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When was USPG created?
USPG was created in 1701.
Why christians worship in a group..?
Here is a little story to illustrate the answer: A young man asked a wise old man sat in front of his fire the same question as yours: The old man looked into the burning coals for a few minutes, then without a word he lifted the tongs and took a bright red piece of coal out and placed it on the hearth. Within a few seconds the redness dulled and shortly afterwards the coal became no more than a dull grey cinder. He then picked up the coal again and placed it back into the fire. Within seconds the coal started to glow just as it had before. "I think you have answered my question" said the young man. The truth is you can worship God anywhere. You do not have to go to church. However, it is much more difficult to do so alone unless you are someone special. Being with other Christians in worship means that you can have corporate prayer, you can make music together, you can share God's peace - in fact, worship of God becomes so much more meaningful. Add to this the support and friendship that you receive and can give to other Christians, and to those non-Christians around you, and you can see that even in the earliest days of the Christian Church new Christians chose to meet (in each others homes, in public buildings, and even in hidden tunnels underground at the time Christians were persecuted) as groups rather than remain as individuals. Just as individual coals will soon fade, Christians alone will soon allow the pressures of everyday life to clutter their spiritual life, and that will suffer. Put Christians together, however, and, like coals, they will burn with a fire of the Holy Spirit that cannot be quenched. Paul in his Biblical letters, and Luke in the Book of Acts makes it quite clear that membership of a church is vital. One aspect of church life is in helping those in need - loving your neighbour in a practical way rather than in empty words. This can really only be achieved by a corporate mission - where many hands make light work. It is fair to add that over the years the Church in general has been involved in most (if not all in some way) of the social reforms and mission throughout the last several hundred years. The church (ie its members) has been central in the abolition of slavery, reforms in work standards, health care, education of the poor, speaking out for equality, race equality and in many other areas. Christian organisations such as Tear Fund, Cafod, USPG, Salvation Army and so on still continue to work for the poor and oppressed throughout the world.
Do you believe that God expects us to congregate in a building and donate money to an organization to be saved or does God take in all his children for having faith in him?
Going to church and giving money are independent of salvation. You cannot buy your salvation, neither is it a reward for church attendance. Clearly, a total non-believer could do both of those things. However, that is not to suggest that church attendance and tithing have no place;they are just a separate issue to salvation. Here is a little story to illustrate the point: A young man asked a wise old man sat in front of his fire the same question: The old man looked into the burning coals for a few minutes, then without a word he lifted the tongs and took a bright red piece of coal out and placed it on the hearth. Within a few seconds the redness dulled and shortly afterwards the coal became no more than a dull grey cinder. He then picked up the coal again and placed it back into the fire. Within seconds the coal started to glow just as it had before. "I think you have answered my question" said the young man. The truth is you can worship God anywhere. You do not have to go to church. However, it is much more difficult to do so alone unless you are someone special. Being with other Christians in worship means that you can have corporate prayer, you can make music together, you can share God's peace - in fact, worship of God becomes so much more meaningful. Add to this the support and friendship that you receive and can give to other Christians, and to those non-Christians around you, and you can see that even in the earliest days of the Christian Church new Christians chose to meet (in each others homes, in public buildings, and even in hidden tunnels underground at the time Christians were persecuted) as groups rather than remain as individuals. Just as individual coals will soon fade, Christians alone will soon allow the pressures of everyday life to clutter their spiritual life, and that will suffer. Put Christians together, however, and, like coals, they will burn with a fire of the Holy Spirit that cannot be quenched. Paul in his Biblical letters, and Luke in the Book of Acts makes it quite clear that membership of a church is vital. One aspect of church life is in helping those in need - loving your neighbour in a practical way rather than in empty words. This can really only be achieved by a corporate mission - where many hands make light work. It is fair to add that over the years the Church in general has been involved in most (if not all in some way) of the social reforms and mission throughout the last several hundred years. The church (ie its members) has been central in the abolition of slavery, reforms in work standards, health care, education of the poor, speaking out for equality, race equality and in many other areas. Christian organisations such as Tear Fund, Cafod, USPG, Salvation Army and so on still continue to work for the poor and opressed throughout the world. They cannot do this without funds - and most are supported, as in my own church, by local churches all over the world making donations from their own income. Thus, being a Christian alone, as well as being ineffective spiritually, it could also be seen by the cynic as rather self-centred. There are problems, of course, with regard to some church denomintiions amassing great wealth (as an example - the Vatican museums) but the church role here is seen more as a custodian of art rather than amassing weath for its own sake. No one shows concern for the great museums in the world being custodians of priceless works yet fingers are pointed at the Vatican constantly when such custodianship is considered. This must be balanced, however, with the money needed to run such an organisation - and to do the huge amount of mission work helping the poor and opressed in South America, Africa and Asia - much of which is done without fuss, without advertising it, and out of love for Christ - just as Christ commanded us to do. As for the money side, obviously individual organised churches need to pay their way, and, for this they need funds. Churches receive no other funds (no state handouts etc) apart from that given freely by its members and those who give to the church. However, all churches should themselves give to the poor by at least tithing their income (giving a tenth) as instructed in the Bible. In addition all individual people should also give to the poor or to charities (that could include the church if you wished) and should strive to give a percentage ( a tenth?) of their disposable income in the same way. This is the Biblical way, and is also the fairest method, as those who are rich can afford to give more. Those who are poor give the same percentage, although it may just be a few pennies. Remember Jesus' treatment of the poor widow who put just two copper coins in the collection at the synagogue. Jesus said that although she put only two copper coins in, whilst all the others put in silver and gold, she put in the most - as those coins were all that she had. As for salvation, this is totally independent of the above. Salvation comes from accepting Jesus into your life so that, through his death and resurrection, you can have a close relationship with God. Not many things are free these days, but God gives us salvation freely - all you have to do is ask forgiveness, turn away from sin, and ask him to come in your life. But in freely accepting this salvation, the vast majority of Christians feel that they are called to follow Christ and be more like him. And this involves being involved with other Christians in worship and in doing what they can, financially annd practically, to help those who are less fortunate than themselves.
What have Christians done for society?
Its more a question of what they haven't done for society.Critics of Christianity always point out the wars and suffering caused in the name of 'religion' although those wars are almost always fuelled by hatred and ignorance of Christ's message of love and peace to all - even to our enemies (and let's not forget that he even forgave and prayed for the soldiers as they nailed him to the cross - setting an example for all to follow).To start, the facts are that almost all education and welfare in the western world has been a result of Christian influence or design or foundation. The churches initially ran the first schools and hospitals for those who could not afford to pay for an education or treatment and they continue to run hospitals, hospices, orphanages, schools and so on in the poorest countries of the world, paid for by other Christians' donations. Christian organisations like Cafod, Tear Fund, Christian Aid, the Children's society, USPG and a host of others, are at work bringing relief to the poorest and most war-stricken and disaster-stricken parts of the world - often in areas where secular organisations like Oxfam refuse to go. These organisations are paid for solely from other Christians' donations across the world, so that, if a particular Christian cannot help directly in an area of need, he/she can still contribute by donating. And, in my own past experience, donations from Christians are invariably very generous towards Christian charities and charitable relief organisations as they know that their money goes directly to where it is needed rather than in administration.Add to this the large number of drop-in centres for the homeless and the drug-addict in every town and city - usually run by churches, street pastors who help those who get into trouble throughout the night in nightclub areas, and a host of other causes that churches get involved in and you may see that the Christian Church worldwide is very active in taking God's love to all, without hidden agendas, without a request for payment or recognition, and without judgment.In my last church (which was in a large town) our church ran a weekly coffee morning/drop in centre for the elderly and vulnerable, where they could meet in a safe environment, a drop-in centre for the homeless where free food, clothing and advice was given about housing, and two narcotics anonymous groups (of 40+in each group). Multiply this rather modest involvement in the community across the thousands of Christian Churches in the UK, and the millions worldwide, and a small fraction of what the Christian Church has done for society might be realised.
Why is charity found in so many religions?
Because most religions believe that Jesus Christ wanted to help people therefore people know that Christ would start charities.Primarily there would be absolutely no need for charity if God was truly resourceful and compassionate. Through his resourcefulness and compassion he would have made all humans physically, emotionally, economically and spiritually equal.Charity generally has two functions. In the first instance individuals get an opportunity to play God. Some people hope that it would lessen their burden of guilt for all their selfish acts of profiteering or exploitation.In the second instance it was a political tool of the administrative hierarchies skillfully administered to sustain their established social divisions. Charity was used as an economic tool to motivate those servile people at the lowest levels of the social structure.The above is absolutely correct in that there would be absolutely no need for charity if God made all humans physically, emotionally, economically and spiritually equal. I cannot speak for other religions, but in Christianity (and Judaism) this is exactly what happened. Christians believe that we are all created in the sight of God, equal with no race more important than another.However, it is not a God who lacks compassion that is to blame as the above suggests, but man's own inhumanity to man. The earth has ample resources, providing we are sensible, for eveyone to have enough to eat, drink and live a reasonable life. However, the rich western countries for centuries have exploited those who are weaker in the developing world. The west, for centuries, has been greedy for food, oil, minerals, and most of the rest of the world's resources. Countries like the USA and UK and the rest of the European Union, have 'helped' developing nations by lending them money at exhorbitant rates of interest so that they get further into debt. They have given 'aid' in the form of cheap grain - so cheap that it undercuts the local producers who go out of business, so that subsequent famines are even worse. Governments like the USA and UK's leaders spend inordinate amounts of money fighting illegal wars rather than helping the poor both in the developing world and even in their own countries. As the above states, the rich nations sate their guilt by performing advertised acts of 'charity' that often do more harm than good, and also help the rich nation too get even richer through trade deals and arms deals.With regard to Christianity - my area of expertise - Christ did not frequent with the high and mighty, but with the outcasts of society, the poor, the oppressed. If he was walking the earth in today's society, he would minister to the AIDs sufferer, the famine victim, the homeless drunk on the street, the traveller, the gypsy and any oppressed outcast. Christians are called by their faith to be more Christ-like in their lives. This therefore involves getting our hands dirty in ministering to those who are needy. It is fair to say that the Christian Church throughout history has been the one organisation that has consistently introduced free healthcare and free education to the world, campaigned for the abolition of apartheid, slavery, child labour, and continues to campaign against exploitative prostitution, child pornography and so on. Christian organisations like Cafod, Tear Fund, Christian Aid, USPG, Methodist Overseas Mission and many others, unlike the governments of rich countries who are sitting like fat-cats in their ivory towers talking about helping, are there, in the thick of it, in AIDs infested, war-torn areas, trying to help those who are most in need. Even secular institutions like Fairtrade recognise the impact that Christian members of their organisations make when trying to make the world a fairer place.In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians chapter 13, he talks of what real charity is. The word used in the Greek is "agape" (pronounced AH-ga-pay) - a deep spiritual, unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, deliberate, and thoughtful love. That is what Christ showed to the weakest in society, and that is what all Christians are called to show to others. That is why, in Christianity at least, charity is found and acted out - in Jesus' name.
How can church help people?
How can people help the Church? well there are many things one can do to help play a part in a church. First I would like to say that the church is not the one who needs help. An individual person my be the one who needs the help. The church is suppose to be there to help the poor, as well as the needy. One may be able to help most in the church by paying our tithes to the church, therefore the money will be available when some one come to the church for help. On top of all this the church is a building and it takes money to run a church just like it do to run a house. There are bills and others expenses as well. The church is suppose to go out in the streets and bring the lost in to Christ, this is the main objective of the church, to save the sinners if someone is already saved, then they need to try to help someone else to come to Christ. It is not about the church, because I always say the Church is within us, meaning we should have relationship with the Lord, everyday not just on Sundays.
