Hey, I have not been going to church since I was five. My parents go all the time but they never made me go. I haven't gone to church for about 15 years and I don't intend on ever going again. I consider myself a christian but many probably don't. I find it hard to believe some of those stories in the bible because they seem impossible. But thats just me.
The main reason I posted this topic is to find out how often each person here goes to church or prays and to find out your opion on some of them bible stories. There is now a drop of 77% in the amount of people who go into training to be a priest from 1970 - 2005.
I try and go to church every Sunday. But you know, sometimes it's just have too much going on or get tied up somewhere, hate to say it. But you should believe what the Bible says. The reason you think that those stories are not true is because you don't believe in the wonders performed by God. You don't think that there will be a small walk and that's it? Of course Jesus is going to be healing the blind and other amazing things. It's just so different in our minds that we reject it. You should really try to go back to church, as it is an awesome way to live.
~Balthamos
OK . . . . I'm an Indian and a Hindu by religion . . . . I have been to a church just once till now . . . . but I suppose this is not about the church only . . . . it can be for visiting as temple . . . . I'm not an atheist . . . . but I hat crowded places and for that . . . . I avoid going to temples . . . . churches I suppose are clean till quite far off the boundaries . . . . but my experience with temples have been not as good . . . . that's also why I avoid going to temples . . . . but I go to temples for some reasons . . . . when I feel its been really long . . . . last time I felt it when it was about 2 years . . . . and for the sake of my Mom . . . . my wife . . . . and today I hope I'll visit the temple for the first time for my daughter. . . . God bless her!!
First of all. I hate the words "going to Church". It sounds like a silly duty that was invented by priests who want to be listened to. You should remember that if you go to the Church, you go to meet personally your God. Of course, you can meet Him on your own, eg. in prayer, but a Holy Mass is something really special. The Mass, if you attend to it knowingly, is a communion with God, letting Him come to your life in the symbol of a white wafer. To feel the wonderful effects of this communion you should get prepared well, I've missed out on them many times as I was just to concentrated on something else. But once you find it, you will start going to church not because of a 'duty', but because it helps you a lot. 
Well, it's sad that you reject the Bible. You should remember that many Bible stories are just poetical descriptions of a universal truth about the God. Examples? The story about creation tells not that the world was built in six days, it tells that the world exists because of God, the story about the Babel tower tells that people wanted [and still want] to be stronger than God, but they failed... Apart from stories, the books of Bible contain proverbs, statistics, chroniques, visions, songs, and even a love poem. But if you remember that they shouldn't be taken literally and their message is 'coded', you'll discover that Bible is the wisest book on the world. 
Ahh... I almost forgot what was the topic. I 'go to the church' twice a week. Once, for the Holy Mass, and once for a Bible meeting with my community, when we read the Bible together and discover how actual is its message for us. Once upon a time I had been an avid churchgoer.
For some reason, I stopped doing that and I don't feel guilty because of it. I don't think that going to Church is to make you a whole lot 'sinful' (as some acquaintances would press on me) but I believe that being alone and reflecting on praying seriously wherever you is much more important than to religiously go to church but not being there in mind and spirit.
I go to church every Saturday. I believe in following the bible. The bible says to go to church every saturday, and as long as I believe in following part of the bible, I'll believe in following the whole thing. Which means that if I believe any part of the bible, I'll go to church on saturday.
www.adventist.org Give me one reason to go to church when you are not christian 
| needra wrote: |
| The bible says to go to church every saturday |
wheres that at in the bible?
my church attendance is pretty sporatic. Theres times where I just can't get into corporate worship, and don't feel like sitting there listening to someone talking at me. I'd rather get together with some of my friends and have an actual discussion.See, I haven't been to church in a few weeks, I'm in a bit of an in-between phase. You don't need to go to Church to worship God though, remember that.
| a_dubDesign wrote: |
| needra wrote: | | The bible says to go to church every saturday |
wheres that at in the bible?
|
Well, the Bible does not exactly say that we should go to church, for a simple reason that these times there were no churches. But it says directly many times that we should make the Sabbath [= saturday] a 'holy' day, a day especially dedicated to the Lord.
| Quote: |
| Give me one reason to go to church when you are not christian |
To take a Christian wedding :/ I know many people do so, they aren't Christians but they want to have a 'real' wedding, so they have it in a church. In my opinion this is completely senseless. 
| Quote: |
| You don't need to go to Church to worship God though, remember that. |
Soulfire? I don't recognise you... Of course, we can worship God in many other ways. but we should remember that God doesn't need our going to church, if we don't go it won't do any harm to Him. We should go to church regularly only because it helps us, it gives us the strenght to be a better person when we go out of the church.
And do you know why this is a 'duty'? Becuase from my personal experience I know that if we do something really stupid, we don't feel like going to the church at all. But the priests know that going to the church could help us a lot in this knid of situations, that's why they want us to come there even if we don't want to do this at all. There were many times this helped me indeed. | the_mariska wrote: |
| Well, the Bible does not exactly say that we should go to church, for a simple reason that these times there were no churches. But it says directly many times that we should make the Sabbath [= saturday] a 'holy' day, a day especially dedicated to the Lord. |
You really think there weren't chruches during Bible times? There weren't huge buildings and massive budgets and jacked up power schemes, but they definetly meet, worshiped, learned, and lived together in communities. It wasn't just a once a week kind of thing.Hi all 
Even though i was once christened and used to go to church on a regular basis, I do not go to church anymore.
I do not think that not going to church means that you are not devoted to your religion anymore 
On the contrary, one can be a very good Christian, pray at home and be strong on self conduct, thus be good to others and never ever commit anything evil 
| a_dubDesign wrote: |
| the_mariska wrote: | | Well, the Bible does not exactly say that we should go to church, for a simple reason that these times there were no churches. But it says directly many times that we should make the Sabbath [= saturday] a 'holy' day, a day especially dedicated to the Lord. |
You really think there weren't chruches during Bible times? There weren't huge buildings and massive budgets and jacked up power schemes, but they definetly meet, worshiped, learned, and lived together in communities. It wasn't just a once a week kind of thing. |
Of course it's right, but it was just a polemics with needra, eho wrote that the Bible literally says to go to church every saturday. I guess it can't be written there literally, because these times there were no churches like those that we have these days.
First, we should think about what 'Bible times' are we talking about. The Bible has been being written for more than 1000 years, a lot of things were changing during this time. The first Temple of God was built by kings David and Salomon, but it was not exactly like our churches. The Temple could be only one, and it was considered as the House of God. More similar to our churches was the synagogues, that were introduced about 700 BC. The believers [men only 
] were meeting there, reading the Torah and praying together.
Another situation is about the first Christians. Until year 313, Christianity was punished with death, so they had to keep their meetings secret. At first they didn't need any temples or holidays, the church was everywhere they met, and a holiday was everytime they met. Only after baptising huge masses of people in the 4th century, there became a need of building species churches.
I know that this all is not that important though havent been to chruch for about 16 years - probably wont unless for a funeral or something of the like...
Used to go with my grandparents every now and then, but nah,... I will go for weddings + funerals.. the latter I dont want to go to but its a fact of life.
Atheists don't go to church
Although I did go to a freinds church last night. It wasnt like the masses I remember. Everyone was psyched and happy, then we were brought over to the youth-groupy part of it and it was all boring and everything became an unhappy dictatorship. lol
Also the lady talking was dumb as a bag of bricks and I wanted to contradict her so many times. I have been to church almost every single Sunday of my life! Often I end up at church during the week as well..
EDIT: Oh, and as for praying, I pray many times a day. Pretty much whenever I need to pray, I do. That's what He's there for! For me, there's no problem if you go to church or not.
What is important is you do to others what you want others to do unto you... and that is to respect, help and support others... and not let ill will rule our spirit and minds. I go every Sunday that i can. I strongly believe in one True God and that Jesus Christ was sent to this earth to die for our sins and will one day come back to bring us all home.
Church is a place that I go to worship our God and to give back whatever i can, no matter how little it is, because he has given me so much and i know i will never be able to repay what he has done for me, but i know that he loves all that i do, do for him.
I have no doubts that church for me is a place to go to worship our one True God and a place to fellowship with our believers in my community that i now i live in.
Everybody has their religious ritual preferences. The most important thing when dealing with other religion is to respect their beliefs.
I just hate it when people criticize of me not going to church. I tell them... "Does that make me a lesser christian because of that? That is so shallow. Hmph!" :-p I try my best to go to Church every Sunday. Sometimes, i get lazy.
I used to go to a baptist church with my family up until the church started playing some propaganda videos about why we should vote against gays and sign some very hateful petitions. I just walked out and never returned. I honestly don't care about gay marriage, but I think it's horrible for a church to attack a minority.
It's a sad reality. Some people are so shallow.
I especially hate those who detest gay people just because they're gay... I especially hate when some religious fanatic rants about that and I go... "Hey! They're also human! They have feelings! And they are not to be comdemned!"
I go to worship Sundays and Wednesdays. Why? Because I like being with other people. It does state in the bible that where 2 or 3 agree there He is also. It's nice knowing He's there when we worship Him.
My dad makes sure we go to church every after sunday when I was a kid. I studied in a Catholic School when I was in highschool so we have to go also to church to render services at that time.
And now that I got out from college, I really don't visit that much these days but I make sure I visit the church once a month. Ironically speaking, I realized more of what my faith is and I'm contented with that. Hi..
This is an interesting post.
I used to be a confused catholic in my youth, and was haunted by many unanswered questions that really made my wonder why I was going to church.. I went to a pvt catholic all boys school, and I had an open mind to it all for a while. The older I grew the more I questioned what it was I believed in, and came to the conclusion that I did not like the fact that I was a 'catholic'. I was going to church, eating 'the body of christ', performing all these symbolistic rituals but for what point? I did not understand..
Today I live on the philosophy of morals. There has to be control in today's society else there would be havoc. And I guess religion is evolutions way of controlling teh massess.. I know what is right and wrong, and to better myself starts with myself, and not teachings that I choose to believe. Live in today, god is within yourself, within your soul... God is you... We have been granted the opportunity of LIFE...why would we ever want to restrict it on corrupt teaching of other humans? Especially with regards to catholism.
Be aware of consequences, be aware of the ppl around you, try to be more altrustic, and good will find its way back to you... That is my religion..
But hey the point of religion is the point, not religion itself.. If religios ppl realized this, then religion can only be good...the things that grills me is that ppl don't realize this...they take reliogion at face value... "Oh if see a priest and confess my sins, my sins will be forgiven" That is bollocks in my head...wow and i seem to keep going on and on with this post...
So that's where it ends...do/believe what is good for you, we are all indiviuals after all....
I dont go to church every sunday and God knows that, I dont even pray every night, even so, I do God's words in my everyday life. I believe in him though.
I am going to church again now. Today was the first time in 4 years I did it again with passion. Since I moved to Mauritius, I stopped it, because I could not understand to creole language, spoken here.
Now, since I learned the language, its a very inspiring experiment. Not only you get the things to hear, you already know, you also get it from a different point of view. An islands native people is looking at it in a complete different way.
And I love the music, they play with live guitars instead of the organ.
Lovely, really! - I don't talk about the beautiful young girls, which are attending the church every sunday morning, even at 7 oclock.
I hope, you dont get the impression, this is the reason, I go there, not at all!! Really!
Fribee. mauritius
I forgot to say, that I prayed today to understand the full extend of the game, Israel is playing round the world. Specially after I heard "Lord, elevate the house of Israel"!
I hope, these very intelligent people will soon bomb out the hell of our beautiful world with their nuclear arsenal, and everybody is dead or mutilated. I think, they really perform for the leadership of our planet, because nobody since the last century did anything against them, except Hitler, the only one, who tried to stop the terror.
Now its too late and I will go to church every week, as long as I can until its over.
Fribee
Mauritius
P.S.: I am awaiting the choral of antisemitism now, but I m not! Really!
The Kharzans should have their world imperium, which they already
own via banks and media! Long live the jews and the Zionists! You stupid world!
I don't go to church, I hate it. Ever since priests started molesting kids I learned a big lesson, that they used their power of being a priest ('good people') to gain trust, then molesting kids! It sounds cruel but it's the truth. That's not the only reason I don't go, I haven't been to church in 5 years (with the exception of a baptism), I just lost 100% of my faith in god or whatever the church is trying to brainwash me to believe. All I need to do is believe in myself and I'll do fine.
last time was 2 years ago, because my nephew got babtised
otherwise I don't think I'll ever go to church again as I don't believe in God and the bible and such anymore
religions are a horrible thing if you ask me, the only good thing is that some people may find relief in it
I haven't been to church the past months. Partly, I feel guilty about not meeting God on His "place" but I believe this could be excused since we can meet God anywhere, anytime.
There are some reasons why this "unattendance" happened. Some couldn't be understood by the church-goers. One reason why I partly stopped going to church is that I hate seeing those people acting like saints in the church but outside they're like raging fire of hell... when they talk "demons are coming out of there mouth". Another thing is that I sometimes hate to hear a priest's sermon not because it "hits" me but because it's contents non-conformance with the teachings of the Bible.
I am a devoted Christian (Roman Catholic by religion) but this does not mean I have a 100% church attendance. I am questioning one thing about the teaching and tradition of my Church. We use the Bible, we believe in it but our authorities (The Pope, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests) seemed to have not followed one of God's commandment... " you should not have any other God and bow to any other gods (statue, symbols and others) except to the One in Heaven". Why they encourage and practice putting up statues of saints and bow down and pray to them? Is this not a violation to the teachings of the Holy Book? A contraction of a reference and teaching.
In this simple scenario, I have the reason why I don't go to Church sometimes.
Hobbit, I think you should differentiate between church and faith!
This is what I am doing as well. For me the church is just a bunch of
crooks and sex-offenders. In former centuries they managed as well
to get powers to kill people - look at the former colonies - in one word:
Just human beings!
For me its even one step more: The different religions of the world are
all the same, just packed into different packages, if you know what I mean.
Since I live in Mauritius I'm very much attracted by the Hindu religion, because it has a balance between male and female entities.
Like the "Seetaram" entity consists of Ram (male) and Seeta (female).
Also they have the balance of good and bad inside their corps, like you can see the god of destruction, named Kali.
And many other examples.
But don't let the church destroy your faith, it will be your fate....
| Quote: |
| There are some reasons why this "unattendance" happened. Some couldn't be understood by the church-goers. One reason why I partly stopped going to church is that I hate seeing those people acting like saints in the church but outside they're like raging fire of hell... when they talk "demons are coming out of there mouth". |
Actually I can understand this reason well... It's horrible to realise how many people claim to be followers of Christ while they actually do the opposite. They often think that it is enough to simply go to the church to be okay, while the rest of their lifes is a complete moral disaster. But the more I know about myself, the more I realise that I'm just like them in a way. I can't judge the other people, while I'm not okay either. The church is not for the saints, it's for those who need the support of God. Like Jesus said, only the sick men need the doctor, not the healthy ones.exactly to the point, Mariska! But unwillingly I made a very interesting
discovery in your post:
The church is for the one in need of support...
What I think you meant, is the church as a gathering place and not as an institution! Isn't it?
And here we are: "If you gather in my name and pray and sing, I will hear your prayers!" (Jesus)
This fact I experienced my whole life:
That it is not possible to get something from God with prayers at home, but only by gathering in churches. Even if I hate the institutions, I will go and pray and sing again from now on.....because I need support.....
Fribee
I go to church every week! 
It's a place where you can here the word of God and at the coffe/tea time you can discuss the sermon/message that the pastor/pastors have spoken!
Church is a place to gather and seek the will of God! | Whong wrote: |
I go to church every week!
It's a place where you can here the word of God and at the coffe/tea time you can discuss the sermon/message that the pastor/pastors have spoken!
Church is a place to gather and seek the will of God! |
guessing you missed the post from bondings about the new enhanced rules
| bonding wrote: |
| Proper sentences should end with a single dot. Don't use a bunch of dots or smilies every few lines. |
the stories yes they do seem impossiple but any thing i possiple with God and i conider you a chritian because you dont have to go to church to belive in God
I go to church for family events; I waas in a funeral not too long ago. But I have never just gone to church, maybe because I am not a Christian or have ever been. Though I tried in a way, for a while.
I use to go to church virtually every Sunday. Then I started attending everyday when I was in a boarding school. Now, I do not go to church often. Sometimes, it is just once a month or so. Pity.
My religion doesn't have churches. There's eight big events through the year which are held outside in sacred places, and I try to go to as many as I can. I pray every day.
Never apart from on special occasions. I'm not religious.
all said here!
I don't think, there are no more interesting
comments to wait for, isn't it?
Maybe somebody should close this threat.
Thx
Fribee
My visits to church have been sporadic at best even when I would go every Sunday when I was little (or younger). Every time I go I am more disappointed and I don't know whether or not it is because I have always attended a Korean church.
When I attended regularly I would seem like a good Christian only because the answers to their questions were so easy. As long as I talked about how we should all love God and read the Bible and have fellowship and etc, the other people would nod in approval.
I don't mean to offend any Christians who would be reading this, but I felt like I was being brainwashed the whole time. The last time I went to church many of the people there felt that they were only comfortable in an environment with other Korean Christians. Close-minded people make me shake my head in disappointment and sigh.
I go to church every sunday. "Seven days without mass makes one weak"
Church doesnt have a sense, because if god wanted us to go to church, he should forced us, and god is not on the curch is inside of us, so church sucks! : ), and it sucks more if you just go to church asking god to resolve your problems ans confesing.
Hehe. Last time i went, WHOA! When was that again? Hmm. Seems like AGES! But do pray now and then. Guess somethings never change.
Rarly. This year ive been perhaps only 3 times, once with my class (yes, in some countries religion is a subject since elementry/primary school), once i got sent by my family, and once with a friend, because he felt lonely. I believe in God but i dont believe in the religion, especially catholic and the sort. IMHO Too much corruption, too many priests have sinned too much, showing me that priests, which speak on behalf of God, can be wrong. So, if they can be wrong, then they might've been wrong for the past 2000 years.
Actually quite often because I plays trumpet in it but I rarely is there not playing. The problem (except that I not am a believer) is that our priest have so very long and boring sermons. They takes almost half the time!
I used to go to church everytime the doors were open. I was a minister in training. I worked on the soundboard for church.
I led A GODLY life one might say.
Then a series of events brought me to my current understanding.
First the Events:
A youth pastor that was 21 , slept with my sister who was 16 at the time.
When the elders found out , the youth pastor recieved a slap on the wrist.
and was able to continue his duties and did it again this time to another girl.
My mentor, The asst pastor of the church. Resigned from the pulpit one evening. Citing he cheated on his wife with another woman. His wife that also had cheated on him, stayed inside the church in her position as a teacher and he was kicked to the curb.
I'm Agnostic. I believe in a higher being, though i refuse to name him. I despise of Organized religion and see no use for it.
but.....
I believe that Jesus Christ was real and what he did was real.....
I'm so screwed
| Praes wrote: |
I'm Agnostic. I believe in a higher being, though i refuse to name him. I despise of Organized religion and see no use for it.
but.....
I believe that Jesus Christ was real and what he did was real.....
I'm so screwed |
You put my beliefs in words, although i dont know if im Agnostic, the thing in believing in a higher being but the refusal to name him is just the thing ive always thought. And I also believe the Jesus was real...
You're not screwed, you can tidy up your beliefs into what YOU think is right, not what some covert pervert says.summing up all comments leads to one
conclusion:
Almost everybody believes in God and
is disappointed with church!
I'm following this opinion, but practizing
in a different way, like everybody can see
on my posts further up.
I also don't know, if I am a "gnostiger"
or "agnostiker" or whatever, my wife says,
I am a Hindu, because of my idea of the goal
in life, to find a soul-mate, no matter what
faith or church he/she belongs to....
basically its the same thing, only in different
packages.
Although I am practizing different religions,
because she is Hindu, I can feel the power
emerges from the Christian Church as well
as from the Hindu temple.
So you can see, I am going to this places
because of the power its transforming and not
because I trust the priests or whomever.
c'tair and Praes, and anyone else with the same thought, I'm curious as to your thought process (i guess would be the term) in your refusal to name the higher being you believe exists.
Well, the reason why I refuse to name the higher being i believe exists, is because I only believe he exists, I dont know anything about it/him/her because I have not found any signs of it/him/her on earth... yet. I just believe that such a being is out there, sometimes when something good happens to me, even something minor like the light changing green on a crosswalk, i usually think something like "thanks" and smile to myself. I guess its just my need to believe in something that protects me, aids me etc. And I dont want to call it/him/her anything is because i dont wanna personalize it, giving it a name, apearance etc. Its just an entity, which i will never probably understand.
Well, in this case, you wouldn't classify your God as Jesus or Mary, what would you classify them (or he/she) as? A matter? Pardon me but i'm really curious about that. It's really interesting that you could feel but you couldn't classify.
| Praes wrote: |
First the Events:
A youth pastor that was 21 , slept with my sister who was 16 at the time.
When the elders found out , the youth pastor recieved a slap on the wrist.
and was able to continue his duties and did it again this time to another girl.
My mentor, The asst pastor of the church. Resigned from the pulpit one evening. Citing he cheated on his wife with another woman. His wife that also had cheated on him, stayed inside the church in her position as a teacher and he was kicked to the curb.
|
dang, did you add this, or was I so tired last night that I completely missed it the first time? Thats jacked up dude, unfortunately there's horrible stuff like that going on all the time it seems. That wonderful saying can be so true, I'm a big fan of God, its his fan club I can't stand.Ah, well yes, i cant classify it as anything. I just think of it as an entity, something that "exists" and has a mind of its own, and can hear me, aid me etc. Kinda hard to explain, but I give it godly powers, so I can believe that Jesus was something like a messange from "It", but so could've anyone else in history. I usually visualise it as a ball of light, but i try not to do it since I believe in it as one would believe in God, so its all powerfull, might exist in the 4th dimension (try to imagine a 4d thing...) and I, as a mere human, cannot understand "it" unless "it" makes me understand by some sort of vision or something.
I go to Church Wednesday, Thurday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
No biggie...
| AG007 wrote: |
I go to Church Wednesday, Thurday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
No biggie... |
good gosh, so when do you have time to actually BE the church if your in the same building (presummably with the same people) 5 days out of the week? | a_dubDesign wrote: |
| c'tair and Praes, and anyone else with the same thought, I'm curious as to your thought process (i guess would be the term) in your refusal to name the higher being you believe exists. |
I myself have many different names, I am brother, son, husband, father, friend.
Depending on who i am with, is the name i carry.
Why can it not be the same in religion. We have a buddha, Jesus, God, Ra, Allah, Divine One, Holy Trinity. It's the same person, in my mind. Just different names for different religions.
Thats why i refuse to name him/her. By naming i claim a religion. Something i care not to do. | Praes wrote: |
| Thats why i refuse to name him/her. By naming i claim a religion. Something i care not to do. |
ahh, that makes sense to me, espically in the light of your other posts
| Praes wrote: |
I myself have many different names, I am brother, son, husband, father, friend.
Depending on who i am with, is the name i carry. |
technically those are labels, but your arguements still valid, I'm just wondering about the difference between a name and a label for GodWent to church many moons ago, before all these tv people started thier preaching. Thing is it hasnt changed, all any of them do is ask for material goods which makes little sence to me. Like I have read, Church is where you make it to a degree, if God exisit, he hears you no matter where you are. Guess Im rabbling a bit, but I lost intrest in church, when the emphases went from prayer to money.
| poet wrote: |
| but I lost intrest in church, when the emphases went from prayer to money. |
yeah, I feel ya on that one. My main issue is when it goes from God to "me", which unfortunately happens way to much.I feel it is important for every person to believe in something, whether flying spaghetti monsters or string theory, but it oughtn't be said that one must flaunt these beliefs in a public setting. I have ten toes and ten fingers, and together they are more than the number of times I've been to a real temple. Does that make me less of a Jew than someone who goes twice a week? I can believe at home, so I do. For me, the temple is a place to visit when I have questions about Judaism, just as the physics department is a place to visit when I have questions about string theory.
| the_mariska wrote: |
)
Another situation is about the first Christians. Until year 313, Christianity was punished with death, so they had to keep their meetings secret. At first they didn't need any temples or holidays, the church was everywhere they met, and a holiday was everytime they met. Only after baptising huge masses of people in the 4th century, there became a need of building species churches.
I know that this all is not that important though |
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamstravels/213021086/
http://www.goephesus.com/hovm.htm
if you want to visit these churchs ,they are in turkey
becaue of time , they are not horrifying like "Tuol Sleng" (famous torture center in cambodia in pol pot time)I'm Roman Catholic and I visit churches only few times a year, mostly on very important Roman days.
i never go to church its awful isn't it?
