An Atheist Went to a Church

[MrRoot]

Now this is not for laughters. Sorry if you thought so.

Last sunday I decided to go to a church as that week had my grand mother's memoriam day. Since I was teen I haven't gone to a church except for weddings and funerals and I am an atheist.

Anyhow when I was in a church I felt something uplifting and a sense of wellbeing that I haven't felt for a long time. I even felt some physiological changes suh as standing more straight and not looking down while walking and I even had to fix my eyeglasses for that different posture.

I am just wondering should I go again as somehow I wonder if I am insulting others who believe by standing amongst them while not believing as they do? Should I just enjoy these benefits without believing or should I stop going there. I am pretty sure I won't start believing no matter what as I have done pretty intensive thinking about that issue before.

 

[Kittycat5]

I dont see a problem with it. Many churches open their doors to all without questioning your level of commitment so don't think that is a problem. And if you remain atheistic but still feel better about yourself while attending, great. If you decide that what you are hearing makes sense and decide to start believing, no problem there either.

 

[Ninae]

I've experienced similar a few times as I've never really been into the church for itself.

But there are certain ministers or people working for it who have a real sense of the holy spirit or Christ consciousness about them. The last time I felt it was watching the Christmas choir song and ceremonies on TV. It feels sort of like a benevolent power rising up within you, very powerful.

So if you can find a place that can do that for you I would recommend that you go, no matter how you believe, as it would be good for you to bathe in the energies, so to speak. It could be healing or uplifting to you in different ways, and I'm also guessing you will feel this.

 

[Jabberwocky]

If it is nourishing to you I'd encourage you to go. Glad you found something like that and I don't think it's insulting to religious people. I expect most people there will be accommodating and welcoming. Of course etiquette would demand you are respectful of beliefs different from your own when in that space, which means knowing when to be quiet. An open and curious attitude will go a long way. Your beliefs need not be changed by the practice of going to a church now and again, though I'd encourage a suspension of disbelief cause it's a lot more peaceful anyways.

 

[One Thousand Words]

I've spent my entire high school life standing in a chapel while believers praised their lord. I really enjoyed the choirs and the pipe organ, as well as admired the beautiful stained glass windows and 100 yr old architecture. At the end of the day I felt neither spiritual nor uncomfortable being an atheist. Life is easier when you don't over think sometimes and just absorb.

I've felt similar feelings at a Prince concert as purple confetti fell from the sky and he wailed Purple Rain on his guitar. This was a far more spiritual experience than licking a wafer off an old virgins palm if the truth be known.

 

[Ninae]

Same principle, though, when a lot of people gather together in one place to feel high emotions it can be very euphoric. Nothing to do with belief. More of a scientific fact, I guess.

 

[Nixiam]

I often get a sense of enlightenment in my chest, like my breath has been cleansed and my heart raised when I meditate or do intensive prayer, but I am in no sense a subscriber to any religion. I suppose it is just an experimental, personal acquaintance with an explainable phenomenon, spiritually or scientifically. But for whatever reason, it feels filling.

Maybe that's what Buddha felt. Wonder what mushrooms he ate under that tree.

 

[spacejunk]

I think a lot of church aesthetics and rituals are a form of theatre.
The smell of incense, the lighting, art, architecture and depictions of religious imagery all help to lead people into the religion, the congregation - or at least somewhat into the belief system(s).

For humans, these sensory elements can be very powerful and persuasive, especially combined with the sort of oratory you are likely to hear in a religious service.
The atmosphere of sanctuary, safety, calm and goodwill can open people up to the teachings and (arguably) indoctrination taking place.
Likewise, the suffering that is explicitly evident in some churches, specifically Cathedrals - representations Christ, beaten and nailed to a cross hung prominently above the pulpit, as well as other violent imagery may (be an effort?) to scare people away from a life of misdeeds and an eternity of damnation.

I think both points are actually a lot more complicated than that, but put simply, Churches are specifically designed to make you feel elevated from the mundane, mortal world.

 

[belligerent drunk]

I tend to agree with how spacejunk put it.

Fun fact: I don't go to churches often, when I do it's out of pure curiosity. One time as a teen I had to attend a family wedding, and a part of the ceremony was in a church. We were standing in the church and listening to something somebody was saying (I don't remember it all that well). Well, I passed out, pissed myself, and had to be carried outside where I regained consciousness shortly after. Guess "God" didn't want me in his church, eh! It's funny because I've always been generally healthy and never passed out just like that for no reason whatsoever.

 

[MrRoot]

Went into church again today and while walking to my car I ended up going to a library too to get some reading. This time it was about history of church architecture as few posts of yours got my attention.

I noticed that church and library are pretty much the only public places in modern society in which you don't have to buy anything. Everything is offered free although of course these both are tax funded but still the idea is same.

In a church you can find education about oneself, or atleast this is how it seems to work for me and in a library you find education about the surrounding world.

Also now that I have heard two preaches from different priests I must say that they are different from my childhood. They preached about sustainable economy and tolerating others who are different than us and I could sign those both. They didn't even seem to contain much of religious contents except for some "as Jesus said in ..." which was to back up what the priest said before. Nothing which confronted my view of world.

I wonder if our protestant church is becoming more mild and embraces also non-believers as the preaches are from normal live issues instead of those "this way you don't go to hell" preaches I remember from my childhood. If it is so then I might even start funding their doings by marking up on the tax sheets that I want to pay that less than a percent tax without being a member.

 

[treezy z]

Keep going, just be respectful.