Church do you go ?
 

I don't massively but i do partake now and again.


My Mother and father in LAW are the stand-ins for the Vicar and of course its in their veins, all my kids have been christened and everyone bar me and little Izzy have been confirmed, so what do i think of it all..


My view of it is when im there or at an event like a local church barbi, mens breakfast or church weekend away i like the feeling of warmth and friendliness obviously from an avid church goers view that would be the Lords warmth, but although i like to believe where going somewhere when i die, im always sceptical. i think with todays slight anarchic world everyone seems moody arsy and rude, and when im at these churchy things that all seems to be behind me, so its probably that i like...the pleasant good natured outlook they all have.


i know some of you will think load of **** and never go, but i know some of you will and wondered how you saw it.


Like the weekend away just gone, we all went to Kettlewell they had lots of sessions on fun jesus stuff, nothing brain washing just some talkers, i didn't go to these i just went off and took photos, but just being in it all was enough for me, and i had to support the wife and kids :)


anyway sensible rant over...


Ted

Yes and no, my dad an mum ring church bells and i sometimes go and help with maintenance and open days and such, but other than that no.

Blog someone did from one of the open days


http://www.thomwhite.co.uk/?p=1166

Been once this year so far for a funeral , he wasn't an avid fan himself so it was a humanist service and went well as far as I could tell .

Been with girlfriend to to her nephews church few Sundays over the years , mainly for events , and its all right until one of the flock possibly recognises me and then it feels all slightly uncomfortable ( along with the suggestion in the sermon that we are kidding ourselves if we believe we can do without god..etc etc)

So much more to do on a Sunday Morning

Never seen the point of church as a regular Sunday thing personally. I go to the big 3 - B, D, & M but that's it. For me it's about celebrating people, not a belief that I don't fully subscribe to.
Ok for a bit of like-minded company I suppose but we're taught from very early days that 'God is around and in us'. If that's true then surely believers don't actually need to go somewhere to praise the Lord.
Isn't religion more of a way of life than a requirement to congregate? It seems to me that, for some at least, Sunday worship is just that; ninety minutes for Him and the rest of the week is mine.
Not being critical of those who choose to bend the knee by the way, just answering the question.

yeah i know what u mean, some of the guys in church hold there hands up, that makes me feel uncomfortable a little

i don't go sundays though only to events and when they need help....

Every time you pray an African child dies and a kitten too.

does that include praying to the church of apple?

If so i'd be surprised any are left because of you,,,,,,, hahahahaha

Apple's logo is Biblical, borrowed from the story of the fall of man.

bad apple?

:lol1: :lol1: :lol1:

You mean it's not an original concept JT?
Damn that's not going to go down well in Clarksville :D

It's kind of an original concept. ;)

Yes but not consistently.

I have been raised by Methodist parents and regularly attended Sunday School during my primary school years - this was back in the early-mid 80s when there were many kids of my age attending, most of whom were school friends, neighbours etc, so it was common place. Most of my extended family were also involved with Church either directly or indirectly. I was also a member of the local Cub Scouts pack which met at Church and used the Church facilities every week.

During my teens I continued to attend but mainly for the social aspect - we had a large group (30+) of young people attending, not only on Sunday mornings, but also for various different activities throughout the month. I think a lot of us were in it for the social aspect at that age and a fair few relationships flourished between the lads and lasses - some of the girls attending were very fit (another reason to keep going). I had some of the best times in my teens with this gathering of people and we all grew up together, not only in Church, but at school and in the wider community before we all dispersed in our late teens.

The Church had some real genuine characters who taught me a lot, not only in terms of scripture, but moreso in terms of life experience and the insights they would share with us young uns.

Also, during my early 20s, I got my girlfriend pregnant and life suddenly became an uphill struggle (as you can imagine with the hardships that a newborn brings). I thought the Church would be very judgemental and shun us because we were with child outside of marriage but it was quite the opposite; all we received was love and support and surprisingly the Minister encouraged us not to rush into marriage because it would have been for the wrong reasons - she was right to do so as well ... we very nearly didn't make it through our first year together as the pressures of buying our first house, moving in together and trying to raise an infant were intense (marrying simply because my girlfriend was pregnant would have been very wrong).

I will be forever in debt to those people of the Church who helped us through that difficult period and I certainly made some great friends growing up in Church.

As I've grown older I've managed to maintain a connection with the Church and the people there (although sadly some of the great characters have since passed away and many people have moved onwards); I was married there and both my daughters were christened there. My wife founded the village's mum's n tots group at the Church, which has now grown from just a couple of mums and their children into a successful mums and toddlers group (though as my kids have grown up she has since handed over the reins). My youngest daughter still attends a version of Sunday School (she goes of her own accord) and my eldest daughter did attend regularly until more recently - she's started to question things now she's being exposed to different theories in science at school (which is fine - it is my job as a parent to let her find her own way in life and support her in that process).

For me, a Church is an empty building without the people - the people are the Church and I've met some wonderful people going to Church.

Do I go to church...

Only evey been for Weddings and Funerals.

I do enjoy them for Architechtual pleasure, but for me I just dont get religion...

Great post! :)

P.S. Let your eldest daughter know from me that I went through a similar struggle when confronted with the perceived conflict between religion and science. It transpired to be a false dichotomy. She and you may find the site below to be of some interest and hopefully helpful.

http://biologos.org

It would be a shame if your daughter threw the baby out with the bath water. I wasted 20 years!

I like beautiful churches with larger than life stained glass windows. I'm not a Christian, but I've been to churches for weddings, funerals and to listen to the Christmas carols. I sometimes do fancy going in when there's no one preaching or staring at me; just to soothe my soul, and I will do that.

I'm the same with temples and mosques. I go inside them when I feel like it. My last Hindu temple visits were about a year ago in India. To be fair, those temples were jam-packed with the devotees rolling on the floor and dancing like crazy in front of Gods' statues and bands playing Krishna and the likes' songs, but even then, the spiritual atmosphere stirred my soul. It was fantastic! My sister took me to one remote Hanuman temple in her village on Raakhi. I wasn't impressed as the Hanuman God was on his lunch break, all locked up! :mad: The Temple priest kept the sweets that my sister offered to God. I was invisibly upset because they were my favourite sweets, ffs! Then the coconut at home worship turned out to be completely rotten inside. It was all scrunched up in a size of a frikking pea! I was gutted! :(

used to be a good pub at the bottom of Camden (Kings Cross) called The Church

does that count?

More tea vicar :)

Next you'll be saying you see Charlotte Church as you family friend, and if that would count. :mad:

Religion is bollocks.
Nothing factual and given how many religions x gods there are, Im surprised by how many still believe. Sure it may have got the many to behave back in the day so as a foundation stone for civilisation, it cant be ignored. For 21st century human beings to believe in all the hocus pocus when science/intelligence and downright common sense is prevalent, come on priests, vicars and all other religious leaders, pull the other one and get a real job.
If that offends, so be it, I make no apologies as having religion forced into my life isnt right when it means nothing to me but still have to put up with licensing laws, shop openings on Sundays, holidays etc all based on ancient beliefs.

my son was a chorister at Jesus College (Cambridge) Choir for 6 years

the last 3 years as a senior Chorister - which meant going to the chapel at Jesus college 4 times a week

a big commitment - but he loved the singing and mixing with the Choral Scholars, combined with the "majesty" of it all, the music, the sheer noise of a Choir accompanied by the chapel Organ in full "Chat"

I occasionally went to evensong to listen to him/them - I too enjoyed the majesty, the beauty

tragically the dean of the chapel Rev Dr John Hughes (a lovely man) died in a car accident last year, he was both young and a rising star in the Church

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/article...k-david-hughes

off course we all (7 of us) went to the memorial service, and I just knew with a saddened sense of predictability what the opening lines of the eulogy were going to be

"God tests our faith and he works in mysterious ways"

really, no sh1t Sherlock

Is that 'nothing factual' about God's existence, or 'nothing factual' about religion ?

Matthew 7:6 :o

:cool:

Too young to die, and so tragically. :(

The former really. Everyone needs something to pass the time in life, humans are restless creatures of habit but to me when that habit becomes hostile towards others for not having the same mindset then it needs stopping. People fight too much as it is, over money etc, to me religion is no better and we would benefit from a less complicated life without it.

Good point.
I am sometimes curious about the proportion of 'hostile' deaths that are caused in the name of religion when compared to other causes.
Religion may be a source of great comfort to some, but to others it can mean the end of life prematurely purely on the grounds of a disagreement in belief. It's one thing for a Buddhist monk to set himself on fire in defence of his personal beliefs, it's quite a different matter when another religious zealot takes the job in hand purely because they have a differing opinion.

We could open up a real can of worms here with that hehe... yes i agree some of religion mainly middle eastern is deemed what caused todays ****e that's around, however i think without it we would only be doing something else daft.

only like Leeds UTD fan Smacking a MAN U fan, same mindset scenario although not on Mass, its just a human thing, same as racism. What we don't see as always is how many actually don't commit violence because of it... we just see the negative side of it as that's what the news is about...

i still think though something needs to change, however religion will for the most stay... i just fear for my kids when im dead they will prob live in some MAD MAX version of the world :(

The problem in the middle east were caused by British Imperialism and more recently US foreign policy. I think their religion is irrelevant, treat people what badly and they are gonna get upset!

Islam has a fair way to go before it reaches the heights of slaughter christians have achieved.

I went to boarding school and had compulsory church (prayers/hymns) 15mins every day and more on Sundays for nearly 10 years of my early life. At home in Ireland, parents were treasurer and vestry, so had to go then as well. Being small community Ireland, church was very important for everyone but where we live there's no friction between Protestants, Catholics, Presbyterians and Methodists, all very ecuminical.

All that early life church really put me off going later on. Weddings, funerals together with Christmas/Easter if with my mother but just for her sake. I went round the Vatican and felt positively sickened about how much pomp and splendour on the back of the poor over the years.

Each to their own but I don't believe at all any more. In fact the idea of religion sickens me as at the end of the day, it is all about power and money for most backed up by poor believers who want to do good.

Used to shop at Church's shoes........I'll get my coat, well my shoes, well......

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