Are you? If so how often?

It'd be a bit odd if I did, me being a pagan and all!:nod:

As well as occasional trips to services, masses, etc. I also attend the Cathedral on occasion for private meditation.

Joe

I don't go at all these days. I used to go to a main Sunday service every week though, and also to study classes on Wednesday evenings.

Weddings, christenings and funerals. However, I do visit churches as interesting historic monuments. I've even been known to pick up a hymn book and have a sing.

From being a confirmed Methodist churchgoer, Sunday school teacher and church youth club leader, I now regard myself as an atheist. It was a forty year journey between the two ends of the spectrum. But, as DH Lawrence said (and I shall slightly misquote him) 'You can never fall out of the hands of the living God'.

Each to their own beliefs.

Not that I'd consider myself religious, I do however pray (regualrly).

However, I've had to attend churches (infact the same one twice in a space of two months), for those rather lovely, and joyous occasions - funerals (!)

:)

I used to go regularly every Sunday morning. Then they pi*ed me off once too often so i went to get muddy restoring canals instead....that where i worship ever sunday! :thumbsup:

I meet up with a lot of the other forummers to worship on a Sunday evening! ;)

Although I consider myself quite spiritual, I rarely set foot inside church. I don't feel the need.

Churches are interesting from the architectual point of view, but as for their original purpose? ha, THE longest running, most successful con of all time!!

I'll bet Pope John Paul had a shock in April

i think i am turning into a fixture at the cathedral!!!! every sunday and all specials as well as being on the serving team

dave

I sometimes go inside a church or cathederal.

The atmosphere and energy of the place appeals to me at times, you know, that feeling of coolness and calmness.

I prefer to be in my own company if I'm inside a church. I spend my time meditating and getting centred and focused within myself.

Purely as a place to go and do that, a church has very real and pragmatic value. Then again, so have many natural places.

I am not religious at all. My perspectives and viewpoints relating to 'god' 'the nature of reality' do not fit in to any prescribed pigeon hole.

I need no words to describe myself. I am what I am.

ive been going a couple of times a month because i have to as i am getting married in august in a church out of my parish so i must go to join the electoral roll in that parish.

the walk to the church is nice but it does tend to get a bit boring towards the end of the service. plus, after an hour or so of being in there im gagging for my nicotine fix!.

I go if other people hold events there, ie weddings, funerals, etc...
I cross my fingers though, so it doesn't count.

I did happen to wander into the cathedral in Prague on new years eve late in the evening. Nice building, the architecture is cool, shame about the old guys in silly robes singing.

Yes: mostly close to the Free Methodists, but when I'm in Durham / York I go to the Cathedral / Yorkminster, as they are very inspiring. I think that dress code should be smart, but ultimately it is more important that people are there listening / praying than what they wear. I think people should exercise their spirituality as well as mental and physical needs.

We go most weekends and recently we have had loads of christenings with the church being full on each occassion.

After the christenings you never see them again so why bother getting the child christened, when the idea is to bring them up in line with christian teachings.

Just seems to make the promises made look cheap, just like driving at the speed limit.

After 11 years in a Catholic school, it put me off religion for ever,

I go if I have to, for weddings,funerals etc and quite like going in churches abroad to look inside, but I would not sit through a church service through choice.

Originally posted by Hadron
We go most weekends and recently we have had loads of christenings with the church being full on each occassion.

After the christenings you never see them again so why bother getting the child christened, when the idea is to bring them up in line with christian teachings.

Just seems to make the promises made look cheap, just like driving at the speed limit.

A lot of the older generations (my grandparents for example) would be scandalised if a child wasn't christened, I expect a lot of people do it for just that reason, to avoid an argument and because they feel that it's traditional.

I'd be interested to hear from the 18 who 'never go' do you refuse to attend weddings and the other 2?

I think I'm going to start going to St Marks in Broomhill. I was going to another one but found, too much had happened and although I got on with loads of people, there were also some that really put me off!

I'm not going to get as involved at the new church I go to, I'm going to turn up, sit at the back, worship and go home!

So I've put occassionally but hopefully it'll be more regularly

Lottie

if you want to sit at the back make sure you get there early :)

dave

Originally posted by alchemist
if you want to sit at the back make sure you get there early :)

dave

Do you go there Dave?

Who are the two vicars on this forum?

i rember goin one time to see what all the fuss is about goin to church as my best freind parents go all the time..i never been a beliver but thort i go along and see,i was 13 then, and it did not answer nothing that i wanted to know so kept with my own feeligs of the church.

i only go in church now for funeralls... i do not go in churches for weddings or christenings as dont belive in it all, as why get married in a church when you can marry just about anywere now and it still same paper you end up with end of the service. or allow ur child be christend with out that childs blessing ( and yes i have been christend befor you all think im haveing a go,so i know were im comming from,my daughter has not christend as i like her to choose if she wants to or not later).

i last whent to my sissters wedding 4ys back affter some rows with family that i must go ect,and i did not like it one bit. but i to cross my fingers.got looks from famliy for not singing or saying the blessings.but knew i did not belive.
but next month is my sissters daughter christening,but i got out of goin to that one by haveing to sit out side and make sure the mini buses does not leave with out them all for the party affter.

Instead of using the word church, you should use the term: Brain washing centres.

Originally posted by Arnold
Instead of using the word church, you should use the term: Brain washing centres.


to tell u truth i was goin to say that,but then was thinking i probly get a ban or something :rolleyes:

that why i think i do no belive as well.as i can not be easly lead into things to get brain washed

I never go and never plan on going as I have a phobia of church's and graveyards etc
________
Side effects of avandia (http://www.classactionsettlements.org/lawsuit/avandia/)

Originally posted by Lotti
Do you go there Dave?

no lotti, i go to the catherdral, its an old anglican joke - seen on church notice board, service 1030 come early to get a good seat at the back

the old habit of never wanting to go to the front in church


dave

Originally posted by Arnold
Instead of using the word church, you should use the term: Brain washing centres.

Are you being forced into such a place? Blimey, if a church is deemed as brainwashing, I'd hate to see what effect television has on you!

Each to their own. Live and let live. For millions if not billions of people, present and certainly past, the church or 'the church' is an important part of life.

To some, it IS life. Some get it, others don't. You're in the latter category. I can't stand Hollyoaks but I don't stop my wife watching it.....,

Incidentally Arnold, you describe your location as 'Heaven'.

I'm all ears.

Brainwashing is not forced though (like church), it it done subtly and made to look like advice. An example of this in practice would be a centre saying if you come here you will go to heaven. And having people all sat down facing one guy who is preaching to them how they should lead their lives.

I personally think we are all clever enough to work out what is good and bad ourselves, and dont need a man or book to tell us how to lead our lives. I understand that some people need religion to tell them what to do and how, but I think we should make our own judgements, as most religions are filled with things like sexism and homophobia.

In regards to my location as 'Heaven'. I'm sure we can all work out that is a joke, and does not mean I must be religious.

Originally posted by spinny
i rember goin one time to see what all the fuss is about goin to church as my best freind parents go all the time..i never been a beliver but thort i go along and see,i was 13 then, and it did not answer nothing that i wanted to know so kept with my own feeligs of the church.

i only go in church now for funeralls... i do not go in churches for weddings or christenings as dont belive in it all, as why get married in a church when you can marry just about anywere now and it still same paper you end up with end of the service. or allow ur child be christend with out that childs blessing ( and yes i have been christend befor you all think im haveing a go,so i know were im comming from,my daughter has not christend as i like her to choose if she wants to or not later).

i last whent to my sissters wedding 4ys back affter some rows with family that i must go ect,and i did not like it one bit. but i to cross my fingers.got looks from famliy for not singing or saying the blessings.but knew i did not belive.
but next month is my sissters daughter christening,but i got out of goin to that one by haveing to sit out side and make sure the mini buses does not leave with out them all for the party affter.

firstly, can i just say that your post is actually difficult to read it's so riddled with spelling mistakes and lacking in punctuation.
Isn't refusing to go to someone else's wedding at a church because you don't see why someone would want to have the marriage there a little bit ... well ... strange. It's there day, not yours, just accept that some people have slightly odd notions and go and watch them get married.

I'm not religous in the slightest, although i do go to err, well its a kind of church, although it has a landlord rather then a vicar

Joel

Originally posted by Cyclone
I go if other people hold events there, ie weddings, funerals, etc...
I cross my fingers though, so it doesn't count.

I did happen to wander into the cathedral in Prague on new years eve late in the evening. Nice building, the architecture is cool, shame about the old guys in silly robes singing.
Ditto, to all of the above...

...well, except it was Vannes, in the summer.

I usually go to church for weddings, christenings and funerals. But I mainly go to have a look round at the history and architecture of the building from the grand cathedrals to the little parish chapels. They can be in such peaceful settings, like the Church Island below the Menai Bridge, or the chapel that's on an island in a little bay near Aberffraw both on Anglesey.

No, I'm just a 'goer'.

I am very familiar with churches and churchgoing, but I find that modern organised christianity is so full of myths and so remote from it's original purpose that it is difficult to take seriously and follow to any extent.

Especially as my lessons at sunday school were based upon weakly presented preperations which I have since found to be just plain wrong and sometimes predudice and ignorance. I find it difficult to side with my birth religion. I do appreciate some aspects of my early religious life though.

Originally posted by Cyclone
It's there day, not yours, just accept that some people have slightly odd notions and go and watch them get married.

Why should she (or anyone else for that matter) adopt your standards and notions of normal, appropriate behaviour?

I was brought up in strong churchgoing family and as a kid used to love going at least twice on Sunday but just kinda lapsed as got older and started questioning stuff.

I would love to go again as i think some of the nicest people go to church but i find i have a problem with faith and cannot just accept that the world was made in 7 days or the virgin birth and feel I would be a fraud if i took part in worship ++ I can't sing...

AM i a church goer?
No i do not belive in any god, i belive in mankind as one, i belive that to have a god is wrong as it is the cause of much hate in this world, the same as gays, white/black/brown (skin), all men,women and children are equal. something like a religion, puts you with one group of people, when we are all one human group.

but thats my view.

I am in the church choir. No jokes please, although I've heard them all before.

Originally posted by Jamie
Why should she (or anyone else for that matter) adopt your standards and notions of normal, appropriate behaviour?

my notions? What are you talking about. I'm about as anti religous as you can get.

However if someone I know wants to be a little bit odd (IMO) and get married in a church it would be churlish of me (or of the poster I was questioning) to refuse on the basis that I don't follow the religion.
It's not like walking into a church hurts me in anyway, nor does the ceremony cause me discomfort, it just means less to me than it does to them.
But someones marriage isn't about me, it's about them, I am simply there to wish them well and witness the deed.

Originally posted by Cyclone
firstly, can i just say that your post is actually difficult to read it's so riddled with spelling mistakes and lacking in punctuation.
It's there day, not yours,

Sorry, couldn't help pointing that out Cyclone!

I am not a church goer although I do pray to God everyday ...usually in the heat of a moment...!!

When I was making arrangements for my wedding our Dad mentioned (moaned!!) re the increase in church fees (some 50%) since my sister had married 6 years earlier.

So, when my son was born and we went to the church to arrange his christening my Dad enquired how much were the church fees???

I told him the Vicar hadn't mentioned any...he said 'Aye but you'll be expected to leave at least £50 in the church collection for that I reckon'....being new to church etiquette and Christenings we did exactly that...only to find out moments after the service our Dad had been pulling our leg.....:confused:

Bit late to grab some back out of the collection tray....!

:P

It narks me off when they charge the happy couple to hire the venue, then pass a plate round too! It's like they're charging twice :mad:

I can understand charging non-congrergation for the hire of the venue, but it sickens me that somebody who has put money on the plate for years - and the church does not recognise a cheaper, civil ceremony as marriage - is then walloped for the same fee.

The one example I know of personally was a church trying to charge it's own sunday school teacher for her wedding :rant:

At the church I go to we don't charge members of the congregation,nor do we have a collection. Non members pay a fee, but we still don't have a collection.

Bit narrow minded but I think religion of any kind is one of the major initial causes to all the trouble in the world.