Why is Church a "SOCIAL" thing in Texas?

[mikecobra95]

I was raised in Catholic school in Philadelphia, went there for 9 years. I attended church every Sunday and school everyday of course. My family is 100% Irish and full blown Catholic. Thing is, up north in Philadelphia, church was about going to profess your love for God and have your time with him. Thats it, no Wednesday church, no youth groups, no "Family activites" per say among the Church. Of course friends were made within the Church, but it wasnt a basis of your life and sociall activity.
When I moved to Texas I found Church to be VERY, VERY different. Catholics almost seem like another religion. I haven't gone in 10 years since I have been here and am now among those called Agnostic. It just got under my skin bad that friends in school judged you on who you were by wether or not you went to youth group activities at Church, or how many days a week you attended Church, or how much your family donates to the Church. You getting my drift?????? Granted not many in Texas are Catholic, but every religion is like that down here. Going to Church to love your God and pray takes a back seat to the social activities you HAVE TO BE A PART OF to fit in. It is a bunch of crap in my mind and 100% turned my opinion on people of faith here in Texas. It is all social standing, not about your faith.
Anyone here from up north that can agree with me???? Just curious on your thoughts, especially those who think they go to church to love their God, not for the social part of it.

Please no bashing anyone in this thread, it is not right to PUSH your beliefs on anyone, no matter what they are. Just give honest opinions. Thanks guys and gals;)

[four5.0snomore]

Many of what I call "dead" churches are simply that, social clubs. They might as well attend the Rotary Club or the Lion's Club or something as they are wasting their time attending church and definitely aren't doing God any favors.

Now, I pastor a small rural church in Quinlan TX about 35 miles east of Dallas, and we are not a "dead" church. I would not be a part of any "dead" church as I want to see the power of God and feel the love of God when I walk into the house of the Lord.

I would strongly encourage you to find a "living" church. How many have you visited over the past 10 years? Maybe some can recommend some in Dallas? It would not be smart for you to judge "people of faith in Texas" based on dead Christians attending dead churches for fun and games. Please judge rightly and seek Jesus above all else, and then you can be a joyful working part of a joyfully alive church!

Lee

[2cammer97]

i go to a church here in college station while i'm at Texas A&M and i go to a church back home in carrollton. although both do have a lot of social activities i would DEFINATELY say that the primary reason people still go to church is for the love of God and for His pleasure. i don't really take part in the social activities but from what i've seen it is only to draw Christians closer together and to help each other stay focused on God. i've been in Texas all my life so I can't compare to up north. I don't think it's fair to say that just because a church has a lot of activities and social gatherings it somehow is not primarily focused on the love of God. JMO. hope you find a church that you feel you fit into and that helps you in your relationship with God. :)

marcus

[mikecobra95]

Thanks for the replies guys. Dont feel bad for me, I have absolutely no desire to go to church, but I am happy that you have found somewhere you like. Thanks for the input. I am just curious as to what others think on the subject, and to see if anyone here is from up north and is able to relate to what I am saying!

[MoonDog]

Originally posted by mikecobra95
Thanks for the replies guys. Dont feel bad for me, I have absolutely no desire to go to church, but I am happy that you have found somewhere you like. Thanks for the input. I am just curious as to what others think on the subject, and to see if anyone here is from up north and is able to relate to what I am saying!
I come from Illinois and I somewhat understand what you are saying. I grew up Baptist and aside from AWANA's we really did not have alot of stuff going on outside the normal Sunday and Wednesday services. I stopped going basicly because I was bored with the samething week after week. After about a 7 year hiatus my wife and I started to get back into church and found that they were completely different. Although my church does have alot of "social" groups/classes/gatherings we dont engage in most of it. We do however participate once in a while if something comes along that we are interested in. I personally find that many of these groups help me in my walk with God and allows me to meet others with in the Body of Christ with the same interests that I do. The Bible states that:Psa 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.andHeb 10:25 not forsaking the assembling together of ourselves, as is the custom of some, but exhorting, and by so much more as you see the Day drawing near.
Christianity was never meant to be a once a week deal. I feel that if you are to have a great relationship with God it needs to be a 24/7 walk. And many people find these "social" clubs at church help and allow them to fulfill their walk with God.

[Jedi]

Welcome to the Bible Belt.

[JackFlash19]

None of the church's I've gone to was a "social" church persay. They would have activites, but that would be mainly to attract people that wouldn't normally go to church on sunday mornings. Wednesday church were mostly for people who couldn't or didn't make it on Sunday, and youth group was a more laid-back approach to getting together with fellow believers and discussing the Lord. I know when I was younger, I hated going to church, but I went with some of my friends when they said there was an activity going on, and the youth pastor talked to me and helped me to grow in my walk with God. I don't feel like it's a social thing, and I certainly have a life outside of church.

[4EyedTurd]

I have to completly agree with you on the social group factor. I was once a part of a church that was more of a social gathering then anything else.We had youth group meetings every month,youth activities.Everyone would go out to eat after every service. Everyone was invited to join but there was the group that always was there.Every first saturday night was a game night where the older people would make a dish and bring it. While the younger crowd would eat up then socialize downstairs.

That is why I'm into the whole church scene anymore.That church was dead, without the older (50+) or kids (5-18) and very little inbetween.

[chetta]

Originally posted by mikecobra95
I was raised in Catholic school in Philadelphia, went there for 9 years. I attended church every Sunday and school everyday of course. My family is 100% Irish and full blown Catholic. Thing is, up north in Philadelphia, church was about going to profess your love for God and have your time with him. Thats it, no Wednesday church, no youth groups, no "Family activites" per say among the Church. Of course friends were made within the Church, but it wasnt a basis of your life and sociall activity.
When I moved to Texas I found Church to be VERY, VERY different. Catholics almost seem like another religion. I haven't gone in 10 years since I have been here and am now among those called Agnostic. It just got under my skin bad that friends in school judged you on who you were by wether or not you went to youth group activities at Church, or how many days a week you attended Church, or how much your family donates to the Church. You getting my drift?????? Granted not many in Texas are Catholic, but every religion is like that down here. Going to Church to love your God and pray takes a back seat to the social activities you HAVE TO BE A PART OF to fit in. It is a bunch of crap in my mind and 100% turned my opinion on people of faith here in Texas. It is all social standing, not about your faith.
Anyone here from up north that can agree with me???? Just curious on your thoughts, especially those who think they go to church to love their God, not for the social part of it.

Please no bashing anyone in this thread, it is not right to PUSH your beliefs on anyone, no matter what they are. Just give honest opinions. Thanks guys and gals;)

Wow, I didn't think Catholic churches in Philadelphia were that different. At least that's not the impression I get from my cousins. I was raised Catholic in Detroit. All the Catholic churches I've belonged to or visited had many of the same activities that other Christian churches do. So you don't go to mass on Wednesdays, don't you realize they have mass every single day in a Catholic church? My Great Aunts and my Uncle still go to mass every single morning, 7 days a week. What about holy days of obligation? Also haven't you ever heard of the CYO, Catholic Youth Organization? What about all the church socials, the fairs, rummage sales, spaghetti dinners, fish fries during Lent. The list goes on. Then you have the Marriage Encounter groups.

You have a myriad of activities to participate in depending on your wants and needs. Yes the average person only goes to Mass on Sunday (or Saturday evening) to fulfill their weekly obligation, but if you want more social activities they are available for you.