I feel guilty going to church with people and not believing as they do .?

Question

I was taught religion as a youngster,but the FEELING never entered me .
I know I am an Atheist but I want to keep my religious friends .so I go when asked to church with them.
I go through the motions and do what everyone else does .
I even know the prayers.

Answer 1

You might tell your friends that you still don't understand the
teachings at their church, but you want to continue to go with
them to church because you respect them and want to learn
more about their faith. This should ease the "guilty feeling" you
have and you won't be lying to them. Maybe they can even
answer questions that you have about their faith.

Answer 2

Well, that's great that you are being honest about it but it's too bad that you don't believe that God loved you so much that He sent Jesus to die for you so that you could spend all eternity with Him. Maybe you aren't going to the right church. Perhaps you are going to a church that is just a religious establishment and the Spirit of God isn't at work there. Take a listen to my Pastor and see if what he teaches is different from what goes on at the church you attend. http://www.oneplace.com/minsitries/enduring_truth/archives.asp

Many people I know have attended dead churches where people just go through the motions of religious ceremonies and have fallen away from whatever faith they might have had. Christianity is about a relationship with God through Jesus. It's an exciting adventure as you see your life through the lens of eternity and you join with your Heavenly Father in working for his Kingdom here on earth before leaving to receive praise from God.

Answer 3

Just keep going their's a reason for everything and their's a reason you feel guilty! You'll find out what's really making you feel guilty sooner or later! For now just stick with your religious friends I'm sure their good people to be around and maybe it'll all just rub off on you! There is a guy named Dr. Kent Hovand he's a christian and he's really interesting you might wanna find out a little more about him!

Answer 4

If you are honest about it, you don't need to feel guilty about going to church.
You say "the feeling never entered you". I hope you won't base your life and faith strictly on feeling. I recognize that feeling is important, but the basis must be your thinking.
On the other hand, because feeling IS important, it is worth dealing with. Have you ever really cried out to God about it? He won't despise a seeking heart.

Answer 5

Have you been babtised? Do you read the bible? i prefure older bibles my self, not as much changes. the bible is a very old book and difficult to read. Some people live by faith, in my case i have had experiences which needed GOD to intervein, and boy am i glad he did. God is the creator and sustainer of life. Look at creation, inteligant design. Try to imagine time in a long perspective. Could you imagin being million of years old. IThe bible says to seek and you will find. Anyway he,s their and he is to be feared and loved.

Answer 6

I can feel for you. I grew up with the same feelings. I could not accept that G-d was a trinity..................G-d is One. Once grown, I continued to go to church as it was the ''thing to do''. I, at that point, lived in a small, small town where church was the only real social activity around.

Finally, I had to admit to myself what I really felt and believed. I converted to Judaism-----------here, G-d is One. I did not loose any of my friends, and I found alot of new friends who believed as I did.

Answer 7

"The pathway to salvation is as narrow and as difficult to walk as a razor's edge."

To me, religion and spirituality are not feeling based. They are rational. I look at the world around me and can't help but believe in sin and in the fallen state of mankind. That and the complexity of the university leads me to believe in God.

Life is a journey of discovery. Don't give up on the spiritual just because you think that others have arrived and you haven't. Everyone is in a process of growth.

Answer 8

Your first mistake was being taught religion and going through the motions---------to keep your "religious" friends?

Seek The Lord, not religion, not emotions. It's about a relationship with the Lord.

http://www.chick.com/information/general/salvation.asp

Answer 9

If you are feeling guilty, then that means your soul is stirring, which means that deep down inside you believe in God.
Sorry...can't run from Him.
Other than that. There is NOTHING wrong with going to church and not believing as they do. Church actually has a lot of good teaching and it's a good pure, non cussing place to be. Don't worry about it. Just don't be surprised if you find yourself drawn to God.

Answer 10

What purpose are you serving in doing that. Eventually it will surface and you will lose those same friends you are now lying to. If they dump you , it will be because you lied and not because you are an atheist. If they really like you for who you are, they will try to listen to what you have to say and of course they will probably advise you but it will be better if you tell them now and not let them find out later and feel betrayed.