Church?

[tattiefritter]

Think I'm with Grog and Mimitabby - don't object to Church for other people but a Catholic education put me off for life. Particularly the Catholic church stance on birth control and its opinion of women in general. My grandparents were Irish Catholics and I used to hate the power that the priest was able to exert over their lives. I'll stop there...

[SR500]

Belief is personal, but attending church and study can help strengthen your. Churches are not perfect. It's like everything else the more you put into it the more you can get out of belonging to a church. We attend regularly, and it has had a very positive impact for us and especially our children. I would suggest you "church shop" if you are not happy, there are many great people impacting lives everyday.

[bcipam]

Not pushing anything here... but I can see many who have had a Catholic upbringing have been put off Church for life.

If your belief in God is still strong, may I suggest you try an non-dominational evangelical Church? I would say service and worship is 100% the opposite as what is offered by the Catholic Church. A typical service at my Church is usually started with some great, current Christian music, then of course the accouncements, and then the "discussion". Not ritual, traditional prayer. My pastor generally provides a lecture, much like a college class, on current day issues and how the Bible supports dealing with those issues one way or the other. After comes the collection (and it's necessary to keep a Church running) and then we close with worship. After I always feel so renewed and refreshed. I feel I leave having learned some new, life altering information.
My Church, as does most, offers small study groups if someone wants to learn more, become more involved.

There is something about surrounding one's self with a Christian community; with like minded folks. And I am the first to say, yes there are hypocritical Christians, just like there are hypocritical people in every aspect of life but at least I have the tools to discern Christian hypocracy when I hear it.

Churches are formed by and made by people. We are only human and make many mistakes. Those mistakes should never be attributed to God. His Word is perfect. Problem is, we all sometimes have trouble listening.

I have to admit I have been bad lately about going and I do miss the comfort and joy services provide me. Need to get my gear in order and get back!

[mtbdarby]

Not pushing anything here... but I can see many who have had a Catholic upbringing have been put off Church for life.

If your belief in God is still strong, may I suggest you try an non-dominational evangelical Church? I would say service and worship is 100% the opposite as what is offered by the Catholic Church. A typical service at my Church is usually started with some great, current Christian music, then of course the accouncements, and then the "discussion". Not ritual, traditional prayer. My pastor generally provides a lecture, much like a college class, on current day issues and how the Bible supports dealing with those issues one way or the other. After comes the collection (and it's necessary to keep a Church running) and then we close with worship. After I always feel so renewed and refreshed. I feel I leave having learned some new, life altering information.
My Church, as does most, offers small study groups if someone wants to learn more, become more involved.

There is something about surrounding one's self with a Christian community; with like minded folks. And I am the first to say, yes there are hypocritical Christians, just like there are hypocritical people in every aspect of life but at least I have the tools to discern Christian hypocracy when I hear it.

Churches are formed by and made by people. We are only human and make many mistakes. Those mistakes should never be attributed to God. His Word is perfect. Problem is, we all sometimes have trouble listening.

I have to admit I have been bad lately about going and I do miss the comfort and joy services provide me. Need to get my gear in order and get back!

Well said Pam. While I try and figure things out on my own too much and end up fighting my "autopilot", I notice a tremendous change in the outcomes in my life, the miracles, if you will, when I embrace my church, spirituality and fellow Christians. That's what going to church is about - the fellowship. Churchs are run by sinners, so no one is perfect. The best we can do is find one that we feel comfortable in and become a part of that family - like a cycling family. I do attend regularly, and will switch services to get some biking in. My church has even been known to have 2 bike rides a year (I think I'll see if they want to do more Of course, it's to the ice cream shop and back, but hey, that definitely goes with cycling!

[alpinerabbit]

I am pagan, so being out in nature on a sunny morning (any day of the week) is beneficial to my spirituality, I am not missing out on anything

[TsPoet]

I am pagan, so being out in nature on a sunny morning (any day of the week) is beneficial to my spirituality, I am not missing out on anything

me, too.

I like riding Sunday mornings. I live in a very church oriented area, riding on Sunday as long as I avoid start/end service times is extra peaceful with no one else around, gives me a chance to do my equivalence of "church".

[Grog]

I'd like to thank everyone for the great discussion so far, which I believe to be respectful of everyone's beliefs (or lack thereof) and convictions (or lack thereof).

You're such a wonderful group of women.

[bcipam]

I love being able to discuss religion and no one gets all crazy! Very cool!!

If anyone is interested and wants to discuss Christian based topics, I have discover a forum for that entitled crosswalk.com. It has everything from "women only" health issue discussions to heavy duty theological discussions that I can barely participate in. But there is something for everyone and great place to ask any burning questions you may have.

Another note - I also truly see God in being outdoors. I think that's why all my life, even though my folks were not outdoorsy folks I've always been outside. If anyone has ever climbed Mt. Whitney, about 2/3's of the way up, after a really brutal, rocky ascent, you will reach an alpine meadow with flowering iris and other wildflowers, a small water fall and clear, meadering stream and you know, I mean you truly know, that this wonderfully beautiful place was designed by God. The first time there I had to drop to my knee and give thanks and I cried and cried cause it was so beautiful (OK I was also alittle out of it due to high attitude sickness I admit).

Every time I'm riding my MTB bike and come across a herd of deer, you see the beautiful design of their sleek, muscular bodies and undestand the cycle of life, in how He created it; the raptors soring overhead, the birds flying between the trees, the butterfly and insects, snakes, even the awesome spiders.

I mean I could go on and on about seeing a beautiful day and the beauty of nature and know that this was all created by intelligent design. The puzzle pieces that are our world are just too complicated to be created by chance. I think we all see God in our own way and we worship something spiritual that is a creator. I've given my Creator a name, but I would bet we know and feel the beauty created by the same Being. I have no problem with the ways others worship Him. I personal feel sad for those who have not felt His Spirit. The effect on the mind and body is empowering!!! I just wish you can all be on my "drug"!

[lph]

If anyone has ever climbed Mt. Whitney, about 2/3's of the way up, after a really brutal, rocky ascent, you will reach an alpine meadow with flowering iris and other wildflowers, a small water fall and clear, meadering stream and you know, I mean you truly know, that this wonderfully beautiful place was designed by God. The first time there I had to drop to my knee and give thanks and I cried and cried cause it was so beautiful

You know bcipam - this makes me happy to read, because it reminds me of experiencing the same things, even though my starting point is different. Personally I'm an agnostic going on atheist, but I've also fallen to my knees and cried from sheer awe. I can't attribute it to a God, but the experience of enormous beauty in the world is amazing, and I'm happy that others can feel the same no matter how or if they choose to explain it.

If God should turn out to exist I have the feeling He'd agree :-)

[ridethewind]

Here's another thumbs down for church attendance. I used to attend as a child and teenager, but only because my parents forced me to go. I gave up attending when I turned 18 and haven't been back since. That was 37 years ago and I haven't regretted the decision to quit one bit.


___________________
Jean

[Eden]

This is all fascinating and I thank everyone for being so open and so civil. I thought that though discussing religion can be taboo and often rancerous that it would be safe to discuss it both on this forum and in this manner.

Personally I did not grow up attending church. My father's family was roman catholic and I think as many people here have voiced an upbringing and schooling in the church put him off of the lifestyle. My mothers family I think may have been lutheran or something like that, but her dad died when she was very young so I think her mom had too much on her hands being a single working mother with 4 kids to worry about being a loyal church goer. By the time I came along neither parent was a church attender.

My husband did grow up going to church with his mom, but feels very much as Mimi and Grog do about conflicts with what the church preaches vs how they act. I've never known him to go to services and did not even know he had once until we visited his parents.

My view is that if it gives you personal peace or fullfilment that any religion/philosophy that a person wants to follow is the right one. I know very happy, very balanced people from various religions who are quite devout and I really think that their religion has a lot to do with their personalities. I've never been, ummm comfortable would be the right word I guess, with ceremony religious or non religious so I would have a hard time sitting through a church service. I would feel like I was doing something wrong by being there as spectator rather than a believer I guess. That's not to say I've never felt spiritual, just not in a church setting.

[Popoki_Nui]

Colour me agnostic. I just don't think such things as God or gods are knowable. So we believe, or we don't. I can neither believe, nor can I completely disbelieve. Sometimes I think it would be nice to find the comfort you Believers find in your God, other times I find comfort in my own sprituality. One thing about my agnosticism is that I am always open to ideas from Believers and non-Believers alike.

[suzieqtwa]

I'm with Grog ,and Mimitabby. Religion is a BIG turn off to me. My upbringing was Catholic . I just live my life as good as I can. Not sure what going to happen to after I die ,but I guess Ill find out. I haven't been to church in 30 years.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm with Mimi (as usual),

This Sunday morning I spent cycling through the crisp air in the sun past golden dry fields of whispering grasses, side by side with the one I love. It was so beautiful an experience it was like spiritual and uplifting. We discussed it together and he and I agreed that this oneness with the beauty of Nature and our own minds and bodies was like our religion. It makes us humble and grateful and able to love other human beings too. It strengthens us inside and out, and comforts us in times of sorrow. It aligns one's molecules into harmonious patterns somehow. And isn't that what it's all about?
No offense, but I found the premise of this poll too narrow to begin with- setting the limiting perimeter of "going to church"...which overlooks many non-christian religions as well as nature-based or individual meditation type beliefs.

[Bad JuJu]

This Sunday morning I spent cycling through the crisp air in the sun past golden dry fields of whispering grasses, side by side with the one I love. It was so beautiful an experience it was like spiritual and uplifting. We discussed it together and he and I agreed that this oneness with the beauty of Nature and our own minds and bodies was like our religion. It makes us humble and grateful and able to love other human beings too. It strengthens us inside and out, and comforts us in times of sorrow. It aligns one's molecules into harmonious patterns somehow. And isn't that what it's all about?

I've felt the same kind of awe and humility in breathtaking natural surroundings. And I think we can appreciate natural beauty and nature's remarkable workings without always and only ascribing them to a mystical creator. The world is wondrous in itself--the way two rudimentary cells can combine and change to make a sentient being, the way life forms have developed to fill every possible niche in nature, the way tides ebb and flow, seasons change (or don't change, depending on where you live)--I could go on and on. I've written briefly about this wonder on my blog, if you care to read it:
On Wonder--It Is What It Is
We all see different things in nature, but we should try to realize that most of what we see depends on what we've been taught to see.