Nope. Been to weddings, funerals in churches. Of course I never told anyone in the cong. that I was doing that, especially the weddings since there wouldnt be a "justifiable" reason in their judgemental eyes. The sermons werent bad I have to admit, though the Catholic wedding I went to was annoying having to get up and parrot off what the priest was saying and then turning around to shake hands was stupid. I wanted to go up and try the sacrament cracker but the wife pulled me back down, I was curious what can I say.
Did you feel uncomfortable going into churches when you were a JW?...
by Hecklerboy 23 Replies latest jw friends
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delilah
We too, were taught to feel uncomfortable about entering churches. Like the devil was going to jump into your purse and come home with you or something silly. When I was about 11, just after we became JW's, my school took gym class in the gymnasium at a local church, and my mom almost didn't let me go. Until it was said that I'd fail gym class if I didn't go. Then it was ok, but mom told me to stay in the gym, and not to wander.
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Brigid
If I remember correctly don't they attempt to affirm most anyones belief??
Yes, they do. I've even find pagans there. It's more like Deed before Creed. They're really cool. Even the Jews think they're cool (one rabbi called them Jewnitarians--a very high compliment).
I never went to a church until my grandmother passed away. Now I go all the time. I'm quite the congregation/church hopper. I love to experience how different people approach the Divine.
Every one of them is beautiful in their own way.
~Brigid
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Gretchen956
You can be an athiest and belong to the Unitarians too, I went for a short time too and found quite a few both agnostic and athiest along with a wide range of people of other pursuasions. I checked out the area where the kids go (I forget what they call it) and they were spending 2 weeks or a month studying every major religion. They were studying Islam while I was there.
To answer your question, when I was 9 or 10 we went to a funeral for a neighbor I think it was Methodist. But later we were told that if someone saw you going into a church you could be disfellowshipped. Perhaps that was the congregation's interpretation or perhaps there was something that came down from above, someone else that cares might look it up. But I know it wasn't just because we were afraid, we also weren't allowed or at least thats what I remember.
Sherry
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kristyann
Yes, I am pretty sure the Unitarian Universalist Church attempts to affirm most anyone's beliefs. I would not really consider them a Christian church, because their opinion goes something like this: "Some of us believe in Jesus, some of us don't." That's a belief, I guess, but that doesn't really fall into the realms of what "Christians" believe. We used to have a UU minister that lived behind us, and she pretty much told us that this is what the UU church goes by.
Also... I have a friend who used to attend a UU Church in Philadelphia... she didn't really like it because almost every single week they made a huge deal over gay rights and gay marriage. She wasn't against gay marriage... but she got sick of that issue already. It wasn't really what she was looking for in a church. I don't think it's wrong for churches to be politically active, necessarily, but according to her, this was emphasized way too much. They would hang big signs on the church that would say stuff like "Loving Marriage Unions for All" and stuff, and I think that's not what she was looking for in a church.
If you're looking for a church that's less ritualistic... a lot of non-denominational churches aren't ritualistic at all. Many Protestant ones aren't ritualistic, actually. I think Lutherans and some Presbyterians are... but there are a lot of contemporary, non-denominational churches that aren't ritualistic at all.
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Chimene
The father of the guy i'm dating has been a baptist minister for 20 years. I went to his church about 3 monts after the last time I had went to the KH, seeing all the humungous crosses gave me the willies. Now I don't think it would bother me,and I actually want to go back. But it was creepy that time. And they were taking comunion also, I just passed, felt strange
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greendawn
No I never really felt uncomfortable except when they would say: let us now rise to pray but I never really believed that other churches had no grace in them at all.
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M.J.
I listened to an audio lecture from Randy Watters given to ex-JWs. He made the audience erupt in laughter at his description of how to identify an ex-JW's in their first visit to a church...they tend to keep looking up over their shoulder, ready to dodge the demons coming at them.
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Jourles
I had never stepped into a church for any reason until around 2001. Even then, I was only there to install a wireless network site. But by 2001, I had already begun my mental departure so it didn't bother me that much - although I did feel a twinge of weirdness just from being there. That same year, I also had to work in a YMCA building for the same reason. I had never been in a YMCA before either. I remember feeling super rebellious for even being in the Y at the time. Back then, I was just beginning to find out about all of the 'wrong' things JW's couldn't do....such as going to the YMCA.
Looking back, it was kind of silly having those thoughts. But when you're raised to hate all things Christendom, what do you expect? I still haven't been to a church for anything official(wedding, funeral, etc), but I think I would still have that gut feeling of 'why the heck am I in here?' even when I know it shouldn't bother me.
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Purza
I always felt a "presence" when I would go into other churches. I truly believed I was programmed to feel that way. I used to feel so superior when I wouldn't follow the normal practices and sit there like I knew something everyone else didn't. It really makes me sick now thinking about that attitude.
Purza