Originally Posted by Galatians220

I believe that there's no good reason not to attend a Christ-exalting, Gospel-preaching church every week in which one is able to do so. I agree with you, John J.

That said, I also believe that actual membership is a different story. If one has once, twice or more suffered abuse, mistreatment, informal "excommunication" on unBiblical grounds, etc., etc., as a "perquisite" of membership in different churches, then one is understandably very wary of becoming a member of any congregation thereafter. How many times should a person subject himself to ostracism, scapegoating, becoming the object of lies, gossip, ridicule, shunning or whatever else anyone feels like dumping on their "brother" or "sister?" Seventy times seven? Of course, we have to forgive that many times, and infinitely more, when someone does those things to us, but should a Christian seek or continue membership in a congregation in which that kind of behavior appears to be countenanced or even encouraged? Such congregations are out there - and they're neither few nor far between.

There is "the visible church" and "the invisible church." But that's a whole other topic.

Whatever happened to Galatians 6:10? There's way too much in churches these days.