Going to church

[Spencer]

Some churches are really Pretty. Thats about all I enjoy out of them anymore. A nice photo op here and there.

I remember as a kid over hearing my baptist pastor talking to a member of the church about the use of contraceptive, and how he and his wife didn't believe in using them. As I recall they had seven or eight children at the time. That always struck me as odd because neither of them had what I considered a real job, he was just the pastor, and as a kid I thought spreading the word of god shouldn't supply someone with the type of disposable income as to not have to worry about financially caring for an infinite amount of children. Or maybe I was just jealous that God obviously loved their family more than mine, ha!

[Thor]

I was brought up Catholic and I found church services to be incredibly boring. Every week it was the same thing... the same liturgy, the same rituals, the same prayers... Sit, kneel, stand, kneel, stand, kneel, sit... I couldn't wait until it was over. There was nothing inspiring about it. Particularly when I was very young and everything was in a language I didn't understand. One of my most vivid memories of church was one day when, during the priest's sermon, I saw a friend of mine seated a few rows over (I was about 10 and my mother sent me to church by myself). I got up and sat next to my friend. After the service I was heading out the door where the priest was standing greeting people. Before I could even say, "Hi, Father!" the priest glowered at me and snarled, "You were the one who got up and moved during the service!" He then gave me a ration of shit before I could get out of there. Yeah... really made me want to go back!

I stopped going to church when I was about 12 and got confirmed. Guess my mother thought that was enough.

The only time I go to church now is for weddings and funerals. But the stupidity of the rituals can get to me sometimes. Particularly when the pedophile - I mean priest - lights up some type of smoke emitter and swings it around. I always make it a point to cough loudly a few times. I also make it a point to be the last person to stand or sit when the sheep follow their routine. And I NEVER kneel. I'll sit on the edge of the seat and lean on the back of the pew in front of me. I'll be fucked if I'm going to kneel to their fictitious being.

[TheDarkestOfAngels]

If you ever did go to church, what did you think of it? I ask because whenever I go, it just seems more and more pointless, and I can't wait for it to be over. The blasphemy spouted by the priest, the awful suck-up to God hymns, little kids crying their eyes out...What's your opinion?

Eh. I feel out of place whenever I've gone to any church these days, but I've dated quite a few women who've been very religious, so I try to make myeslf comfortable by guaging the people who go there and how much of a community they are.
So, if it's very communal, supportive, and at least preaches things that seem reasonable, then I feel I can get on board with that.

If I get a whiff of the kinds of hatred and intolerance I expect the more extreme elements of any faith to puke out, then I'm out of there like a bat out of hell.

Though keep in mind the only reason I go at all is usually to impress a lady I like and I'm a tool, so ... yeah. There you go.

[Skeptisma]

I had maybe gone to church a handful of times by the time I was a preteen, of which none were mandatory or forced upon me by my parents - basically friends or neighbors who wanted to take me along. That said, I decided I would like to go to a summer bible school around 12 or 13 just to see what it was all about. I don't recall how long I went, or what exactly happened there, because it must have been so boring that I completely shut it out. The only thing I do recall is being able to rip out a page of some picture book as to put on a piece of burnt wood as a plaque. I think I picked Mary? Fuck if I remember. That was pretty much the end of the beginning of church for me.

[leo-rcc]

I once explained to an aunt of mine that me stepping in a church would feel like her stepping in a mosque or temple. Sure it could be interesting, but she'd feel way out of place and more like a tourist or a spectator. She never thought of it like that but she got the message.

[Scented Nectar]

After moving out on my own (at 16), I only got talked into going inside a synogogue a few times. One was a brother's bar mitzvah where I ran into an old hebrew school teacher I used to hate. The music was good. And the food afterwards. The only two good things about jewish services. Another was my dad's wedding, and there was a cousin's wedding. I think that's it. I don't think I've gone in one for about 25 years maybe. Went to a catholic church for a wedding a few years back, but it was brief, boring, and I don't remember much.

Except for the music, I feel very uncomfortable in synogogues since that's where I often have to hear the crap they try to tell me, both religious nonsense and additional horrible political god-said-we-can-take-their-land stuff.

[Minimalist]

As former Executive VP for my union I frequently had to attend funerals for members or their families. I perfected the art of looking suitably pious on the outside while making mental "jerk off" gestures as the priest/rabbi/minister droned on about shit he pretended to know. Religion is all about the "show."

[Thor]

As former Executive VP for my union I frequently had to attend funerals for members or their families. I perfected the art of looking suitably pious on the outside while making mental "jerk off" gestures as the priest/rabbi/minister droned on about shit he pretended to know. Religion is all about the "show."

I can relate. I went to funeral last year where the priest told us about how the deceased now had to "go before God for judgement", and that we had to pray for the deceased because "God takes prayers into consideration when deciding whether or not he should allow someone into heaven". I really had to bite my tongue! I wanted to ask this dipshit how he could possibly know this crap for a FACT. I also wanted to say, "So, God takes prayers for the deceased into consideration when deciding who should get into heaven? Then I suppose God would have allowed Hitler into heaven if enough people prayed for him. And what about someone who dies and has no friends or family? Does God condemn these people to hell because no one is praying for them?"

It just bugs the hell out of me when these simpletons spew unsubstantiated bullshit and everyone smiles at them and nods.

[DeistPaladin]

After I graduated from school, the dating opportunities seemed to dry up, especially since meeting someone where I work was neigh impossible. I tried many different things from ads in the classified to dating services. After a few years, I heard that church was a good way to meet women, so I went to a local megachurch that featured plenty of singles socials.

The story of my experience at that church is detailed in my intro post: http://atheistforums.org/thread-4012.html

If I knew then what I know now, I'd have gone to a Catholic Church rather than a protestant fundie magachurch. Both the quality and quantity of women are superior. Catholic girls seem to be so much more well-adjusted, contrary to what Billy Joel had to sing about on the subject. My experience with protestant girls, especially the fundy types I met at this megachurch, was not so positive.

Still, I think it was a positive step in my life to attend this megachurch since it was what started my interest on the topic of religion. It made me the freethinker I am today.

[Cego_Colher]

I went to church twice that wasn't for a wedding. One was with my friend– it was a Korean church, so they sang for a bit then the rest of the time was spent talking with one another.

The other time was for my world religions class (we had to go to two places of worship, the other was a Buddhist temple.) I went to a catholic church with my ex (and he was my ex at the time), and I was supposed to pay attention. all I can remember from it was being reminded of the Borg and eventually getting sick of sit, kneel, stand, in whatever order so I just sat. My ex looked over at me and said something like "you're done with that?" Before hand he yelled at me because (I wanted to wear a black coat my bro and his girlfriend had bought me that I've only worn that once.) I was wearing black. "we aren't going to a funeral."

In the Buddhist temple first everyone talked about– something, not important, I guess, I wasn't listening when they were talking. They had a small library and I was looking at that wondering what was up there. The rest of the time was spent meditating, which I found quite nice. I think I spider was crawling on me, though.

if I find the paper I think I was supposed to write about it, I might be able to say more.