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Personally, going to Church has helped me suffer less with loneliness. I've made meaningful friendships, and relationships with people from all sorts of backgro

Personally, going to Church has helped me suffer less with loneliness. I've made meaningful friendships, and relationships with people from all sorts of backgrounds. It has given more meaning to my life than anything I found at work, or by random socialising. Of course, YMMV. Please take this as a random anecdote, not as evangelism.

mwang 9y ago
I know a few people who have suggested attending a Unitarian Church (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism) as a way to get the social benefits of church without having to subscribe to a religious belief. Many congregations include atheists and agnostics.
- cfontes 9y ago
  There is one in my city, never heard of it before... thanks for the input I will give it a shot...
- toomuchtodo 9y ago
  There is also Sunday Assembly: https://www.sundayassembly.com/ https://www.sundayassembly.com/ "The Sunday Assembly was started by Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans, two comedians who were on the way to a gig in Bath when they discovered they both wanted to do something that was like church but totally secular and inclusive of all—no matter what they believed."
  - hkmurakami 9y ago
    Had no idea such a thing existed. Thanks for the information.
- grasshopperpurp 9y ago
  I've had this on my mind for a few months, but something would push it aside before I could look into it. Your post inspired me to finally look up my local Unitarian Church, and we're going to check it out. Thank you!
cfontes 9y ago
I would like that but I just can't stand all the the talk, for me it's so wrong and incoherent that I wouldn't be able to start arguing so I don't go. The community part is really great though, as a Expat I really miss that sometimes.
Top19 9y ago
Thank you for mentioning this. Going to church has helped me too. First in no way is believing in god a requirement to going to church. If you look at Catholicism they even say that they believe the Bible is only metaphorical and that they believe in evolution. A lot of people also have very negative (and kind of rightly so) views of the church developed from the religious wars of the 90’s and 00’s. I want to say that these cultural battles were in part 1). stoked by church leaders as a means to hold their congregations together [there are a million ways to argue over Christian doctrine otherwise] and increase their bargaining power as church leaders with political leaders and 2). were also stoked by more liberal leaders as a means to rile up their base / present a credible threat. SOURCE: The Evangelicals and America https://www.amazon.com/dp/1439131333/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1-roAb617ZDR7 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1439131333/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1-ro...
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
ForRealsies 9y ago
2016, the pendulum started to swing the other way.
snarf21 9y ago
One of the hardest first steps for a lot of people is to try. Whether church or volunteering or finding a hobby, just pick 1 thing. Having something to look forward to and a group of people we have something in common with (even if it is new) is something all humans crave. Just try one, and try another until you find your thing.
zamber 9y ago
Also as an anecdote, I had a similar situation with a local hackerspace. Made long-lasting friendships, solved the loneliness issue. We're social beings. Nevertheless I think that finding meaning in life should be separate from a decision to belong to any group. Be it of interest or religious. All a group can provide is opportunities.
Toast_25 9y ago
I really like martial arts, specifically jiujistu, for this fact. If you find the right group it's almost like finding a family.
hkmurakami 9y ago
I came to this thread to write something along these lines of "have a place to go to". This can be beside club, swim club, the Parisian cafe, etc. Church certainly qualifies as well.

mwang 9y ago

I know a few people who have suggested attending a Unitarian Church (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism) as a way to get the social benefits of church without having to subscribe to a religious belief. Many congregations include atheists and agnostics.

cfontes 9y ago
There is one in my city, never heard of it before... thanks for the input I will give it a shot...
toomuchtodo 9y ago
There is also Sunday Assembly: https://www.sundayassembly.com/ https://www.sundayassembly.com/ "The Sunday Assembly was started by Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans, two comedians who were on the way to a gig in Bath when they discovered they both wanted to do something that was like church but totally secular and inclusive of all—no matter what they believed."
- hkmurakami 9y ago
  Had no idea such a thing existed. Thanks for the information.
grasshopperpurp 9y ago
I've had this on my mind for a few months, but something would push it aside before I could look into it. Your post inspired me to finally look up my local Unitarian Church, and we're going to check it out. Thank you!

cfontes 9y ago

I would like that but I just can't stand all the the talk, for me it's so wrong and incoherent that I wouldn't be able to start arguing so I don't go. The community part is really great though, as a Expat I really miss that sometimes.

Top19 9y ago

Thank you for mentioning this. Going to church has helped me too. First in no way is believing in god a requirement to going to church. If you look at Catholicism they even say that they believe the Bible is only metaphorical and that they believe in evolution. A lot of people also have very negative (and kind of rightly so) views of the church developed from the religious wars of the 90’s and 00’s. I want to say that these cultural battles were in part 1). stoked by church leaders as a means to hold their congregations together [there are a million ways to argue over Christian doctrine otherwise] and increase their bargaining power as church leaders with political leaders and 2). were also stoked by more liberal leaders as a means to rile up their base / present a credible threat. SOURCE: The Evangelicals and America https://www.amazon.com/dp/1439131333/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1-roAb617ZDR7 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1439131333/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1-ro...

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

ForRealsies 9y ago

2016, the pendulum started to swing the other way.

snarf21 9y ago

One of the hardest first steps for a lot of people is to try. Whether church or volunteering or finding a hobby, just pick 1 thing. Having something to look forward to and a group of people we have something in common with (even if it is new) is something all humans crave. Just try one, and try another until you find your thing.

zamber 9y ago

Also as an anecdote, I had a similar situation with a local hackerspace. Made long-lasting friendships, solved the loneliness issue. We're social beings. Nevertheless I think that finding meaning in life should be separate from a decision to belong to any group. Be it of interest or religious. All a group can provide is opportunities.

Toast_25 9y ago

I really like martial arts, specifically jiujistu, for this fact. If you find the right group it's almost like finding a family.

hkmurakami 9y ago

I came to this thread to write something along these lines of "have a place to go to". This can be beside club, swim club, the Parisian cafe, etc. Church certainly qualifies as well.