3 ms·
Most churches would (or should) welcome a non-believer! Going to church in your situation would not be sneaky or deceitful. Even if you are very very very sure
by Danieru 13y ago
Most churches would (or should) welcome a non-believer! Going to church in your situation would not be sneaky or deceitful. Even if you are very very very sure that the service is not going to make you into a Christian, that does not matter since the church will be pretty sure of the opposite. Plus you're not taking anything away from anyone, there is no reason to feel guilty.
As shorthand advice: try to find a mission church in your area. A mission church expects newcomers from the area and should be welcoming. If on the off chance the church you attend feels unwelcoming for any reason you should try a different church. All churches are run by sinful humans and sometimes that works out better than others, sometimes not.
- gcr 13y agoOne thought is to get involved with outgoing church ministries (eg. soup kitchen visits, trash pickups, etc.) For example, my church has a program where during the summer, we visit impoverished area in our city, gather around in an apartment square (with permission of the apartment owners of course), and teach kids how to read by just reading books with them, playing games, etc. If you're uncomfortable with ministry, you can probably find a community service project without a "hidden agenda." For example, the goal of the above project wasn't to turn the kids into "little christians;" rather the goal was just to keep their literacy skills up during the summer while school isn't in session. As an athiest, by working with a project like that, you'd be able to help do good in the community while still feeling a sense of fellowship with the others. I'm sure the other churchgoers would appreciate the help for the event even though you don't intend on "converting" or whatever.