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| The Merit of a Church and You | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 3 2014, 12:35 AM (512 Views) | |
| Cal | Mar 3 2014, 12:35 AM Post #1 |
I may not deserve to live, but I will protect those in my reach with my reverse blade!
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Going to start this post off by saying that I'm agnostic-and for good reason. Secondly this isn't a religious-zelous thrashing traditional dbzf thread. -- So as some of you know (friends of mine on Facebook), I went to church for the first time in 3-4 years today. I think to shun religion/God/church or any ideal for that matter is naive and counterproductive for someone who is truly trying to grasp a truth in this such relative-based world. That having been said I didn't pay too much attention to the whole preaching/teaching side of the church, more of the bonds that the people there have with one another and how they help each other not only weekly but on a daily basis and how they benefit their community. People that are usually shy have enough faith in the people around them and whatever higher power they believe in to share their problems no matter how deep with the congregation. People who cannot afford the help of potential therapist treatment, and perhaps don't have family they can confide in have a safe place there. It's not the fact that you can share a problem with someone or a group it's the haven knowing that you can do it, as many of them there do. Problems and concerns range wide from financial to children to traveling, etc. They have praise reports from the community. If another church has accomplished something great, or perhaps the community is doing a charity event it's highlighted here. This helps the members and guests of the church be involved within their own community in a truly positive way they might not get to otherwise. Most communities where I live are very small and rural so when these things come out it's sort of a huge event. Sunday School Classes are divided among age groups. 5 and under, 6 to 13, 14 to young adult (26) and adult classes. This helps members/guests build bonds with their own peers. It's obvious even by going just once that these people are very close and truly believe in why they're there and how to help themselves and others. Each class seems to be united and have goals of their own. The older people need spiritual advice and guidance on how to properly raise their children, young adults learn mostly about how to avoid temptation and speak with each other about methods to achieve their goals. At this point I don't think it matters too much about what their goals are-more about the fact that it's a group effort of united peers helping each other, which is not only valuable but truly fascinating and someone like me shows obvious envy toward them, but in a good way. Open-door no pressure policy is there. Doors of the church are always open for those in need and there is no pressure to always be there. When I left I was asked if I wanted to stay for preaching which I refused. They didn't attempt to make me feel bad, but just said they hoped they would get to see me again and promised to remember my name. -- I'm not typing this to persuade anyone to go to a church more to unveil the true positives that can come out of one to you or perhaps someone else on a personal level. I think I will go back, but this next time I will ask the tough questions and see what the answers are. I feel good knowing that I haven't given up on my journey to come to a understanding in such a deep matter and refuse to accept one or the other answers with shifty arguments no matter whose side they may come from. |
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| Rockman | Mar 3 2014, 12:47 AM Post #2 |
hoighty-toighty
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It depends, per person, what you need for your life to feel complete and how you obtain your happiness. Which is why I no longer debate religion. I found out long ago that religion brings happiness, and there is a community there that you can't find anywhere else. People belong to a place, and that's more than enough reason for them to be there. Religion aside. Who am I to say they can't be there and do that? Much like who are they to tell me I need to? I'm an introvert. I do well without community, without religion, and i'm a moral helpful person in my life without a reason to do so. But other people aren't. I had to realize that. Community exhausts me. I get sucked into the drama, and I absolutely detest drama. I can't stand being in a group of people if I don't have to be. Therefore I don't go to church. It's not for everyone. But I can see why someone would desire it. It has its necessary purposes. Community relations help a lot of people get ahead and make themselves better. Especially if those people are aligned with the moral good. |
 JAke is a copyright of Spazo and Pickle Flavored Fudge Pops inc. | |
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| Cal | Mar 3 2014, 12:54 AM Post #3 |
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I may not deserve to live, but I will protect those in my reach with my reverse blade!
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I completely agree with this and am glad you were the first to reply here. I'm sort of the opposite of you. I thrive in and strive for that type of atmosphere, not the gossiping/drama aspect of course, but the peer relation and common good of willing providing moral help to whoever may need it whether it be yourself or others. I just never got into church because most of the time I can't get past the teachings because of some hypocrisy I can see being a novice on the subject-even. However, as I said that doesn't mean that's the standard, but even if it is that doesn't mean it's absolute everywhere. |
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| * Ketchup Revenge | Mar 3 2014, 02:52 AM Post #4 |
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the war room!"
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The only thing I can say is to question everything, and I commend you Cal for questioning what you've been told. A lot of people who believe in religion don't. They blindly believe word-of-mouth. When I debate here, all I'm trying to do is provide people with tools to question what they've been told. It's not that I don't believe in a god, but all I ask is for people to look at new updated information, and question that which they've previously been told is possible from ancient texts. For example, I find it extremely difficult to believe in an evil talking snake; because I've never known a snake to talk outside word of mouth, and (not to be rude) but people who are simply high. Do I believe there's a god? I accept the possibility. Do I believe that the God is what religion tells us he (or "it") is? No. We know back in those times, people believed things, no matter how outrageous, based on no evidence what-so-ever. Evidence to prove claims is a very recent concept, and religion doesn't like it because to religious folks, there's no reason to question it. I will use the Salem Witch Trials as an example. Almost nothing that the accused could say would ever sway the trial in their favor, and the persecution was primarily based on hear-say alone, which isn't evidence in the slightest. There were also "tests", one of which included tying the accused to a chair and throwing them in a body of water, and seeing if they floated. You can't base your belief on hear-say alone. There's some tangible factor you need to include otherwise innocent people end up dying needlessly. I have no problem with people believing whatever it is that they believe, and practice it in whatever way they want to practice it, but once it starts invading the science classrooms and infringing upon inalienable rights of legal citizens of my country (ie. gay rights, or even religious rights), that's when I have a problem with it. |
 The vengeance is her's for as long as she stands by Him. | |
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Mar 3 2014, 05:19 AM Post #5 |
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I think it also depends on which church you go to. At my church, the community is fantastic. They're supportive, encouraging, loving, etc. But at the same time I find them to be very hypocritical and ignorant when it comes to a variety of subjects, which is why I no longer attend. |
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| Copy_Ninja | Mar 3 2014, 11:44 AM Post #6 |
Novacane for the pain
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Church's can be good for this type of thing. I visited my local church for a couple of years after I'd stopped believing because I enjoyed the people there. Yes I had to sit through the mass that went for about an hourish but afterwards there was other stuff which was great. It also helped that the place I lived was honestly pretty crappy but you could find most of the nicer people at the church. Not trying to make an implication about anything there just stating what I observed at the time. Then of course I moved to the other side of the world to a much nicer place and I met a load of great people in different environments so I saw no value in going to a church, especially as I could get what I was looking for without the stuff I didn't necessarily like. Religious people get a bad rap because there's too much focus on the vocal minority. At the end of the day, most religions are based on principles of love, friendship and generally being a good person. Sure there's a number of other things I don't agree with but I'd wager the larger proportion are generally good people. |
 We'll never be those kids again
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| SpeedoTrunks | Mar 3 2014, 06:22 PM Post #7 |
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I'm fully atheist and dont intend to change my mind anytime soon, but I have been attending a local church with my mother recently, (a good way to visit her more regularly), and I have to say that with all the preaching aside, the members on my local church are the nicest people I've ever met, and if anything that is why I'm going back. It might be a strange reason, but lets face it, going to church is for me at least, a good way to see my mum, meet new people and generally be in a good atmosphere, which in the UK can be hard at times hah. |
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