The last time you were in a church, mosque, synagogue, temple, or other place of worship?

[ohiosmith]

1980 my kid brother's funeral.

[ProfessorGAC]

1. My Dad's Funeral

6 Years ago.
GAC

[dysfunctional press]

2. my friend's father's funeral- 4 years ago.

weddings and funerals are the only things that get me into a church.

[Left Is Write]

3. Sunday, January 28, 2007

[Connonym]

4. My dad's funeral May 2004

[sweetheart]

5. outside

2 minutes ago

[lizziegrace]

6. February 1, 2007

rehearsal

[Kali]

7. a mosque. Konya, Turkey 2002

a Russian Orthodox chappel, Wiesbaden, Germany same year
a bunch of old churches Alsace area of France, same year (can't go to Europe and not see castles and churches can you?)

Local town moved its city hall to an old church building. They are remodeling but you can still tell it was a church.

I generally try to avoid them. HATE when ya gotta go vote in one. :grr: <----secretly afraid that will happen to me :evilgrin:

[bumblebee1]

8. This past September

My husband's former boss got married. Hubby also did alot of work on the house for them.

[azmouse]

9. June 2003.

We were visiting my MIL in PA and went with her to church.

[KitchenWitch]

10. Last March

My mom's uncle's funeral.

[ghostsofgiants]

11. 2003 for my high school graduation.

It wasn't a religious thing, it was just a good venue that my old high school always used for that stuff.

[Arugula Latte]

12. This past summer -- for a wedding. I expected a bolt of lightning.

I HATE HATE HATE churches. They really creep me out, and they smell like death and must and mothballs. Then you get to sit and listen to a bunch of bullshit sexist fairytale CRAP as the believing sheeple nod in the smug, self-satisfied way of the duped and deluded. I swear, the older I get, the more pure contempt I have for religion, and I had a lot of it starting out. :grr:

[Pendrench]

15. Well, hopefully we're not all smug, self-satisfied, duped and deluded "sheeple"

But I can understand how some people can come to the conclusion.

Tim

[Arugula Latte]

17. Okay. Sorry. I was a little over the top.

It's just that I think of the utter crap spewed that day (woman made from Adam's rib :eyes: ) and it just makes me sick. Then I start thinking of people like my cousins who are Focus on the Family types and what people who believe as they do have done to this country, and I just get so furious.

[Tyo]

19. You echo my sentiments exactly...

And if you can't vent among friends, where can you vent?

[Critters2]

30. Not all Christians are like that

but thanks for the generalization.

And people say Dems are hostile to religion....where do they get that impression?

[Pendrench]

46. Actually, I tend to agree with you...and I understand why some people have such a low opinion of

organized religion. Speaking only for myself, I've been lucky to see more good than bad...but I also do not deny the awful things done in the name of religion.

I think that its good for people to question their beliefs - what if what I believe in is just a fairytale? I've questioned myself many times, and I still have my doubts - I really don't know...but I still believe. Maybe that's what faith is all about...

In any event, I hope that you didn't think that I was taking offense to what you said.

Best,

Tim

[Tyo]

51. Thank you Pendrench

for appealing to my better side. I was about to make a very snarky response to a sem-snarky response above but you've helped me to move on :7

[Manifestor_of_Light]

80. The Unitarians take atheists, agnostics, pagans, anybody!

They have no fixed statement of faith, no longer being Christian, so they can't throw you out!! They do have a statement of principles which is on their website, if you're interested (www.uua.org).

I have the same hatred of Christianity that you do, in fact the Abrahamic religions are illogical and bloodthirsty and sexist, etc.

[Arugula Latte]

65. Thanks for being cool about it.

I really shouldn't be such an ass about religion, but sometimes I just fly off the handle ...

:hi:

[Madspirit]

76. You said it perfectly Oregonian.

Except I'm a second generation atheist so I didn't have a lot of it starting out. I loathe religion.
Lee

[Pendrench]

13. Sunday, February 4, 2007....10:45 mass. n/t

[kmla]

14. Sunday, February 4th.

.

[Richard Steele]

16. Last summer, for a wedding. Easter of '94 for an actual "service".

[City Lights]

18. My niece's wedding - July 23, 2005.

Prior to that, prolly 1998 or 1999.

[rockymountaindem]

20. The week after the election

I went to Synagogue three weeks in a row. Two weeks before the election for my grandmother's yartzeit, the week before the election to pray for victory, and the week after to give thanks for winning. I didn't make it over winter break because I was filling out graduate school applications and I've been too busy to go to shul this semester. But, if I had my way, I'd probably go twice a month.

[jakefrep]

21. January 30, 2007

for my grandmother's funeral.

[Rising Phoenix]

22. my cousins wedding

almost 2 years ago....my mom got all pissed I didn't take communtion, but thats not my thing anymore....

[Shell Beau]

23. Last weekend- a wedding!

Although I do try to go somewhat regularly!

[NewWaveChick1981]

24. November 2003...my mother's wedding...

:hi:

[youthere]

25. Sunday January 28th.

We missed last Sunday..overslept.

[Burma Jones]

26. January 31, 2007

My Kids' School rented out a mega-church for their Winter Concert

Before that, Last April for a Bat Mitzvah

[Dukkha]

27. 02/2006 for a wedding

[Blue_In_AK]

28. Probably June 2003 for my wedding.

[Critters2]

32. I've always wondered--maybe you can help me out

Why do people who don't otherwise have a relationship with a church hold their weddings in churches? I completely don't understand this. I've actually stopped doing such weddings, but instead encourage people to have a judge do their wedding. They get pissed, but it seems more honest to me.

So, and I don't mean this disrespectfully--I'm just curious--why were you married in a church?

[Blue_In_AK]

34. We wanted to get married in Homer, Alaska

which is a really beautiful spot south of here, and we didn't know anyone with the credentials down there to perform marriage ceremonies so we contacted the pastor of the little Methodist church, who my brother knew, who agreed to perform the ceremony for us. It's a very tiny little church, almost like a chapel really, and the wedding was attended only by our family.

So it was more a matter of convenience than deference to a belief system. The church is down in the trees just right of center in this photo.

[Critters2]

36. One of my parishioners moved to Homer, Alaska, after she married a guy from there

He couldn't stand the humidity in Iowa, he said, so they went to Alaska. For about a year. Now they're in ARizona.

Oh, and thanks for your reply. We get a lot of people wanting to have weddings here because we have an old, nice-looking sanctuary. But I've been concerned that it was being treated like a wedding chapel, so I've set some annoyingly firm ground rules about weddings.

[Blue_In_AK]

40. Oh, I think that's fine about the ground rules.

Pastor Dan didn't mind doing our wedding because he knew both my brothers and my late mother and father, who were very active in their Methodist Church up here in Anchorage before they passed away. I would have felt funny myself contacting a church or a minister to perform our wedding if we didn't have any connections at all.

[Bill McBlueState]

69. for us?

It was cheap, and our families would've whined otherwise.

I was surprised how little the pastor seemed to care about what we believed. If he had asked us whether we believed in the Christian god, we would've said no, and if he had said he wasn't gonna do a wedding for atheists, we would have said, "That's understandable," and gone elsewhere.

But it didn't even come up.

[Critters2]

72. Had I been the minister, it would've come up. I don't dislike atheists

but a church sanctuary is intended as a place of worship, and a "church" wedding is a Christian worship service. We discuss these things at my first meeting with the couple, and if they don't see it as a worship service, I have no problem pointing people to a nice UU minister, or a judge. But I'm not running a wedding chapel.

I mean I just want everyone--me, them, everyone--to be honest.

Btw, I appreciate your integrity in being willing to go elsewhere had he wanted a religious ceremony. I respect that!

[Rabrrrrrr]

71. Because they're clueless fuckwits with no self-determination, mostly.

They need to have nice wedding photos because that proves that their marriage is perfect, and, goddammit, one of the bride's girlfriends got married in a great big church, so she's gonna do it, too! No one's gonna upstage her, no sirree Bob.

Or they lack the self-awareness or self-determination to just say "the church really means absolutely nothing to me, that's why I haven't been there since Confirmation - let's get married outside or at the courthouse".

Morons. They piss me off.

Like the shitwipes that show up when they have a baby because they need to have it "done" (with plenty of family and photos and celebrations and mandatory "Congratulations, you fucked successfully!" presents from friends and family, then disappear again.

And then there are the few decent ones who are honest about going to a church because the building looks nice, maybe the minister is pretty friendly and hip and with it, the couple don't lie about not being really Christian or having any intention of entering the church again, everything is on the up and up with no hidden agendas and it all works out nice and fine. But those couples tend not to have a bridezilla in the mix, nor a loony psychotic mother-of-the-bride bitch from hell.

[Critters2]

73. Rabrrr, you need to get your feelings out. Bottling them up as you do can't be good for you.

The ones who drive me nuts are the suburbanites who want a reception at Starved Rock Lodge, and this is just a "pretty church" that's close to the lodge. As the local town leaders push to make this a tourist site, we get more and more of these. Morons who want a wedding "across from the Lincoln statue" so they can have their picture taken in front of it in their wedding gown (what is THAT about?)


One tourist hotel even called and wanted to work out a "wedding package" with us. Needless to say, I said no. And also needless to say, another church down the street jumped at the chance.

Oh well. Just that many fewer bridezillas for me to deal with.

[Rabrrrrrr]

74. Talk about weddings is one sure fire way to get my dander up!

(or, more correctly I suppose, "up from which to get my dander")

Little pisses me off more than this country's sick obsession with a myopic, clueless, and reprehensive attitude toward "wedding" and "marriage".

I think I would have taken the wedding package deal - great income earner for the church. No pre-marriage counseling, give a canned 15-20 minute service that a drunk moron can understand, charge 'em $1000 a pop, plus $150 for the wedding coordinator and $200 for you, give them a two-or-three-hour limit usage of the building, don't allow anyone but your own musicians to provide music and charge $150 for them... it's a beautiful situation!

Stupid fucks are gonna spend $20 grand on their fucking gowns, tuxes, reception, limo, and booze - they should at least be willing to fork over $2 grand for THE ACTUAL WEDDING ITSELF.

Asses.

My ability to tolerate bullshit goes up in the proportion people are paying me to put up with it.

[idgiehkt]

29. every saturday

I clean a church. And i curse like a sailor while I'm doing it, lol.

[Critters2]

31. I'm in a church right now, eating my lunch and taking a break from sermon work.

It's hard work coming up with self-righteous, right-wing hateful crap when sitting in a place that smells like death (and, in my office organic lavender hand lotion) but I seem to get the job done.

Excuse me, while I condemn some folks to hell...

:sarcasm:

[redwitch]

53. "I've got the power"

Are you Bruce Almighty? Jeez I hope not! :-)

Oh, And last time for me was last Sunday. I'm a Catholic whose pastor believes in a woman's right to choose.

[Critters2]

55. Wow!

A priest who believes in a woman's right to choose?!! And he says so out loud?!! :wow:

This is the most Catholic town I've ever served in, and the most traditional Catholic priests I've ever served around. The Catholic high school (first place I've ever served with a Catholic high school) sent a huge bunch of kids to the Pro-Life March in Washington, and then wanted it counted as a "Character Counts" activity for kids in that program.

It's been a disappointment for me, because Catholic priests in other places have always been good friends of mine. Here, they don't return phone calls, don't accept invitations to lunch, etc. They may be nice guys, but I don't really know, because, apparently, they don't socialize with Protestant clergy.

And I never tire of driving by the picture of the fetus in front of the big Catholic Church. It really si quite attractive.

So, tell your priest I'm grateful for his courage. And I'd like to take him to lunch sometime.

[redwitch]

59. All the clergy I seem to know are lefties

Whatever their denomination. He walked up to me at a Dem booth in our community that I was "manning". I thought, "Oh boy, here it comes". He picked up a Kerry button and said "I'll wear this" Then he saw it was a pro choice, pro Kerry button. He said, maybe not THAT one and he chose another. Then he said "If a Catholic who is pro choice shouldn't RECIEVE communion, should a priest who is pro choice GIVE communion?" I was stunned. I didn't know there WERE pro choice Catholic clergy! He's a great guy.

[Bridget Burke]

33. Last year I passed a church & realized Mass was beginning.

I sat in for a while but didn't stay until the end. And I'm still an Atheist/Agnostic. Didn't get God Cooties!

The the Co-Cathedral of our Houston/Galveston Archdiocese is nearing completion & I'm sure I'll drop by for a visit. It looks awfully modern, but is replacing a 19th century church of little architectural merit.

In the last few years, I've visited several churches & one synagogue for events involving family & friends. And During one of the annual Greek Festivals, I toured of the amazingly beautiful Annunciation Greek Orthodox Catheral.

I enjoy visiting churches, etc.

[LSK]

35. my nieces baptism in 2004

[mike_c]

37. I dunno-- many many years ago....

eom

[av8rdave]

38. 1996...my second wedding

Can't decide where the third will be...

[Bassic]

39. Early in January for my grandfather's funeral. nt

[graywarrior]

41. ?

?

[demnan]

42. December 12, 2006

Went to see a church music thing with my cousin.

[Rabrrrrrr]

43. Today!

Oddly enough.

[Critters2]

44. Today? nt

[Rabrrrrrr]

45. Yep - today!

Stopped by the church, I did, to do some good deeds.

No worship, though.

[redwitch]

54. You are a very nice boy!

I don't care what anybody else says.

[Rabrrrrrr]

70. Thanks! I am a very nice boy.

Apart from the swearing at the shitbags of the world and ranting about the fuckwits, I'm really a pretty nice, churchy, moral living nice kind of guy.

[kwassa]

47. Superbowl Sunday, 2007.

I sing in the choir.

Day before yesterday.

I'll be there next Sunday, too.

[Critters2]

64. I sing in the choir too--alto. nt

[LeftyMom]

48. Classmate's funeral, 1998. Cleared up any lingering doubts I had about the absence of a god.

Classmate was very religious and an exceedingly nice person. He died a few weeks before graduation, and his best friend since childhood was the one who accidentally killed him. Nobody who could have stopped that would have let it happen.

[mentalsolstice]

49. My cousin's wedding, Oct., 2005. n/t

[u4ic]

50. Last night

A UU church, though it was a meeting and not a service (but was at one Sunday).


The last time I would have been in a church that believes in a god would have been 10 years ago - at my mother's funeral.

I shy away from those churches.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

52. cant remember. i think a couple of years ago in india i went to a temple.

[Dervill Crow]

56. Presbyterian church last summer for a wedding.

But this past Saturday I went to a friend's house for an Imbolc rite.

Last night I watched Wife Swap for the first time when I saw a woman with an "earth based religion" was on, and it occurred to me that it probably does look pretty stupid to observers. Guess that's true of all religions. :shrug:

[NewJeffCT]

57. Sept 2004 - The Temple of Heaven in Beijing

I didn't do any worshipping, but I was there back then on a very muggy day.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

58. I was at the bar last Friday night

That's as close to god as my atheist ass is going to get.

[Chan790]

60. Great Aunt's Funeral

My kid brother refused to sit next to me convinced I was going to spontaneously combust when the priest walked past me with the host.

[Arger68]

61. December 27th, 2006

at the church in Angoville-au-Plain, Normandy, France while taking a D-Day tour there.

[TimeChaser]

62. My brother's bar mitzvah this past November

I told my mom that that would be the last time I willingly went into a synagogue

[Withywindle]

63. Beautiful Buddhist temple in Thailand

April 2006.

[femmocrat]

66. A wedding, last August.

Before that, a wedding in Oct. 2005.

[TheMightyFavog]

67. About 30 minues ago...

The Newman Center (Campus Catholic meeting place) next door. I went in to report that a car parked across the street had a flat tire.

[LibraLiz1973]

68. My grandmothers funeral- June 1999

[noonwitch]

75. Last Sunday, February 4

I go every week I'm in town.

[Gatchaman]

77. I helped take some tables back after a club event back in April

and was in the basement of one for a few minutes, does that count?

[WritingIsMyReligion]

78. Last year, UCC congregation in Greater Portland, just for kicks, since my grandpere was preachin'.

Not bad--my grandfather's a cool liberal dude who helped people get CO status during Vietnam, writes papers on "The Christian Mythology," and makes his sermons "funny"--but I didn't feel anything "holy" or "redeeming" about the experience. Churches just don't cut it for me as far as "connecting with the world" goes.

[Broken_Hero]

79. around....the 20th of December

of 2004...it was my xmas present to my mother...it meant the world to her, and I only had to endure it for an hour....

[quiet.american]

81. Since you asked, yesterday. :) n/t

[dropkickpa]

82. Last Spring

@ a greek orthodox for my cousins youngests baptism thingy. In the pic below, you can kind of see the giant 3 story picture of Mary holding the baby Jesus. When Dropkid saw it, she yelled out "Who's that lady with the baby??"



Before that it was 2003 for my grampa's funeral.

My part of the family have never been religious, so the only times we go are for weddings/funerals/baptism thingys. Though I do some volunteer work (fundraisers for various things, just did a spaghetti dinner to benfit 7 families whose homes were destroyed by fire the morning after thanksgiving) at my local catholic church, it's usually inside the gym or school activity room. The last time I was in the church itself was for the funeral of my brothers friend about 6 1/2 years ago. Me and Father Ben don't see too eye to eye, either. I got along MUCH better with Father Joe. He had a fantastic sense of humor, was a truly accepting progressive kinda guy (he even debated the merits of religion with me several times). Father Ben is an old stick in the mud (very stiff, conservative, and holier-than-thou, pardon the pun), even though he's a good 35 years younger than Father Joe.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

83. Well yesteday I came close

It wasn't actually a Church service and it wasn't in the Church per se but it was on the Church grounds in the building right next to the Church. I was attending my Church youth group.

As for the last time I went to a proper Church service, that was in December

[Indy_Dem_Defender]

84. About 2 years ago

Work Related,

Before that 3 years ago for a funeral.

5 Years ago actually attending a service.

[hickman]

85. My Mom's death, My Dad's death. My church doesn't want me.

So I drift.

[wildhorses]

86. christmas eve--late service, at the episcopal church

where my brother and sil belong. my brother played several hymns on his acoustic guitar and sang. it was a nice service and starting to be a tradition with my family...

[Control-Z]

87. A wedding

over 10 years ago.

So sorry about your brother. I can't imagine.

[clyrc]

88. A combination Hindu and Sikh temple in Dubai in October

I went with a friend to look around, and although I was wearing Indian dress, I got a few hostile stares and lots of curious ones.

[mikeytherat]

89. Last night - choir rehearsal (mit der swimboy)

mikey_the_rat

[Lumily]

90. Grandfather's funeral

July 4, 2002.