Do you go to church or pray? SA

[dancingintherain]

Well today I went to church with my mum for the first time in ages. At the end of it, the priest told us to touch each other..so strangers had to hug me and I had to hug them.. Now that is pretty awkward for a social phobic person.
I was even too shy to pray to god.
So what about you?

 

[Lea]

I don´t go to church, that mass hysteria is useless, I leave it to others. And I don´t pray to God in a way like "please God give me this or that, or do this or that", because that´s selfish, and why should he cater especially to me when there are milliards of other creatures in need or unfairly treated. Why should God bend over backwards just because someone calles him for selfish reasons. I only agree with prayer "let your will happen" (or I don´t know how to translate it to english).

 

[aNOTfox]

I used to go to church when I was younger and I remember dreading the "peace be with you" handshake with the people around you (and felt very guilty about dreading it too). I went back to church with my mother a few months ago for the first time since school, in an attempt to regain the faith that I'd lost years ago, and found it just as, if not more awkward, especially considering i was about a foot taller than everyone else in the church. At the end there were loads of random people who knew me from when I was little all like "haven't you grown!". The croud that gathered around me brought more people over, including the priest, curious to see what was going on, and I just wanted to run out the church doors but couldn't cause I was surrounded by a group of people XD. I could barely move, my face was bright red and my false smiles where genuinely painful. All in all I won't be going back any time soon.
Oh and I was too embaressed to pray too. or sing the hymns.

 

[Flanscho]

Well, I'm an atheist. I never prayed in a church. The couple of times I visited churches was because of out of interest in the culture of that country, in the architecture, the history or whatever. Since I don't pray there, I can't say a lot about any problems regarding churches and SA.

 

[coyote]

i mostly go for the free wine and crackers

 

[GhastlyCC]

I went to church with my father every Sunday when I was a kid.
I used to pray.

But I grew up(I mean psychically. I'm not taking a shot at people who believe.) and left both of those things and anything else that comes with religion behind.

i mostly go for the free wine and crackers

 

[laure15]

I pray to God sometimes but don't go to church. I used to be very sensitive to touch but over the years, I pretty much force myself to accept it just like forcing myself to make eye contact. Now when people touch me, I don't flinch anymore.

 

[Isolated_Writer]

Yeah, it's the only time I leave the house of my own free will. I like the time to collect myself. The church is very symmetrical and i really like that. I usually sit at the back though so I don't have to shake hands with many people and then I can clean my hands with hand wipe from my bag after shaking hands. It also helps that I don't know anybody there so they don't talk to me.

 

[coyote]

...and then I can clean my hands with hand wipe from my bag after shaking hands...

i usually just use that marble sink in the lobby

 

[Plumeria]

I go to church once in a while. Especially in the night. In some churches they use only candles and no electric light, that is pretty cool.
I do pray, yes... I feel there is power in praying.
But I´m not really a christian. I don’t believe in organized religion and I don´t have any interest in reading the bible. A lot of it is religion gone bad. And a lot of the original material in the bible, was removed. There are many other sources of inspiring reading material...
My "relationship" with church, Jesus, faith and praying, is personal. I was never told what to believe, nothing like that.

Well said! I feel the same and couldn't have said it any better.
The only thing I would add is that I would like to be able to go to church again just to rub next to more positive energy. While not everyone is there for the right reasons, there are enough people there who have a kind soul and good intentions. Many small flames together can make a magnificent light in a world full of darkness. I need more postiveness in my life before I get swollowed by the dark. Just can't bust through this anxiety to do it.

 

[Starry]

I do not go to church, although, I must say a lot of churches and cathedrals have a truly wonderful atmosphere about them, though I put that down to architecture - modern buildings do not feel that way... The only "church" I've attended for a service was a Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall, back when my mother used to drag me along to the place... And that most certainly didn't have a good atmosphere.

I do pray, though I don't look upon it as necessarily praying to any kind of Deity... I do not know whether there is a god who answers prayers, or indeed is even able to if a god exists... But I feel that prayer is a way of connecting myself to things externally, that it may move my mind to find solutions, or that the positive energy I feel for others when I pray for them will somehow reach and help them, perhaps in a sort of telepathic way...

 

[rosewood]

yes, pray all the time. God lives in each of us- or thats what i believe. Dont need a church to reach out for the Higher Power. Church is something I force myself to do. Shaking hands is nerve wracking , no hugging at least. I always sit in the very last pew in the back when I do go.

 

[mikebird]

i mostly go for the free wine and crackers

:sarcastic: :applause: :thumbup:

I look forward to being put on the cross. That's why I've been putting so much work into my pull-ups regime - diagonal, vertical, and push-ups from the waist. Some stare at the way I use the frame, who haven't used it before

It should be possible to break free, if you have the right build and temperament

 

[Isolated_Writer]

i usually just use that marble sink in the lobby

nice

 

[hidwell]

I tried the church about 5 years ago, I found the people no better or worse than you will find in your local shopping center. As for praying to an imaginary God never my thing and I can't fathom blind faith as it seems so naive and simplistic to me.

 

[montejocarlo]

i don't go to church nor pray. i don't believe in religion.