/historians opinions. Unless, of course, if they have never read/studied early christianity. Paul, in the NT, emphasizes the ability for christians to "hold fast to traditions as I handed them down to you" (1 Corinthians 11 or 10 Can't remember lol). This specifically means looking into the Past history of Christianity. It is my primary desire to fully uinderstand christianity as it was from the begining. Anyhow, remember that God is great and that if you do go to church, make sure it is bible-thumping lol, BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY laugh out loud now !!! :-) Peace to you, say a prayer for me and I'll say a prayer for you, Thank you for your interest.May God bless you.

When I was Christian I never went to church because there were idols there.

No you won't, either way. There is no such thing as heaven

The short answer is of course yes. Church has nothing to do with wether you will or will not go to heaven. The word church is never mentioned in the bible ( not in the original texts anyway ). The word originally used is Ecclesia which means "a gathering of people" this was either in a home, the market place etc. Simply a group of people coming together the discuss, pray and learn about the scriptures and back then to reflect on the things Jesus had told them personally. Unfortunatly in the last 2,000 years man has used to great financial and political advantage the institution that we know today as the "church". Thats not to say all "churches" as bad, they can and do serve a useful purpose to allow people to meet and learn and socialise. It's when this "church" becomes to them an integral part of salvation that the problems arise. Eg: "There is no salvation outside of the catholic church" . The Catholic church didnt even exist when Jesus was crucified and gave salvation to all who believe. Hope this helps.