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Goodbye Jesus

Went To Church Thanksgiving Evening


Amethyst

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Basically, I went just to make everyone else happy and because my grandma was there and she doesn't know about me being an ex-Christian, and I'd rather that she didn't know.

 

My grandma lives in a very small town, and 90% of the attendees of the church are retired people, and a lot of them were farmers. It's a little Lutheran church out in the country. That church is dying out and most of the people are going to the other Lutheran church in town.

 

Anyway, the pastor, who's also old, gives a sermon and all he can talk about is how "cursed" the world is, and how everyone's "home" is in heaven. I kept thinking, it's Thanksgiving, and he can't think of anything less depressing to preach about? Not even the usual diatribe about how we should be thankful to god for everything? Oh, there was a little bit about that, but overall it was very depressing.

 

Not to mention, the last hymn was really morbid. I forgot the title, but basically it was about how people should wish for death, and not fear it, and actually enjoy it. :twitch: If I didn't know any better, I'd wonder if it was a suicide cult. I think I was the only one who actually realized how morbid the lyrics really were.

 

Every time I go to church now, which isn't more than once or twice a year, it seems even more and more cultlike to me, and I wonder how I never saw it before. :ugh:

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I have not been to church since I was about 17 years old but I think I know were you are coming from. Sometimes I almost feel lonely, like I am the only person in the room who knows the truth.

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Not to mention, the last hymn was really morbid. I forgot the title, but basically it was about how people should wish for death, and not fear it, and actually enjoy it. :twitch: If I didn't know any better, I'd wonder if it was a suicide cult. I think I was the only one who actually realized how morbid the lyrics really were.

 

 

:lmao: That made me laugh thinking about how morbid that actually is....

 

 

Every time I go to church now, which isn't more than once or twice a year, it seems even more and more cultlike to me, and I wonder how I never saw it before. :ugh:

 

 

I totally agree, that thought crossed my mind many times. It's so painfully obvious now, what was I thinking before? :Doh:

 

Glad you made it though....I bet that was one LONNNG service.

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I totally agree, that thought crossed my mind many times. It's so painfully obvious now, what was I thinking before? :Doh:

 

Glad you made it though....I bet that was one LONNNG service.

 

It definitely was a long hour. Actually, about two hours, since it took half an hour to drive there and half an hour to drive back.

 

I just can't understand why most of the people in my family think going to church is a good thing. They are so superstitious. I know with my stepmom, she thinks that being around other people is like taking a multi-vitamin or something, it's somehow "good for you." Well, she just does not get that I am introverted, and that being around lots of people is not necessarily good for everyone. She says she understands what being an introvert is, but if she really did, she wouldn't say superstitious things like being around people is good for you. I think it's the brainwashing. I mean, I have yet to see any scientific studies that say introverts are unhealthy and extroverts are healthier, or something. It's general societal nonsense like that which gives introverts a stigma of being "anti-social."

 

I am not anti-social. I would just rather spend my time with people I actually like and who I can be myself around.

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Well they are all really OLD right. I'm sure it makes them feel better about dying soon.

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It definitely was a long hour. Actually, about two hours, since it took half an hour to drive there and half an hour to drive back.

 

I just can't understand why most of the people in my family think going to church is a good thing. They are so superstitious. I know with my stepmom, she thinks that being around other people is like taking a multi-vitamin or something, it's somehow "good for you." Well, she just does not get that I am introverted, and that being around lots of people is not necessarily good for everyone. She says she understands what being an introvert is, but if she really did, she wouldn't say superstitious things like being around people is good for you. I think it's the brainwashing. I mean, I have yet to see any scientific studies that say introverts are unhealthy and extroverts are healthier, or something. It's general societal nonsense like that which gives introverts a stigma of being "anti-social."

 

I am not anti-social. I would just rather spend my time with people I actually like and who I can be myself around.

 

Brother , Amen I know what you are saying every time I go to church. My parents friends they are the "all happy" Church and God is loving son of a bitch. At my former church damn on Christmas those services are the most depressing of the year. We used to go to church on Christmas eve (before my parents stopped going to church (:woohoo: ) They have candles everywhere and it is all dark and they sing songs and whatnot. It took the happiness out of Christmas and I noticed when we didn't go it was much more pleasant.

 

I know how you feel in the times that I went back to church 2 or 3 times in my 2 years as an athesist. It doesn't make me guilty that I am a deconvert but I feel out of place. I feel like I am the only one who knows about the atrocities, genocides in the Bible. I laugh to myself when the pastor gets up and talks about how true the Bible is but bashes other religions. It makes me feel awkaward almost when I am at church. I just put my head down and think about crap. I think about the junk that they are dishing out. The actions that the people are doing ( singing, putting there arms up ( I never got that). I laugh how the church has become a political battlefield. I asked my friend one time (the time I went last to church) why is there a decrease in the church. He said because the pastor insults democrats and junk like that. He also insults other religons besides that (but according to him THEY ARE ALL GOING TO BE BURNING IN HELL) But they don't know it :lmao:

 

I know this situation I hate going every time but its cool to see things in a different light.

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I try so hard not to go to church anymore. For me it is a wekly thing with the family. I usually just take my autistic son somewhere and do something else. Lately me and him have been going to a little farm near my house where there are sheep and chickens and stuff. He loves it and so do I. It is way better than going church. It is like a special time for us.

 

The last couple of times that I was in church my blood boiled.

 

Basically, I went just to make everyone else happy and because my grandma was there and she doesn't know about me being an ex-Christian, and I'd rather that she didn't know.

 

My grandma lives in a very small town, and 90% of the attendees of the church are retired people, and a lot of them were farmers. It's a little Lutheran church out in the country. That church is dying out and most of the people are going to the other Lutheran church in town.

 

Anyway, the pastor, who's also old, gives a sermon and all he can talk about is how "cursed" the world is, and how everyone's "home" is in heaven. I kept thinking, it's Thanksgiving, and he can't think of anything less depressing to preach about? Not even the usual diatribe about how we should be thankful to god for everything? Oh, there was a little bit about that, but overall it was very depressing.

 

Not to mention, the last hymn was really morbid. I forgot the title, but basically it was about how people should wish for death, and not fear it, and actually enjoy it. :twitch: If I didn't know any better, I'd wonder if it was a suicide cult. I think I was the only one who actually realized how morbid the lyrics really were.

 

Every time I go to church now, which isn't more than once or twice a year, it seems even more and more cultlike to me, and I wonder how I never saw it before. :ugh:

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Thankfully, I was never forced to go to church. As a little kid I went, but that was more because I was bribed than anything else. After some bad episodes I left the church at about 14 years old, went to different churches sporadically until I was 18, I haven't stepped foot in one since. My family is all Christian, some hardcore, but for the most part they are only Christian in name. Although my mom tried to make my brother get baptized last year (he's 16, atheist) I had to step in and it was a big war, but she finally back down and dropped the baptizing talk, although she did get my little sister baptized (she's 12). Hopefully one day my little sister joins my brother and I in atheism, or at the very least deism or agnostic, anything but a christian!

 

My family will not even ask me to attend a church service of any kind, I am a very outspoken atheist and they are all terrified I will start arguing with the pastor in front of the congregation :lmao:

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Well they are all really OLD right. I'm sure it makes them feel better about dying soon.

I think you might benefit from getting to know more old people. You can start with me...I am 65. Not all old people are the same...you do know that, right? Ageism takes many forms. I often shoot darts of cynicism at young people and am almost always misunderstood by those very youngsters, who just want to fight or in some way be defensive. I do the same with old folks when I feel they need it, but not very often on this board, as there are so few. There are mostly young people here, and many of them don't like me because I am mouthy...a trademark of youth!

 

There is some truth in your assertion to which I have responded. I do know many older folks who go to church because they are old and fear death, as their religion has taught them to do. I wish you would give hell to their religion instead of to them, because it is their religion that deserves the barbs...the old people just need a friend, and they would be delighted to have a young one like you.

 

That's my advice to you...visit some old people, especially in nursing homes. It's not always enjoyable, and some of them are a little crazy. They will think at first that you have come in the name of some church or some religion, because that's all they get. Old people need something different from that. They need a visit, especially one with no private agenda.

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I try so hard not to go to church anymore. For me it is a wekly thing with the family. I usually just take my autistic son somewhere and do something else. Lately me and him have been going to a little farm near my house where there are sheep and chickens and stuff. He loves it and so do I. It is way better than going church. It is like a special time for us.

 

The last couple of times that I was in church my blood boiled.

 

Well, the only reason I went was because my grandma doesn't know I am Ex-Christian, and I'd rather she didn't. Since my deconversion, I've only ever gone on major holidays like Christmas anyway.

 

I'm glad you are able to do something else with your son. Sounds like he really enjoys the farm.

 

 

 

My grandma is 80. Most of the people in her church are 70-80 or older. There's like one or two middle aged couples. The younger people have already changed churches. I think that when my grandma's generation passes away, that church will probably also die.

 

I agree that most of them go because of fear of death. Religion definitely plays on those fears and manipulates people into thinking they need to go to church more when they are old. It's very sad.

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People go to church on Thanksgiving? That's not a religious holiday.

 

I guess next year I'll listen to the grandparents talking about their beautiful Fourth of July services.....

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Thanksgiving service at my parents' Pentecostal church was always the same thing, over and over again -- the preacher would yell about being thankful, and then make everyone stand up and tell what they were thankful for. Some of the saints were moer long-winded than the pastor, and some of them would go several times....which is why I don't go. I don't want to sit there for two hours listening to people thank the air for waking them up.

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People go to church on Thanksgiving? That's not a religious holiday.

Don't you know Christianity loves to put a monopoly on culture?

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People go to church on Thanksgiving? That's not a religious holiday.

 

It is if you are religious, and especially in a small town like the one my grandma lives in.

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My sister is a pastors wife always invites me to the church..I'll likely someday pop in for Xmas or so shits and giggles if anything or maybe check out the women who I'll try to suduce there "ohh yeah Xtian women will get just as naked as non-Xtians". Anyway next time I go I think I want to bring with me one of those "cans O farts" the or package of fart...the one you leave under a bench and smell like someone let gas..That would be fucking funny!!! Don't think this boy is going to be lured into church without having a good time!!!

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Guest Apostate

Mick,

 

There's no doubt in my mind that 5 minutes at that farm will do more good for you and your son than a lifetime of church services. Good for you!

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