Good morning
enjoying my morning coffee, taking my blood pressure and getting ready to go to Church.
Starting to prepare for my Mission. Have some work to do, studying and organizing looking forward to doing this Mission. Cant tell anyone what it is but it imo it will be big... This could lead to writing a book, touring and discipling. This is something I've wanted to do for years, but never had the courage.
that is right a book by Belly.........

Did is you go to Church today?

I did is not go to church today.

Went to church in 1991, give or take a year.

Stopped going to church 26 years ago.

I drive by 4 churches on my way to work. I try not to cuss as I pass.

I just got back.

Read the paper and enjoyed a run.
Sooo no, I did not. Although, I ran by a church that was in service, does that count?

I just woke up. Kind of hard to go to church when you don't crash until 7:30 am.

Good thread Dawg.

Right that book.

You are so much better than everyone because you go to church. Congrats dude

We went to IHOP and Menards before all of the church assholes showed up

Used to go regularly. Sometimes I miss it. Can't sit still any longer, I have to be in conversation or doing something. I wish the Church did that more.

I realize this thread is mostly sarcastic but I'll give my serious thought anyway. I grew up going to church 3 times a week. Sunday morning and evening, and Wednesday nights. Every time for 18 years. I wasn't allowed to miss. I missed sporting events because missing church was not an option. When I was like 10 we switched churches. From a very laid back, country, hymn signing church, to a church that was into talking in toungues, having a band, signing for an hour or more and church was from 10 to at least 1230. I also went to a private school till sophomore year. I hated church from about 7th grade on. If you add in bible class and church at school twice a week. I was in church 5 times a week and having something to do with church 6 days a week.
But it wasn't till I was married and had a wife that grew up Catholic but was liberal and asked questions that I started to really think. At first I stood up for church and everything they believed in. I fought with her about it and defended it so hard. But then I started to think and realize that I was NEVER allowed to question things. It wasn't an option. Science was wrong and I was wrong to even think about it. It was like wait a minute, I am expected to believe some guy lived inside a whale and not think that's crazy, but the earth being millions of years old is insane??

I don't go to church now and basically have completely shut it off. Sometimes I wish my daughter went to Sunday school because I don't think that's terrible. But I don't take her because I fear she will be brainwashed like I was.

I do think there's a chance that everything they believe is true. But I just question so much now.


Alright that's my story. Sorry to waste 3 minutes of your life.

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Midstate01;1782686 wrote:I realize this thread is mostly sarcastic but I'll give my serious thought anyway. I grew up going to church 3 times a week. Sunday morning and evening, and Wednesday nights. Every time for 18 years. I wasn't allowed to miss. I missed sporting events because missing church was not an option. When I was like 10 we switched churches. From a very laid back, country, hymn signing church, to a church that was into talking in toungues, having a band, signing for an hour or more and church was from 10 to at least 1230. I also went to a private school till sophomore year. I hated church from about 7th grade on. If you add in bible class and church at school twice a week. I was in church 5 times a week and having something to do with church 6 days a week.
But it wasn't till I was married and had a wife that grew up Catholic but was liberal and asked questions that I started to really think. At first I stood up for church and everything they believed in. I fought with her about it and defended it so hard. But then I started to think and realize that I was NEVER allowed to question things. It wasn't an option. Science was wrong and I was wrong to even think about it. It was like wait a minute, I am expected to believe some guy lived inside a whale and not think that's crazy, but the earth being millions of years old is insane??

I don't go to church now and basically have completely shut it off. Sometimes I wish my daughter went to Sunday school because I don't think that's terrible. But I don't take her because I fear she will be brainwashed like I was.

I do think there's a chance that everything they believe is true. But I just question so much now.


Alright that's my story. Sorry to waste 3 minutes of your life.

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

This is somewhat my story. I didn't go as much as you did, but it was about twice a week between weekend mass and Wednesday evenings. There's a episcopal church we were married in that I still go from time to time. It's hard with working night shift, weekends (my wife every other weekend), having an 18month daughter who I basically can't take because she doesn't sit still for anything.
I like that church because it's different from the one I was raised in. More laid back about meeting people and getting involved in the community, less about "sit here quietly for an hour and listen to these stories."
The thing that really bothers me is my daughter hasn't been baptized. Hopefully we'll have that done someday. Who knows if it'll ever make a difference to her or not. But I don't want it to be something she holds against me later on in life.

I have a good friend who's probably never stepped foot in a church in her life. Her daughters are 5 & 6 and are starting to wonder about church and why they don't go, and if they can go to try it. She doesn't know what to do. I think she's decided church isn't for her, but doesn't want to make that decision for her daughters, though.

DeyDurkie5;1782677 wrote:You are so much better than everyone because you go to church. Congrats dude

anyone can go to church not sure that make anyone better but it is a beginning..

OSH;1782685 wrote:Used to go regularly. Sometimes I miss it. Can't sit still any longer, I have to be in conversation or doing something. I wish the Church did that more.

See if your church has Community Groups ... Small groups 8 to 10 people ..( not a Bible study) that gathers once a month. Have dinners, cook outs and soup/salad and then talks about some topics (example What are fruit of the spirit?) you can study at home and talk about it at Community Group.
once a year the group has to do something ... Our group just did a laundry mat mission. We donated money and soap made sandwiches, got a ton of quarters, when to a laundry mat, paid for people laundry helped them and sat there and talked and had lunch. Talked to them about our Church, what our group is doing and basically just having a friendly conversation with people, demonstrating that Christians care and are not crazy, no Bible beating pressure just giving and helping.

If you've been turned away because of the hard line mentality that the you show up you'll be saved ... Start off slow pick and choose what you want to do.
Going to Church is not the goal ... Believing is.. Discipleship is a good start
One of the best way to get back into your faith is the Community Group idea.

Midstate01;1782686 wrote:I realize this thread is mostly sarcastic but I'll give my serious thought anyway. I grew up going to church 3 times a week. Sunday morning and evening, and Wednesday nights. Every time for 18 years. I wasn't allowed to miss. I missed sporting events because missing church was not an option. When I was like 10 we switched churches. From a very laid back, country, hymn signing church, to a church that was into talking in toungues, having a band, signing for an hour or more and church was from 10 to at least 1230. I also went to a private school till sophomore year. I hated church from about 7th grade on. If you add in bible class and church at school twice a week. I was in church 5 times a week and having something to do with church 6 days a week.
But it wasn't till I was married and had a wife that grew up Catholic but was liberal and asked questions that I started to really think. At first I stood up for church and everything they believed in. I fought with her about it and defended it so hard. But then I started to think and realize that I was NEVER allowed to question things. It wasn't an option. Science was wrong and I was wrong to even think about it. It was like wait a minute, I am expected to believe some guy lived inside a whale and not think that's crazy, but the earth being millions of years old is insane??

I don't go to church now and basically have completely shut it off. Sometimes I wish my daughter went to Sunday school because I don't think that's terrible. But I don't take her because I fear she will be brainwashed like I was.

I do think there's a chance that everything they believe is true. But I just question so much now.


Alright that's my story. Sorry to waste 3 minutes of your life.

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

A whole lot of this. Grew up going to church Sunday morning and evening, and Wednesday nights. I believe in God (or a higher power/creator), but I have a very hard time believing in the god that was shoved down my throat for many years, the god that has been constructed by thousands of years of theologians. It drives me nuts to sit in church and to hear someone say, "Can you believe this (person from the bible) said these exact words!!!???" No, they did not. First, it was written in Hebrew and has been lost a thousand times over in translation, and 2rd, it is a written interpretation of historic events. Kids are taught, from a very young age, that these mere interpretations are stone cold fact. That doesn't sit well with me.

ernest_t_bass;1782717 wrote:A whole lot of this. Grew up going to church Sunday morning and evening, and Wednesday nights. I believe in God (or a higher power/creator), but I have a very hard time believing in the god that was shoved down my throat for many years, the god that has been constructed by thousands of years of theologians. It drives me nuts to sit in church and to hear someone say, "Can you believe this (person from the bible) said these exact words!!!???" No, they did not. First, it was written in Hebrew and has been lost a thousand times over in translation, and 2rd, it is a written interpretation of historic events. Kids are taught, from a very young age, that these mere interpretations are stone cold fact. That doesn't sit well with me.

They you may enjoy my Mission once we formula plan, prepare lessons, introduction video, 4 series learning video, organize a tour and the book. I will sign your copy.. as long as your name is Bob..

Yeah Ernest. Exactly. Like I believed everything in there was true. Like completely 100% true but it's not. Some of it is just parables.

I forgot to add my parents church is like a cult. I sometimes believe that it is. The dancing in the isles and the way they worship freaks me out. They'll sign from 10-to 1045, but then basically just hum and moan and say random things for 15-20 minutes. When I'm home on vacation I try to go once to make my mom happy. And I sit there and just stare at the people. It freaks me out.


ALL this being said, I wouldn't change the way I was raised. I very much knew right and wrong and know I was loved and my parents only wanted for me what they thought was best. So I wouldn't change anything.



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I'm pretty much the same as Midstate, FFL, and ETB. Only mine wasn't Catholic and I only went once a week but I did a lot of church functions and helped with church things throughout the week. My parents weren't even religious at all and never made me go. I had always just went since I was little and believed in it. But when I went to college people around me didn't go and just questioned me on why I went and why I believe in it all. Eventually I just started asking myself the same questions and quit believing and stopped going.

Belly35;1782697 wrote:anyone can go to church not sure that make anyone better but it is a beginning..

Being a good person makes you better than most. Not your bullshit church. But don't tell all knowing "my family is better than yours because we go to church" belly that.

Midstate01;1782746 wrote:Yeah Ernest. Exactly. Like I believed everything in there was true. Like completely 100% true but it's not. Some of it is just parables.

I forgot to add my parents church is like a cult. I sometimes believe that it is. The dancing in the isles and the way they worship freaks me out. They'll sign from 10-to 1045, but then basically just hum and moan and say random things for 15-20 minutes. When I'm home on vacation I try to go once to make my mom happy. And I sit there and just stare at the people. It freaks me out.


ALL this being said, I wouldn't change the way I was raised. I very much knew right and wrong and know I was loved and my parents only wanted for me what they thought was best. So I wouldn't change anything.

Where did you grow up? What kind of church?

Iliketurtles;1782747 wrote:I'm pretty much the same as Midstate, FFL, and ETB. Only mine wasn't Catholic and I only went once a week but I did a lot of church functions and helped with church things throughout the week. My parents weren't even religious at all and never made me go. I had always just went since I was little and believed in it. But when I went to college people around me didn't go and just questioned me on why I went and why I believe in it all. Eventually I just started asking myself the same questions and quit believing and stopped going.

So you just stopped believing b/c it was the cool thing to do?

ernest_t_bass;1782784 wrote:So you just stopped believing b/c it was the cool thing to do?

I suppose one could read what he typed and come to this conclusion. At least if they had a pre-conceived notion on why people fizzle out on churching it after going all the time while young and were set on turning whatever someone says into a version of said notion.