Place of Worship

Do you go to church, synagoue, mosque or any other place of worship?

If so, do you go regularly?

Why?

On the other hand

If you don't go: Why?

Me- Born and raised Catholic, attended until my marraige fell apart. In the proess of looking for a new church. I don't go because I disagree with with the church's stance on divorce and the child abuse by the clergy. I would like to find a new place to worship, in fact, I am going to a new to me church today with a friend.

 

My parents raised didn't raise my siblings and I with a strict religious background. Living in the Bible Belt, if you don't identify with a church you get a hard time from people...
I don't go regularly...I usually work on church days. But I try my best to go on holy holidays.
When I do go I attend the methodist church.

 

my mother didnt go to church as she said she was christian for more than just a couple of hours on a sunday

i went to church every week as a child thou with the guides and have spent time in mosques because of my marriage ( was usually sent to go sit with the women in thier room )

havnt been to any religious place to worship since i was 18 and havnt set foot in a place of worship for the last 2 years, not sure if that will change anytime soon

 

Born and raised Assembly of God until my parents left to attend a Baptist church when I was 16. I went to a Baptist women's college but didn't attend church. When I moved here I attended a Methodist church and then a Baptist church until I had my crisis of faith and we stopped going altogether. Now I attend both the local Unitarian church and the more liberal Presbyterian church in town. Not regularly, though.

I had a very strict fundy upbringing. You know, as in my parents were Republican because it was the way God would vote? Yeah, that's how I was raised.

I'm slightly more relaxed now.

 

I don't go to the church very often at all, there are time i will like to go more often, last time i went it was long time ago it was for Easter, I am planing to go this year for Easter but lets see.

My parents was never strict about religion if i wanted to go to the church i could and if not there will be no problem.
I like my religion ( I am Greek Orthodox btw) its not that i dont go often because of this, just lazy and maybe the hours, it its sunday morning.. i know this is not excuse.

 

I was raised Baptist, but never liked Christianity and my belief in God was more motivated out of conformity and fear than anything. The story of Jesus never impressed me and I always hated church.

Today I am a proud atheist.

 

Nope, it depresses me. I wasn't raised any religion but when I was little I went to a Baptist church for something to do because we had this "church bus" that came to where I lived and I'd just hop on with the rest of the neighborhood kids every Sunday morning and Wednesday night, then I became a very serious little crazy person going around telling everyone they were going to hell and crying myself to sleep and having nightmares about my family and friends burning in hell and being tortured by demons/monsters. Then we moved and I didn't go to church any more and I grew up.

 

Cheers

 

I was raised in a family that attended weekly, participated in the youth groups, went to camps, etc.

I have raised my family the same way pretty much. I am a Christian (Protestant), as is my wife. I understand, appreciate and accept this doctrine of worship.

 

I was born and raised in a muslim family. today I am kind of out of any religion i guess... but i do have a strong faith in my heart. I go to mosque, to church (any), I can go to any temple. Because every one of them is a God's place where people come with pure mind, open hearts, where they pray, so it's full of good and strong spiritual energy. I feel good in any temple!

for me, temple is a place where I can pray, talk to God and listen to what my heart says, so it's all good.

 

I was raised Episcopalian/Anglican even though me family was Baptist. I went more when I was a kid. I stopped going when I was about 13 or so. It just didn't interest me anymore. That was probably the last time I went to church. I do believe, though

 

I was born and raised Catholic. I've been baptized, made my first communion and confirmation. I attended public school but went to PSR (public school religion) classes every Monday night from first grade through ninth grade.

I had a flashback about one of my PSR experiences a few weeks ago and was musing over it with a few friends. When I was about twelve or thirteen, I was already over the whole religion thing and ready to end my classes. We were discussing death and where people go when they die, and our teacher told us to draw a picture of where our family members went when they died. I knew my teacher was expecting pictures of heaven and white, fluffy clouds so I thought I would be a little smartass.

I drew a very elaborate picture of hell and drew demons that looked like the gremlins from the 80's movie. The gremlin/demons had little houses in my picture and children gremlin/demons. I drew a banner over the hell-town that said "Welcome to Hell." My teacher had a shit-fit and gave it to the stern, elderly nun who ran the program who promptly called my parents in to discuss the matter.

My mom and dad were pissed that they were called in, and I knew I was in big trouble. The nun sat down with my parents to discuss possibly kicking me out of the program over this very serious matter, when she showed the pic to my parents. My dad busted up laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes, and my mom jabbed him in the arm the whole time saying "Ray, it's not funny!" while I sat next to them biting my lower lip to keep from giggling. The nun got crazy pissed that he was laughing so hard, but she let me stay in the program.

I am an atheist today but being a catholic wasn't terrible. I believe it is the sector of christianity in which you can get away with the most shit.

 

Raised christian, but now a staunch athiest.

 

Mosque or Masjid as it is called.

yes.

Because I enjoy fellowship with Muslims. Islam from the beginning was meant to be debated amongst believers, instead of it being dictated by church hierarchy. You need other believers to do that.

 

i was raised southern baptist... used to go regularly

 

My mom makes me go to church with her. Luckily damn near every time she says we are going to church in the morning, she oversleeps or some shit. My parents think I still believe in god.

Used to go every Sunday when I was little.

 

I was raised Catholic. I don't really go to church anymore. Usually only on Christmas and Easter because I'm guilted into going - the Catholic Guilt is strong in my family. :lol:

But, like Athena, I don't think you need a church to find religion.

I'm the same way, I find peace and spirituality in nature and being outdoors. I also find peace and spirituality in the little things.

And having been to Israel, I found much peace and spirituality in just being there, surrounded by all of that history.

To me, it's more in your mindset, then being under a roof and being preached to by people who are far from perfect.

 

I'm a Russian Orthodox, technically.
Even though I was born three years before the soviet union collapsed, I was still christened (all illegaly like) and we went to church whilst I lived in Russia.
I don't go in England, partly because my mum stopped going when we moved here, and partly because there aren't any Russian Orthodox churches near me and although I've been to Catholic and Protestant services in the past, I don't really feel comfortable there.

EDIT: Actually, when we travelled through Italy and when I went to the Vatican City I was completely overwhelmed. It was beautiful.

I agree with Bookworm and Athena, I don't need a church to believe in God. I would like to go to church in the future though, it's just a bit difficult at the moment because where I go to uni there aren't any Russian Othodox churches and the one in Manchester is miles away like I mentioned and I can't drive.

 

Like everybody in Italy I was raised catholic, but my family has never used to go to church or pray. Untill 20 yrs ago, people used to baptize their children etc even if they didn't really believe, it's just something normal.
I go to church maybe less than once every 2-3 years, only when I have to attend some funeral-wedding-comunion etc.
I feel God's presence when I'm in a temple, I don't care if it is a mosque, a sinagogue or a church. Catholic functions are boring though, unless the priest is very quick and say intelligent things (wich is far to happen, usually).

I do believe in God but I refuse to respect any religious rule. My personal rule is to respect and help people, something that every religion in its way has inside.

I talk to God with my mind and he talks to me through my angel/guide spirit or however you want to call it. That's it.

 

No one who understands Christianty would claim to be anything but imperfect. If people say or act otherwise, they are full of it. I know it happens a lot and it sucks.