a serious question

[michael clubb]

If you go to church, why? Why do you go?

 

If you do not go to church, why? Why don't you go?

 

These are just some basic research questions and there are no right or wrong answers. A single sentence will do, a paragraph would be even better.

[TeeBubbaDee]

Hi Michael, I don't go, and haven't on a regular basis since I was a kid. (and that was only for a year or so) Mom wasn't really into it, and the multiple fathers weren't either. My first wife tried to get me to go, but I had no desire. Her parents were very religious, and she was brought up to go. But I believe she really only went because it was expected of her. We were together for 7 years, and she only went on occasion. The whole idea of organized religion puts me off. The bible, Torah, Koran, whatever, were all writen by men., not God. And all of those men had adjenda when they wrote. I have always thought if I needed to talk to God, all I needed to do, is sit down and do it. I never felt the need to do it with a bunch of people, and certainly don't think I need someone to tell me what God is trying to tell me. If it's your thing, and helps you cope, great, but it's just not for me.

[P.A.]

Teebubba you are a philosopher.

[Ray]

Yes, I go to church regularly, almost every Sunday. I belong to a small friendly church and have become one of the ushers. I go because of the difference following Jesus has made in my life. I stopped attending another church years ago after seeing some of the youth leadership did not live up to their role, especially verbally. While I was away from the church I noticed I was changing and I did not like the self oriented person I was becoming. I returned to church rededicating my life to Christ and I am much happier with the person I am becoming (life long work in progress).

[Jaylee53]

My first reaction to this question is why do you want to know this? Research for what?
You bet there are no right or wrong answers.
If I chose to "practice" a religion, it is my personal and private choice.
Just like whom I choose to vote for and for that matter what I have for breakfast...just saying.

[Quinn]

I don't go to church anymore.
I don't have a reason-- I don't hate God, I don't hate organized religion--my experience with the Catholic Church and Catholic religion was a good one, probably because my parents were reasonable humans. I don't think all priests are evil, I'm not bothered by the requests for money. I see the hypocrisy, and while I don't agree with the "rules" sometimes, they are free to make them.
It's not an excuse, but sometimes life gets in the way and sometimes I prefer, in this hectic world, to spend my Sunday mornings as I want to spend them and that doesn't necessarily include going to church.

[Snagg]

I go to churches for weddings and funerals. That's about all I can stand. Mostly, churches just creep me out. Always have.

[Bob Stepp]

While I don't deny the existance of a higher being that in many ways controls or at least provides us with choices in our lives, I don't participate in organized religion. My Mother, bless her heart, tried so hard to keep me in church when I was growing up, but even at a young age I could see the hipocracy and control in the Baptist church we went to. My father, though he had a beautiful bass voice and would sing in the choir 2 or 3 times a year wasn't a big believer in organized religion.
Having been a wedding photographer for 30 plus years, i've been in lots of churches and witnessed many cultures, traditions and rules. I've seen different rules and believes within the same religion because of the way the minister interpreted the Bible, or in some cases the mood he happened to be in that day.
The Bible is a book of stories, maybe or maybe not inspired or as some claim written by God. It has been interpreted and translated in many different languages and probably bears no resemblance to the original. Researchers have found books and letters left out simply because the translater didn't agree with them.
Each minister in each church preaches his own personal interpretation, and I have yet to see one that really liked being disagreed with. Ministers, in my mind, want to control their congregation. I don't want to be controlled. I can think for myself. I heard a preacher say once, "Anyone who believes that dogs go to Heaven is crazy." Well, if that's the case, I want to go where they go.
If you believe in Heaven and an afterlife, then whatever road you think will get you there suits me. I tolerate any thing that works for you.......I'll do my own thing. I talk to God every day, usually outside in the original church he created.
I worked with a minster once in a retail store, one of the kindest, most honest , most hard working men I've ever known. One day a customer asked him, "if you're a preacher, where is your church?" With a genuine smile on his face he said, "It's where ever I am."
That says it for me.......

[Goldilocks46]

I don't go to church any more, haven't found one where I would fit in.
I do pray, though, on my own.

[Jack Z]

I go to Church weekly, sometimes more ... I go to our services to worship, praise and glorify God corporately with fellow believers, through prayer and song. Also I go for the teachings and for being challenged, I am always learning something and am being reminded of things I have forgotten. Another reason I go, is that it gives me an opportunity to minister to, pray for and care for hurting people who show up with needs. There are also times when my church family ministers to me when I am hurting and in need. Much of the time me and many of my fellow hypocrites encourage each other to strengthen our resolve and to love one another along with our neighbors and whatever enemies some of us might have ..

My church is also a meeting place for our many outreach ministries during the week. ( Monday nights when we feed over 500 people, our recovery programs for the drug and alchohol addicted and the overwhelmed, the visiting ministries for house bound folks and convelecent homes , building small prefab homes for the extremley poor and homeless in Mexico) ... we have literaly close to a hundred different ministries. I am grateful to be able to be a part of a few of them. We do not expect anyone we help to join us or accept Christ. Our church services are always a come as you are event we even serve coffee and breakfast breads (bagels crescants, pastries) to any who cares to indulge.

As lax with protocal as we are, we are still a Christ centered and Bible based church, and I am both comfortable and challenged in many other Christian congregations ........

[Aggie]

I attend a lttle white Church, not every Sunday but more that I did when I was married. I enjoy the fellowship, the meals and worship in a small Church. Average attendance 80.

[Goldilocks46]

I used to go to a small church too, and felt the same way about it as you do yours. It didn't stay small though, it became a megachurch, and changed so much that I couldn't fit in any more. George liked the small church better too, and did not want to go to the large one.

[Aggie]

I moved up to larger Church of average attendance of 80, prior Church had average attendance of 35.