Do you skip church if you have guests?

[TheOrigFV45]

Just that - if your guests are not church goers do you still go?
We are the guests, leaving for home at 11am.
DS2 said he doesn't want to go to church and it got me wondering what people generally do.

And I think you are rather intolerant and offensive. You also probably need to research Catholicism further.

We dont believe that hell isn't necessary a place where you get things shoved up you. It is eternal separation from God. You make that choice by mortal sin and free will.

Buying indulgences has been outlawed since 1500s. The church isn't perfect by any means (understatement!). It's been full of sinners since it was established. However, the church is guided by the Holy Spirit. And every mass means that we can consume Jesus's body and blood. Sleeping over a hangover doesn't seem quite as wonderful.

Actually, post-Reformation people could still be fined or otherwise punished by the law if they skipped churchgoing.

If I were visiting churchgoers (which is fairly unlikely: there is no one I am on close enough terms with for an overnight visit who is a churchgoer) I would probably stay home and amuse myself, or go out and explore the area. If I had an important commitment on a day when I had an overnight guest I would discuss with the guest whether they wanted to come with me, stay in my house or head back home when it was time for me to leave.

I would love to know which church does this. No one would dare mention an abscene or treat someone different at my church. Even if I did notice, for all I know they could have gone to a different church or got a dispensation. It would be like asking someone why they weren't taking communion (a huge faux pas)!

And i think YOU are intolerant and offensive too.

What right do you have to judge my views?

They are as valid as yours!

How dare you!

Crikey, I'm a Catholic, but I'm always surprised how these threads being out the strictest most rigid interpretations of faith from way back when. (And yes I know weekly mass is a fundamental tenet.)

As far as I'm concerned, preparing a stack of veg and a roast and an apple pie for others, which I am doing right now, is an act of love (almost!) as good as any other. I'm waiting for an op, my DH is unwell himself, I haven't the energy to do both and I'll catch up with Mass during the week.

That was obviously aimed at @whatsfreddoingnow

And no wonder Church attendance is dropping so rapidly with attitudes like yours, and a few others on here. Making people feel like Pariahs for skipping Church.

OP, in your situation where you are leaving today anyway, I would have thought it would be polite for the hosts to go to Evensong instead.

"If I were visiting churchgoers (which is fairly unlikely: there is no one I am on close enough terms with for an overnight visit who is a churchgoer) "

I'm not a regular chapel goer, but I like to go at Easter or Christmas. You might have friends like me who you don't realise like to attend sometimes. I had a foreign friend staying a few years ago and took him with me to the service even though he couldn't understand anything. If he hadn't wanted to come, he could have stayed at home or gone for a coffee nearby.

"I would have thought it would be polite for the hosts to go to Evensong instead."

Maybe there isn't one. Like I've mentioned above, all the places I've worshipped at (bar a few years in my childhood) have only had a mid-morning service on Sunday.

I think the OP must have been struck down by lightening...

@slightlycoddled

Crikey, I'm a Catholic, but I'm always surprised how these threads being out the strictest most rigid interpretations of faith from way back when. (And yes I know weekly mass is a fundamental tenet.)

Agree totally. Some very bizarre, judgemental, archaic attitudes on here, and people wonder why congregation numbers are dropping. If people attend a Church like some claim to attend on here, no bloody wonder!

Backs my point up from earlier though, about what some people are like who go to Church every week.

I didn't judge your views. You were telling me what Catholicism apparently believe in in an exaggerated offensive way. I would never mock an atheist viewpoint.

In case you didn't read my posts, I don't make anyone into a 'pariah'. I have been giving the Catholicism perspective on Sunday mass and it's huge importance.

I have mentioned how it is between that person and God and I wouldn't dare treat someone differently IF I noticed that they weren't at mass as we are all sinners. Not sure how that is being intolerant of anyone?

@Gwenhwyfar: most of my close pals, the sort of people I am likely to visit for a weekend, are firmly non-religious, as am I. (Before all the wailywaily starts, I'm not saying that this makes them 'better' than people who attend religious services, or that I would refuse to be friends with someone who attends religious services, it's just the way things are at present.)
I think it would be rude of a guest to expect or insist that the hosts miss out on something that matters to them because it isn't the guest's taste; equally rude of a host to insist the guest comes along to something that the guest dislikes or has no interest in, when it's only a couple of hours or so: guests can stay in the house or go and get a coffee somewhere near the religious building.

Also, genuine question, do Sikhs/Jews/Hindus/Moslems think it appropriate to bring house guests (of other religions or none at all) along to religious services just because the guests are staying with them?

Yeah, funny how the OP has vanished.

I am off too! Family Service At Church starts at 1.30pm!

I would skip church. Ours starts at 10am then there is tea and coffee so it can often be 12pm before we get home. So it would be a bit rude to go and leave guests for the whole morning.

I wouldn't expect my hosts to miss church for my sake (I'm an agnostic).

Nor do I expect guests to miss church if it's important to them, and I have shown guests to the local church on a Sunday morning on occasion.

It might be worth looking back at your posts. I called you intolerant and offensive.

Intolerant - mocking my belief in mortal sin in an exaggerated way
Offensive - I personally found the tone very rude.

I haven't stated ANYWHERE that people are going straight to hell for having a Sunday lie-in. I expicitly stated that judgements like that are well above my pay grade. I haven't said that not going to church makes you a bad Christian. I have just stated what Catholicism actually teaches is required for Catholics (church attendance and treating people with Christian charity and love) and some explanation behind it.

If you are a practicing catholic and don't go to church, that is between you and God. If you go to church but don't behave in a Christian way, again that is between you and God.

You have accused me of treating people as pariahs, being judgemental, holding archaic beliefs and being the reason that church attendance is dropping.

We almost never have guests, but just happen to be skipping church this morning. We go every week and myself and at least one other here have half the family at church this morning whilst one parent and a child are at this birthday party. I think we would have thought twice about it if it wasn't such a good friend or if it started happening more than once a year.

Agree Winterfell! Faiths need to evolve with their congregations and part of the reason that RC congregations are dwindling is that it hasn't, nor has it listened to women, nor have they devolved power down to the roots of the church. Anyhow, better not get started on that .. . I've hungry guests and cooking to do!

I wouldn't expect friends to miss church if I was staying. I might tag along or I might not - I'm not religious just nosy.
I attend a secular congregation which I see basically church without god. It is an interesting phenomenon and is packed full of people like me who grew up in a church tradition but have no faith as adults.
I've only hadn't guests a few times since I started going. I went once as I particularly wanted to hear the external speaker. I invitd my guest but they opted to go out to a nearby museum and meet me afterwards.
The other occasion I just skipped it.

Come visit my church! Packed to the rafters every week and lots of women in different roles.

Whilst it is dwindling in the western world, other parts are blooming. I think there are so many reasons for that but won't detail the conversation.

I'm the vicar so I can't skip church. Visitors will either come with us or get the lunch on whilst we are out.

When I worked in a big town centre church a lot of our 8am congregation were there as they had guests or were going to visit friends and relatives. It worked.

And I think you are rather intolerant and offensive

For a fundamentalist Catholic such as yourself to start accusing others of intolerance is a bit rich.

And anyway is your fairh so brittle that you get offended by it being lampooned?

Taking the piss out of the absurdities of a hugely powerful, corrupt and dangerous organisation whose acrions and teachimgs have heaped untold miseries on people is somehow offensive? I think your offense od misplaced and.should be directed rathee closer to home.

An interesting thread, as a guest, if the family had a faith of any kind that was important in their lives I would attend with them, out of respect for them. I don't think my DS or OH would but they would be competent to get the Sunday lunch on.

I am not religious but consider myself to be spiritual, I find some parts of religion confusing, such as eating Jesus' body and drinking his blood as a non-believer that almost seems cannibalistic but I vaguely understand the meaning. But I am mature enough to be able to sit/kneel/sing and listen for a few hours without derision or worrying that I may be turned into a flambe.

Because, if I am staying somewhere, I must like the person and enjoy their company, and part of that is accepting that they have faith.

Fundamental catholic?! First time that I have ever been called that for stating my religion. Curiously , do you think of everyone who follows the 'law' of their religion as fundamentalist e.g Kosher/Halal food, visiting temples etc? Didn't know you knew enough of my personal beliefs to JUDGE me as a fundamental Catholic.

I'm not getting into a discussion of the highs and lows of the catholic church. Already discussed in a previous thread -please look though my post history of interested. I will not deny that the Catholic church has done terrible things throughout history. However, I will say that the church has always and will always be full of sinners. However, the church isnt just an organisation ( and one of the biggest charity-givers in the world) but each member of the 'body'. When I feed a homeless person or care for someone, that's the actions of the Catholic church as well.