Who goes to Church?

[lordmaji]

I'm curious, how many of you go to church? how many of you do not? and Why? for both reasons.

I do not, I've considered going just because a few really good friends of mine go and they wanted me to go, so I contemplated humoring them w/ my presence. I still haven't gone. The Church bothers me because of the amount of hypocritical and judgmental people that seem to flock to Church. It's my main reason for steering clear really. Scary people, especially racist southern baptists. wow, they are horrible. (not all of em, but a good few of em).

[Himu]

Regularly? No. Occasionally? Yes. Maybe three times a year total but only for social occasions. My church back home is made of people who I grew up with or reared me as a child so I can't just abandon them. I drop in to say hello sometimes. Has been like this since freshman year of college.

[Brehvolution]

nope

[Chinner]

im an atheist. deal with it.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

No, I'm an atheist

[demi]

No

Not because of a silly label either, just never went

[Diunx]

I go when someone dies but I just do it to avoid family drama.

[Human Snorenado]

As a kid, I went to friend's churches very occasionally, and for a few months when my mom went through a phase went to a Unitarian Church with her as well.  But even the Unitarian Church was too strict for me.  I'm a lapsed Unitarian.

[Beardo]

Church is gay.

[Mupepe]

I go when my wife's mom makes her go because I feel bad about making her go alone.  I don't go because I find it boring.  when I get there all I want to do is leave.  I don't care how silly it is that people believe in it or how hypocritical they are (aren't we all?).  It's just fucking boring.  Ugh.

[Himu]

I dicked with my ipod touch in church last time I went. Didn't regret it.

[Mupepe]

My MIL gets mad because I don't like to stand up, sing, hold hands and all that other crap.  Plus I always just end up whispering jokes into my wife's ear and making her laugh.

[Himu]

I hated doing that stuff as a kid. I'd be in the church choir and every kid was singing but me. I thought it was stupid.

Honestly I always thought church was boring. When I was a kid, Sunday was NICKTOONS DAY dammit. New Ren and Stimpy! New Doug! New Rugrats! But I'd have to go to fucking church and goddamit I had to find out if Doug had dicked Patty Mayonnaise yet.

[Robo]

I was raised Atheist and have been to church services four or five times total in my lifetime, at least three of which were during a Young Life camp that I was duped into attending under the guise of, "it's like that movie Heavyweights for normal people and BETTER", but in reality was more of a Christian brainwashing clinic, albeit an entertaining one.

[Brehvolution]

[GilloD]

I wish I still did. It meant so much to me. Churches in Korea ate very comservative. I miss my church in New York. I', drunk.

[Phoenix Dark]

only for funerals

[fistfulofmetal]

no, i'm intelligent.

[Mr. Gundam]

Right now, we go maybe once every couple months. It's very important to my wife, so I think we're going to start going more often. I don't have a problem going with her. We attend a liberal Lutheran (ELCA) church that doesn't freak me out or make me uncomfortable.

[Van Cruncheon]

nope, although the idea of community sounds nice. dogma is creepy!

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

dogma

I just remembered the god awful Kevin Smith movie

[lordmaji]

no, i'm intelligent.

design???   

[Robo]

I was raised Atheist and have been to church services four or five times total in my lifetime, at least three of which were during a Young Life camp that I was duped into attending under the guise of, "it's like that movie Heavyweights for normal people and BETTER", but in reality was more of a Christian brainwashing clinic, albeit an entertaining one.

I, too, was duped into going to young life. They really do their best to make you feel bad about your beliefs. They managed to get to me and I came home Christian for about mmm a week? After that I realized these thoughts weren't my own but I was pressured into them. I consider it my life lesson on brain washing.

I can be a very spiritual person, but I don't believe in a faith that is contained in brick and mortar walls, no matter how pretty the stained glass is.

Yeah, they definitely prey on agnostic's fears and uncertainties.  I left more appreciative of the message and the role of religion in some people’s lives, I think, but their obsession with Christian mythology was abhorrent and a huge turn-off for me, personally.  That was actually the first time I heard of the Young Earth theory, which they discussed extensively as if it were fact.

[Great Rumbler]

Every week.

[etiolate]

Once in a great while I go to church, but I don't really gain anything from the experience. I have tried going to the Quaker house here, but it was a less invasive yet equally ordinary set of hours.

[lordmaji]

Every week.

How come?

If you don't go to church why?

if you go to church why?

[Great Rumbler]

Every week.

How come?

If you don't go to church why?

if you go to church why?

I've always gone, never came across a real compelling reason to stop.

[brawndolicious]

I go to a mosque every now and then for important holy days since it's much easier than having a religious debate where you ultimately have to explain that there is no known answer to how spiders make their webs.  It's actually a lot more interesting to observe people there than back when I was devout and was only worried about morality.

[Akala]

only for funerals

.

I do find old churches beautiful though.

[Phoenix Dark]

Went every week as a kid, then we started having church at home lol. Once I went to college I didn't have to go too much, and now I don't go at all.

[Bocsius]

Every week.

This. Why? I'm a believer.

[OptimoPeach]

Yeah if there's one thing I appreciate about how my parents raised me, it's that they didn't force church on me. I think the last time I was in church was Christmas mass like seven or eight years ago with my Bible-thumping cousins.

It sounds silly, but I'm actually so proud of my dad for being able to renounce organized religion after hearing some of the shit he tells me about growing up Catholic

[Brehvolution]

I went every week when I was growing up. When we moved to NY when I was 10, we went to the same church for 6 years til my parents got divorced. My mom played the piano for hymns at every service.

Years after the divorce, the church declined to re-marry either of my parents.

[Mr. Gundam]

Yeah if there's one thing I appreciate about how my parents raised me, it's that they didn't force church on me.

Same here. My wife grew up going to church, however, and it means something to her. I really don't have a problem going with her, and we found a great church that's incredibly progressive and liberal. None of the creepy dogma, just a message of love everyone, help others and protect the Earth.

With that said, I've made it very clear that I do not agree with forcing our children to attend church if they decide that it's not for them when they're old enough to make that decision.

[Cormacaroni]

Yeah if there's one thing I appreciate about how my parents raised me, it's that they didn't force church on me.

Same here. My wife grew up going to church, however, and it means something to her. I really don't have a problem going with her, and we found a great church that's incredibly progressive and liberal. None of the creepy dogma, just a message of love everyone, help others and protect the Earth.

With that said, I've made it very clear that I do not agree with forcing our children to attend church if they decide that it's not for them when they're old enough to make that decision.

Man, you totally wear the pants Gundam. Is it hot in here or is it just me?

[Rman]

Every week. 

[lordmaji]

Every week. 

why?

[Rman]

For community and reflection.

[EmCeeGrammar]

Used to attend mass when I was a kid, attended some Sunday School here and there but often got kicked out permanently for activating the fire alarm or something equally egregious.  Turns out church staff don't have the infinite patience of their lord.  Once we moved to the states our family attended only Easter and the occassional Christmas mass.  Of course around high school I pieced all the clues together and found out what a load of horse shit it all was, so I stopped going.

[Stoney Mason]

Very atheist so no.

I remember when I was forced to go as a kid and that sucked big time.


I don't even like funerals because of all the religious mumbo jumbo involved in that.

[Cormacaroni]

Some bright spark should open a brothel in Nevada and call it 'Church'

[Himu]

Very atheist so no.

I remember when I was forced to go as a kid and that sucked big time.


I don't even like funerals because of all the religious mumbo jumbo involved in that.

This makes me wonder how I want my funeral to be.

How do I conduct an atheist funeral while dead?

[Cormacaroni]

Very atheist so no.

I remember when I was forced to go as a kid and that sucked big time.


I don't even like funerals because of all the religious mumbo jumbo involved in that.

This makes me wonder how I want my funeral to be.

How do I conduct an atheist funeral while dead?

I dunno...do you have a baton?

[Groogrux]

I have a church right now that I don't attend regularly.  I'm probably there once every 2-3 months.  I don't go because I don't agree with this particular church's doctrine, but it's my wife's church and she likes to go.  I've considered going back to my old church, but I can't tell as of yet whether or not this would cause a problem between my wife and I because of her family. 

She knows that I don't agree with this church and a lot of the things they say, do, and practice, but it's home for her.  Her family on the other hand, calls me "the liberal" and I was even called a "fake-Christian" by her father once before we were married.  After I provided some evidence backed in scripture for why my practices were acceptable, he backed down.

I consider myself a Christian (if that's what you want to call it), but I don't fall in line with a lot of the main stream or "traditional" beliefs on certain things, and I don't practice my faith the way a lot of traditionalist Christians do.  I can't say that I was raised in church, and didn't really believe in God until after I was in college.

[Stoney Mason]

Very atheist so no.

I remember when I was forced to go as a kid and that sucked big time.


I don't even like funerals because of all the religious mumbo jumbo involved in that.

This makes me wonder how I want my funeral to be.

How do I conduct an atheist funeral while dead?

It's not so much about conducting an "atheist" funeral per se as just having a funeral that celebrates the life somebody lived rather than where they are going ala most traditional religious funerals. Funerals will always probably be mostly sad, but I'm always struck by how little of the funeral is actually about the person who died and more about another preaching opportunity for the pastor.

I think the dinner after a funeral is always much better than the actual funeral. I wish that was the actual funeral itself.

Of course this is only related to the baptist funerals that I generally attend. I don't know how muslim or jewish funerals work. 

[Chinner]

you should get strings attached to your body and get somebody to control you like a puppet. would be pretty funny.

[Diunx]

Himu: funerals are more for the alive than for the dead you shouldn't worry about that and just let your family do what would make them happier.

[tiesto]

Only for funerals/weddings. I'm agnostic and every time I've been dragged to church it's been the most boring thing ever.

[Robo]

you should get strings attached to your body and get somebody to control you like a puppet. would be pretty funny.

Cool joke, Dane Cook.

[brawndolicious]

It's not so much about conducting an "atheist" funeral per se as just having a funeral that celebrates the life somebody lived rather than where they are going ala most traditional religious funerals. Funerals will always probably be mostly sad, but I'm always struck by how little of the funeral is actually about the person who died and more about another preaching opportunity for the pastor.
I think the dinner after a funeral is always much better than the actual funeral. I wish that was the actual funeral itself.
Of course this is only related to the baptist funerals that I generally attend. I don't know how muslim or jewish funerals work. 

Muslims bury the body as soon as possible so I don't think you would get invited unless you were a close friend or relative.  I've been to dozens of muslim memorials but only one burial.

[Himu]

 

[Himu]

Community is a big thing with church. It's the only reason I go anymore.

[lordmaji]

I've been to dozens of muslim memorials but only one burial.

well there'd be more burials if muslims didn't constantly blow themselves up in suicide attacks

Hail Jesus! 

[Tauntaun]

nope, although the idea of community sounds nice. dogma is creepy!

The Bible says to not forsake the gathering together of believers, not meeting in some building and doing this and that because that's what tradition dictates.  Religion is evil, God is good.    That being said I go to churches where the people aren't religious and they're just people who meet on Sundays somewhere whether it's a church building or some place the rent.  I look at Jesus, the one whom people who are "christians" profess to believe in and he was not too pleased with the religious people of his day.  This sort of struck me one day and I decided to actually be a follower of Christ (read what he said and did and desire to do the same) instead of some religious dude who spouts holier than thou nonsense all day.  This is where I'm at right now.

[Akala]

I'm always struck by how little of the funeral is actually about the person who died and more about another preaching opportunity for the pastor.

very much so. almost 90% in my experience. I go to religious funerals, but always end up way more pissed afterwards. somehow, I always end up thinking along the lines of "I wish I could believe this stuff! life would be so much easier!"

the situation can be compounded if the person dies a 'bad' death, like a suicide. preachers always go on about how they are in a better place, and they'll be waiting and all that, but sidestep the whole THEY ARE NOW IN HELL aspect.

my ideal funeral would be a celebration of the person's life, although honestly that is easier said than done.

[Stoney Mason]

I'm always struck by how little of the funeral is actually about the person who died and more about another preaching opportunity for the pastor.

very much so. almost 90% in my experience. I go to religious funerals, but always end up way more pissed afterwards. somehow, I always end up thinking along the lines of "I wish I could believe this stuff! life would be so much easier!"

the situation can be compounded if the person dies a 'bad' death, like a suicide. preachers always go on about how they are in a better place, and they'll be waiting and all that, but sidestep the whole THEY ARE NOW IN HELL aspect.

my ideal funeral would be a celebration of the person's life, although honestly that is easier said than done.

When my grandfather died the pastor decided to take that as an opportunity to make a few jokes/jibes at gay marriage during the eulogy.

[Akala]

that's pretty fucked up.

unless of course he was in a gay marriage, in which case, what did you expect?

[EmCeeGrammar]

nope, although the idea of community sounds nice. dogma is creepy!

The Bible says to not forsake the gathering together of believers, not meeting in some building and doing this and that because that's what tradition dictates.  Religion is evil, God is good.    That being said I go to churches where the people aren't religious and they're just people who meet on Sundays somewhere whether it's a church building or some place the rent.  I look at Jesus, the one whom people who are "christians" profess to believe in and he was not too pleased with the religious people of his day.  This sort of struck me one day and I decided to actually be a follower of Christ (read what he said and did and desire to do the same) instead of some religious dude who spouts holier than thou nonsense all day.  This is where I'm at right now.

You're not the Tauntaun I know...

[Van Cruncheon]

i'd say tauntaun's always been a damn good christian, if you'd actually paid attention

you fail at e-stalking

[Stoney Mason]

that's pretty fucked up.

unless of course he was in a gay marriage, in which case, what did you expect?

Nope. My 85 year old grandpa wasn't in a gay marriage. 


It was just a random aside from the pastor. He was making some dumbass point that I honestly can't remember. He was ""joking" in some relative sense but I honestly didn't see the funny.