From the "Chick-Fil-A" church article:

"[C]hurch-planting, as it's known, can be arduous and time-consuming, and there's no guarantee it will reproduce the home church's success, especially without the same charismatic leader at the top."

In other words, it's not the message. It's the messenger. What it basically comes down to is that these places aren't "Christian" in any meaningful or traditional sense, but simple cults of personality. Even the snake-oil salesmen themselves, some of whom might like to believe that they are just the vessel, recognize at some level that they, not God or Jesus, are the content as well. Oh well, their flocks probably could neither understand nor stomach anything as serious as real Christianity.

Coelacanth:

From the "Chick-Fil-A" church article:

"[C]hurch-planting, as it's known, can be arduous and time-consuming, and there's no guarantee it will reproduce the home church's success, especially without the same charismatic leader at the top."

In other words, it's not the message. It's the messenger. What it basically comes down to is that these places aren't "Christian" in any meaningful or traditional sense, but simple cults of personality. Even the snake-oil salesmen themselves, some of whom might like to believe that they are just the vessel, recognize at some level that they, not God or Jesus, are the content as well. Oh well, their flocks probably could neither understand nor stomach anything as serious as real Christianity.

"Oh well, their flocks probably could neither understand nor stomach anything as serious as real Christianity."

How do you define "real Christianity"?

I think you misunderstand why many people would choose to attend a megachurch. I've attended many smaller churches in my life and found them to be MORE based on the individual personality of the preacher. When I moved to the suburbs with 4 children, my wife and I chose the megachurch because we wanted stability in raising our children. However, if the pastor EVER gets away from fundamental, biblical beliefs, we would leave in a heartbeat.

So you think Olsten is firm in fundamenta, biblical beliefs, I guess you also like Ophras chruch.....

Every churchgoer believes that their own chosen church is the one true church. That was true before Christianity was even invented.

Really......LOL, you need to do a little research before making blanket statements...

What leads you to believe that I haven't?

You LOL -- but you don't attempt to refute my statement.

Anyone can LOL...

LOL!!! ;-)

Your statement "Every churchgoer believes that their own chosen church is the one true church"

Okay. There is a valid point there. Many churchgoers have no belief in the church whatsoever. They attend church for various reasons. Some are there to network with other members of the community in order to enhance their business contacts. Some are simply lonely and want to engage in social contact. Some just attend out of habit.

It is only the true believers in their religion that believe that they have chosen the one true church in which to worship. Otherwise, they would attend a different church, wouldn't they?

I know that there are a wide variety of people that attend church for a multitude of different reasons. Many consider themselves religious and still believe that others with different beliefs from their own may validly worship God -- even in another church or another faith. But the authorities of the church that they attend wouldn't necessarily agree with their opinion.

My statement is true regarding fervently religious churchgoers. It is also true that these people probably constitute a minority among modern American churchgoers.

There are many churches that teach no matter the "faith" that anyone even in a different faith who accepts Christ as their savior, they belong to Christ Church.....Christ Church does not depend on the name of the church but on the belief in the heart.

There are also many who profess faith in God who believe that the existence of Christ the messiah is not necessary in order to worship or be in communion with God.

That said, throughout history almost all religious zealots have believed that they possess the one truth and that all who disagree with their beliefs are subject to eternal damnation.

So from this we can infer, TC that YOU don't believe that you believe in the one true church, that your beliefs are those to lead to salvation? That there are other beliefs that are wrong and lead to damnation?

The religious congregation to which I belong does not call itself a "church" -- as is the case with many Unitarian-Universalist congregations -- but I guess the reasons most of us attend include a shared committment to the social causes we support, and a lot of it certainly is social. A chance to meet with very bright, interesting people. There usually are only 25-50 people in attendence, but that group includes several professional writers, several retired university professors......

Most of us are atheist, strong agnostic or perhaps deist/pantheist.

Yours is one congregation that I have not had the opportunity to visit. I wish that there was one in my area, but unfortunately, there is not. As a (reformed Christian) Deist, I find the concept very intriguing.