what is religion to you?

[firthy85]

hello. i was interested do you still take children to church. what do you do now in these community centres. i remember the old unday schools but i am sure they have all changed

I didn't have a religious upbringing so didn't do any of that as a child and have never done it for my own children. Ime people join a (Christian) church for a few years so they can get their kids into a church high school. It's insulting for the few people who genuinely believe.

I am not religious, am not a member of any religion and don't believe in anything.

OH is catholic so the children are being brought up as Catholics. Religion to me is something they do but not for me.

I am not really understanding the question.

i was curious to how the religion and you combined things. whether you thought of religon the same way or not

Religion is a lifestyle choice, so I don't think it should be a protected characteristic. Unlike race, gender or disability as you can't choose those.

Like with drinking, playing the lottery, driving a car, joining the military, watching an 18+ film and age of consent, these carry an age rating for a reason. The reason being is that all of these activities require responsibility. If you abuse it, then it goes wrong.

I put religion in the same basket as the above because again it requires responsibility otherwise it can be abused. E.g. peer pressure, workplace bullying, clashing political views, especially conservative (small C conservative) / non-progressive views.

I'm therefore also against indoctrination of children as I see it as a form of child abuse. It's fine to have RE lessons to learn about the different religions, but religion itself should carry an age rating of 16 like with age of consent and only then the child would decide if to confirm themselves or not.

Sunday school is alive and well in my church, OP! I even used to teach in one when my DC were younger.
It’s a lot more fun and active than when I was a child.
I have even reenacted the battle of Jericho with my group - try to imagine 20 overexcited wee boys and 5 girls, from age 3 to 10, enthusiastically beating the living daylights out of each other
We have done craft projects, staged Nativity plays, made a Passover meal, learned new hymns to sing in harmony, made Mothering Sunday gifts for their mothers, had quizzes etc.
I live in a small village, and the church is at the centre of village life. We recently had a £250 million refurbishment so we now have a cafe, modern audiovisual system, and spaces that can be used as concert venues.
Religion is integral to human life. I treasure my personal relationship with God in prayer, but church is where I go to share in communal worship.

I don't completely agree that 'religion' is a lifestyle choice. Once you are a Christian, you follow Christ. It's not always about doing things (especially those things viewed from secular paradigm): it's about what's in your heart.

It is peculiar to those outside of the Christian faith, to be sure. But you are always very welcome to come and see. The Christian faith would not survive unless Christians tell others about it.

I am respectful to everyone's religion or beliefs but don't follow any myself these days. Nor do my children

My church has a large Sunday school of 50-60 kids. It’s used on Sunday for the Sunday school.

In addition, the church runs a youth group twice per week, a mini youth once and a kids club once. They have 3 tots sessions run by the church and private kids groups rent the space at various points in the week.

There are a few other private groups that rent it out - a choir etc

Part of the church is used by a charity that supports people on low incomes and supports people apply for jobs. Another part is used as a food bank.

The church ministers have their offices. It’s used for church meetings, Bible study and anything extra eg coffee mornings etc

Twice a week it hosts a community cafe - mostly aimed at the elderly, but anyone can join regardless of age.

Obviously at the moment, services are much reduced due to covid - ministers are working remotely - although the food bank and community support is busier than ever.

Created to control the masses in olden days - the opiate of the masses. Responsible for death and pain around the world. What's to like?

The most harmful thing mankind ever invented for itself.

I went to church as a child. It wasn’t really my choice but had to go.

Unfortunately as an adult I see the more negative side - oppression of women, wars, barbaric traditions.

There is also the good - such as a feeling of community.

Patriarchy?

What @Crankley said. & @MarshaBradyo
When I think of religion I see hypocrisy & oppression, of women, the poor, the black community - in my experience, having lived in various countries around the globe, when religion takes prominence, people suffer.

These always turn into anti-Christian hate fests.

We are Catholic, not very good Catholic’s, but very much cultural Catholics. Our children were raised as tolerant Catholics but didn’t go to Catholic secondary schools.
We attend either Catholic or Anglican Church regularly with the odd Gurdwaras visit too.

Interestingly, there is a fairly strong evidence base that faith has a very positive impact on mental health. Religious involvement is related to better coping with stress and less depression, suicide, anxiety, and substance abuse.

Religion has been shown to enhance adherents’ internal locus of control, which (as opposed to an external one) allows individuals to respond to the same problem in a manner that is beneficial to their well-being.

Correspondingly, through the use of religious practices, such as prayer or meditation, religious individuals can counter damaging tendencies brought about by their illness and can “reduce tension and anxiety, diminish self-blame, stabilize emotional ups and downs, and improve self-knowledge.

Religion for us is something practical and tangible. It gives us our shared values and was a framework for family life. It affects our decisions and feeling of the requirement to care for others.

A scourge pretty much, better off done away with.
It must be responsible for more death and carnage than everything else put together.

Jesus may have existed, probably was a nice guy.

Then over 2000 years the story has been fucked beyond all recognition of what actually happened.

It's all just horse shit, that's what it means to me.

People have done well off it though haven't they, like that odious little rat Joel Osteen.

We're C of E and take DD to church pretty much every Sunday. Before the pandemic it was lovely - traditional church, mostly elderly congregation, no Sunday school or concessions to children during the service, but DD did the altar service and everyone made a fuss of her. It's less easy on zoom, but the vicar makes a huge effort.

Personally I'm not that keen on the move to be super 'inclusive' to children in religious contexts. I think it easily turns into a sort of wishy-washy nothingness, or ends up with everyone talking down to children.

I have a faith, I go to Church (pre Covid), the Church I am involved with has strong community links - we provide a Food Bank, Night Shelter for rough sleepers, groups for lonely, elderly folks etc etc.

Mumsnetters always like to sneer at religion but there are so many community out reach projects supported by people of faith, and certainly in the ones I am involved in there is absolutely no 'preaching' or trying to convert people.

I did take my DS to church when he was young, as a teenager he then chose to attend a different church with more of an active youth focus and as a Uni student he is still involved in church - my DH is not a regular 'attender' - just Christmas and Easter. None of my wider family (parents, siblings) are church goers, it is something I chose for myself.

Religion to me ia s personal belief system. You do not have to be a member of a Church/Temple/Mosque to be religious. People can pray anywhere, and it is encouraged in the bible to pray privately.

I do agree with a pp that religious bodies should not be able to allow children to become full members until they are of an age to completely understand and enter that congregation of their own free will. Of course that doesn't mean banning children from services etc, but for things like baptism, confirmation etc. (I'm talking only about Christian sects here, as I am unaware of if any other religions do have "age restrictions" as such for religious rites)

Tool of the oppressor

I'm not religious but my DD is. She's seven. I take to church when she asks and she loves the whole Christmas snd jesus narrative.

I was raised a catholic with grandparents who are strong catholics attended mass weekly throughout whole of school, communion etc etc. I would class myself as an atheist these days though and never go to church. DS does go to CofE school but it's very relaxed and I like that he's learning about god and can make up his own mind when he gets older.

DH is a Lutheran, I'm a baptised Catholic, none practising. I would like my DD to know her religions, understand principles, literature references etc. but we're not actively supporting any connection with the Church. I don't consider religion necessary to respect others and their dignity, to help others, to live a decent life.

Religion to me is the source of most of the persecution, violence and abuse in the world. Both past and present (and probably future).

@Ragwort

Totally agree. My church sounds similar to yours. It provides a huge service to my local area, it fills gaps that quite frankly shouldn’t be there.

I watched a news report on Burnley last week. The church there is doing amazing, heart breaking work (that should not need doing, but does)