With it being Sunday thought I would ask this question.Was watching a religious programme on t,v, this morning and the topic was the falling numbers of people attending church. But do you need to go to church to pray ?, and do you pray at all. I was brought up a Catholic, and was very unhappy at The Convent I went to.We were taught by nuns(the Sisters of Mercy) (they had none), and we had to pray about four times a day. This really put me off for life,but as Ive got older,I have gone back to praying (sometimes) but embrace all faiths,as I dont think any particular faith is the right one.What do you think ? And do we really need a church to gather in ? Even a cinema or theatre would be right for a religious service I think.Depends what they are teaching.

Personally i dont think you need to leave your home to pray, which i dont do anyway but im sure the church going people see it has more of a social thing than anything.Not having a go at folk who attend church but itsnot for me im afraid. Probably seeing a priest at a catholic funeral ****** out of his head had something to do with my contineuing sceptacism in church and a so called god ete. BACK TO THE POST NO YOU DONT, but thats me?:|

No, it doesn't need to be done in a church. You can pray anywhere and at any time and it doesn't have to be a 'showy affair'.

Whilst I don't agree with religion I don't see why you have to go anywhere to pray. Religious buildings seem to me to be a form of blackmail (ie "we didn't see you at church this week") and control.

I thought Jesus was meant to be in all of us?

Surely you should be praying wherever you feel comfortable praying?

I see praying as a personal thing not a group activity

Originally posted by robbie
Whilst I don't agree with religion I don't see why you have to go anywhere to pray ... I thought Jesus was meant to be in all of us?

Interesting you mention Jesus at all there. The New Testament says that praying privately in a quiet place, away from distractions, is the best place for it. If any religion does dictate that you have to attend a holy place to pray, Christianity ain't it.

Originally posted by brooksy
Personally i dont think you need to leave your home to pray, which i dont do anyway but im sure the church going people see it has more of a social thing than anything.Not having a go at folk who attend church but itsnot for me im afraid. Probably seeing a priest at a catholic funeral ****** out of his head had something to do with my contineuing sceptacism in church and a so called god ete. BACK TO THE POST NO YOU DONT, but thats me?:| Fully agree there with you,brooksy,not had too many happy memories of the Catholic Church,either.You always used to see priests in betting shops,and what I didnt like is that they always used to come round collecting from the parishioners homes,every so often.Mum was a widow who had to work,and Im sure the church was richer than her.! Also once went to confession as a child, and the priest fell asleep in the other side of the confessional.Trouble is every religion thinks its right doesnt it. ?

Originally posted by pattricia
Fully agree there with you,brooksy,not had too many happy memories of the Catholic Church,either.You always used to see priests in betting shops,and what I didnt like is that they always used to come round collecting from the parishioners homes,every so often.Mum was a widow who had to work,and Im sure the church was richer than her.!

Unfortunately, it seems that the problems that people have with 'Christianity' are in fact problems with 'Catholicism', including the behaviour of priests or the holier than though attitudes of the clergy as a whole.

Trouble is every religion thinks its right doesnt it. ?

It'd be an interesting religion whose main promise was that it was wrong! :hihi:

During the reformation catholicism stifled a lot of "literature" they deemed unsuitable for general reading and a lot of "books" were removed from the mainstream Bible and hid away in the Apocrypha... One of those books was the "Gospel of Thomas" - and it was said to contain the words of Jesus, recorded as they were spoken by Doubting Thomas himself... He recorded that Jesus once said "You need no house of stone to worship me, lift any stone and I am there..."

No wonder it was stifled...

Originally posted by spiffymonkey
Unfortunately, it seems that the problems that people have with 'Christianity' are in fact problems with 'Catholicism', including the behaviour of priests or the holier than though attitudes of the clergy as a whole.
You've hit the nail firmly on the head there. That is the thing that does my head in with people who harp on about religion only causing trouble and wars and such like. Instead of targteting the religion as the cause, they should be targeting their frustration at the people who claim to be acting in the name of religion, but are actually not following any of the rules dictated by the religion itself.

To be a Christian, you have to believe in Jesus and treat people with respect. That is pretty much it. Anyone who goes around starting wars 'in the name of Christianity' is clearly not being Christian.

You don't need to go to a church/mosque/whatever to pray.

This is evident in the decrease in the amount of people attending services, a decline in the numbers attending church does not necessarily mean a decline in religion

Originally posted by IanMitchell
You don't need to go to a church/mosque/whatever to pray.

This is evident in the decrease in the amount of people attending services, a decline in the numbers attending church does not necessarily mean a decline in religion nearly all the churches are empty on sunday ,and the mosques are full on friday.

Originally posted by deadgobby
nearly all the churches are empty on sunday ,and the mosques are full on friday.

What difference does that make?

Originally posted by IanMitchell
What difference does that make? the differance is moslems pray 5 times a day and still fill the mosques friday night all over the world where as most christians are supposed to pray maybe once a week, 'sunday 'and the churches are empty: [do"nt that tell you somethin???]

I'm not overly religious by any means and don't attend church services. I'm happy with my 'praying' wherever I feel the need, having said that to call in on an empty church and 'get in the mood' so to speak, can be very uplifting. I always sense a little hypocrisy (sp?) with church go-ers, well at least Cof E people.
:)

As an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church of California I will drop to my knees anywhere when required.

Including this morning.

no definetly not!--you can talk to god anywhere.--why sit with a load of hypocrits in church when you can sit quietly in your own presence and pray!
ps-i dont mean everyone who goes to church is a hypocrit but there are a fair few at our local church!!

I don't think you need to go to church to pray. However there are times when it does help. I sometimes just go to the Cathedral to pray on my own and find the environment helpful in focusing the mind. Also when its appropriate it can be good to pray with others to get different perspectives on things.

But I haven't been to church on a sunday for a couple of years. It doesn't mean I've lost my faith. Just don't need that at the moment.

yeah ive called in the cathedral to pray in silence when ive been at low ebb over the years!---it certainly helped me!

You're right - you don't have to go to church to pray - it says in fact in the Bible to go into your room and shut they door and not show off when you pray. Praying is just talking to God, if you believe in God, then he is like a mate to you and so you can pray to him anywhere anytime.

The reason why you may want to go to church if you believe in God (and church doesn't always take place in a church building, there are some that meet in other places - our church until recenetly used to have Sunday evening sessions in the Pop Museum in the centre of Sheffield) is that you want to be with people who believe in the same thing as you. If you are a Sheffield United Fan (or a Sheffield Wednesday fan) you get together with other fans at the ground of your choice to support each other and your team and find out more about your team. Same with going to church, you go to support each other and find out more about God and how much he loves you!

most of my christian friends only ever go when theres a wedding or funeral! LOL....I think down the years the church has lost it's appeal, the next generation of adults probably wont even believe in religion.

No, although I find it easier to drop in to the Cathedral every now and again to get a little 'focus'.

No, you don't need to go to church to pray. You can offer your thoughts to God - talk to God - at any time.

Personally, though, I have found it very moving and comforting to pray in a church or cathedral at certain times in my life. When I've lost a loved one I've found it very helpful to be able to go into the Cathedral and just sit and think about them, and light a candle for them, and offer up a prayer for them. I find it helps me in my grieving process, although I also pray for them at home.

Prayer is such an incredibly personal thing, I guess you should pray where and when it feels right to you.

StarSparkle

most of my christian friends only ever go when theres a wedding or funeral! LOL....I think down the years the church has lost it's appeal, the next generation of adults probably wont even believe in religion.

I think a lot of churches are very traditional and stick to how they have always done it, which is fine for the people who like it that way. However there are a lot of churches now that are very relevant to todays society - the church I attend have a full rock band with contemporary music instead of hymns and the preach is often based on the latest movies out and the minister wears jeans and a t-shirt.......... Often when people think of church, they think of the old sunday school lessons they used to attend................... not all churches are like that now.... there are some of us that keep up with the times!

I'm not very religous, and I've never been to church properly, apart from weddings and funerals.

I used to visit the Cathedral and light a candle for somebody once a week but I got over that mourning, and I think it has helped more not going because they are so gloomy and quiet and really overpowering somehow, and always make me well up!

Originally posted by Meaks
As an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church of California I will drop to my knees anywhere when required.

Meeeeeeaks! :hihi: I saw that!

I pray a lot. Not to a god, nor am I part of a church or member of any religion, but I vocalise my wishes. Sometimes silently, and hope that they come true.

They usually do :)

I visit the cemetary & have word at my Mum's grave.


Oddly, this does seem to work. :)

You can pray anywhere as God is everywhere. However most faiths talk of two types of prayer 1 personal prayer, 2 Common Prayer Said together as a group and shared both types can happen anytime any where. One thing I do not understand is that the poeple who practise the Islamic Faith for example are very faithful to their religious observance. Many who would quite rightly would call them selves Christians do not go to church as part of their religious observance Why?

Ive prayed in the dock, in a cell, in a wardrobe as a girlfriends hubby rampaged around the house with a scythe in his hand, I prayed in a head teachers office as he pulled out his good friend "Old coccyx smasher" and I prayed to win the lottery.

I won a tenner.
A bleedin` tenner.
The other prayers didnt work out for me either.

No - God ain't bothered where you pray.

During the reformation catholicism stifled a lot of "literature" they deemed unsuitable for general reading and a lot of "books" were removed from the mainstream Bible and hid away in the Apocrypha... One of those books was the "Gospel of Thomas" - and it was said to contain the words of Jesus, recorded as they were spoken by Doubting Thomas himself... He recorded that Jesus once said "You need no house of stone to worship me, lift any stone and I am there..."

No wonder it was stifled...

The Apocrypha contains books that can't be verified, that's the main reason they were removed. They're about as credible as Lilith in the old testament.....

The church defines itself as a gathering of people - wherever 2 or more people get together in the name of God, then they are a church. The early church (while under persecution by the Romans) operated in secret and in small groups, it was only when the Roman empire embraced Christianity that churches proper began to be built.

You don't need to go to church to pray, or even to worship! There is a social aspect to the gathering, but this is more an affirmation of faith than anything else - if anyone says "we didn't see you here last week?" it's more out of concern that you're okay than a holier than thou attitude. Going to church gives you the chance to explore your faith...

...and some people like the routine, if their church has a routine, as it's comfortable.

So we haven't got onto the old

'Being in a Church will no more make me a Christian than standing in a garage will make me a car'

:)

nearly all the churches are empty on sunday ,and the mosques are full on friday.

True but not all churches - ours has about 700 on a Sunday!

What about people that pray to God for their 'daily bread' so to speak, my family still pray each time they have a meal to thank him for their food and day etc, and that is all done within their homes. If you believe in God so strongly and believe hes there then its probably more personal to pray to him in your home, and have a one on one with him so to speak,

You don't need to go to church, or indeed to believe in any of the organised religion, in order to have a strong and fulfilling spiritual life. Listen to one of Beethoven's late quartets in an otherwise silent room to experience a sublime spiritual 'high', as if you are communing with God directly without a word being spoken.

No, you don't need to go to church to pray. You can offer your thoughts to God - talk to God - at any time.

Personally, though, I have found it very moving and comforting to pray in a church or cathedral at certain times in my life. When I've lost a loved one I've found it very helpful to be able to go into the Cathedral and just sit and think about them, and light a candle for them, and offer up a prayer for them. I find it helps me in my grieving process, although I also pray for them at home.

Prayer is such an incredibly personal thing, I guess you should pray where and when it feels right to you.

StarSparkle

Nicely put, StarSparkle, I share your sentiments here.

I don't go to church as often as I believe I should, but I do make the occasional visit and my last such visit was to a Sunday service in Sheffield Cathedral. I find the place so calming, soothing and in a sense I feel both big (significant) and yet small (insignificant) at the same time (in other words, the power and might of God is evident).

To light a candle and think about loved ones helps me come to terms with some of life's harsh realities. To do so in a church and with comfort from the Word gives me a great relief in knowing that a loved one's passing - and in due course my own - isn't the end. In the presence of God, that 'still, small voice' gives me immense comfort.

But you can pray any place and any time and if you do so with conviction, it can be equally liberating and satisfying. The sad fact is that most of us only pray to God in times of need, rarely to say 'thank you' when life is trundling along nicely.

The good news is that prayer is available 24/7 and incredibly, God doesn't close for Christmas (I like the irony in that statement!).

It works for some, it might not for others.

But ten minutes in the quietude and calm of Sheffield Cathedral is a good tonic for the soul.