blackpudd1n Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I'm thinking of going to church tomorrow night. It's been at least two years since I went to a church service, and I'm curious to see what I think of it and how I view it now that I am an atheist. I'm also curious to see whether I'm exaggerating anything in my own mind regarding christianity. I'm not concerned about being reconverted, or getting upset and missing god- these days, the whole idea of adhering to any belief system just seems so ludicrous to me, and I find it difficult to believe that I ever believed the shit that I used to. More than anything else, I'm just curious about seeing them again in their natural habitat. I'll try to resist the urge to pretend to be "saved", go for an alter call, or laugh and say, "get fucked!" when they do the alter call. I'll try to just observe and take notes. But yeah, I think I'll go and be entertained, write some notes, and tell yas all about the experience afterwards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 ...and the church I chose appears to be quite homophobic. This may end up a rather interesting experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Valk0010 Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Yeah it was cool to me, to do that, it was a easter service and a not incredibly fantastic one. I felt dead as a doornail and yet everybody looked all into it. The second time I went, it almost got me back into that mindset. So I figure, the crowd pyschology was probably a bit better on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Yeah, I'm interested to see how the use of music and lighting manipulates the crowd, along with group expectations. If someone comes up to me, I'm just going to be upfront about why I'm there and tell them not to bother wasting their time trying to save my soul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephie Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 This will be interesting to hear. Oddly enough, I'll be going to church Sunday with my parents mostly to hear my dad play again but also because it will be a requirement of living with them once I move home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Brrr,that sounds like a mental BDSM session.But hey,whatever rocks your boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I'm lucky enough to get to check out the species in their domestic environment every week. Quite interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micksherlock Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I'm thinking of going to church tomorrow night. It's been at least two years since I went to a church service, and I'm curious to see what I think of it and how I view it now that I am an atheist. I'm also curious to see whether I'm exaggerating anything in my own mind regarding christianity. I'm not concerned about being reconverted, or getting upset and missing god- these days, the whole idea of adhering to any belief system just seems so ludicrous to me, and I find it difficult to believe that I ever believed the shit that I used to. More than anything else, I'm just curious about seeing them again in their natural habitat. I'll try to resist the urge to pretend to be "saved", go for an alter call, or laugh and say, "get fucked!" when they do the alter call. I'll try to just observe and take notes. But yeah, I think I'll go and be entertained, write some notes, and tell yas all about the experience afterwards Before you go, can you please do me one favor. Please read my article on the Church and Hypnotic manipulation. It is on the homepage here at ex-c. It is good to go armed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Brrr,that sounds like a mental BDSM session.But hey,whatever rocks your boat. Well, I am already quite convinced that I am a masochist- I am studying, afterall. And for the sake of it, no less. So yeah, you're probably right- I'm into a little mental BDSM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 I'm thinking of going to church tomorrow night. It's been at least two years since I went to a church service, and I'm curious to see what I think of it and how I view it now that I am an atheist. I'm also curious to see whether I'm exaggerating anything in my own mind regarding christianity. I'm not concerned about being reconverted, or getting upset and missing god- these days, the whole idea of adhering to any belief system just seems so ludicrous to me, and I find it difficult to believe that I ever believed the shit that I used to. More than anything else, I'm just curious about seeing them again in their natural habitat. I'll try to resist the urge to pretend to be "saved", go for an alter call, or laugh and say, "get fucked!" when they do the alter call. I'll try to just observe and take notes. But yeah, I think I'll go and be entertained, write some notes, and tell yas all about the experience afterwards Before you go, can you please do me one favor. Please read my article on the Church and Hypnotic manipulation. It is on the homepage here at ex-c. It is good to go armed. Thanks for the heads-up, but I've researched into that subject myself already. I accidentally stumbled on the subject when I was researching cults one day. It was towards the end of my deconversion- I remember being more fascinated by the concept and agreeing with the author of the methods used by pentecostal churches in particular, than upset. I wouldn't be concerned about me. I may have bipolar, but I am also a very rational person, which is probably a good part of the reason why I recovered so quickly and so well from mental illness, and am so comfortable in my atheism, new as it is to me. I am very aware that my emotions can distort reality for me, so I don't put too much stock in them. Instead, I look for a rational explanation. But I am going to be interested in how the manipulation affects other people in the audience. It's going to be an interesting show- I'm sure they'll put on a good production Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 I'm lucky enough to get to check out the species in their domestic environment every week. Quite interesting. Yeah, as I progress in my degree, there's a good chance I'll go a few more times, maybe look into different denominations. I'm aiming to go all the way to Ph.D, and I have been thinking of focusing on feminism, but religion might be interesting, too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 This will be interesting to hear. Oddly enough, I'll be going to church Sunday with my parents mostly to hear my dad play again but also because it will be a requirement of living with them once I move home. Why don't you start studying them, yourself? Might help you deal with being there if it's against your wishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asanerman Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Yeah, as I progress in my degree, there's a good chance I'll go a few more times, maybe look into different denominations. I'm aiming to go all the way to Ph.D, and I have been thinking of focusing on feminism, but religion might be interesting, too. Oh, so this is a "scientific" visit and has nothing what so ever to do with the personal learning processes of habituation and extinction. Good for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Yeah, as I progress in my degree, there's a good chance I'll go a few more times, maybe look into different denominations. I'm aiming to go all the way to Ph.D, and I have been thinking of focusing on feminism, but religion might be interesting, too. Oh, so this is a "scientific" visit and has nothing what so ever to do with the personal learning processes of habituation and extinction. Good for you! I just started university, but I've been forced to take a break due to my upcoming operation. I go back in August. I enrolled in Community Development, but I'm going to switch over to Sociology. Basically, I'm bored. Those three months of studying whet my appetite for learning, but I've been too unwell lately to do anything serious. So I've been finding other ways to amuse myself. I'm currently reading a book by Carl Sagan. I've been listening a bit to The Thinking Atheist. I've been learning about logical fallacies and biases. I got a subscription to a site that has games that are meant to stimulate the mind. I actually enjoy quite a few of those games. I watched all the seasons of Bones, looking at the ways in which that show challenges and adheres to certain stereotypes and social mores. I've watched episodes of Toddlers and Tiaras, and thought and researched about what beauty pagents say about a society, the parents who enter their children in them, and what the pursuit of perfection means for the children involved. And now, I want to go to a church service and study christians in their natural habitat. Damn, do I ever need to get back to studying! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micksherlock Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I'm thinking of going to church tomorrow night. It's been at least two years since I went to a church service, and I'm curious to see what I think of it and how I view it now that I am an atheist. I'm also curious to see whether I'm exaggerating anything in my own mind regarding christianity. I'm not concerned about being reconverted, or getting upset and missing god- these days, the whole idea of adhering to any belief system just seems so ludicrous to me, and I find it difficult to believe that I ever believed the shit that I used to. More than anything else, I'm just curious about seeing them again in their natural habitat. I'll try to resist the urge to pretend to be "saved", go for an alter call, or laugh and say, "get fucked!" when they do the alter call. I'll try to just observe and take notes. But yeah, I think I'll go and be entertained, write some notes, and tell yas all about the experience afterwards Before you go, can you please do me one favor. Please read my article on the Church and Hypnotic manipulation. It is on the homepage here at ex-c. It is good to go armed. Thanks for the heads-up, but I've researched into that subject myself already. I accidentally stumbled on the subject when I was researching cults one day. It was towards the end of my deconversion- I remember being more fascinated by the concept and agreeing with the author of the methods used by pentecostal churches in particular, than upset. I wouldn't be concerned about me. I may have bipolar, but I am also a very rational person, which is probably a good part of the reason why I recovered so quickly and so well from mental illness, and am so comfortable in my atheism, new as it is to me. I am very aware that my emotions can distort reality for me, so I don't put too much stock in them. Instead, I look for a rational explanation. But I am going to be interested in how the manipulation affects other people in the audience. It's going to be an interesting show- I'm sure they'll put on a good production I'm thinking of going to church tomorrow night. It's been at least two years since I went to a church service, and I'm curious to see what I think of it and how I view it now that I am an atheist. I'm also curious to see whether I'm exaggerating anything in my own mind regarding christianity. I'm not concerned about being reconverted, or getting upset and missing god- these days, the whole idea of adhering to any belief system just seems so ludicrous to me, and I find it difficult to believe that I ever believed the shit that I used to. More than anything else, I'm just curious about seeing them again in their natural habitat. I'll try to resist the urge to pretend to be "saved", go for an alter call, or laugh and say, "get fucked!" when they do the alter call. I'll try to just observe and take notes. But yeah, I think I'll go and be entertained, write some notes, and tell yas all about the experience afterwards Before you go, can you please do me one favor. Please read my article on the Church and Hypnotic manipulation. It is on the homepage here at ex-c. It is good to go armed. Thanks for the heads-up, but I've researched into that subject myself already. I accidentally stumbled on the subject when I was researching cults one day. It was towards the end of my deconversion- I remember being more fascinated by the concept and agreeing with the author of the methods used by pentecostal churches in particular, than upset. I wouldn't be concerned about me. I may have bipolar, but I am also a very rational person, which is probably a good part of the reason why I recovered so quickly and so well from mental illness, and am so comfortable in my atheism, new as it is to me. I am very aware that my emotions can distort reality for me, so I don't put too much stock in them. Instead, I look for a rational explanation. But I am going to be interested in how the manipulation affects other people in the audience. It's going to be an interesting show- I'm sure they'll put on a good production cool, cool, cool" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConureDelSol Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Because I still go to church every week, I have a horrible time viewing the service objectively. I mostly just sit there and get pissed at everything they say. To avoid those negative emotions these days I just stay in the media room and play a game that is basically like World of Warcraft on my tablet the whole service. Or I browse this site. Much more entertaining to me. Enjoy your torture though! You should scan your notes in and post them up. If I did notes they would have a bunch of inappropriate stick-figure drawings involving certain Biblical figures... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Because I still go to church every week, I have a horrible time viewing the service objectively. I mostly just sit there and get pissed at everything they say. To avoid those negative emotions these days I just stay in the media room and play a game that is basically like World of Warcraft on my tablet the whole service. Or I browse this site. Much more entertaining to me. Enjoy your torture though! You should scan your notes in and post them up. If I did notes they would have a bunch of inappropriate stick-figure drawings involving certain Biblical figures... You are now required to post these to Ex-C and share the joy with us. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Because I still go to church every week, I have a horrible time viewing the service objectively. I mostly just sit there and get pissed at everything they say. To avoid those negative emotions these days I just stay in the media room and play a game that is basically like World of Warcraft on my tablet the whole service. Or I browse this site. Much more entertaining to me. Enjoy your torture though! You should scan your notes in and post them up. If I did notes they would have a bunch of inappropriate stick-figure drawings involving certain Biblical figures... You are now required to post these to Ex-C and share the joy with us. I second this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted June 9, 2012 Moderator Share Posted June 9, 2012 Funny, you brought up this topic Pudd, cause I have been thinking the exact same thing of going to a pentecostal church just to see how I would feel now. It's been 3 years for me. I'll look forward to hearing how you felt and then I'll make my decision!! Funny, the other day, I sang one of my old gospel songs on my accompaniment tape and I got rather into the spirit and emotional???? I think it was because of the fact that it really is a beautiful melody.. that's all. ....looking forward to your report!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positivist Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Hey Pudd! Nice to see you. I think it will be an interesting experiment, especially now that you are armed with objectivity and rational explanations. I would love to hear your thoughts afterwards as you deconstruct the whole thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmot Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 You guys really are masochists! I really have no desire to ever step foot in a church again...and I don't even feel emotionally scarred/have any hard feelings over my loss of faith! I am excited to hear your report. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted June 9, 2012 Super Moderator Share Posted June 9, 2012 I wouldn't want to give the appearance of support or agreement with any church. I will only enter one for occasions that are obviously NOT worship services - funerals and weddings. If you're bent on going, perhaps you could suddenly arise from the pew and start speaking in tongues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darklady Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 the last time i was in a church it was for my mun's funeral and I found myself more pissed off with the whole frigging god thing than spending time saying bye to my mum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Good to test your objectivity. I wouldn't expect much though. 8-9 years ago I went to church because my parents roped my wife into agreeing when I wasn't around to balk. It was pretty anti climactic. About the same as I remembered it. My biggest impression from the experience was the familiarity of it all. The sermon was pretty run of the mill and one I could pretty much paraphrase almost perfectly because I'd heard it so many times. It was so familiar to me even after more than a decade off the koolaid, so I thought to myself here's my parents who have been listening to this same shit for 60 odd years and yet they still get up and go each Sunday. Don't they get bored? Don't they ever want more? Even if you believe the shit, you'd think you would want a mental challenge. Hearing the same basic stuff over and over and over has to be like Chinese water torture at some point. This bugged me when I was 20 and still a believer. How could it not bug my parents at 60+? I have to be secretly adopted. I seem to have nothing at all in common with my family. They are even nice people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 You should go dressed as jesus. Shouting to the people that you've returned. Would be hella funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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