Originally posted by tatichick
i don't like going to church. i don't see why i have to go to a certain place to worship god. isn't he supposed to be everywhere??
going to church is another form of control. think about it. they want all these people to come togeth ...[text shortened]... e're told, we sit when we're told and we kneel when we're told.
i think i see where you are coming from.
Nemesio had a thread going not too long ago where he mentioned that Thich Nhat Hahn deems that spiritual ritual can be a good thing once you have reached a certain level of spirituality. i agree with this. but i also think going to church (and other similar spiritual rituals) can be dangerous before that point is reached.
for instance, if one were supremely confused about his own beliefs, then going to a specific church week after week is not a very good way to generate new ideas. you meet a whole bunch of people all parroting the same notions -- hardly an atmosphere for free thought. now consider all the children out there who are dragged to church and sunday school by their parents. it's like putting their little minds in pickle jars beneath the sink. no thanks.
for those people who enjoy going there on sundays, listening to some arbitrary readings, singing some songs, holding hands and whatnot -- fine, they can keep their brains confined to the pickle jars. but for others, i think the ritual of church can be another type of fascination, one where you become more affirmed in your own beliefs by viewing the church-going atmosphere in its proper perspective. indeed, for me, going to church is definitely reaffirming, but in an ironic way.