Is Church Painful

[The Borg]

Reading some of the questions, philosophies, understandings, and intellectual conclusions of some of the religious posts on this board...I can't help but wonder that Church must be a painful experience each and every Sunday for some on here.

I am such a simpleton compared to some of the thoughts put down into words on here.

Is Church painful to sit through for any of you?

[Mormon Red Death]

Originally Posted by The Borg

Reading some of the questions, philosophies, understandings, and intellectual conclusions of some of the religious posts on this board...I can't help but wonder that Church must be a painful experience each and every Sunday for some on here.

I am such a simpleton compared to some of the thoughts put down into words on here.

Is Church painful to sit through for any of you?

Being a simpleton myself I still think Church is painful because its so boring.

[fusnik11]

Church was painful for me for a long time. I felt like lies and misconceptions were frequently taught in Sunday School, I felt incredibly bored, I felt that the classes were being dumbed down, I felt lost at church.

Alas, this board was created, scholarship on my part was expanded and I started to see the church differently. I see it now as a vehicle, a ladder in the rung of further truth as I attempt to climb out of the carnal world and enter into the realm of true spiritual existence and oneness with God and Jesus. I am able now to appreciate, more fully, church attendance, participation and find myself allowing others to serve me in their various capacities.

[Archaea]

No, it is a great time to talk to friends and to catch up on some sleep.

I don't look at it in terms of acquiring new doctrine, but in feeling the Spirit, renewing my commitment and remembering the simple Gospel truths. For scholarship, I go to places of scholarship when I feel the need.

Sunday School is boring, much of the time, but sacrament and priesthood are quite nice. BTW, High Priest Group is one hundred times better than EQ. I did not and still do not like EQ. The experience and wisdom of the High Priest Group makes for a much more enjoyable experience. OTH, more sleep can be acquired during EQ.

[All-American]

I can't stand going to church sometimes. My presence is a testiment to my beliefs-- I am willing to suffer through it knowing that I should.

[creekster]

It hasn't been too bad since they padded the pews.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by The Borg

Reading some of the questions, philosophies, understandings, and intellectual conclusions of some of the religious posts on this board...I can't help but wonder that Church must be a painful experience each and every Sunday for some on here.

I am such a simpleton compared to some of the thoughts put down into words on here.

Is Church painful to sit through for any of you?

I'm probably in the simpleton category. I find the depth and beauty in the gospel to be in the simple concepts of faith, repentance, love, and relationships.

Analyzing Luke 15 is immensely more interesting to me than analyzing Adam/God or who Heavenly Father's father is or what life will be like for me in 50,000 years.

The "scholarship" referred to here is interesting to me as a hobby but not something I would consider true religion and rarely changes my testimony or closeness to God for the better or worse.

I go to church to worship not to be entertained.

That said, church could be a little shorter. Listening to self righteous and condescending church talks and lessons are way more painful to me than tedious talks and lessons. And my hot button is grace/works so when I see works being overemphasized I cringe.

[UteStar]

Church is not painful to me since I sit around with 10 kids in the nursery, play with toy trucks and blocks, eat fruit snacks and crackers and shoot the bull with a couple of other nursery leaders. Bravo to me.

With that said, it does kinda stink that I don't hear real lessons (unless you consider 'I love animals' a real lesson) or meet really anyone at church on a week to week basis. Oh well, at least I have snack food to compensate for that...

[BigFatMeanie]

Singing hymns in sacrament meeting, partaking of the sacrament, pondering and feeling the Spirit during sacrament meeting is not painful for me.

Listening to sanitized history, hearing the same trite answers in response to difficult questions, choking on the pablum that is served up by the correlation committee as lesson manuals, and enduring the culture of a heirarchicaly controlled religion is very painful for me.

In short, I love "The Gospel" but sometimes "The Church" drives me nuts.

[All-American]

Originally Posted by BigFatMeanie

Singing hymns in sacrament meeting, partaking of the sacrament, pondering and feeling the Spirit during sacrament meeting is not painful for me.

Listening to sanitized history, hearing the same trite answers in response to difficult questions, choking on the pablum that is served up by the correlation committee as lesson manuals, and enduring the culture of a heirarchicaly controlled religion is very painful for me.

In short, I love "The Gospel" but sometimes "The Church" drives me nuts.

I'll drink to that.