<p>Because I can't stand it. Don't get me wrong I believe in God and the whole bit, but church is just something I just can't put up with anymore. Why?</p>
<p>The people are so rude.</p>
<p>I go to an extremely small church, so there's no one my age to talk to.</p>
<p>The pastor talks so loud and fast on the mike that anyone in a 2ft radius will get sprayed on.</p>
<p>The pastor drones on and on in his sermon for 2 and a 1/2 hours about topics that the average human being should already understand.</p>
<p>If I don't show that I am extremely enthusiastic and interested at church (which I'm not) I'm punished by having to clean the church.</p>
<p>I go to a Kenyan (Christian) Church and for some odd reason the people smell horrifying (no offense, its just and observation)</p>
<p>My parents are extremely involved at Church, so the idea that I'll get out of Church soon and move to another one is unlikely.</p>
<p>And lastly even with the average 4 hours I spend at church, I don't feel any closer to God. For most of the time I'm just sitting in my seat thinking "I wonder what's for dinner", "Oh God, I've got 3 AP Exams to study for tomorrow", "I wish I was anywhere else but here".</p>
<p>Change the church you go to! Usually the pentecostal churches tend to be more fun-lots of amazing music and vibrant youth groups.Look around for a more exciting church,there should be one that can meet your spiritual needs as well as a bit of fun.</p>
<p>lol, you should switch churches. i guess its hard with your parents being so involved. my parents are pretty much agnostic. they don’t deny a god, but they don’t go to church or pray. maybe as a result of their indifference i have gone to church of my own volition for the past ten years. unfortunately i’ve been too busy of late…but i still pray. there are some annoying people in my church too, but really, you’re not there for them, you’re there for God. its my opinion, though, that you don’t need to belong to a church to believe in God. if you pray, follow His example, etc, i think that is enough. maybe you should talk to your parents about it…</p>
<p>Our priest is dry, funny, and succint. It’s more like listening to a really good college professor give a short lecture. His philosophy is that if you can’t figure out a way to say it in less than 12 minutes, you’re saying too much anyway.</p>
<p>It’s big enough that there’s plenty of people to make a healthy organization (not desperately jumping on whoever comes in the door out of sheer panic) but small enough that you can know pretty much everyone, if you wanted to. (about 300 families that are regular.)</p>
<p>And, not that this matters all that much really, but in our church, though kids often wear jeans, people simply like to put on their fancy duds - sort of like going to a party - and everyone looks and smells nice. And is happy. It’s a happy church. We like it and we like each other for the most part.</p>
<p>I’m sorry your church experience is negative. Maybe you haven’t much control over your situation right now, but someday you will, and church should be something you LOVE, you want to go to, and feel uplifted and happy after you have gone.</p>
<p>If you don’t feel that way you aren’t in the right religious organization for you.</p>
<p>(btw I am Episcopalian…formal on the surface but very liberal underneath!)</p>
<p>You need to talk to your parents about this. Clearly, you find 4 hour masses a waste of time (and I don’t blame you - I don’t make any time for God myself)</p>
<p>I love my church, but my church is better than average. I’ve felt similarly in some churches I’ve been to in the past. When you are an adult, you can choose your church, obviously. Until then, you’re pretty much stuck, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn for yourself.</p>
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<p>Unfortunately, this is probably true of 90% of teens in 90% of churches. I know it was true of me until my most recent church. In my experience, spiritual growth rarely happens on Sunday mornings. I usually read my Bible during the sermon, and while it might appear that I’m following up on the minister’s points, most of the time I’m just reading something completely unrelated.</p>
<p>Ironically, this Sunday our minister was talking about how strange it was that we spend such a large percentage of our time listening to sermons.</p>
<p>I used to hate it also. But I became an alter server, and that mass go by faster, and was fun being around people my age. So we talked when we had a chance. I’m Roman Catholic, so I’m not sure about your church if they have that.</p>
<p>I used to be like you when I went to this really small and boring church. About 2 years ago though I found a church I really like. It’s huge (I prefer to blend in), so there are still endless opportunities to get involved in. My preacher is pretty young (mid 30’s) and wears jeans and t-shirts. The sermons and worship are unreal, and everybody is ecstatic and pumped to be there. The church welcomes everybody. They do a lot of really good work throughout the city and even abroad. The Haiti mission alone justifies the existence of the church, and some of the local programs are really reaching out to those who need help. I used to hate churches and Christians, but it was the good works of the people there that made me reconsider…</p>
<p>just switch to a more lax religion where you dont have to go to church, they’re all basically the same anyway, or better yet… atheism- always a good choice</p>
And is happy. It’s a happy church. We like it and we like each other for the most part.</p>