2828
I hated church as a kid, ruined the whole Sunday, getting dressed up, the repeated phrases, the kneeling, it was brutal. It was so bad it ruined my saturdays thinking about Sunday.

wolve
You hated it? When you were a young 'un they at least conducted Mass in English. When I was first coerced into attending church it was conducted in Latin. I think they changed it just in time for me to start either 4th or 5th Grade. But by then the damage was done, I was a church attendance hater for life.

I had to endure it all six days a week. Mass is like a big skit of scripted material - one big choreograph. I remember preparing for the various sacraments. I had to know all of the names of the various garments the priests and Pope wore, the names and functions of the various thingees on the altar, etc....

The worst part of it all was going to "Confession" every Thursday afternoon. You'd think up some things to tell the priest, so you could get some series of prayers to say for penance that you'd forget to do as soon as you left the booth. I'd go and daydream in the pews about the Tigers winning the WS, or the Lions merely winning a damn game!!!

Once a week we had the priest make his rounds of the school to give his spiritual pep talk/lesson of the week. he'd walk in and immediately the math or English lesson we were having would cease. We'd all stand up next to our desk and say in unison, "Good morning/afternoon Father X."

We'd stand there until he hobbled over to the desk (he was very old), then only after he was seated would he allow us to resume sitting. Heaven help you if the nun caught you staring out the window, looking bored, or tuning out the dude because you heard the same spiel that morning at Mass.

Nah, during the school year Saturday was the only day we got off from Mass.


I did not like church all that much as a kid either. We were Methodist and it was steeped in a bunch of religious mumbo jumbo to me as a kid and as an adult. I hear the same criticism of Catholic masses from my extended family. They are Catholic, but just go through the motions. They feel like they 'have' to go.

WHen I go to my Bible church, it's an uplifting experience everytime. My kids always loved it and looked forward to it. It was the one place they could go to and be with like minded kids. They were always glad you were there and did not want anything from you. My church does not even ask for money. If people want to give, they put it in a box at the back.

The difference is if your faith is a religion or a relationship. If it's just a religion, then its mechanical and usually meaningless. But if it's a relationship with God, everything is alive, meaningful and lifechanging.

Like I said....I cannot ever go back after being touched by the spirit.

Metal