What Constitutes A Proper Church Greeting?

[hymnsinger]

I am known as the fist bump guy, because I don't like to shake hands.

There is nowhere in the Bible or in secular tradition that indicates that a handshake is required for greeting. Actually ancient tradition is that men do not touch a woman's bare skin or hair. That would preclude handshaking unless she went back to wearing gloves. Oh, yeah! that's why women used to wear gloves in 90 degree temperatures. The reason that men and women were not to make skin to skin contact is because the skin is the largest organ in the body and one of the 5 erotic zones.

The original reason for a handshake was to show that you didn't have a weapon concealed in your hands. Originally it was a salute to your superior officer and the Romans, the Germans, and the native Americans used a raised open hand gesture.

Then men used to cut their palms and make a blood covenant with the handshake. Next it was used for sealing a deal prior to writing it down without, the blood or spit. After that it was used to greet superiors to show the empty hand. I believe Churches get carried away in forcing you to greet one another. A greeting should be spontaneous. So back off! I am friendly and believe in tradition and I will greet in a Biblical custom.

Handshaking was not performed by women, neither same gender or opposite. Probably because women didn't normally carry weapons.

There are more germs and other pathogens spread by handshaking than any other means. The church is NOT immune to colds and flus. There is no reason to shake hands as a greeting. If this were so then you would have to shake hands with everyone you acknowledged in public. If you got on a bus, train or other forms of public transit, you would be obliged to shake hands with everyone you acknowledged. You can''t ignore people and show Christ in you. Even if you spoke to your neighbor over the backyard fence, or met someone on the sidewalk you would have to extend your hand as a greeting. I don't think so, Tim!

Myself, I fist bump the men and hug the women trying not to touch their skin. Some have noticed that I sidle up to them at an angle. Sometimes it is impossible to not take their extended hand. And I do it in a way as to not touch the palms and pull them in for a hug.

The hand is often involved in a lot of private action and 70% of men and 40% of the women do not wash their hands after using the restroom facilities. This alone turns me off.

The Bible says to greet the brethren with a holy kiss. I don't know if this applies to opposite sexes or not. It's a little before my time. In the middle eastern countries the women do not participate in contact greeting with men. Muslim women are not supposed to show their face to any man she is not related to.

So, until I see it in the Bible or the law of the land is changed, I will continue fist bumping and hugging. I know that that will reduce the probability of any contagious disease being spread and a few less people that will require prayer for their suffering with someone elses viruses. I do hug some men either because I want to or because they need more than a fist bump.

In His service
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[hymnsinger]

An usher and someone asked me if I didn't shake hands because I was afraid of the swine flu.

Let me just say, I trust God to be a shield about me and I don't like to shake hands because it is symbolic of Hollywood's influence on modern day values and traditions.

The movie industry showed people shaking hands as greetings to distinguish friends from the bad guys. This is not a traditional greeting. It is the world dictating worldly standards and has no place in the Christians lifestyle.

If you feel it is necessary to have your hands all over a person and hold hands, er, ah, I mean shake hands, then you really should see if it is acceptable according to God.

"Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does." [1 Cor 7:1-4]

No matter what you see on the big or small screen it is never okay for a man to touch a woman's hair or bare skin unless it is her traditional spouse. Her body belongs to her husband. It is also not okay for a woman to expose more skin than her husband. If he is wearing a tie than no neckline should be exposed, especially cleavage. If he is wearing long sleeves, than she also should be covering her arms and shoulders.

Whatever happened to modesty?

If this rule is followed than in a traditional church greeting, no bare skin is touched. If a woman extends her hand to greet with a handshake. She is wrong, as it is no different then holding hands.

The church has to either adhere to Biblical standards or take the broad way which leads to destruction.

As for being afraid of catching the swine flu? No, I just don't want to share germs or pass them on to someone with less faith than I. Also, swine are unclean animals and no Christian should be affected by anything named after it.

"... if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. ..." [1 Cor 7:9]

In His service
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