Are we showing our love to god by building mega churches?

According to Christianity, there is no need for a church (multi-million dollar or not)... unless someone is willing to step up and prove that he/she knows how to read ancient greek and hebrew and prove to us all that the so-called "scriptures" tell us that churches are necessary.

Any volunteers?

I have always been curious about this too, and I sometimes get a little annoyed walking into huge Gothic cathedrals with paintings and statues and gold leaf everywhere, however impressive they are. I think a part of why people feel they need to build huge, expensive buildings to worship in is to show other religions how rich and powerful they are. Or, how much 'better' their religion is than any other.

Why not just worship outside in nature, in the temple that God created for us in the first place? Because that would be way too easy and simple, and we have to cage ourselves between four walls to feel safe.

no we show our love for God by loving others and helping others. The mega churches should be putting that money into building up God's kingdom and outreaching and teaching them the way to Jesus. The need is to attract the rich and to get more money because the world is being blinded by money and wordly things. It says in the bible it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven.

I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.

I also "live" in the bible belt, and the mega churches that I have seen seem to be simply functional not elaborate.

Two miles from my house one church purchased the old basketball area to use as a mega church.

Think of it this way, one huge mega church takes up a lot less space then a hundred small churches.

I believe in having churches, but sometimes, like you, I think they put way too much money into them. We Americans are spoiled. I know it costs money to house people on Sunday's especially larger churches. I believe that we need to seek God and the moving of His Holy Spirit first. I think some people believe that if they do not have these beautiful churches, people will not attend. I would rather be in a less than beautiful church and see God move in a mighty way. I go to church to seek God, see other people touched and saved.

No it is a way to show their love for material things and for personal satisfaction to be able to say "this is what i've built"...I only condone this if you are spending millions on seats and not on a $50'000 chandelier that you are going to put over the entrance. Or on a big neon light in front of your church.

and I don't see why people still pay tithes to the church because most times it is going straight on their pastors new mercedes they should give thier tithes to the homeless or to charity

Well, I tend to agree - but the great cathedrals of europe were much much much more elaborate and built - supposedly - out of love for God, too.

And God certainly did not object to David wanting to build what turned out to be solomon's temple or the people giving gifts for it, etc.

Certainly there was a change in the NT that isn't appreciated as much as it should be - that God now dwells within the human heart - THAT is to be the true temple of God....

I tend to believe like George Fox, founder of the Quakers who had great insight into that truth.

But other good Christians tend to believe like Robert Schuller (Crystal Cathedral).....

oh, well.

times change, people don't.

god bless

No we are sup;posed to build Christians up not build buildings up. The multi-million dollar churches are all show and not much else but bless me clubs.

No. We could be feeding the starving instead, i think God would prefer we did that, wouldn't he? Taking care of his children before honouring him with materialistic things? Its a funny kind of spirituality, when materialism is at the forefront. If God is everywhere, why not pray in a field?

Our love of self it's a statement of ego .even if there was a god why on earth would an all powerful being not make anything he wanted but need insignificant human structures instead either way; nonsense !