in church right now. being an atheist i feel like such an outsider. i know nobody notices (obviously) but i feel like i've been exiled from the party.
Observing the last guy who went up to talk and sing, and watching how he got people to clap, sing, and turn around in circles (literally told them to turn around 3 times when he counted to three and said that god would turn around our misfortunes) it's just surreal.
What is it about religion that makes it so influential?
is it the promise for a better life if you follow the rules and regulations of the Greater Good?
is it the communities that are formed and relationships that come with it?
is it just an idea that's passed from generation to generation?
what do you, believer or not, think keeps religion alive the MOST?
pic unrelated
Ryder Adams
>Observing the last guy who went up to talk and sing, and watching how he got people to clap, sing, and turn around in circles (literally told them to turn around 3 times when he counted to three and said that god would turn around our misfortunes) That sounds like a Pentecostal cult, not a church
Nicholas Morales
>what do you, believer or not, think keeps religion alive the MOST? fear of death
Carter White
Most people just follow the religion their parents practice and most are happy doing so because religion does offer comfort in the fact that you feel as if you are truly never alone, it gives you a code of ethics and conduct to live by and it is nice to believe that you won't just enter back into nonexistence when you die and you'll get to see your grandma again.
Evan Martinez
Christianity, I believe has gone through several changes in which it adapted to the want of the potential theist.
It first started at Judea, practiced by the poor, whose life was work and yield to a higher class. Christianity gave those men and women a sense of purpose, an enteral kingdom which a meaner and suffered peasant could rest forever in luxury.
These people were often treated as outcasts, by the administration.
However as time passed on, Christianity is now one of the most dominant religion in the world. With most of the western world living well off, they need a new attraction to keep the slowly outdated religion fresh. People are no longer put under a life of harsh labour and poverty.
So, I think in my experience churches often aim for a gathering, leaisurly meetings and in the extreme, the sins you have committed, and must repent for.
I guess now days it's kind an outlet for something you can express your heavy coscience to.
Liam Adams
You went to a batshit insane evangelical church and think it's representative of all Christianity
Joshua Hughes
Literally put into words my thoughts. i was a Christian (i think baptist, not entirely sure of all the branches) until i was a freshmen in high school and it was entirely because i thought that's what everybody did since it was how i was brought up.
My grandfather owns a church, and it's not in the richest part of the country so some of the people have lived there their entire lives, and you can tell they simply have never left the town and therefore never heard of atheism (obviously they had but i mean they haven't heard of anything other than living a life under God)
I just think all of these things are interesting. there's people who grow up absent of religion their whole life, and others who can't go a day without praying before bed, and each group thinks the other is wrong.
What is this conflict in America holding us back from advancing in?
Joshua Reed
It's not batshit crazy, it was mostly a one time thing. this guy has actually never preached here but some sundays they bring guests. I've been to PLENTY of churches, and in retrospect i see that maybe i came off saying that all christians are slaves to the pastor. not what i meant
i meant that even the idea of getting a church full of people (my church is huge so like ~500) is amazing, impressive, and i wanted to understand how he could influence so many people so quickly and so powerfully.
Noah Gray
>i was a Christian No, you weren't.
Easton Lewis
>I was a Christian >I did it because I thought that's what I thought everyone else did.
Being a Christian is you having faith that Jesus is your savior and Son of God, not doing what everyone else does.
