Why do we go to church?

[EvangelicalSunblock]

I know, it's a very broad question.

My main thought & question - I can get over being burned by the church, because that isn't every church, but now I find myself believing that there is no longer a need. Is it just for community? I get that with my friends. Is if for salvation? I no longer believe that we need to be saved. I can't help but see religion in all it's historical contextual glory and now I find it useless outside of it's amazing community organizational power and social services. But...I also get that from the DNC, HRC, Equality IL etc.

I'd love some feedback from others out there thinking the same, and always open to those that aren't.

[kara speltz]

I know, it's a very broad question.

My main thought & question - I can get over being burned by the church, because that isn't every church, but now I find myself believing that there is no longer a need. Is it just for community? I get that with my friends. Is if for salvation? I no longer believe that we need to be saved. I can't help but see religion in all it's historical contextual glory and now I find it useless outside of it's amazing community organizational power and social services. But...I also get that from the DNC, HRC, Equality IL etc.

I'd love some feedback from others out there thinking the same, and always open to those that aren't.

I'm very blessed to go to a welcoming and affirming Roman Catholic parish. I'm both a Eucharistic Minister as well as a lay preacher and am totally out. Every June for the last 10 years, we've celebrated Gay Pride Week with a LGBT Mass that everyone in the community is invited to. So I go because I love liturgy and ritual, as well as my community.

Another reason is that our sermons are often very challenging and it helps me to keep centered and not to get lost in what the material world would have me believe are things of importance. As a Christian, I believe that my 24/hour job is to be a reflection of God's love in the world. This is not easy to do, so the sharing of Eucharist and the wisdom of congregation give me major support.

But I also acknowledge that this parish and this congregation are a rarity.

Kara

[labguy22]

Hello SunBlock,
I believe it is completely up to the individual to determine this for themselves. Are you attending to worship, to serve or just be lifted up with others in a group?
I have attempted just a couple of gay friendly churches and I just never felt any reason to return. The people seemed wonderful, but there was just never any sort of spark.
Today I enjoy spending all day with God. Prayer, meditation, helping others and volunteering and participating in this awesome SoulForce community are all part.
My husband follows the old religion and considers himself to be a "Solitary Witch", not belonging to a coven. I guess I consider myself to be a Solitary Christian. Solitary, but by no means reclusive. Church can be a wonderful experience, but I don't believe that it is for everybody. Hope that doesn't upset any of our church going comrades but I hope they would agree with this.

[Sheri]

I too, stopped going to church last year. My spiritual journey has been a process. I started out Catholic but after actually reading and studying the Bible, Jewish Tanakh, the Qu'ran, and the Hindu Vedas, I could no longer be Catholic. I've been to several churches in my life time including, my husband's orthodox church and various protestant churches.

A few years ago I joined a UU church and was amazed at how many atheists showed up every Sunday. I began to see that religion has hijacked spirituality. I see God in those atheists because of who they are and how they live their lives.

Then a friend who has been a Buddhist for 20 years recently began to study for the Pagan ministry. Being raised Catholic, I was taught that Pagans were the closest thing to the devil. My friend began teaching a Pagan study course and I signed up. From this study group I learned one very important lesson. It was a chapter on "magical tools and how to use them". While that, in itself, did not impress me, one sentence became an epiphany for me. "You know the tools are just props, all the magic is in your head" It suddenly dawned on me, THAT is what religion is...a prop. and some people need more, some less, some need stricter props and some don't need any props at all. The "magic" or "spirituality" comes from within us, not from a faraway place in the heavens.

I don't mean to disparage anyone's religion. I respect all religions. People in all religions experience what I call the "Holy Spirit", the presence of the Divine, faith healing, and other emotional experiences with God, as I do. Now either all the Gods up there are doing their own thing or it is the same thing and we just use different props to explain what we are feeling.

My spiritual journey is ongoing, but once I could release what I feel is "religious untruths", I now have more time to search for "what is true". And even more importantly, I'm okay with not ever finding that truth in this lifetime because it will be revealed through death which is the next phase of this crazy thing we call existance.

I continue my religious studies because I find it fascinating and I always learn something useful. But I am finally at a place of true inner peace without the church.

[EvangelicalSunblock]

Great feedback and very helpful. Thanks.

I also sometimes find myself wishing I could go back to the 5 minutes in Junior High where I believed in the whole big fairy tale. I only wish this for about 5 minutes before I come to my senses, but I do occasionally wish I could go to Willow Creek and eat the sermon and feel full and be done with it. Ugh.

You can't unknow what you know...ya know?

[EvangelicalSunblock]

I'm also just figuring out that this should have gone in the Faith thread. Still figuring out how this all works. I promise to only put ridiculous funny nonsense here from now on :)

Happy Monday!