Curious question for non-churchgoing families

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I only go to churches for funerals.

And weddings.

Nothing to do with Jesus.

[Anonymous]

I was raised a church goer but in my adult life, I have trouble stomaching organized religion except in very progressive churches. I have had trouble finding a good fit here so I don't go on a regular basis.

I consider myself Christian and very spiritual despite not attending church every week. I go at holidays because I appreciate the formal connection at those times.

[Anonymous]

I think you are overthinking at least for some folks. My mom goes to church around Christmas (usually not on) because she enjoys the decorations and music. She goes sporadically through the year when it is convenient. She enjoys it, but doesn't feel obligated to go every week and she goes because she likes it (she is Catholic).

We don't go to church around the holidays or throughout the year. I enjoy being in churches for weddings or something like a choir performance but don't feel the need at this stage in my life to belong to a church or regularly attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up going weekly (Catholic) and wanted to do this with my kids. Unfortunately I have two boys who are big and active, and right now only the oldest is capable of sitting even remotely still during mass. It just got too stressful trying to keep a toddler from running up the aisle, so we go far less frequently than we'd like. The older one started CCD this year, and I'm hoping to integrate more regular attendance at mass now. I feel badly about it, and even when we rarely made it on Sundays, both parents tried to go intermittently during the week and all of us on holidays. I used to be one of those judgmental people about holiday churchgoers, but I've learned my lesson.

This is very similar to us. Growing up, I went every week, if not more often. My husband 's family went frequently when he was young, but less and less often as he got older. He dislikes organized religion due to all of the abuses of power, although he does believe in God and does see some societal good coming from church.
That said, with 2 small children and a husband that is very reluctant to go... we rarely make it. Our church does not have a cry room, and my two preschoolers are hard to keep sitting still. I feel bad that we only show up on holidays, but those are the times I can convince my husband to go.

[Anonymous]

I think the holidays for some is family time, so they make it a priority to go to church as a family. I would like to be the type of person who goes to church every Sunday, but I also like my downtime on Sunday mornings. Getting a toddler and myself ready to attend church is something that I can typically only motivate to do around the holidays, when it is *special*.

[Anonymous]

I occasionally go to holiday services, I really like the music and the decorations. I'm comfortably agnostic, so I'm happy to hear some baby Jesus readings from Luke, but that doesn't inspire me to show up during the rest of the year.

A few years ago, I had my parents in town so we decided to pop into a local church on Christmas Eve and listen to the choir. The music was pretty bad and then I looked at the program and saw that the service was going to be at least 2.5 hrs. We fled before they even started the service.

[Anonymous]

I don't go to church regularly. When I do, it's to the Unitarian church or the Quaker meeting. On Christmas, I go to Catholic Mass. Because it reminds me of my childhood, and I like it.

FWIW, my parents are born-again Tea Party religious nuts and they don't step a foot in church EVER. Which is OK, because apparently all it takes is accepting Jesus as your savior. And doing NOTHING else.

[Anonymous]

PP ^ and want to clarify: my parents are evangelicals but I went to Catholic school to avoid nasty local publics and therefore consider Catholicism more my religion than theirs.

[Anonymous]

I actually find church to be a lot more meaningful if I go a few times a year as opposed to every week.

[Anonymous]

I was raised in an EXTREMELY devout Catholic household and never missed Mass once, not once, until I was 20 years old. I got chicken pox on a Sunday night and was cleared to go to church the following Sunday!

Anyway, to the question, I quit going to Mass as soon as I transferred to an out-of-state college. Yet I reliably went every Christmas with my mom and dad because

1. I am a wimp and didn't have the courage to face Mom and tell her I am an atheist

2. I like the music and frankencense and myrrh

3. The Christmas homily message is always inspiring and gets/keeps me in the correct mood.


ONce Mom died, though, I quit going

[Anonymous]

I'm a mostly lapsed Episcopalian. I still believe in God and I agree with what my church espouses. I'm fine with everything about my religion, and I like the songs and the sermons. But I just don't feel compelled to go every week. I go every year on Christmas and Easter, though, because I really like the services those days and feel like they are an important part of the holidays. And I still pledge a not-small amount of money to my church because I believe in their philanthropic programs, among other reasons. I may start going to church more now when my daughter's old enough for sunday school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My family isn't very church going, although my grandparents do attend regularly if they are feeling up to it. Every year we debate who is going to go to the Christmas Eve service. I like to go because it's nice to sing hymns with everyone, they turn off the lights and everyone gets a candle and sings the First Noel, everything is decorated and people are all dressed up. No one goes for the religious aspect of it, we're mostly agnostic. This is why we don't go on Easter.

Do you take a poll and 99% tell you they come only for the padgentry? I suspect only a few are there for your reasons. Nevertheless, I am sure that God notices that you are in attendance and blesses you and your family. He must as you are fully employed, and have money you and children are healthy, and many other things that you take for granted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family isn't very church going, although my grandparents do attend regularly if they are feeling up to it. Every year we debate who is going to go to the Christmas Eve service. I like to go because it's nice to sing hymns with everyone, they turn off the lights and everyone gets a candle and sings the First Noel, everything is decorated and people are all dressed up. No one goes for the religious aspect of it, we're mostly agnostic. This is why we don't go on Easter.

Do you take a poll and 99% tell you they come only for the padgentry? I suspect only a few are there for your reasons. Nevertheless, I am sure that God notices that you are in attendance and blesses you and your family. He must as you are fully employed, and have money you and children are healthy, and many other things that you take for granted.

I think when PP said "no one," she/he meant "no one in my family."

[Anonymous]

We only go to church for weddings and funerals, or if we're with family that wants us to attend.

Never on holidays, and definitely not on a regular basis.

DH was raised in a church, I was not. We both choose not to go.