20 replies to this topic

[CDFree]

There doesn't seem to be many xians around lately, but any who see this, what is your opinion on xians who refuse to go to church?

[Chikirin]

I stopped going to church around 2006, before decunverting in 2011. I really tried, but every time I mustered up the courage to go check out a church, I'd be rewarded for my efforts by ever more vapid, silly, and impersonal services, which tended to discourage further attempts.

[CDFree]

When I was a True Christian ™ I never attended church, and that upset my fundie "friends". The fact my fellowship was soley online upset them even more. They couldn't handle it (one in particular) and ostracised me

[Suzy]

I stopped going to church about 10 years before my deconversion. I never felt well in church. I'm not a very social person anyway so to me to go to church was a big effort. But I did because we were told it was required. They did not tell us that if we don't go to church we are definitely going to hell, but it was kind of considered as risky. You may fall away without the weekly dose of brainwashing, you know... It still took me 10 years to really fall away. But in the last 10 years I was simply unable to attend because I had a cognitive dissonance and fear and guilt those almost drove me crazy. So I had to stop at least ging to church to ease the pressure on me a little. But I still considered myself a Christian for 10 years, read the Bible every day, prayed every day etc.

[LivingLife]

Based on my observations in my home town, there is nowhere near the 78% self ID xian demographic attending church, more like 3%. Even when I was at church about 9 years ago, the church was never more than 50% full. Now it is far less.

Dunno how it is in the US, but my guess it is similar?

[mcdaddy]

Based on my observations in my home town, there is nowhere near the 78% self ID xian demographic attending church, more like 3%. Even when I was at church about 9 years ago, the church was never more than 50% full. Now it is far less.

Dunno how it is in the US, but my guess it is similar?

Packed here. In the south at least.

[antix]

In the south, it is the culture: You are suppose to go to church. Semi similar in the midwest. In the Northeast it is like, the patriots, steelers, browns, jets are playing no time for church today

[FeelHappy]

I still get asked questions about my church attendance and this are from people who know I don't believe in god, I guess once I step foot into the church service I'll instantly be reconverted!

Anyways, I always thought attending church and fellowship was essential for a good walk with god and there was no reason not to give a couple of hours of your time to the risen king each week.....I'm sorry that yes I was one of those christians...

[Kurari]

I was a very sporadic church goer myself before I deconverted, mostly because I could not fit in with Christians.

My husband is still a Christian and absolutely loathes churches. He refuses to go to them anymore.

[3DollarBill]

What do I think about xtians who don't go to church?

Well, I think a great many of them are pre-de-converts. I first stopped going to sunday school a.k.a. youth group a.k.a. indoctrination hour. I would drive to church separately from the parents anyhow so no big deal there. That was when I still believed, I had just grown tired of that particular part. The major split happened when I went to college and simply quit going. I didn't stop believing...I just had other shit to do.

I now understand that the weekly reinforcement is essential to maintaining the illusion, and I was no longer getting it. After a while it occurred to me that none of it made any damn sense.

[norton65ca]

I was a Christian for 29 years, only was a regular churchgoer for the first three or so. I deconverted back in March of this year but hadn't darkened a church doorway more then two or three times in the previous fifteen years or so. Ironically, the last time I did that was only three months prior to deconverting, when as a tourist in the UK I wandered into a cathedral and lit a candle and prayed for my own soul.
I always had a feeling, even deep into my christianity, that as much good could come of a walk in the primeval forests of the west coast or an afternoon on the beach than could come of sitting in a church for three hours.

[Adam5]

Just ask me mum - No choich means a one-way ticket to hell, buddy, christian or no christian

Yep, thats what they teach

[antix]

I was a very sporadic church goer myself before I deconverted, mostly because I could not fit in with Christians.

My husband is still a Christian and absolutely loathes churches. He refuses to go to them anymore.

Except for a period of time 87-88 , I really cannot deal with hard core Bible preaching churches. Especially non denominational mega churches

[Kurari]

I was a very sporadic church goer myself before I deconverted, mostly because I could not fit in with Christians.

My husband is still a Christian and absolutely loathes churches. He refuses to go to them anymore.

Except for a period of time 87-88 , I really cannot deal with hard core Bible preaching churches. Especially non denominational mega churches

I realize now that I never really answered the question! Product of a nasty headcold.

My husband and I both got really sick of the intolerance of church teachings and the hypocrisy and utter stupidity among the congregations. We're also total science geeks and very fiercely defensive of gay rights.

So, yeah, neither of us fit into churches.

I wish he'd ditch Christianity all together, but it's not a source of contention between us, so I'm not complaining.

[antix]

I went to church one tile in 88 when I moved back to OH. The service started by everyone running around kissing each other. Neither to say, that is the last time I went back.

[lunaticheathen]

My parents haven't been to church (to my knowledge) in almost 20 years, yet both still claim Christianity. I have no idea why, since my dad is an engineer and a geek, and I've had very reasonable discussions with him about the bible and how it's pretty nutty as fuck. And he always told me YECers were batshit insane.

My mother has expressed some weird emotional concern that I've never been baptized before, but I told her I was much happier that I never was baptized - I'm not making promises to a god I don't worship. She's even said that she's happier not going to church, that she doesn't need church to love Jesus. But still made a thing out of me not being baptized. Da fuq. Sense, it makes none.

[antix]

Lets be realistic, if you live in the northeast and there is an 85 degree sunday in may, church is not an option.

[riddick]

I frequently get asked about my faith and church attendance by people who know I'm atheist now, I just answer with "did you hear that?? The holy spirit just told me to tell you to go fuck yourself" I really can't put it any nicer, i can't smile and say your cult is bullshit. I'm sick of fundie bullshit.

[roadrunner]

we always used "forsake not the assembling of yourselves" to justify why we needed to go. And though it wasn't necessary for salvation, you were missing out on the fellowship that god wanted you to have. But you can find a verse to justify just about anything.