AIBU to attend the wrong church because I like it more?

[LuckyRubberDucky]

Having a bit of an existential crisis here. I used to be a regular church goer, was raised attending mass on Sundays. During covid we moved to a new area and didn’t attend mass at all. When the churches properly started up again, I tried attending my new local mass and it just doesn’t fit. I’ve gone from a church I’ve known all my life, attending with one small child who everyone knew, to a church I don’t like. The church in my new area is very solemn, very quiet. Previously I was attending with one baby, I now have two children, one of whom has ASD and can’t sit still or quietly. The church doesn’t fit us, and they only do one mass a week on a Sunday so can’t even attend without the kids.

Then today I’ve been on a school trip to a new church. It’s not my religion (think CoE versus Catholic) but it felt so lovely! The priest was so warm and welcoming. They were lovely with all the children running around. I spoke to them briefly about not liking my church and was told they’d welcome me with open arms. The problem is, it’s not my religion! I’d be raising my kids a different faith to me, just for convenience? Also, one of my children is baptised, the other isn’t (covid). Can I get them baptised to the ‘wrong’ religion? I’m not sure I believe it matters, but does it?

Well if it is eg. CofE vs Catholic it is the same religion (Christian) just different denomination and surely they have much more in common than differences.
so no absolutely go where you feel comfortable! It’s as much about the community as anything else

I go to church in a different denomination to the one I was raised in. It fits better for a range of reasons, and I’d say it’s better to go to the “wrong” one than not go at all and lose all connection to your faith. If this one is welcoming, why not? You don’t have to stay forever.

Well to me it isn't a different religion, they are both Christian churches. It is a different denomination but if they are happy to welcome you I can't see the problem.

I’m an atheist, I don’t really understand any of it! So I’d say just go to the one you want to go to- simple as that! If the perspective on things is so different in this new church, then you won’t want to go to that one either- if you’re happy to, then it probably doesn’t matter all that much anyway! I’m not sure what difference it would make!

CofE and Catholic are both Christian denominations. Essentially it is the same faith/religion/God. I moved from a CofE to Baptist church with not much thought at all. If the CofE church is a better fit for you, then why not?

As above. Different Christian denominations are still the same religion. If they’re worshipping Jesus as the risen Son of God then they’re Christian.

It depends whether you want to go to mass or not.

It's not a different religion if both are Christian.

DH doesn't have a regular church. He attends whichever one takes his fancy on a Sunday. I don't think anyone has ever had an issue with it.

God doesn’t care.

The Catholic church believes in one baptism, I don't know about the Church of England but as far as your child is concerned the Catholic church will regard him as baptised if he is baptised in the CofE. We don't believe in being baptised twice so the child who is baptised would not be rebaptised as far as the Catholic church is concerned, again I don't know if that is the same for the CofE.

Not in the least, op.

I'm Catholic and don't much enjoy my local parish Mass so I just go to the local Cathedral. It's tricky when you've kids as you tend to be parish based for the sacrament prep.

If you can't easily find another catholic parish and your happiest where you've landed just go with it.

And include me in your prayers if you think of it - I'll say one for you and your kids.

I don't know which way round it is, but if you're Catholic moving to CofE, you can still take communion.

A different denomination or religion?
One is like a family member and the other a different family.
Either way if they are happy to have you and you enjoy the space I don't see a problem.

The Catholic and Anglican church recognise the validity of each other's baptims - it's actually a heresy to deny the validity of a baptism on the grounds of who performed it so it's totally ok theologically speaking for your DC to a baptised in the "wrong" church (though some catholic schools use the fact of whether a child was baptised in a Catholic church as one of their entry criteria) - I am sure God doesn't mind!

It is your religion though. God is what matters, not thr fine print of Catholic or protestant. That's just shit humans use to argue with eachother because we're never done fighting wars and playing favorites.

If the church feels like a nice place to worship God and the people there seem nice then have at it I say!

I go to a different church to the one I was brought up in. The church-goers in my family still belong to their childhood denomination but I feel more comfortable in the church I attend. The culture is completely different and I'm still learning! But, at the end of the day, we use the same Bible, worship the same God and I'm happy with that

We have a lady in our church who came from an RC background but came to our church when her children were toddlers because she found her own church wasn't very tolerant of small children. She is still attending our church and her lovely children are now at university.

I think it's far more important to find somewhere that is welcoming ~ if it feels "right" it probably is!

CofE and Catholicism are the same religion (Christianity), just different denominations. There really aren’t that many differences between them.

My personal view - given that monotheistic religions all worship one god and say theirs is the only god, it means that we/they all have the same good but just have different ways of worshipping.

Go to wherever you are comfortable and welcomed. That seems the most Christian thing to do.

even within a denomination, different churches can have very different characters. our area has 2 within 3 mins walk of each other, where one is very family oriented and the other is solemn and trad. people can chose which they like.

if you want to stick with your original denomination, try out different churches to see which fits.

Go where you and your children feel welcome. It’s fine to try out different denominations - or, in my case, none at all any more. True Christians are accepting and welcoming to all who wish to join in good faith.

Thanks everyone! I wasn’t expecting many answers because I know religion isn’t always seen as a good thing on here. I’m so pleased that I’m not sounding crazy! I think I’ll give it a go and see how it feels!

Jesus was neither Christian nor Catholic. Faith is faith - go where your bucket is filled and your children are nurtured.

This reminds me of a story my grandmother told me, while she was grieving for my grandfather. She said "We hardly ever argued. They only arguments we had were because we had different religions." Whereupon I expressed surprise and she explained because he was Church of Scotland and she was Church of England and the differences between those two religions occasionally caused marital strife. I did tease my Granny for saying that, which made her laugh at a sad time.

Both C of E and Catholic churches have very similar core beliefs. There are detailed variations but many of those are, in my view, of human origin rather than from God! The important thing is for you to be in a church that suits you.

God is God. If you believe, the particular flavour of worship doesn’t matter.