Not Going To Church on Christmas Eve

[<Agape]

Don’t mess with religion and their legalistic ways. I just focus on my relationship with God. Raised in a catholic household when I was younger but I don’t identify with them anymore. Just a Christian trying to learn more about God and deepen my relationship with him. There’s a lot of denominations out there that all think differently but believe in Jesus. The church is divided when we should be one body. Plus church isn’t just a building fambs.

 

[Chiron]

I've reconciled my spiritual beliefs like this:
- People are energy beings.
- The spirit is the conscious manifestation of that energy.
- Through prayer, meditation, exercise, music, diet, no fap, whatever etc... you can live in a high energy state... or you can live at a low energy state.
- The Universe is kind of collective consciousness or energy network and everything gives feedback. My low status can bring down others and high status can uplift others.
- Maintaining a high energy state or frequency allows you to tap into the power to influence this energy network positively which can have actual physical/tangible effects. (ie. prayers answered, miracles performed, making things more likely to happen by speaking and thinking about them, placebo effect, etc)
- Religions teach high energy habits and when followers of a religion are together in high frequency status they can uplift each others frequencies and influence or catalyze reactions like atoms in both the physical plane of existence and the energy plane of existence.
- In death your consciousness leaves this plane of existence to the fully spiritual plane. Possibly even ceasing to be "your consciousness" and fading back into a more collective consciousness (ie. returning to the Creator).
-It is possible to live in an energy state that is too low for your spirit to return to the collective if you die at that state. (Divine Judgement)

Going to church doesn't have to attach all of the minor details that confuse people and ultimately turn people away for lack of understanding. Its about being in a high energy space where you can bring yourself and others up either on a regular basis or during spiritually powerful times like holidays.

 

[Based Jesus]

I haven't been to church in 25 years. Parents never forced me + we were too broke to afford membership. I figure I'd be nice to people and call it "even".

Membership? Church is free Collection, much like tipping , is not mandatory and you shouldnt feel bad for not chipping in altho people will try to make you.
That's what I hate, and have always hated about church, they're judgement filled environments. Never been to a church not filled with 2 faced people.
Had to tell my mother once "God doesnt need my $10." which made her mad as hell. Me and my cousins are the "heathens" while my sister is the good one
Especially my oldest cousin since she told the fam she's not baptizing her kids because she dont believe in god. Even I'm not that crazy to tell em that

 

[Nouss]

Yea that's tough. I don't know how intertwined your religion is with your family so yea I don't know.

Me personally, I don't tell them that period. Like there is never a situation that arises where either of us has to defend what we believe in.

When I was younger and questioning everything, i think I brought it up....the whole science vs religion argument.....but now that I'm older I just kind of let that stream flow.

You can live how you would without it effecting your catholism. You're religion allows you to do these things .

I have to stop eating swine, drinking alcohol, smashing ****...etc...

That science vs religion argument would receive a nice laugh. They ain't hearing it.

Imagine not being able to order an large extra pep, or in your case passing on the lechon kawali

Tings I grew up on

 

[oidreez]

I was in the same boat, going to church every sunday and with family on christmas eve and new years eve but then I looked at myself like i felt i was just doing it because they expected me to go. I'm an adult in my late 20's still going because they want me to so i just gave it up and told them I didn't want to go anymore. Of course when mom calls me she's still praying to the Lord that I find a good church home to go to

 

[DCAllAfrican]

Easy for me to say since I don't know your relationship with your parents but, this is your decision. I say have a sit down talk with them and let them know how you honestly feel. They either take it or they don't.

 

[EddieDoyers]

Easy for me to say since I don't know your relationship with your parents but, this is your decision. I say have a sit down talk with them and let them know how you honestly feel. They either take it or they don't.

My mother understands already, because well she’s Buddhist lol

I tried telling my father once, but he shot it down quick. I don’t think he will ever understand.

 

[Nouss]

To clarify, I'm not doing a Muslim vs Christian thing. America is a Christian country, so things we deem normal aren't normal or standard in other countries:

 

[tr1ll]

I didn’t even know you were suppose to go to church for Christmas Eve.

 

[EddieDoyers]

To clarify, I'm not doing a Muslim vs Christian thing. America is a Christian country, so things we deem normal aren't normal or standard in other countries:

Nah you good man, I feel you dawg
Feel like all the mainstream religions got the same vibe going, just different stories and intricacies.
I don’t feel Christianity anymore like how you feel about Islam now.
I don’t want to go to a place of worship that I don’t worship. And I don’t want to deal with a community that I used to be a part of asking and pestering me questions of why I don’t go to their functions anymore.
I don’t want be a phony.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

My mother understands already, because well she’s Buddhist lol

I tried telling my father once, but he shot it down quick. I don’t think he will ever understand.

It is YOUR life. It isn't for him to understand. Continue living your life and stop feeling like you owe him anything in THIS situation.

But again, easy for me to say

 

[wanksta23]

I grew up in a catholic traditional family. Went to a catholic/private school from pre-k-12th grade
During my college years is when i started to question my religious beliefs, and now i consider myself not a religious person and think the whole catholicism is phony. But what I did, for the first couple times, i would just tell my parents I would meet up with them at church, and ill just hang outside because it was always packed anyways and just hang out. i did that a few times, and after I just said I'd meet up with them at church, but never actually go. I did this for a bit, and i think now they get the hint. Now they rarely ask me if I'm going, and i usually just say no, followed by an awkward look.

seems like now i just say ill meet up with them at church but i never end up going and they don't say anything

 

[TURBO UNO]

Membership? Church is free Collection, much like tipping , is not mandatory and you shouldnt feel bad for not chipping in altho people will try to make you.
That's what I hate, and have always hated about church, they're judgement filled environments. Never been to a church not filled with 2 faced people.
Had to tell my mother once "God doesnt need my $10." which made her mad as hell. Me and my cousins are the "heathens" while my sister is the good one
Especially my oldest cousin since she told the fam she's not baptizing her kids because she dont believe in god. Even I'm not that crazy to tell em that

The Catholic church near us actually wanted us to come up with annual financial figures so they could calculate how much money we should give them. My parents said "Thank you for the invites and lovely sermons but we have to get going". My aunt and her husband were mad we didn't join. Her kids grew up in the church....and they're complete douche bags who constantly do horrible things as adults now. But check them out when they start to "bless" themselves whenever they simply drive by a church

 

[EddieDoyers]

It is YOUR life. It isn't for him to understand. Continue living your life and stop feeling like you owe him anything in THIS situation.

But again, easy for me to say

wish it was that easy man
I know I don’t owe him anything in this situation, but I don’t like telling someone that I have a good relationship with that I don’t rock with a certain aspect that is part of his belief system.
And they gonna try to do some guilt tripping stuff, which I hate too.
Idk b, imma just keep saying I got stuff to do that day.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

wish it was that easy man
I know I don’t owe him anything in this situation, but I don’t like telling someone that I have a good relationship with that I don’t rock with a certain aspect that is part of his belief system.
And they gonna try to do some guilt tripping stuff, which I hate too.
Idk b, imma just keep saying I got stuff to do that day.

So you would rather RUN from the situation and continue lying to someone you have a good relationship with?

That is honestly a better option than being honest with them?

 

[Nouss]

Eddie, you and I are on the same page. I think SC Kid is there. I've read it all, The Bible, Quran, a couple vedas and my favorite book was siddartha, on Buddhism.

Still can't mess with religion. Too much foolishness for me.

 

[EddieDoyers]

So you would rather RUN from the situation and continue lying to someone you have a good relationship with?

That is honestly a better option than being honest with them?

Like I said, one time I tried being honest, and he shot me down quick, so I don’t know the best solution that satisfies both parties involved.

You would think a Christian would be accepting, but I guess not.

 

[EddieDoyers]

Eddie, you and I are on the same page. I think SC Kid is there. I've read it all, The Bible, Quran, a couple vedas and my favorite book was siddartha, on Buddhism.

Still can't mess with religion. Too much foolishness for me.

I just don’t get religion in general even after studying it for many years.

I let people cook though in whatever they believe in, well except for Scientologists but that’s a different topic for another day.

 

[Mark Antony]

^nah

I'm going through the same thing,
my parents are getting older and more religious. They always assumed that as I got older that I would get closer to Islam.

I'm damn near 30, I ain't changing anytime soon. They have to accept that.

Religion works for some and doesn't for others. I live a fine life without it, I dunno how to break it to them. I ain't about that Muslim life.

Makes me wonder what happens in life why older folks always get more religious, even ones you know never used to be. Like it gets so ridiculous you need something else to believe.


Myself I haven't done any family church activities in years unless it's a special event they really want me to.

 

[htg designs]

Man, it would depend on my mood how I approach this:
- I could whip out the Bible and say, "show me the word Christmas in this book". I could tactfully deconstruct pillars of his belief using the Bible until he realizes he been lied to his whole life.
- Or I could just see it as an opportunity to spend time and suck it up and go ( with hopes and intentions that I would get something out of it)

 

[tomdiginson]

I haven't been to church in 25 years. Parents never forced me + we were too broke to afford membership. I figure I'd be nice to people and call it "even".

Is your church a gym ?

 

[wutangkilla]

just go for tradition. spend time as a family. do it out of respect for your dad.

 

[htg designs]

Is your church a gym ?

 

[TURBO UNO]

Is your church a gym ?

No. But it was packed liked one after New year's day.

That place felt more like a business/cult than a community.

 

[tomdiginson]

No. But it was packed liked one after New year's day.

That place felt more like a business/cult than a community.

What kind of church is this cause it sounds wild fraudulent