Church is ultimately a ritual, a ritual with a purpose, say salvation or becoming better people. To engage in that ritual without engaging in the purpose would be like cooking a meal even though you do not intend to eat simply because you find interacting with pots and pans and measuring cups soothing.
It also occurs to me that there is something questionable about "being a part of a community" that is different than being a part of a group of strangers on a bus, or of a group of people waiting in line at a store. I'd want to be clear about what that added part that makes being a part of a group of people into "being a part of a community" and whether I was comfortable with whatever is added. It would seem that relationships are part of what is added, and part of relationships is mutually agreed upon expectations. Would I want to adopt and honor those expectations, or would I be abetting an aspect of religious privilege by doing so?
It also occurs to me that there is something questionable about "being a part of a community" that is different than being a part of a group of strangers on a bus, or of a group of people waiting in line at a store. I'd want to be clear about what that added part that makes being a part of a group of people into "being a part of a community" and whether I was comfortable with whatever is added. It would seem that relationships are part of what is added, and part of relationships is mutually agreed upon expectations. Would I want to adopt and honor those expectations, or would I be abetting an aspect of religious privilege by doing so?
![[Image: extraordinarywoo-sig.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/zf86M5L7/extraordinarywoo-sig.jpg)
