I don't know. I'm kind of a raunchy geek compared to those in the church I went to. I wouldn't be able to stop myself, even as low-key "worldly" as I am, from feeling more adult and mature than the leaders of the church, let alone the rest of the congregation. It's not like the biggest thing being able to sprinkle in an occasional expletive but genuinely talking about my interests and likes, I would not have anything in common with people who can't even let their kids watch Disney movies because of the "gay agenda." Plus, I'm trans and last time I went to church in non cis conforming attire, I felt patronized and looked down upon, as if "someday I'll (or people like me) will learn who I really am(God's child and nothing else, apparently) and stop this crossdressing nonsense." Which is frustrating to deal with when I AM being who I really am and I feel like I can handle adult problems and situations better than they can, so, who are they to be acting like they know better? They don't even live in the real world.
Plus, there is that irritating habit of becoming someone else's project. I have not known people in a church environment to be "let live" and respectful of boundaries. If I went to church, I'd have to sit through talk of falsehoods or end up debating people, which is a dickish move, going to THEIR building to challenge THEIR ideas. If you bring up religion at my house or in public or at work, fine, fair game, I'm gonna hurt your feelings and you're gonna feel unsafe to share openly ever again. But they should feel alright in their buildings on their special day to talk about that crap.
And being anti-theist, I don't agree with the monopoly of religion over charities and service work. I think its usually predatory and manipulative and part of a propaganda image campaign. "Look at us religious people. We're so nice and caring. We're not backwards and irrational at all." If it were a charity or cause I cared about, there's no reason I couldn't hold my own event or get together a secular group to organize. And there wouldn't be an ulterior motive. I don't like playing games pretending that religious thought is harmless and altruistic.
Even if the charity stuff was why I was involved in a church community, that's usually separate from the Sunday school crap, yeah? You don't need to go to church to do the charity stuff with them.
Plus, there is that irritating habit of becoming someone else's project. I have not known people in a church environment to be "let live" and respectful of boundaries. If I went to church, I'd have to sit through talk of falsehoods or end up debating people, which is a dickish move, going to THEIR building to challenge THEIR ideas. If you bring up religion at my house or in public or at work, fine, fair game, I'm gonna hurt your feelings and you're gonna feel unsafe to share openly ever again. But they should feel alright in their buildings on their special day to talk about that crap.
And being anti-theist, I don't agree with the monopoly of religion over charities and service work. I think its usually predatory and manipulative and part of a propaganda image campaign. "Look at us religious people. We're so nice and caring. We're not backwards and irrational at all." If it were a charity or cause I cared about, there's no reason I couldn't hold my own event or get together a secular group to organize. And there wouldn't be an ulterior motive. I don't like playing games pretending that religious thought is harmless and altruistic.
Even if the charity stuff was why I was involved in a church community, that's usually separate from the Sunday school crap, yeah? You don't need to go to church to do the charity stuff with them.
