# Do You Go To Church On Sundays?



## Lon (Mar 8, 2015)

If you do, what time do you go?


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## hollydolly (Mar 8, 2015)

Nope no church on Sunday...


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## AZ Jim (Mar 8, 2015)

No church any day.


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## Pam (Mar 8, 2015)

Same as Jim.


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## Josiah (Mar 8, 2015)

Nope, I'd be a total hypocrite is I ever went to church. Plus Sunday morning is much too valuable to waste.


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## ronaldj (Mar 8, 2015)

yes and I teach a Sunday school class


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## rporter610 (Mar 8, 2015)

No, I chose a different path about 20 years ago.


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## AZ Jim (Mar 8, 2015)

Josiah09 said:


> Nope, I'd be a total hypocrite is I ever went to church. Plus Sunday morning is much too valuable to waste.



That's ok Josh, hypocrites not only go to church in large numbers but preach in many as well.  So, you would not be the only one there for sure.  Note:  I did not say all, I said some are hypocrites.  Many truly belong in that pew and are genuine in their beliefs.


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## QuickSilver (Mar 8, 2015)

Nope


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## hollydolly (Mar 8, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> That's ok Josh, hypocrites not only go to church in large numbers but preach in many as well.  So, you would not be the only one there for sure.



I have to say I absolutely totally agree with you Jim, I've had plenty of experience of that..


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## Debby (Mar 8, 2015)

I used to go every Saturday but for the past 10+ years, nope.  People change you know.


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## AZ Jim (Mar 8, 2015)

Debby said:


> I used to go every Saturday but for the past 10+ years, nope.  People change you know.



We do Deb, we undergo many changes as we turn the pages of our lives, don't we.


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## Falcon (Mar 8, 2015)

Not if I can help it.  I go to church only for weddings and funerals of friends.


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## Cookie (Mar 8, 2015)

No -- made to go when I was a kid, but no more Sunday church for me.  Do/would go for weddings or funerals tho.


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## jujube (Mar 8, 2015)

Weddings, funerals and, on occasion, to make my Mama happy.  And we all know when Mama's happy, everybody's happy.  Other than that, I'm one of them there heatherns, as my grandmother used to call me...."Get in here and get ready for church, you little heathern!"


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## rkunsaw (Mar 8, 2015)

Nope. Only for  funerals. My funeral won't be in a church.


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## Shalimar (Mar 8, 2015)

I don't go to church. I grew up with too many Christians who left their faith behind in the pew when they exited the church.


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## oldman (Mar 8, 2015)

Yes, I do go to church on Sunday. I go to the traditional service at 8:00 a.m. I do not go to Sunday School. There is also a 10:15 a.m. service, but I have always been an early riser, so going at 8:00 suits me just fine. On Easter Sunday and the Sunday before Christmas there is only one combined service at 10:15 a.m. because the choir holds their cantata on those days. 

When I was a pilot for United, we had a group of Nuns board the plane on a weekday. I belong to a Methodist church. As I greeted the Nuns coming on Board, the head Mother, or whatever it is she is called, asked me how high we would be flying today. I told her that our flight plan called for us to be at 37,000 feet, but we may need to deviate from that later in the flight because of weather issues. Just out of curiosity, I asked her why she wanted to know because we usually announce our flight plan once we are airborn anyway. She told me that she has never flown before and she thought being higher in the air may help God hear her better because she has been praying for more cash donations to fill their food bank. A lady in back of her heard her tell me this and mid way through the flight, she went back to the Mother and handed her $200.00 as a donation to help her buy food for the food bank. The Purser, which is the head F/A told me this story after the flight and she said that after she handed her the money and told a few passengers what was going on, others also donated money to her. After we had landed and she was exiting the plane, I also handed her a twenty dollar bill and told her that she was right. He had heard the prayer and answered it. She smiled and nodded.


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## AZ Jim (Mar 8, 2015)

As a former student of a Catholic school, St, Brigid's, I can tell you with certainly she was a "Mother Superior".


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## oldman (Mar 8, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> As a former student of a Catholic school, St, Brigid's, I can tell you with certainly she was a "Mother Superior".



Thanks for the clarification.


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## Davey Jones (Mar 8, 2015)

Do You Go To Church On Sundays? 

If somebody would tell me why I might go back again but I doubt it.


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 8, 2015)

No, I haven't gone to church since I was a child and forced to go almost seven days a week.  I did go twice when my sister was visiting from out of state, she was still a practicing Catholic, so I drove her there and accompanied her.  It was a good reminder of some reasons I stopped going.  It was very much run like a business, the collection plate came around twice, and yes, I gave both times.  As I watched the priest and altar boys, I honestly couldn't get the stories out of my mind about the scandals of abuse by the priests.  I respect those who choose to worship in a church, that is their personal choice, but it's not for me.


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## Kadee (Mar 8, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> That's ok Josh, hypocrites not only go to church in large numbers but preach in many as well.  So, you would not be the only one there for sure.  Note:  I did not say all, I said some are hypocrites.  Many truly belong in that pew and are genuine in their beliefs.


:thumbsup1:This area has quite a few who attend dances who also go to church on Sunday's I will keep my opinion of them to myself.
I also grew up attending a catholic school run by NUNS ( parents never went to church so have no idea why I was sent to that school)


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## Cole Slaw (Mar 8, 2015)

I no longer go. I wish it offered me what it promises, but I lost my faith in religion and the religious leaders long ago. I envy those who still have it. I wish I could believe in fairy tales and be happy like I was as a child.


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## Warrigal (Mar 8, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> That's ok Josh, hypocrites not only go to church in large numbers but preach in many as well.  So, you would not be the only one there for sure.  Note:  I did not say all, I said some are hypocrites.  Many truly belong in that pew and are genuine in their beliefs.


Jim, you seem to think that church is only for the pure in heart. In reality, first and foremost, the call is to the sinners and the hypocrites. 

I do attend church on Sunday mornings and I also teach a class of the most delightful children that you could ever hope to meet. I hope to strengthen the lessons that their parents impart, to challenge them to think critically and to give them a framework on which to develop their moral principles. Oh, where ever possible, we try to enjoy the experience.


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## drifter (Mar 8, 2015)

Like most who have posted here so far, I haven't been to church in a long time, since the early seventies.


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## Glinda (Mar 8, 2015)

No.  My parents insisted that my siblings and I go when we were kids.  They thought it would "do us good."  It did teach me how to quietly indulge in any fantasy I liked while appearing to pay attention to some adult blathering nonsense I knew I didn't believe and never would.  This is a skill that has come in handy throughout life.


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## Josiah (Mar 8, 2015)

Dame Warrigal said:


> Jim, you seem to think that church is only for the pure in heart. In reality, first and foremost, the call is to the sinners and the hypocrites.
> 
> I do attend church on Sunday mornings and I also teach a class of the most delightful children that you could ever hope to meet. I hope to strengthen the lessons that their parents impart, to challenge them to think critically and to give them a framework on which to develop their moral principles. Oh, where ever possible, we try to enjoy the experience.



I offer you my sincere admiration, DW, for your work on behalf of instilling "a framework on which to develop their moral principles".  I attended a private school which included attending daily a mandatory morning chapel service delivered by the school's headmaster. His talks were very light on theology but very heavy on ethics and I credit this experience as being very important in the development of my character.


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## NancyNGA (Mar 8, 2015)

No, never have.  Neither did my parents or grandparents on my mom's side, so it's not something I can take credit for figuring out on my own. I'm with Josiah about wasting Sundays.   My parents always had to work on Sundays because my dad had a factory job 6 days/wk and Sunday was the only time they had to do the major projects related to the house.


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## ndynt (Mar 9, 2015)

Interesting. As we grow older we are supposed to become more religious.  All your responses are so welcomed...for I have wondered about my lack of religiosity.   Though very spiritual, am turned off by structured religion.   Sounds like I am in the majority...thankfully.


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## Warrigal (Mar 9, 2015)

Definitely in the majority, ndynt. Here is some data from Australia but bear in mind that Aussies are less overtly religious than Americans. At least, from our perspective we are.

Australia has more churches (13,000) than schools (9,500), and more Australians attend a church service each week (1.8 million***) than there are people in South Australia (1.6 million).

And while the latest Census results show that Christianity is the religion with which most Australians identify (61.1%), well above the second most popular religion in Australia, Buddhism (2.5%), less than one in seven of the Australians who ticked “Christianity” on their census form regularly attend a church.

Easter is a time of the year when church attendance increases, but what do the 92% of Australians who are not regular church attendees think of churches, and churchgoing in 2013? Here’s our latest infographic which shares the data. 



*** Australian Population ~ 23 million


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## chic (Mar 9, 2015)

I think people can have a fulfilling relationship with God, the infinite, or whatever you want to call the master of the universe without going to church services on Sundays. So, no, I don't attend church on Sundays anymore.


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## Ralphy1 (Mar 9, 2015)

I'm ducking this thread to see if some here are struck down!


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## Ameriscot (Mar 9, 2015)

Rarely.  Brought up strict Catholic but dumped that at 18 when I left home.  I go for funerals and weddings, and when I'm on a holiday with my husband and sister who are both Catholic.


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## Bullie76 (Mar 9, 2015)

ndynt said:


> Interesting. As we grow older we are supposed to become more religious.  All your responses are so welcomed...for I have wondered about my lack of religiosity.   Though very spiritual, am turned off by structured religion.   Sounds like I am in the majority...thankfully.



When I was a child, the church my parents took me to was very structured. The preacher was very firm in his delivery. I admit, that always turned me off. Today when I attend(which is sporadic), I go to a church which is way more laid back. The sermons are relaxed and much easier to listen to. And they have a more contemporary style of music. Traditionalist probably do like this style, but I see nothing wrong with it.


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## QuickSilver (Mar 9, 2015)

I remember even as a child thinking, this religion stuff is really far fetched and seems like another fairytale.  That was very difficult because my parents and all the adults around me believed it.. (or pretended to)   So I went along with the program, attending Sunday School and Catechism classes and making my Confirmation.  Still deep inside knowing that I really had my doubts about what I was being taught and feeling very guilty and bad about it.   I had no idea what an agnostic or agnosticism was back then.   As a young adult, I was still hunting around for a religion or a Church that didn't feel silly to me..  I've never found one.   Now I freely admit to "not knowing" for sure.  I still have doubts, but I am much more comfortable having them.  I have tried to live my life as a good and moral person. Sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing but knowing the error of my ways.  If there is a Heaven.. I see no reason why I shouldn't be let in.  If not.. it really doesn't matter.


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## ndynt (Mar 9, 2015)

Thanks for the stats, Dame Warrigal.  Very interesting. Wonder why Easter, vs Christmas, is the time when church attendance increases.


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## Jackie22 (Mar 9, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> I remember even as a child thinking, this religion stuff is really far fetched and seems like another fairytale.  That was very difficult because my parents and all the adults around me believed it.. (or pretended to)   So I went along with the program, attending Sunday School and Catechism classes and making my Confirmation.  Still deep inside knowing that I really had my doubts about what I was being taught and feeling very guilty and bad about it.   I had no idea what an agnostic or agnosticism was back then.   As a young adult, I was still hunting around for a religion or a Church that didn't feel silly to me..  I've never found one.   Now I freely admit to "not knowing" for sure.  I still have doubts, but I am much more comfortable having them.  I have tried to live my life as a good and moral person. Sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing but knowing the error of my ways.  If there is a Heaven.. I see no reason why I shouldn't be let in.  If not.. it really doesn't matter.



I was raised in the Baptist Church and I had doubts too growing up, I remember asking the preacher about something in the Bible one time, not understanding how it could be...he told me "we don't question what is in the Bible." ....I rarely go to Church now.


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## ndynt (Mar 9, 2015)

Post came up twice.  How do I delete one?


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## ndynt (Mar 9, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> I remember even as a child thinking, this religion stuff is really far fetched and seems like another fairytale.  That was very difficult because my parents and all the adults around me believed it.. (or pretended to)   So I went along with the program, attending Sunday School and Catechism classes and making my Confirmation.  Still deep inside knowing that I really had my doubts about what I was being taught and feeling very guilty and bad about it.   I had no idea what an agnostic or agnosticism was back then.   As a young adult, I was still hunting around for a religion or a Church that didn't feel silly to me..  I've never found one.   Now I freely admit to "not knowing" for sure.  I still have doubts, but I am much more comfortable having them.  I have tried to live my life as a good and moral person. Sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing but knowing the error of my ways.  If there is a Heaven.. I see no reason why I shouldn't be let in.  If not.. it really doesn't matter.



QuickSilver, I can totally relate.  As a child/young adult I was overly religious. "Religion is the opium ...of the people"?  Then I became turned off with the doctrine of my religion.  Tried every other religion I could find.  Took many theological college courses.  Never found a church that made me feel as close to my supreme being as I am cutting grass or digging in the dirt...or viewing one of his/her creations.


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## tnthomas (Mar 9, 2015)

ndynt said:


> Interesting. As we grow older we are supposed to become more religious.  All your responses are so welcomed...for I have wondered about my lack of religiosity.   Though very spiritual, am turned off by structured religion.   Sounds like I am in the majority...thankfully.



I still believe in God, I still believe in the teachings of Jesus but unless people live by those teachings then their "faith" means nothing.  I know that there a a lot of good, faithful people that regularly attend church; unfortunately, in the same location are too many that are just there for "show".


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## QuickSilver (Mar 9, 2015)

Jackie22 said:


> I was raised in the Baptist Church and I had doubts too growing up, I remember asking the preacher about something in the Bible one time, not understanding how it could be...he told me "we don't question what is in the Bible." ....I rarely go to Church now.



I believe this is how organized religion damages people.  When you are a child, you are indoctrinated almost before you can understand. If you, like me,  had doubts, we are not encouraged to bring them up.   Instead of being able to question and bring up our concerns,   we internalize them and figure there is something "wrong" with Us..  That somehow we are inherently "bad" if we are having problems with the faith.  I can't imagine what would have happened to me if I had said what I was thinking..  that being "Are you freaking kidding me??"  or something to that effect.  AND that's exactly what I was thinking.  "How can this be true?"  "Do these people actually believe all this stuff?"   And of course I felt they did.. so I was the bad one..  The one with the problem.


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## Davey Jones (Mar 9, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> As a former student of a Catholic school, St, Brigid's, I can tell you with certainly she was a "Mother Superior".



Sister Edith use to beat the crap outta me when I didn't do my homework...ahhhh those were the days.


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## Ameriscot (Mar 9, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> I believe this is how organized religion damages people.  When you are a child, you are indoctrinated almost before you can understand. If you, like me,  had doubts, we are not encouraged to bring them up.   Instead of being able to question and bring up our concerns,   we internalize them and figure there is something "wrong" with Us..  That somehow we are inherently "bad" if we are having problems with the faith.  I can't imagine what would have happened to me if I had said what I was thinking..  that being "Are you freaking kidding me??"  or something to that effect.  AND that's exactly what I was thinking.  "How can this be true?"  "Do these people actually believe all this stuff?"   And of course I felt they did.. so I was the bad one..  The one with the problem.



Questions were not encouraged at all.  Not even discussions.  Just memorizing.  I went to catholic school for 3 very long years.  Grades 3, 4 and 6. I was 12 when I began to seriously question this stuff.  Age 14 in catechism class our lay teacher told us there was no fire in hell, it's just the worse thing anyone could imagine and that was why we were told fire.  She said hell was the absence of god.  Hmm...okay, what else was a lie?!  The end of catholicism for me.


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## Ameriscot (Mar 9, 2015)

Davey Jones said:


> Sister Edith use to beat the crap outta me when I didn't do my homework...ahhhh those were the days.



The terror of my childhood - 6th grade - Sister Mary Ethna.  Didn't get beaten being a girl but did have to kneel down on the hard wood floor if I missed a question.  The boys got the paddle.

The nuns at our catholic school had just come over from Ireland on the boat in 1960.  Scary!


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## crochet lady (Mar 9, 2015)

I do not attend Church. I really have tried. My conclusion= I don't seem to ever fit in and I'm not comfortable with public worship. Result=I keep my faith and worship private. It's between God and myself.


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## Cookie (Mar 9, 2015)

My sister and me went to Catholic school when we were in primary school. We were  terrified of the nuns who were extremely stern. For some reason, being  too scared to answer a question, my sister got strapped on her thigh  which left a big red welt.  When my parents saw it they immediately took  us out of the school and we went to public schools from then on.  The  nuns came to our house to try and talk my parents into putting us back  in and denying the strapping. 

When my ex husband was a kid in  New England, his aunt, who was a nun, frequently 'beat the crap out of  him' (his words) in catholic school.  Other abuses against other boys included rape by the priest. This was in the early 50s and early 60s, and I'm  sure things have changed and there is no more of that physical abuse,  since laws have been changed about beatings by teachers.  There were  some pretty crazy public school teachers in those days too who would hit the kids. 

Catholic school teachers nowadays are not nuns thank goodness and its more secular in curriculum according to a friend of mine.


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## AZ Jim (Mar 9, 2015)

Cookie said:


> My sister and me went to Catholic school when we were in primary school. We were  terrified of the nuns who were extremely stern. For some reason, being  too scared to answer a question, my sister got strapped on her thigh  which left a big red welt.  When my parents saw it they immediately took  us out of the school and we went to public schools from then on.  The  nuns came to our house to try and talk my parents into putting us back  in and denying the strapping.
> 
> When my ex husband was a kid in  New England, his aunt, who was a nun, frequently 'beat the crap out of  him' (his words) in catholic school.  Other abuses against other boys included rape by the priest. This was in the early 50s and early 60s, and I'm  sure things have changed and there is no more of that physical abuse,  since laws have been changed about beatings by teachers.  There were  some pretty crazy public school teachers in those days too who would hit the kids.
> 
> Catholic school teachers nowadays are not nuns thank goodness and its more secular in curriculum according to a friend of mine.



I got smacked with a ruler by a nun more than once.  I must say though that my teacher, Mother Mary Helen was a stern but extremely insightful old lady.  I loved her.  I went back to the convent as a man a few years later just to visit with her a few moments.  A little later I returned with a little gift and was told "the Lord had called her".  Cancer.  I basically hated Catholic school and church as a kid and haven't softened in that position as an old man.


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## 911 (Mar 9, 2015)

Absolutely. I can't begin to tell anyone how many times I have said a prayer before going through a locked door while in the line of duty, or approaching a traffic stop at 3:00 a.m.


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## WindnSea (Mar 9, 2015)

I try to make Sunday service around 5 pm.  That used to be a really good place for Mom and I do have our time together.  I really miss those days.


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## hollydolly (Mar 9, 2015)

My mother was raised by Catholic Nuns in an orphanage from the age of 2 ..forced to attend church every day and 3 times on a Sunday until she was 16 years old  and beaten every day by the vicious so called brides of Christ...grrr!!!


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## QuickSilver (Mar 9, 2015)

crochet lady said:


> I do not attend Church. I really have tried. My conclusion= I don't seem to ever fit in and I'm not comfortable with public worship. Result=I keep my faith and worship private. It's between God and myself.



This was always my feeling.. I was also VERY uncomfortable with public praying and worship..  I also preferred to keep things personal and private


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## hollydolly (Mar 9, 2015)

Jackie22 said:


> I was raised in the Baptist Church and I had doubts too growing up, I remember asking the preacher about something in the Bible one time, not understanding how it could be...he told me "we don't question what is in the Bible." ....I rarely go to Church now.



...yup that would have had me running in the opposite direction as well if it had been said to me..


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## Lon (Mar 9, 2015)

To answer my own question, no, I don't ever go to church and haven't since I was a mere lad of 10.  I am a Secular Humanist as per my Avatar.  Now that will cause some to pull out a dictionary or encyclopedia.


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## Ameriscot (Mar 9, 2015)

Lon said:


> To answer my own question, no, I don't ever go to church and haven't since I was a mere lad of 10.  I am a Secular Humanist as per my Avatar.  Now that will cause some to pull out a dictionary or encyclopedia.



Nope.  I know what a humanist is.  A couple of the volunteers in Uganda were humanists.  Of the volunteers in my organisation there most seemed to be atheists or agnostics.  My husband being the only catholic.  When we saw groups of Americans who had lots of children we knew they were evangelicals and ran in the other direction!


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## hollydolly (Mar 9, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> Nope.  I know what a humanist is.  A couple of the volunteers in Uganda were humanists.  Of the volunteers in my organisation there most seemed to be atheists or agnostics.  My husband being the only catholic.  *When we saw groups of Americans who had lots of children we knew they were evangelicals and ran in the other direction!*



or Mormons LOL


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## Ameriscot (Mar 9, 2015)

hollydolly said:


> or Mormons LOL



LOL.  Not sure if any of those we saw were Mormons.  But many did cause a lot of trouble as they encouraged the anti-gay attitudes and laws there.


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## Warrigal (Mar 9, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> Questions were not encouraged at all.  Not even discussions.  Just memorizing.  I went to catholic school for 3 very long years.  Grades 3, 4 and 6. I was 12 when I began to seriously question this stuff.  Age 14 in catechism class our lay teacher told us there was no fire in hell, it's just the worse thing anyone could imagine and that was why we were told fire.  She said hell was the absence of god.  Hmm...okay, what else was a lie?!  The end of catholicism for me.



This is a typical reaction of a young person who discovers that everything is more complicated than the lessons imparted to them as a child. As a Sunday School teacher I try very hard not to teach anything that will have  to be unlearned later and not only do I give permission to question and doubt, I actually model both. I also encourage them to keep an open mind in that hearing a story once does not mean that you understand all the nuances and have full understanding of the message. This is why we revisit some stories often.

Adults who revisit the scriptures and who make some effort to understand historical and social context can find meaning that eluded them as children; things that are relevant to them in their stage of life and in the current stage of history. It is possible to read the bible sceptically and still find truths about humanity in general and ourselves in particular.


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## crochet lady (Mar 9, 2015)

Thanks QuickSilver; glad someone else feels this way too.


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## Linda (Mar 10, 2015)

No, I don't go to church.  I went on Saturday for 30 years and I don't plan to ever darken the doors of a church again.  I am not an atheist though.


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