Do you go to church if you dont believe in God?

spudbynight said:
I agree - I fail to see the difference for an atheist between doing this or going shoe shopping.
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i think its because some people think that if you go to church then you go to worship and to pray to God? If you dont do that then what would you be doing there...trolling? Trolling God? :eek:

So i do think the shoe shopping / going to pub / going to football / etc are not the same at all as going with your OH to church.
 
Nitefly said:
Aren't both of those necessarily underpinned by the belief that there is no god?

I don't know how you could reject an assertion that there is a god without believing there isn't, unless you are an agnostic, which isn't an athiest and you wouldn't really be rejecting it anyway.
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Even Dawkins doesn't really view himself as a true atheist - I think he refers to himself as a de facto atheist.

The argument most atheists put forward is that there is no proof in the existence of God - hence they reject the belief.

I fail to see how one can argue that position and then state that they believe there is no God - a position which they will have no proof for.

Dawkins does not believe there is no God - he just believes it to be highly improbable.
 
Surfer said:
i think its because some people think that if you go to church then you go to worship and to pray to God?
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As a believe that is the case. It is possible to go to a religious service and not engage in prayer.


Surfer said:
If you dont do that then what would you be doing there...trolling? Trolling God? :eek:
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Sitting quietly and respectfully so you other half doesn't have to go on her own?


Surfer said:
So i do think the shoe shopping / going to pub / going to football / etc are not the same at all as going with your OH to church.
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If you don't believe then I fail to see the difference.

I considered myself an atheist for a long time. I was still able to go to mass with the woman who is now my wife. I didn't pray. I just sat beside her and stood when everyone else did and sat when everyone else did.
 
I had this come up once, too. I said I was more than willing to engage in her family's belief in various fictions if she was willing to engage in mine that bumsex is vital for my longevity.

We don't go to church.
 
Disco Boy said:
No good Christian girl would be in a relationship with a non-Christian. There's no reason for them unless they can see marriage, and they wouldn't marry a non Christian because their loved one not finding God would break their heart. Also, If she's putting out then she isn't a good Christian girl.
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I shall have to let my wife (of 16 years) know that she isn't a Good Christian...
 
SheepBeast said:
Tbh there's a pretty valid point in there somewhere
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Not really one is a painless risk free visit to a church every once in a while, the other could be viewed as an uncofortable, painfull and sometimes dangerous practice. It's a classic GD response and it almost certainly never happened.
 
TommyV said:
The irony, a church thread, and a scientist in your sig who beleived in god.

As already said, for the sake of interaction between your fair maidens lips and your *******, get your arse down church.
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Einstein did NOT believe in God, he was agnostic. He was often question about his beliefs but he tried not to make any strong statements, wasn't his area of expertise.

And Einstein was wrong on several important scientific things.
 
I would offer to go a few times a year purely on a meeting the family basis if it meant going for a meal etc after as well. Let's face it, being in church for Sunday service isn't a particularly good place for a family catch up anyhow.

I wouldn't/couldn't go on a regular basis, it would drive me round the bend. It's not the act of being in church or being with her family that would upset me. It's the guy at the front talking and if he wasn't there I'd go if it made her happy. I've been to Church a few times recently (christenings etc) and some of it to me is genuinely offensives. Just tell her you don't believe in god and she should respect that.

Hatter The Mad said:
I had this come up once, too. I said I was more than willing to engage in her family's belief in various fictions if she was willing to engage in mine that bumsex is vital for my longevity.

We don't go to church.
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Alternatively you could go for option B ^^^
 
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TurnipHead said:
She's your girlfriend. You go with her.
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That's my stance on it, really. Perhaps not every week but at least 50% of the time (assuming it's once a week). If you really hate it and she loves it then maybe you two aren't meant to be together.

I don't believe in God either, really. I'd still go, for her.
 
Jono said:
If you really hate it and she loves it then maybe you two aren't meant to be together.
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You're probably right. In my experience, in situations like these the moment children arrive you're obliged to go because you can't expect wife and children to go to out (church or otherwise) every Sunday on their own.

Jono said:
I don't believe in God either, really. I'd still go, for her.
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The problem is it's more than a dis-likable just a social occasion. I'd burst if I had to sit through Sunday after Sunday of services. It's just not an option.
 
4T5 said:
I actually quite like visiting Churches, The architecture is usually awesome & the history is fascinating & wandering the graveyard can tell you a lot about the area & how it came about.
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I have no 'interest' in region but I do enjoy visiting Churches and Cathedrals, the architecture is usually very impressive and it's interesting gaining, like you said, an insight in to the history of the area.
 
It's just so boring and the benches are horrible. Churches need to invest in decent heating and comfy chairs, otherwise they are not getting my money.
Also your girlfriend sounds really possessive, tell her that she does not need to show her off. There is no communication within families at church, it's not a family event at all.
 
spudbynight said:
I agree - I fail to see the difference for an atheist between doing this or going shoe shopping.
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Because shoe shopping doesn't involve being subjected to ideological/spiritual/intellectual constructs you don't agree with, or mix with people that way inclined. It's more than just a boring morning out.

Besides if my other half asked me to go shoe shopping every Sunday I'd be building myself a new patio.
 
I'm a non-practising Christian and while I enjoy Sunday morning lie-ins now (laziness being my most troublesome vice), I do miss the sense of community and belonging that comes from being a member of a Church. It's about a lot more than the 90 minutes of "God bothering" on a Sunday morning you know, find a good Church and you've basically got yourself a decent social life for the rest of your life. I say go with your GF.
 
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