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Originally Posted by djchameleon
there is nothing wrong with going to church that much as long as you weren't forced to do it. which by the sounds of it I think you were and that's why you attempted suicide yes?
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I only started going to church regularly during university, where I was away from my parents and I wished to attend of my own free will.
I tried to commit suicide not because I was forced to attend church, because of more conservative elements in my church, to hide my bisexuality away, and indeed my own personal religiousity meant that there was a huge amount of internal conflict as well as external battles with others in my church group.
I also felt a lot of hostility because I was not content to simply accept what was being taught to me, to simply be spoonfed and recite answers by rote. I asked a lot of questions, did a lot of research and as a result, made a lot of people incresingly angry with me. I also became angry myself because many of my honest questions were being ignored or fluffed by my ministers, fellow worshipers and friends in that church.
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Yeah , gossiping and church politics was one of the main factors that turned me away from going to church
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In my case, my church lost a minister because of some supposed in-fighting between the two main ministers, and as a result a lot of gossip and taking sides happened, as well as a lot of huddling-in-corners type activity with a lot of whispering behind the scenes between our deacons/elders and yet no-one wanted to tell any of the ordinary everyday members what was happening.
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Also as I read the bible, I remember a scripture saying to treat your body like a temple. Well if I treat my body like a temple then I should be able to worship and pray where ever my body is. I shouldn't have to go to some man made building to pray and worship God.
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There's also something in the Bible about God being omnipresent....and a part of God being within us.
EDIT: I know with regard to my sexuality, going from Christianity to Orthodox Judaism seems like a really weird step to take, but I feel that, unlike Christianity, the emphasis on the sexual relationship between man and woman being a GOOD thing means that I can at least for the most part be happy, unlike the Christian attitude which seems to see any sexual relation as something impure or shameful.