Basic HTML Version
Part
Eigh_t_:
___
A
Voice Cries
Out
Amid Religious
Confusion
How could the world have become so mixed up? Out of this spiritual wilderness, a voice cries out in
clarity and power, with the reassuring truth of the world's on/y.and sure hope!
Editor's note: We are printing here,
serial/y, the new book by Herbert W.
Arrnstrong with the sarne tille as this
article. The book wi/1 appear /ater
in
bookstores.
Chapter 7
Part One:
WHATANDWHY
THECHURCH?
D
OES ANYONE KNOW
WHY
there are church–
es? Just what /S the
CHURCH
as an institu–
tion? ls tbere a
REASON
for it?
People take the existence of
churches for granted.
Most think of the
CHU RCH
as
a building with a sharply sloping
roof, a steeple pointing heaven–
ward atop and a cross on its
face. Indeed Webster defines the
word
church
as a building. lt
was something altogether differ-
December 1980
by
Herbert W. Armstrong
ent when originall y founded .
People suppose a church is a
building to which people-some
of them- flock on Sunday morn–
ing for "worship." Tbey think
people
go to the
church.
As
founded in the New Testarnent,
the
Church
went to a
building,
at
first a prívate home. And the
Church assembled on a Saturday,
not Sunday.
How the churches of today
have changed from Christ's pat–
tern! But for
WHAT PURPOSE
did
Ch ris t found the Church ? What
has happened to it since?
Sorne may know that Christ is
supposed to have started it. Yet in
the Westero world today there
are many different churches–
Catholic, Protes tant , indepen–
dents. And within them many
denominations, sects and divi–
sions or congregations, each with
its differing beliefs, teachings,
rituals and programs.
1nstitutionally the
CH URCH
is
thought of as a religious organiza–
tion, associatio n o r society.
One- if "good"- is supposed to
JOm
the "church of his choice."
Of course there are the "good
guys" and the " bad guys" and the
"good" go to church.
1
am reminded of an incident
of more than 40 years ago. 1 was
still in Eugene, Oregon. An ex–
minister carne to me who had just
recently been married. His wife
had money, but he was too proud
to Jet her support him. He had
not been employed in the minis–
try for sorne time but now needed
a job.
" Do you know of any pulpit
vacancies in Lane County?" he
asked.
" I
want to support my
wife, and she wants to remain
here in Lane County."
"Well, yes," 1 replied . "1 do
know of one vacancy, but that
wouldn' t help you because that is
a Christian church, and you are a
Methodis t with different prac–
tices."
" Oh, that won' t make any dif–
ference," he assured me. "1'11
preach whatever doctrines they
want me to preach."
The church seems to be sorne-
S