It didn't help that the preacher abused me as a child. I finally made the self-realization that my church is between my own shoulders. But, there ain't just one way and that's to say some churches may be of help to some people. Consider the old teaching: "There's many paths to the mountain top, but its best not to just run circles around the bottom of the mountain and think you'r going somewhere." ps: some church people have brought gigantic help to the world. ie. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian was instrumental in helping take down Hitler although he lost his life doing so. Suggest you net search him

If you're lonely, you can always invent your own imaginary friend, you don't need that invisible sky daddy. Your invisible friend can have even cooler powers. What power's would you want your friend to have? Just don't start another church around your new invisible friend, we already have too many.

I went for a bit with a friend's family to church but ultimately ended up preferring to stay home to watch Sunday morning cartoons.

They're glad you don't go there anymore

Are you that same person who writes similar comments on so many posts? They remind me of that old childish response of “I know you are but what am I?” If you can’t think of an intelligent and mature response, saying nothing would be preferable.

People always mention Dietrich Bonhoeffer but nobody ever mentions Sophie Scholl. She was a student leader in the White Rose anti-Nazi movement in Germany. When the Nazis sentenced her to death she told the judge "you're hanging us today but tomorrow it is your heads that will roll."

No kidding, my friend. I feel you. When I was young, my family and I visited our local Greek Orthodox Church. We had to look sharp dressed to the nines in order to please. While I loved all the food and pastries at the festivals, I often felt out of place. I’m not the most religious person in the world and those long four hour masses dragged on until the cows came home. I never understood what the priest was saying half the time but I played along just to be kind. It often got to ritualistic for me, but I still love the food.

Is like taking up yoga......both are cults where you get too involved with & get too obsessed with & both take up your time & life especially when you have to listen to the pastor & yoga instructor & believe everything they tell you without questioning them.

The earliest yoga texts, going back 500 years before Christ, talk about eight different “limbs” of yoga. One limb relates primarily to the physical postures (asanas), which are well known today. The other seven, however, relate to developing attitudes and practices that many would label “spiritual” — practices such as purity of thought, truthfulness, non-violence and healthful sexuality. Does that sound like a cult to you? It actually does, doesn't it? Namaste.