So I went to church tonight....

[eastsideman09]

First time EVAR going on a Wednesday night, and the first time I've been since about 4th grade. Really not what I expected....

I didn't have to dress nice, there was PING-PONG and FOOSBALL, and they played real music. It was Christiany, and I don't consider myself "Christian", and I wasn't really feelin the music as much as others were, who were, for example, waving their arms in the air, pointing to the ceiling, and jumping in their overwhelming faith. Not a bad thing, but just something I wasn't as in to.

Afterwards, we watched a video that's in a series that I guess tries to clarify the Bible. This video was talking about getting into heaven and what it took to be a true Christian, etc....

Now, I didn't go to profess my Christianity. I, by no means, consider myself a Christian.... I think of myself as spiritual. I have my own beliefs, and I figured that going to church could possibly expand my horizons. It did. It made me think. I liked it. I liked it enough to share it with you guys :P

I guess I liked it really because the people there weren't judgemental or forceful. I really turned myself away from religion because of a personal experience years ago with people who were really just dicks about me not considering myself Christian and not going to church. It was a really good experience... not boring like I remembered church to be.

SO... uh, I guess.... uh.... What's church like for you guys? If you don't go, why don't you go?

[UberMario]

It's a waste of my time.

[ryanisadouche]

Religion is the biggest scam ever

especially christianity

[eastsideman09]

Oh, I think I should add that I didn't go on my own will. I was invited by a friend.

Originally Posted by ryanisadouche

Religion is the biggest scam ever

especially christianity

Elaborate.

[ryanisadouche]

Christianity is essentially scare tactics, to generate revenue and keep people regulated.

What it comes down to is people being scared of dying, because its impossible to be absolutely certain what happens. Along comes Christianity, saying "YOUR GOING TO HELL WHEN YOU DIE!!". Oh f*ck. But wait, believe in God and you won't! What a bunch of sh*t.

Ask yourself this. What if somehow you KNEW FOR SURE, 100%, that there WAS a god, and he DID love you, but you were still going to hell regardless. Would you still want to be a christian? Obviously not, whats the point. You can't SEE him, he doesn't ACKNOWLEDGE you, there is literally no positive benefits. Christians try to fool themselves, but it's not about believing in God, or caring about him, it's about being scared of dying.

Meanwhile religion is bring in money out the ass, and people are getting dumber and less capable of thinking for themselves. Not to mention its USED TO PURSUADE PEOPLE TO FIGHT WARS! Christianity isn't so bad (there's been the holy crusades amongst other things), but what do you think is the reasoning behind suicide bomber attacks? They think they're DYING FOR THEIR GOD! S-T-U-P-I-D

I could rant about this forever but i tried to keep it short. People need to stop being sheep. baaaa

PS: I was a christian for the first 16 years of my life, till I really started questioning why I was, and what it meant to me. The whole illusion crumbles pretty fast when you really start to think about things. Of course the average Christian response is to immaturely ignore any logic, and blindly believe because they're scared to question their own faith. Wake up people.

[eastsideman09]

Originally Posted by ryanisadouche

Iamadouche

lololo

You'd probably laugh at something the video I watched explained. The people who tell others and believe that as long as you accept Jesus as your savior, you're going to heaven. As long as you say you're christian, you're in. Well, this dude on the video says that's wrong, and that you need to do more than just say it. Earn your way into heaven, not continue "sinning". Those "christians" are going to Hell, if the video is to be believed :P.

Originally Posted by Izzy

What was it like, i have never been to a church before.

It was actually pretty fun, for me at least, since I had a friend there, and I'm actually willing to expand my horizons on this sort of thing.

oh and dore wins

[x After Dawn x]

Originally Posted by ryanisadouche

Christianity is essentially scare tactics, to generate revenue and keep people regulated.

Originally Posted by ryanisadouche

i'm an idiot lol case closed

"Case closed."

[iceefudgesickle]

Originally Posted by ryanisadouche

Christianity isn't so bad (there's been the holy crusades amongst other things), but what do you think is the reasoning behind suicide bomber attacks? They think they're DYING FOR THEIR GOD! S-T-U-P-I-D

When was there a suicide bomber for Christianity? You realize that the terrorists in the Middle East are islamic extremists, right?

I don't quite understand how you can with all good conscience say "Religion is a scam, especially Christianity", when Scientology exists.

Anyways, there isn't any solid evidence, any conclusive yes-or-no truth out there that can confirm whether Christianity is true or not, but the same can be said about everything that tries to explain the existence of life, such as evolution.

There is evidence against evolution and evidence for it. Same with Christianity. The problem is that people always ignore the evidence on the other side because with topics such as politics and religion, people don't like to turn from their opinions.

I'm Christian because it gives me something to hope for in my life, and because it just seems like it was the way it happened... like how the Bible fits so perfectly together and all that, it doesn't seem like humans could fake their way through something like the Bible. It also makes sense to me - just saying that some explosion happened and that created the planets makes even less sense then that a God showed up out of nothing and created everything.

Anyways, to the TC, I'm glad your broadening your horizons by going to church and stuff like that. You probably actually went to a youth group, which isn't really a real church service, it's just a place to hang out and learn a bit about Christianity but mostly just to socialize in a church environment or something.

[Kynosaur]

Originally Posted by ryanisadouche

suicide bomber attacks

Just to remind you, this thread is about Christianity. Actually not even that, it's simply about church.


I was encouraged, but not forced, to go to church when I was very young. I went along with it, it was ok, I had friends there, I believed in God etc etc, but that all stopped for some reason. I never stopped having a smidgeon of faith in God but it didn't go anywhere. Then my mum suggested we started going again, but I didn't enjoy it. We moved to a different church which was ok for a bit, but I didn't really like it there either. She still goes to this day, but I took well over a year to find a church that was suited to my views and practices.

To sum it all up, not every Christian is the best example of Christianity.

[EternaLStrifE]

Church for the youth changed alot, the churchs greed to draw attention to the public, especially the children, basically turned into competition of who can attract more people. And we all know how we do that, by making it pleasant, shorter sermons, more social time.

[Quigly]

as much as others were, who were, for example, waving their arms in the air, pointing to the ceiling, and jumping in their overwhelming faith.

This is pretty much my reason. I have my own beliefs about God that are different from most people and personally I really don't like the Catholic Church. So going and seeing these people pour all their emotion into a religion that really isn't all as good as most people would believe to be just bugs me a bit. It's fine if those people want to get up and praise the Lord through dramatic means but it's just not for me.

[NFD]

Last time I went, I ended up getting in trouble for calling a kid a 'dick'.

[Sullyman2007]

Ya okay religion is a 'scam'.

I haven't been to church since probably about a year ago. Not because I'm against it or anything, I'm pretty much just lazy. Horrible excuse, I know, but I went a lot more when I was younger. I even went to CCD. I can't remember what it stands for, but it was pretty much a bible study course you took each year you were in public school, but it was through our local church. Naturally at the time I hated it. Wednesdays were my least favorite day of the week just because of that. Looking back though I realize how important it was.

Of course this was back when why family was normal and everything, before my parents got divorced and everything went down the ****ter. I suppose that may have had something to do with it, but I doubt it. It wasn't a major impact on my life. They had been talking about it for years, so by the time it happened I was just like 'yeah okay'.

[eastsideman09]

Originally Posted by Sullyman2007

Ya okay religion is a 'scam'.

I haven't been to church since probably about a year ago. Not because I'm against it or anything, I'm pretty much just lazy. Horrible excuse, I know, but I went a lot more when I was younger. I even went to CCD. I can't remember what it stands for, but it was pretty much a bible study course you took each year you were in public school, but it was through our local church. Naturally at the time I hated it. Wednesdays were my least favorite day of the week just because of that. Looking back though I realize how important it was.

Of course this was back when why family was normal and everything, before my parents got divorced and everything went down the ****ter. I suppose that may have had something to do with it, but I doubt it. It wasn't a major impact on my life. They had been talking about it for years, so by the time it happened I was just like 'yeah okay'.

I think I can kind of relate to this. When I was young, I went every Sunday and hated it cuz I hated waking up early. And I stopped going when my parents divorced too. When my mom moved us to Rhode Island, we never got active in a church. When we moved back, it was like "yeah whatever" for everyone. My mom has started to go regularly on Saturdays now though...

Originally Posted by Jokee

Our definition of real music has to be very different. I don't think they'd play MY kind of real music in a church...

as in played instruments? guitar, drums, keyboard. not just hymns, and choir n stuff

[Jokee]

Originally Posted by eastsideman09

I think I can kind of relate to this. When I was young, I went every Sunday and hated it cuz I hated waking up early. And I stopped going when my parents divorced too. When my mom moved us to Rhode Island, we never got active in a church. When we moved back, it was like "yeah whatever" for everyone. My mom has started to go regularly on Saturdays now though...




as in played instruments? guitar, drums, keyboard. not just hymns, and choir n stuff

Yeah, as in played instruments, guitar, bass, drum, violin and accordion (depending on the band).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y150Lm4kZ_M

[Jokee]

Our definition of real music has to be very different. I don't think they'd play MY kind of real music in a church...

[flipsta_lombax]

I forgot to go to church today because I napped. Jesus is upset with me. Oh lawd. =(

[funmonkey54]

It sounds kind of similar to my church. But we don't jump or anything either.
We have football, a lesson, ping-pong, and a devotional. We don't sing except on Sundays. Also, we are of smaller size. We think that people will come when they are ready. We don't really force people to go or even push people in the neighborhood to go. It is more about walking people who are there through the walk of faith.

[flipsta_lombax]

At our evangel church, we have pool and a snack bar. I help my aunt sell so that the church can build an extension to the church. It'll be a community gym and stuff. =D

EDIT: Religious arguments make me rofl. It's funny how people can be such extremist when it comes to siding to their arguments.

[Sullyman2007]

Originally Posted by flipsta_lombax

At our evangel church, we have pool and a snack bar. I help my aunt sell so that the church can build an extension to the church. It'll be a community gym and stuff. =D

Hehe, that's cool.

Our church does have something like that, we have a youth shack. I went once a long time ago after Sunday mass. They have a few pool tables, some TV's with game systems, all around a huge family room type thing with a bunch of huge couches. All inside of a single portable.