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Have you given up going to church but used to attend ?

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Floradora9 Tue 04-Oct-22 20:45:03

In our town of 6,000 or so people we used to have lots of churches but they are slowly closing . I cannot say it upsets me because I feel they have outlived their time . I went to church every week as a child not with my parents but with an aunt . I joined the church and was a Sunday School teacher and was married in the same church . After we had children we went to church most weeks and sent the children off to Sunday school and they maintained their link with the same chuch until going off to university. We moved house and I went to church in the new place for a time but found it so unwelcoming and disliked the minister's attitude so much that we severed all links with it . I do not know how churches keep going with the same old forula of services with nothing to attract young people . I feel those running food banks , Samaritans etc. are doing far more good than those attending church but doing no good for the comunity. I felt a real sense of community at one time in our church but no longer .

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NotTooOld Sun 09-Oct-22 17:53:31

I live in a village where there is an ancient small CofE church. The vicar has to look after four small dioceses (is that word correct?) so Sunday services are held on a turn by turn basis with other villages. I only go to Church at Christmas and for the school service but I have a friend who goes regularly with her DH and even pays over a sum of money every month to keep the church going. All well and good but her DH is now terminally ill and in all the four months or so of his illness the vicar has never once visited them. My friend is understandably upset about this and says she is losing her faith. My point is that some churches are not doing enough to keep their dwindling congregations, never mind attract new members.

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BlueBalou Sun 09-Oct-22 18:32:47

Lovetopaint037

ExDancer

Yes.
I don't like the 'peace be with you' part of the service. Some people go so far as kissing strangers - sorry, not for me.

I didn’t like this. It seemed so false and frankly embarrassing. I say my prayers every night and feel there is a loving presence that listens.

This ‘peace be with you’ was a big part of my decision that I no longer believed. Along with the fact that the hypocrisy I witnessed from two close family members who were avid church goers but didn’t have a good word to say about anyone and whose behaviour was simply shocking.
I will continue the as kind and helpful as I can be but definitely no more religion for me.

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lemsip Sun 09-Oct-22 21:30:00

used to go when kids were growing up......Then my mother went to bed one night and didn't wake up in the morning. such a shock to my life....
tried two churches in my area in recent weeks in search of friendship really. Love the church and hymn singing but don't like 'the rest' the sermon, readings ect. not for me anymore.
there was a man leading the hymn singing on a microphone so loud that only he could be heard, he had the stage. I wasn't happy so didn't go back even though that same church has a coffee/cuppa morning on tuesdays and I attend that as you don't have to attend church...it is for all.
the other which is a minster had those incense things that the clergy wave about.. they made me cough.

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