Do you go to church?

[rxcats]

When I was a little kid, I had to go to synagogue every Friday night. As I got into my tweens/teens, I had to go once a month for "family services". As an adult, when I still lived in Charlotte, I was coerced into going during the High Holy Days. Now I never go unless it is some life-cycle event like a Bar Mitzvah. I will be going to my nephew's Bar Mitzvah in August which will actually make two times this year! I went to services in February for my mom's 70th birthday; I got guilted into it.

 

[Geoff Gander]

My parents baptised me as a sort of "insurance policy", but we were never religious. I've never done confession, never been confirmed - zip, zero, nada. I follow a personal code of ethics - basically the Golden Rule - and that's good enough for me. I do have some general spiritualist leanings, which I came to based on personal experiences, but I'm not part of any organised faith.

I once spent Christmas with my grandfather (a fairly devout German Catholic), and was essentially a fish out of water during the Midnight Mass.

So no, no church for me.

Geoff

 

[Dedalus]

Neither my wife nor I are Christian, but we used to go on occasion, depending on whether or not food will be served after the service or if her cousin was performing in the choir. I liked seeing the family friends that go there all in one spot, and I have little occasion to dress up otherwise. Of course, I like playing dress up.

We stopped going when they started badgering us about baptizing our baby.

 

[X-It]

Originally Posted by Coho

I go to morning "mass" for the free bagels and coffee.

I go to church for other reason.

I certainly go to churh if I know that the priest is one hell a handsome guy.

These days are hardly enough to find a handsome and true strong believer guy.

 

[Dandy Highwayman]

Nope. Never have, never will.

 

[yachtie]

Daily-on the way to work.

 

[Quirk]

I would, at least occasionally, but I haven't found one that fits, so for the past five years or so, 'none of the above'.

 

[denimdestroyedmylife]

Not my thing. I did go to a Metaphysical Church a couple weeks ago to have my tarot read. I ate a chocolate muffin and a coffee; I can only assume it was someone's body and blood.

 

[Fulcannelli]

now only on deaths, births and weddings.... any excuse for a piss-up is a good one

before someone tells me they dont do births i meant ablutus

 

[vitaminc]

Only on funerals and weddings.

Otherwise Sunday morning is the perfect time for golf. Early bird FTW.

 

[Droog]

Attend regularly. Also serve as a deacon.

 

[Coho]

Originally Posted by whodini

I'm somehow unamazed at how many ex-Catholic school students display zero interest in going to church.
I'd go to church more often if I don't get the "holy obligation" bullshit telling me the penal consequence if I don't. Most of it is imaginary anyways, I mean the existence of God and eternal damnation. Hamlet is right in that conscience does make cowards of us all. I voted for occasionally. However, if you look at the poll, it seems that most people are between the two extremes of attending and not attending. This is why religion, or blind acceptance of it, is never good for the soul. Nietzsche once asked, is God a blunder of man or is man a blunder of god? I'd say the former.

 

[yachtie]

Originally Posted by Coho

I'd go to church more often if I don't get the "holy obligation" bullshit telling me the penal consequence if I don't. Most of it is imaginary anyways, I mean the existence of God and eternal damnation. Hamlet is right in that conscience does make cowards of us all.

I voted for occasionally. However, if you look at the poll, it seems that most people are between the two extremes of attending and not attending. This is why religion, or blind acceptance of it, is never good for the soul. Nietzsche once asked, is God a blunder of man or is man a blunder of god? I'd say the former.

Nietzsche himself is an excellent example of the latter proposition.

 

[Bradford]

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

depends. it is hard to get going with two small children, but we seem to make it to sunday school more often now.
I am in the same boat. I am currently in the occasional category, because it is hard to get the kids going on Saturday morning at their young ages, but I would like to go more often and I think it is important to give my children that exposure. If they choose not to attend as adults, at least they will have the experience to make that decision.

 

[academe]

Originally Posted by Coho

I'd go to church more often if I don't get the "holy obligation" bullshit telling me the penal consequence if I don't.

I can certainly sympathize with this frustration. My wife and I go regularly to a liberal Anglican/Episcopal church, populated by intellectual seminarian-types. We hear very little about hellfire/damnation, and more about kindness, compassion, respecting your fellow humans, etc. My wife is very active in the choir and I've been quite active with groups focusing on equity and social justice issues. I've helped cook for a homeless shelter partly supported by our church, for example. One of the things I've enjoyed most about being apart of the Anglican/Episcopal tradition is its strong music tradition and the emphasis placed on thinking, compassion and social responsibility. The whole hellfire/damnation thing is really not my cup of tea, and I eschew many of the right-wing/conservative churches that subscribe to this point of view.