Quote (Zigity @ Feb 24 2019 02:27pm)
I’m dating a new girl who is religious. I was raised catholic but stopped going to church as a teenager. I have nothing against any religion or any belief system, if you believe then good for you and if not then good for you, it’s just not for me. Anyways, she asks me to go to her church with her and if i don’t like it she’ll never make me go again. I think, whatever, i don’t mind standing and sitting for an hour and it will make her happy. So we meet in the parking garage and this mass is held at a theatre downtown. Immediately after walking into the lobby everybody starts coming up to you and smiling and making small talk. I can already tell this not anything like the catholic masses i have been to. Those i can bare, stand/sit/kneel/listen/give away my money. This was like a new school protestant (i think? not that it matters) mega church with a laser light show, live band, theatrics, and the whole nine yards. It almost reminded me of an AA meeting thinking of all the hugs i engaged in. I didn’t tell anybody I was new to avoid conversation, but people probably knew. So we go in and take a seat in the middle somewhere. Her girlfriend shows up with her boyfriend, who i’ve met them both only once before, and they say how happy they are to see me etc etc. The lights go out and a band comes on stage. I’m thinking, ok this might not be so bad after all. They start playing music and singing some christian rock. The theme was overwhelmingly that life is hard and we are lost and the lord has saved us and without him we would all be hopeless. Not my style but still cool. After about 3 songs they start reading bible verses over the music. Everybody is waving their hands in the air and saying “yesssss” and “we love you lord” and things like that. It was some hollywood movie shit. Then they put a timer on the projector and say we have two minutes to talk to everybody around us. At this point, i grab my jacket and leave. I straight up ghosted. I was extremely uncomfortable, after being there for all of 8 or 9 minutes. Walked to my car and drove home. Left my date there with her friends. Pretty shitty thing to do. But whatever, we are just casual as opposed to in a relationship. I have never experienced anything like that before. It was cool to get a taste, and i probably should have stayed, but it did absolutely nothing for me spiritually. I felt like I was surrounded by a sea of people who were all brainwashed and i felt out of place. The purpose of this isn’t to bash religion, i could care less. Do what makes you happy. But holy fucking shit. What the hell did I just experience?
lol'd @ bold
Yeah, I would probably go once just to see what it's like, but I definitely wouldn't come back. I think it's good to experience things like that though, even if you're not religious yourself, just to see what other people are like.
It definitely seems kind of mind-numbing. I can get why/how they inculcate people into becoming missionaries, endangering and wasting the prime years of their lives spreading dogma to impoverished nations and secluded peoples. They genuinely think what they're doing is great, it makes them feel special, and they want others to feel the same way too.