Churchgoing is an absolute necessity

I wish to respond to Dr. Asoka Thenuwara’s letter ‘An impending, certain disaster’ published two weeks ago.

The learned Doctor has suggested that the only avenue left to prevent this kind of tragedy is to remove the cause of this action. With due respect, may I ask if he is aware of the cause of this action. Obviously not.

To answer his other question – is going to church an absolute necessity?

The Holy Bible clearly says: “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now the day of His return is drawing near.”(Hebrews 10:25)

The Bible does not definitively state that not attending Church is a sin.

Yes, one can have a deep relationship with God without ever entering a church, synagogue or mosque. Yet, the advantage of being part of a faith community is that you have people to support you on the journey………..

And yes again, Biblically speaking, a Christian can be saved without going to Church.

Nevertheless, going to Church is a sign that the person is saved. The Church is a community of the saved.

Besides, the Church is both human and divine. Divine because it is filled with the presence of God; Human through the community and the institutional, visible aspect of the people, sacraments etc. It has the human element of community.

Therefore, to answer the learned Doctor, YES, going to Church is an absolute necessity.