I'm thinking of going to church for the social aspect. I found a cool church that likes LGBT people, is socially active and has a good chorus that I would be interested in joining. Anyone else do anything like this?
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.The most I've been able to tolerate is the post-Christian Unitarian Universalist organization, which accepts open atheists and agnostics. But I find they have just replaced religious dogma with political dogma. Even though I agree with most of their politics, I find that a source of much posturing and strife among them. It's a turn-off. Community is not really that worth it to me. My wife keeps making noises about going, and it keeps not happening, so fingers crossed.
mordant
Level 8
Nov 25, 2018
0
@Bierbasstard Yes, I've heard that individual congregations (their preferred term, they don't like the label "church" ) vary in their practical openness to non-theists, and that an individual congregation can evolve over time in that regard, too. I'm not clear how autonomous each congregation is from the mothership, but I gather they get a pretty free reign. This actually isn't unheard of even in Christianity; the churches I grew up in belonged to the IFCA (Independent Fundamental Churches of America) and were entirely self-governed. The IFCA simply provided a common doctrinal statement, similar to a creed, to which all subscribed, so that you knew the ideology you were sitting under, and provided some shared services like "pulpit supply" (list of approved speakers who would fill in for a missing or ill pastor and perhaps offer themselves for a permanent position).
There are also regional differences in UU congregations, for example, a UU order of service in the Bible Belt will look far more evangelical in overall form than one up here in the NorthEast, even while almost comically including hymnody from non-Christian traditions.
Then there's the example of a woman we know in our area who's a retired Episcopal priest with, shall we say, very strong personal Views, which she offers up in her sermons in various area churches where she's invited to speak, pretty much in opposition to the local bishop's stated policies. If he fires her she doesn't really give a fig at this point in her life.
This kind of thing is why it's important to understand the governing structure of any church you might get involved with, to the extent you want to be comfortable in the stability of various policies and practices that might be deal-breakers for you. Sometimes if you find a church you can live with, the reasons you can live with it may be quite fragile and changeable.
not me. then again, i never was christian, so church was never part of my life. i grew up in a secular jewish family so shul wasn't a part of my life either. there are so many activities out there that have nothing to do with religion -- why would you have to go to a place whose main purpose is to worship a fictional character in order to enjoy the social aspect, with people who will expect you to worship that fictional character too? there are secular choruses. there are secular entities that are not homophobic. why church?
g
genessa
Level 8
Nov 25, 2018
0
Social activism, community and supportive relationships. This is what church should be about. If a minister claims to hold the key to salvation or some such non-sense and this key involves anything that goes against observable, natural fact or does not promote a positive outlook on life. Then the church has another mission. Save the Preacher!! Go and have fun.
Seminarian
Level 7
Nov 25, 2018
0
Yes, I attend a small Methodist church (also in Alabama) for social reasons, sing in the choir, and feel pretty well integrated into the community--although I don't affirm the creeds or take the sacraments, and those who know me are aware of my agnosticism. And I don't feel hypocritical. In fact, I have told the successive pastors I thought it was dishonest to tell the children the "...we know that God answers prayer...," etc., but I haven't been confrontational about it. Best wishes to you; I hope you find a friendly church community.
Wallace
Level 7
Nov 25, 2018
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