Should I attend church?

There are nondenominational churches where people go to gather and believe whatever they want to believe.

Unitarian Universalist sounds like it’d be a good fit.

it will probably just make you feel guilty and confused. sorry to be such a pessimist.

Why not go just once with a friend who regularly attends, just to get a feel for it? If you go one time you’re under no obligation to go back if it doesn’t work for you.

Unitarians and Unity (two different things) are two pretty universal churches. I personally think church should be an act of community more than anything else.

If you want.

I think you’d enjoy regularly going to a good, relevant church. Most of those have a relatively young pastor and congregation, along with great music and band. I enjoyed Wave Church the one time I went. Maybe it’s near you.

Fixed link

@Ivan Well I do want. I’m just unsure of how I’ll feel about it once I’m there. I attended this one church while still in school and I recall getting uncomfortable when we started praying and speaking about very specific things regarding God. It was almost too much for me to handle. But maybe I was too young to take in all that information and religion at once. Perhaps if I tried attending now, I might see things differently?

@ItalianPrincess1217 Try it out. If you don’t like it, then so be it.

Yes, I agree with @Ivan and @rangerr

@Facade You linked back to this page.

@all Do any of you know the differences in religions? Why are Catholics different than Christians? Which religion is most laid back and open? I’m sorry for my lack of knowledge on different religious names. I know there are all sorts of denominations, etc. I just don’t know them.

No.

@ItalianPrincess1217 I think you mean evangelic.

If you don’t want a hard core religion, definitely check out the Universalist Unitarians. Another option, that isn’t religion based would be secular humanism. Do a google search on those things to get an idea of what they’re all about.

@ItalianPrincess1217 Catholics are the original Christians. All Christian religions come from the one, whether they like it or not. Separation with the Catholic Church began way back and further divided from there. Basically, they don’t believe in the Pope and Catholics do. You wouldn’t like that group, its all rules and ceremony and strictness and everything you don’t want.

But there is no difference at all between Catholics and Christians as Catholics are Christians.

@ItalianPrincess1217

It’s not as if you’re locked into going to church forever once you start. Go once or twice, if you don’t like it, stop going.

@augustlan I have never heard of Universalist Unitarians but I’ll definitely have to check that out.
@Ivan I agree, I’m not locked in for life, but attending a new church for the first time is always a bit awkward. So I want to do my research before choosing one to try out.

@ItalianPrincess1217 I feel the same way, that the community around church is a great thing, and I wish there was something for people who are not religionus. I’m not religious- I recently felt really uncomfortable at a dinner party when they were saying grace- but thinking about going to church kind of gives me the warm fuzzies. And they have great food. Little old church ladies make the best chicken and pie.

I grew up going to Methodist churches, and I can’t speak for all of them everywhere, but it might be worth looking into. They seem to be pretty normal about religion. My experience was that it was a smaller congregation, maybe 50 to 100 people. The building would be an old-fashioned church building with stained glass windows, wooden pews and the musty church smell. The service was an hour long, from 11 to noon, and they sang out of hymnals and read some bible passages along with the sermon. My mom was good friends with the pastor at the church when I was really little.

I’ve been to a non-denominational megachurche, and those people really seem to have a lot more religious fervor. Maybe it’s because so many of them were born-again Christians. I hear that if you’re born-again anything, you’re more enthusiastic about it. They had a lot of stuff going on, like family activities, youth groups, singles nights/ single parent nights, and charity and mission events. No matter what, if you go to something at this church you will hear Christian-themed soft rock, and they will have the words on a screen for you to follow. It had the same ambience as an office park, which was kind of weird.

The most fun I ever had at church was going to a Chinese church with one of my friends. Me and all the other kids went to school together, and none of them really wanted to be there, so it kind of devolved into a basketball game/ a poker game/ eating while the adults stood around and talked. The service was dead boring, but one of the youth leaders made a really thoughtful and passionate analysis of Jesus’s teachings, one of the best sermons I’ve heard.

I’m with everyone who has suggested to give it a try, but why would you pick church if you’re not religious? By all means, if that’s something you feel could benefit your life, then try it. Alternatives could be joining a club or two. There are ladies of society groups, volunteer groups, book clubs, community choir or theater, etc. If it’s the fellowship that you’re after, then church isn’t the only way to get that. But if you’re needing more, then maybe a congregation could help you.

@ubersiren Very good ideas! I think part of it may be that I just want to be part of something. But I do feel like I am a spiritual person. Just not religious.

@ItalianPrincess1217 : I know what you mean! I always feel like one day, when I have time, I will create my own personal “code” to follow, just for me. Practices and rituals to enrich my mind, body and soul, that have nothing to do with divinity. But yes, there are many ways to be part of something important and special. Good luck! And don’t discount church- it could be the best thing that ever happened to you.

@ubersiren It’s all very confusing!

Not all churches are run by Bible-thumping screaming secularists.
Some understand that we all fall short.
Not all Christians are dicks.

I just googled Unitarian Universalist and it actually interested me! It really sounds like the perfect fit. Thanks for all the info :)

If you feel spiritual, but not religeous, I would suggest you explore in what ways you are spiritual, if at all, before you jump into a religion. See if you believe in a God, supernatural stuff, etc. Some criticisms of God, Such as Christopher Hitchens “God is Not Great” and Richard Dawkins “The God Delusion” might be good reads. If you find yourself agreeing with them, then perhaps church is not for you. If you find yourself arguing against them, then I would start with the Unitarians, but don’t stop. Ask questions, find out more. Its a journey.

If you like the idea of church more than the spirituality involved, attend a Unitarian church. The Unitarian faith is more of a catch-all that believes all religions are equally valid. You’ll be able to attend church and feel like a part of your community without feeling like you’re having an oppressive belief system shoved down your throat.

@shadimirza Welcome to Fluther. Lurve.

I see no point unless you are a believer. You can find other types of social groups.

Many forms of religions are not cult-like at all. Plus I see no reason not to attend a (moderate) church if you are a non-believer. Churches are full of believers, people with doubts and non-believers. Reading polemic and aggressive books like Richard Dawkins “The God Delusion” might not be a good idea. In my opinion they won’t help you to find inner peace even if you don’t believe in God. If you want to read an enlightening book which also helps atheists I recommend ‘The Left Hand of God’ by Michael Lerner.

I think you should visit a variety of churches of different denominations to see what it’s like and to find out what they have to offer. That way you’ll learn first hand instead of relying on what you think attending church might be.

It would not hurt.