Now I've been to church a lot of times in my life and there's no doubt that "when the spirit comes" and everyone is singing and praying and praising there is a buzz which makes you tingle and you can really believe that you can feel the power / prescence of God.

The trouble is when you go and watch a football match, and the whole crowd is up on their feet with their scarves raised in the air singing "you'll never walk alone" I get exactly the same uplifting feeling. In fact if you watched last year Liverpool even had a night of Miracles in Istanbul!!!!

Some people get so obsessed with football in the same way people do with Church - At least one day a week is totally taken up with worship of their team. They get dressed up specially to go an watch. Each follower of a team in football believes that there's is the best and looks down on the others. They even go to war with each other sometimes!

I don't know about you but I've given up going to Church and now worship at the house of Rafa!

I'm not sure that is a good thing. You have a right to your actions ok. But, maybe u wanna ask yourself why you went to church all those days.
Love you with the love of God.

U r right
Church and football are both forms of religion. Religion being a body of beliefs actions and rituals directed at some object of reverence
But religion is different from christianity (i am using christianity here cos u mentioned church)
Beign a christian is a state of existence, like beign a woman is different from being a man. It is not about what u do or what u dont do (to a large extent). The tingle people feel in church is just that, a feeling, it has nothing realy to do with the essence of why they are in church. u can get that tingle anywhere. i know a lot of pple expect to feel something at a service to show that the preacher is "anointed". this is just bollox and religion.
I personally will have a religious experience if Arsenal win the CL

@ xkape
 I agree with u. Religion for each of us is wat we make it out 2 be. If i take delight in swimming and i do it practically everyday, it has become a religion 2 me, such dat if i miss doin it anyday, i lose d feeling i get wen i do it.
 Its a common mistake pple make, substituting christianity for religion. Christianity is a way of life, for those who take pleasure in being christians, its like they cease 2 exist if they stop dis way of life. The feeling u get in church most times is an overflow of dis way of life, its a reminder of who God is 2 u, and all u r in Him. N even wen u r not in church, praising n prayin on ur own, u still get a feeling. But its not d feeling dat defines dis way of life, its just a small part of it.
 In conclusion, if u choose 2 stop attending church, den u shud figure out uy u stopped instead of saying its becos u get d same feeling in church as in a football stadium. There's more to it dan that, much more.  

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Based on tbis scriptural verse, I'll like to categorically state that football match of any kind or grade is a thing of the world no matter any spiritual inclination, justification or interpretation we may give to it. It's now obvious that football has been idolized in our societies, even in some countries, which I don't fully subscibe too. I'm a football fan too, but as for me I would not put any football match first or before any church service/program that I knew I'm sopposed to attend. Well I wouldn't know for others.

One can say exactly the same thing for other religions as well,from this your perspective,and not just christianity.
Buddhism is easily a way of life,for example,as well as Islam.
Personally,i think christianity and islam are both big cults.Can i call soccer that?Maybe each soccer fan club can be referred to as religious cults.

Xencee:


@ xkape
I agree with u. Religion for each of us is what we make it out 2 be. If i take delight in swimming and i do it practically everyday, it has become a religion 2 me, such that if i miss doin it anyday, i lose d feeling i get when i do it.
Its a common mistake people make, substituting christianity for religion. Christianity is a way of life, for those who take pleasure in being christians, its like they cease 2 exist if they stop this way of life. The feeling u get in church most times is an overflow of this way of life, its a reminder of who God is 2 u, and all you're in Him. N even when you're not in church, praising n prayin on your own, u still get a feeling. But its not d feeling that defines this way of life, its just a small part of it. In conclusion, if u choose 2 stop attending church, den u should figure out uy u stopped instead of saying its because u get d same feeling in church as in a football stadium. There's more to it dan that, much more.

yea jagunlabi

we all know ur views about religion

keep up the christian-bashing. its all good

I feel una!

@Mongue
where you missed it is because you went to church to get a "feeling". You didnt go to Church to meet Jesus, neither did you go there to hear what He had to say through the pastor, perhaps twas to meet the members of the church and feel something. The feeling which is temporal and is just for a moment, - the feeling doesnt help you as a person, neither does it promote you to a better state of mind and life. Its just for that moment when the goal is scored.

Many other people get the kinda "feeling" you get after they commit fornication and adultery.
Others get theirs after getting "drunk" - when they reach "mount zion".
For others, its after they told a lie.
For others, its after defrauding a brother/sister.
For others, its after killing somebody.
Some others get the "feeling" after smoking dope, or even plain cigarette.
The common ground for all these is that they are addicted to a vice, from which they cant be free, and then they try to "look good" and so they name it something else.

Note: those that walk stark naked on the street are also at another "feeling" level.

Rather than liken religion and Christianity, accept the fact that you are addicted to football and unfortunately, Football has replaced Jesus in your Life. Brother, you need to make a U-Turn - real fast.

Anything that takes Jesus away from you is your religion. Christianity is not a religion, its a way of life - a way of life characterized by fellowship and communion with the Father, Son and Holy spirit.

The worst thing about addiction to football is that the fans never get all the money that the players/team get - even if they lost throughout.
- The fans will forever be fans and not the players
- even the guy that sat on the bench throughout still "got more action" than the fans who just shout and cause commotion
- Ive done a little research: IS IT NOT WEIRD AND ABSURD TO SEE FANS OF A TEAM ACTUALLY HAPPIER THAN THE PLAYERS IN THAT TEAM - if for example: the team wins a match. IN THEIR(FANS) STATE OF HAPPINESS, THEY JUMP ON CHAIRS, SHOUT, SCREAM, HUG ONE ANOTHER, WAVE SCARVES, DANCE AND DO ALL SORTS OF THINGS(FUNNY THOUGH) TO EXPRESS THEIR JOY THAT THEIR TEAM HAS WON - and yet they never kicked the ball.

At most, the players will run round the field once or twice, hug one another and thats all. But for the fans, they would bet their money, make friends and enemies, get into arguments etc., all in the process of analyzing the "Moves, goals", and whateva they fancy to analyze. I think its absurd. This analysis would continue days after the match has taken place, yet these FANS get nothing in return. I think its all a waste of time and purpose in life. It should have been the other way around - isnt it.

SHALOM!

Mongue:
Now I've been to church a lot of times in my life and there's no doubt that "when the spirit comes" and everyone is singing and praying and praising there is a buzz which makes you tingle and you can really believe that you can feel the power / prescence of God.

The trouble is when you go and watch a football match, and the whole crowd is up on their feet with their scarves raised in the air singing "you'll never walk alone" I get exactly the same uplifting feeling. In fact if you watched last year Liverpool even had a night of Miracles in Istanbul!!!!

Some people get so obsessed with football in the same way people do with Church - At least one day a week is totally taken up with worship of their team. They get dressed up specially to go an watch. Each follower of a team in football believes that there's is the best and looks down on the others. They even go to war with each other sometimes!

I don't know about you but I've given up going to Church and now worship at the house of Rafa!

I believe that God will judge Christians for being more enthusiastic with their Sports, than with HIS RELIGION.

I heard that H.G. WELLS proposed, about the turn of the 20th Century, that SPORTS be promoted in every city, so that the Peasantry would exhaust themselves cheering Sports Gladiator Heroes, and have no energy left to plan Revolution and Regime Change.

IT IS JUST A SYSTEM OF MIND-CONTROL.

I believe that the Ancient GREEKS had a NAME for it: "CATHARSIS."