I feel that worship is a personal practice which depending on the person can be done in a larger group. If you want to know how to pray properly you should look to the bible and there isn’t anything there saying that if you don’t pray in a church you are not a proper Christian.
But in fact there is quotations that encourages people to prayer on their own, for example, as in Matthew 6, verses 5 to 6;
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“ When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them, I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.”
By hypocrites we mean people who prayer for there own good reputation, as it is or just worship to look good, for everyone to see. In a way it is similar to the fact of that when we worship in church we may just be worshipping to be noticed. I know that it isn’t in the same extent but you can see a similar link between us in church and the hypocrites out on the street.
Then what about the ill or housebound? If these kind of people can’t make it to church through an illness which may be absolutely none of their own fault, I don’t see why this should make them less of a Christian. If the person is totally housebound it again may not be their own fault, they may have been in a car crash which someone else caused and have to now continually stay at home. If this person doesn’t go to church maybe because of risk of death maybe then I think it is more than stupid to presume that these kind of people are any lesser Christians than people who go to church every week.
People may then not want to actually go to church they may find it a cold and cramped room with statues in. Obviously then I may say that these are not proper Christians but then again if you look at it they are again no lesser or better Christian than you or me.
People may not want to visit there church because they prefer to worship in silence because at churches you do get little annoying babies crying all throughout communion. When you are trying to say your own personal silent prayer, and to be fair no one can say to me that it doesn’t distract him or her from their worship.
All in all I think that you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian because of the many reasons I have highlighted above. I also mainly think that going to church isn’t the only part of Christianity. The most important part of being a Christian is how you treat other people, remembering god sees all, things that happen in every corner of the globe, in church or on the street. You may go to church but outside of church be a criminal, or alternatively it works the other way you may not go to church but still be a perfect person otherwise.
