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From: purtell@reed.UUCP (Lady Godiva)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: Peter and churches
Message-ID: <1237@reed.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 3-Apr-85 15:12:41 EST
Article-I.D.: reed.1237
Posted: Wed Apr  3 15:12:41 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 6-Apr-85 01:36:50 EST
References: <8368@watarts.UUCP> <1015@cbosgd.UUCP> <1084@topaz.ARPA>
Reply-To: purtell@reed.UUCP (Lady Godiva)
Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon
Lines: 31
Summary: 


    In a class today one of the students made the statement that even
though Peter denied Christ, later on he repented, accepted him, and
became a follower. My professor's reply was one that I had never heard
before, and so I thought that I would post it to the net in hopes of
getting some discussion on it. He said that he thought that through
Peter's actions he continued to deny Christ. Another student asked what
he thought Peter had done to deny Christ. His reply was that Peter went
and set up a church, and that there was nothing that could deny Christ's
teachings more than setting up a church.
    I'm definitely not looking for a discussion on whether or not
churches have any useful purposes. I think that most people would agreee
that there are at least a few churches that provide very good social
services. Nor am I looking for a discussion on which denomination is
better. I would like to hear some thoughts on whether or not Christ
taught that a church (organized religion) should be set up in the first
place. Did he teach it, did he teach against it, or was he silent on the
subject?
    I have always highly questioned the concept of organized religion,
especially after I became a Christian. So I tend to lean towards
agreeing with my professor's statement. But I'm not going to give a full
fledged opinion until I do a little reading about it, and what Christ
did say. 
    I think that I should add that the class was not a religion class.
It was a class in American drama. The statement was just a statement of
opinion, not something he was trying to teach the class. 
    Anyone have any views on this?

elizabeth

(Lady Godiva)