I have noticed among my religious friends, that attending Church, Temple, etc. is mandatory. While I don't have a problem with this, I do question the need attend on a mandatory basis. If you truly believe in God, shouldn't you be able to pray in your own home? After all isn't it written in the scriptures of most religions that God embodies all?
I have noticed among my religious friends, that attending Church, Temple, etc. is mandatory. While I don't have a problem with this, I do question the need attend on a mandatory basis. If you truly believe in God, shouldn't you be able to pray in your own home? After all isn't it written in the scriptures of most religions that God embodies all?
It is the only way they can keep you. Essentially brainwashing sessions every week, reinforcement every week. The fact that it is a social setting helps keep people in the religion- peer pressure and the social aspects of religion seem to be the main driving forces. See what I am getting at?
Almost all my friends are religious and almost none are made to pray. It's not mandatory for them (or myself) and my friends are Catholic, Protestant, Anglican, Buddist, Lao (which might be the same thing. Not sure) and Sikh.
All of 7th grade at my school has just done a project involving a survey called "How do you pray" with questions like "How often do you pray?" "when do you pray?" etc. Most people say they do pray and very few actually go to church regularly.
I have noticed among my religious friends, that attending Church, Temple, etc. is mandatory. While I don't have a problem with this, I do question the need attend on a mandatory basis. If you truly believe in God, shouldn't you be able to pray in your own home? After all isn't it written in the scriptures of most religions that God embodies all?
This was one of the first things I questioned when I began deconverting. I also had wondered what the point of even praying is. We are talking about an all knowing being she such being would already know what I would say before I say it, so isn't going through the steps just redundant?
I can understand the point of actually praying, because lets be honest when praying most people ask for blessings or things, its almost like begging. However why do you need to go to a centralized location to do it? And I can honestly say that I think most places of worship have become more like a business, than a place of community and religion.
Attending church is, for some, more of a social thing, when you see half of the commune each sunday at church etc. So it's basically not a bad thing. But you're right, everyone should be able to decide for oneself when and how you pray. The church should merely offer a possibility instead of imposing it on people.
When we had religion course at school we had to go to church at least four times a year, and write a little thing about it in a small booklet. The superintendent would then read them and comment them. At one point they started to stick smilies in the booklet, happy or sad dependent on how they rated our entries, which I found totally childish and stupid. And well, in the year when we had confirmation class we had to go 12 times to church in that one year. Then there was confirmation, and that's about the last time I heard from those guys ^^
I can understand the point of actually praying, because lets be honest when praying most people ask for blessings or things, its almost like begging.
But who your praying to would already know what you want and how much you want it. The point of asking or begging is to convey ones needs and desires. This should not be needed when dealing with an all knowing being.
But who your praying to would already know what you want and how much you want it. The point of asking or begging is to convey ones needs and desires. This should not be needed when dealing with an all knowing being.
I brought that up with my RE teacher a few days ago. People pray to continue their relationship with God. Often people say it fills them with a sense of inner peace and calmness and helps them get through whatever they are struggling with. In prayer you ask for one of two things: intervention or blessing. Neither does God do something physical, it's all spiritual.
I have a bunch of pages on this at school >_> I'll read through them later.
My apologies for the double post, I do this to share a reply to the OP that was posted in my profile rather than the thread.
Ithikhar:
We attend church because we know we cannot thrive if we do not have fellowship. If a young boy, whose straight, hangs out with gay friends for his entire life, and never hangs out with other straight friends, will he remain straight for long? Further, why does a student go to college and not just stay at home and read books? While some do stay at home, they often stray from the path they should be on. While going to College gives you a mentor, someone to learn from. Church is not mandatory, it is highly recommended and encouraged.
It it helps, think of it as a bully and a small child; if the child does nothing, but accept the abuse from the bully, he will in turn become a bully himself, it is human nature to do so. But if the small child brings his problems to a friend or even an adult, he can learn what to do in his time of need. Christians aren't perfect, and we need church to remind us of that. It brings us closer to God, it helps us to realize that He is in control, not ourselves... if we were, we would all be dead.
But that's my point. If god permeates ALL, then what makes a church any better than ones home?
As for your sports team analogy, which failed by the way. Simply because you are not visibly there does not mean that you're not supporting the team. The way you state it, hundreds of millions of people around the globe aren't fans of their sport because they do not watch in in person.
HahiHa I take it that you don't live in the US? Or do you attend a private school?
No, I don't live in the USA.
And yes, the sports team analogy failed. God is supposed to be everywhere anytime anyhow. It's like you can't avoid watching the match live. And what about prayers before eating or before going to bed? Pious people do that, meaning they not only pray at church, but also outside.
