Has there ever been a time in your life when you were attending a church but just doing it to keep peace in the family?
You know what I mean. Just going along without a shred of belief in what you were doing? I did, for a time.
2007-05-29 06:59:36 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Oh yeah! I'm doing it now, although I consider myself agnostic. I can't accept the bible and it stopped "feeling right" when I began to allow myself to ask the questions that I tried to silence. My husband reads the bible and seems to make sense of it, I read it and I find more questions. He has crossed into fundie-ism and I have escaped from it. I still go to church with him and our children and I'm still active there. No one suspects, and that's hard because I feel like a liar but I'm not ready to deal yet with the possible consequences. I say I'm agnostic not because I might go back to religion but because I can't rule out a possibility of something that can't be seen.
2007-05-29 08:07:03 · answer #1 · answered by Aria 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm not an atheist but my beliefs differ significantly from my families and my churches. It is not so wrong to keep peace in the family if you have changed and they have not. The church I attend is not a radical fundie church, and it purposes to do good for the community of members and the larger community. Therefore I feel god about being a part of it most of the time.
I never directly betray my true beliefs, but there are many times I just keep my mouth shut. I know that many people in my life have a delicate and unquestioned faith. I try not to throw stones at the sweet people I know who live in glass houses. I do try to introduce some good questions for them to ponder now and then.
2007-05-29 14:35:52 · answer #2 · answered by G's Random Thoughts 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I did. I felt really strange being there, like I was uncomfortable in my own skin, but it was easier than presenting my family with the truth.
It's a non-issue now. Very few of my family members still attend church.
2007-05-29 14:05:21 · answer #3 · answered by Sookie 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When I was little. My family stopped going to church and started believing in evolution when I was about 8 or 9.
2007-05-29 14:09:09 · answer #4 · answered by hazydaise13 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yep, I was at a First Communion for my Niece., We were singing a song about water, and it started to rain on me! I kept pointing at my hymnal to get my husband to look at the drops of water and he just grimaced at me like "Did you forget how to behave at one of these functions?"
I couldn't see a mark on the ceiling and it never happened again. Catholic church and I've never been Catholic. Kept me entertained.
Otherwise, no; When I lost every thread of belief in what I was doing, I just slept in and stopped going. Here's the thing, though. I think men may do this more than women do.
Edit: I do not consider showing up for the sake of someone else when it comes to something that they are celebrating, living a duality. I still support their weddings, funerals, Communions,...etc, etc...because It's about them, and not what I'm getting out of it.
2007-05-29 14:23:44 · answer #5 · answered by shakalahar 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Not since I was about 15. And then I went to church because I truly believed that nonsense.
The last time I was in a church was about 4 years ago when I went to the wedding of the daughter of a co-worker. I didn't even try to fake believing in any of the prayer or devotional crap.
2007-05-29 14:04:13 · answer #6 · answered by Resident Heretic 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
When I was a child, yes. I went because I was 'encouraged' to go. It was a Presbyterian church. Very laid back. My parents were open minded Christians. I got 'saved' when I was away at boarding school when I was 15 and they freaked out. I was immediately 'encouraged' to speak to the minister. He set me straight in a logical and intelligent way. He told me it was horse$hit. I believed him too. It must be because of my upbringing that my beliefs cover a large range. I don't fit any one category.
Hugs to you.
2007-05-29 15:49:28 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes I did,I actually really,really TRIED to believe. I cannot believe something that is simply ridiculous to me,no matter how hard I tried,I could not MAKE myself believe they were anything but silly stories. That's why I am puzzled when people say we have a "choice". Actually,I do not. If a gun were held to my head and they said "believe in Jesus or die"I have a choice in what I SAY,not what I believe. No more than if a gun were held to a Christians head and they were told "believe in elves or die"They have a choice to SAY they believe in elves,but they do not actually have a choice to BELIEVE or not. I don't see why they keep coming up with this "choice". How in the world do you just "choose" to believe something?
2007-05-29 14:14:34 · answer #8 · answered by nobodinoze 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Meh, only when i absolutely had to. Weddings, funerals, etc. And once because I was dating a Christian chick. But that was less, shall we say, noble of intent than keeping peace within the family.
2007-05-29 14:04:36 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yeah the first 15 years of my life.
2007-05-29 14:05:08 · answer #10 · answered by Michael M 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋