Why do some people require going to church every week?

[Yamamaya]

When I was growing up, my family went to church fairly often. We might skip once or twice a month but we were fairly regular attendees. So I was surprised when I found out for some people, they always go to churches three times, Sunday morning, evening and Wednesday nights for prayer meetings or some other worship type event. What shocked me even more was that people put these church times above everything else. Thus, family get togethers, birthdays, and anything else were no exceptions. Church attendance was put above everything else, unless someone had a bad illness the entire family was expected to go to church. In fact I know one person who is still required by their family to go to church every week even though this person is an adult.

Did anyone else grow up with this? Or am I just an odd one?

[Xeno]

I grew up with this. It has to do with the concept that being in church is service to god, and because god comes before everything, literally everything, you are expected to be at every service. If you aren't at every service then your faith is considered to not be where it should, because you show your commitment to god by showing your commitment to church, "you serve god all the time, go to work five times a week, how hard can it be to just attend church three times a week?"

[K. Ayato]

Grew up with it for years.

[dothackzero]

Kinda sounds like a let's goto chruch so we can be with(and probably get right with God) type thing to me.

[Cap'n Nick]

My family practiced regular Sunday attendance, with mid-week services during Advent and Lent. You needed to be in a bad way to get out of Sunday services, but the mid-weekers were often waived for other commitments, especially as my brothers and I got old enough to have more commitments.

My church actually preaches against church services as "serving God." Church services are where God serves us by letting us learn about his word, be assured of forgiveness through preaching and the sacraments, and be encouraged by the counsel and presence of fellow Christians. This attitude still translates into a strong push for regular attendance, but it does a lot to explain the gap between my tradition and ones that proscribe more frequent attendance.

[SierraLea]

I grew up with it and intend to enforce it if I ever have kids.
Just think, it's like a memorial for the greatest hero of all mankind, we get to celebrate it every week, and some people don't go? I will never understand.
Also, for some it can be a socail event, where they get to meet up with firends, talk, and have the world's best party sitting alongside them.

[Atria35]

I grew up with it and intend to enforce it if I ever have kids.
Just think, it's like a memorial for the greatest hero of all mankind, we get to celebrate it every week, and some people don't go? I will never understand.
Also, for some it can be a socail event, where they get to meet up with firends, talk, and have the world's best party sitting alongside them.

Because it's a serious damper on a social life and/or work life? Not everyone can afford to have a job that leaves them free on Sundays (when they're old enough to have jobs). And when I was in high school/college, Wednesdays were often the only afternoon I had free to hang out with people - I would have lost a few friends if they'd been forced into that because I would never have been able to see them.

You're also assuming that your kids will grow up to be Christian. They might decide at some point they're not (yes, even as teenagers), and even if it turns out to be a temporary thing, forcing them to go - forcing God down their throat - can only serve to alientate and antagonize them.

For a friend of mine, she had to attend every church service for 5 years in order to be considered in good standing and eligible for missionary service. And I mean, if she had missed any (pretty much no matter the reason why, even if she was bleeding to death) it would have disqualified her.

[Xeno]

even if she was bleeding to death) it would have disqualified her.

I want to make this painstakingly clear. When I was attending the United Pentecostal Church and was not being medicated for my chronic migraine headaches, I was still being required to go. No matter the severity of the migraines. I'm not sure if anyone on this site has ever had a legitimate migraine, but imagine someone is filling your head with an air compressor, and at the same time stabbing you in the eyes.

I dealt with this every day, all day, from the time I woke up until the time I went to sleep for over a year. This was the baseline of pain. It often got more painful. But if I was to miss service, I was letting down the church and god and the congregation (I ran the media systems). It was simply inexcusable for me to not be there.

Forcing people to be at every service that is held is not healthy for them. Not socially, not "spiritually", not in any way.

[goldenspines]

I didn't really grow up with it being required; I mainly went to church out of habit back then. My family went, so I went (if I wasn't sick or busy or anything). It was more like strongly encouraged than required, I guess. Plus, it's not like I disliked going to church; in fact, I liked it a lot (especially Sunday school, where I got to play with crayons or clay), until later in high school, that is. But that wasn't the church's fault, it was my own.
I never really did the church three times a week thing because it took up too much time out of an already busy schedule. Sunday is good enough for me. Plus, it's not like that's the only time I see God, or He can speak to me.
Nowadays, I go to church when I can because I still enjoy it. But during the school semester, it's hard to find even the time to go to church on Sunday (it uses up the whole morning, really, with travel time and all), so I often skip and work on projects for school instead.

[Panda4christ:3]

My parents make me go to church unless i'm super sick

[rocklobster]

We go to church unless either mom or dad aren't feeling well. But even then, I still watch Church on EWTN. Granted, it's not entirely the same, but it's better than nothing.

[Roy Mustang]

I only went to church on Sunday, other then mid-week services during Advent and Lent. The only time that I had to go was Sunday school was on a Wednesday night and that is it. The church that I go to now, is Sunday only.

[K. Ayato]

I started skipping Wednesday night services. I still attended the service on Sunday morning (seeing if I go without it completely in a week, it will make me crazy), but I realized that for me it's nice to get a spiritual recharge in the middle of the week as well. Plus last night was a good message I needed to hear.

[Yamamaya]

I grew up with it and intend to enforce it if I ever have kids.
Just think, it's like a memorial for the greatest hero of all mankind, we get to celebrate it every week, and some people don't go? I will never understand.
Also, for some it can be a socail event, where they get to meet up with firends, talk, and have the world's best party sitting alongside them.

Forcing someone to go somewhere is rarely a good thing. It just builds resentment imo. And church attendance =/= Godliness.
Also, it can definitely feel like a slap in the face to some people when they refuse to skip something they do every week just to go to one special event like a birthday or graduation.

I'm not saying church is a bad thing, I think it can be a pretty good thing, but too many people confuse church attendance with morality. Church is supposed to be a moral booster.

[Nate]

Just think, it's like a memorial for the greatest hero of all mankind, we get to celebrate it every week, and some people don't go? I will never understand.

You may understand if you have to get a crappy job with terrible hours. Like I have. I have to work every other Sunday from 7 AM to 7 PM. As you can imagine, that pretty much destroys any chance at going to church, and on the Sundays I have off, I'm usually still resting from having to wake up at 5:30 in the morning every workday and the soreness from my job.

And that's from day shift. When I was working night shift it was pretty much impossible to go to church at all, given that my schedule was 7 PM to 7 AM, meaning my sleep schedule was to go to bed right when church starts on Sunday.

Combine that with the fact that I don't get along with any of the churches in this area and well, it means that it's better for me to not go to church than to go.

[Ally-Ann]

My family and I go to church on Sunday mornings, and my parents plan to get my brother and I into a youth group. Personally, leaving out as much influence from my parents as I can, I feel that every Christian should at least try to attend church once a week, unless, of course, they're ill, have to work, or are in any other problematic situation which renders them physically unable to attend church. There are seven days in a week; at least one of those days can be used to take an hour and a half to two hours to worship the God who created you and loves you.

Then again, maybe that's still my parents' influence, and maybe it's old-school or archaic. I believe that it's not completely necessary to go to church to have a good relationship with Christ, but at the same time, if someone rarely or never goes to church because they're busy with their social life, then they should probably rethink what their priorities really are. Whether that's too old-school or not "modern" enough, that's still how I feel, and if that offends someone here because they don't believe that they need to go to church every week or even at all... well, I'm sorry. We'll just have to agree to disagree. :/

[rocklobster]

Well, I applaud you Ally.

[Furen]

I would say I go because I enjoy it, it's one of the better parts of my week. I know many people think it's silly, but really, there's a lot you get out of listening to a sermon every week (and especially if it's in a series)

The fellowship is also a nice touch

[mechana2015]

So I was surprised when I found out for some people, they always go to churches three times, Sunday morning, evening and Wednesday nights for prayer meetings or some other worship type event. What shocked me even more was that people put these church times above everything else. Thus, family get togethers, birthdays, and anything else were no exceptions. Church attendance was put above everything else, unless someone had a bad illness the entire family was expected to go to church. In fact I know one person who is still required by their family to go to church every week even though this person is an adult.

Did anyone else grow up with this? Or am I just an odd one?

I didn't grow up in this but I've been to churches since that have had this attitude towards their constituents, and in my opinion it all comes down to power and control. Churches that enforced this sort of thinking rarely had the attitude SierraLea had towards God (reverence) and rarely if ever actually had sermons on the Bible such as the aforementioned series (as Furen mentioned), and were more focused on the pastors pet peeves and how he could biblically justify them as things to avoid. Essentially the enforced attendance was a power trip by the pastor and their power structure to enforce their opinions (not biblical teaching since the Bible rarely came into play in a meaningful manner), and maintain a 'following' by essentially caging members with 'christian responsibilities' to ensure they were too busy to do anything but attend church and follow the pastors orders.

[SilverToast]

I don't exactly go to church. I watch a church's live stream online and relax at home. It has its benefits and drawbacks. I'm not really part of that church community though. It doesn't make me feel less spiritual to not physically go there. I see commitment to and following Jesus as an individual pursuit-not something determined by church attendence. Church and its community definitely help someone to follow and they also help people to serve God.

[Yuki-Anne]

I was one of the church 3-times-a-week-ers (Sunday morning service, and youth group on Sunday evening and Wednesday evening). Since I was homeschooled, it was my only access to my friends and my peers, so I loved going. That being said, my parents let us off when we got sick. None of us ever flat-out refused to go to church, so I have no idea how that would have turned out. I never felt forced to go to church. I loved it.

That being said, I think forcing people to go to church is not a good idea. It builds up resentment and could drive them away from the faith. Fellowship with the body of Christ should not be a repeatedly unpleasant experience, in my opinion, and I really don't think it should be compulsory.

I'm not saying church is not important, and sometimes I do think people should go to church even if they don't feel like it, but forcing others to go to church is counter-productive.

[SierraLea]

Because it's a serious damper on a social life and/or work life? Not everyone can afford to have a job that leaves them free on Sundays (when they're old enough to have jobs). And when I was in high school/college, Wednesdays were often the only afternoon I had free to hang out with people - I would have lost a few friends if they'd been forced into that because I would never have been able to see them.

You're also assuming that your kids will grow up to be Christian. They might decide at some point they're not (yes, even as teenagers), and even if it turns out to be a temporary thing, forcing them to go - forcing God down their throat - can only serve to alientate and antagonize them.

For a friend of mine, she had to attend every church service for 5 years in order to be considered in good standing and eligible for missionary service. And I mean, if she had missed any (pretty much no matter the reason why, even if she was bleeding to death) it would have disqualified her.

If it interferres with your work schedule, there are lots of different mass times. It's usually just one hour of your busy week. I was talking about just attending one mass on Sundays.
Also, I don't think I will have kids. By the way, it's seen as a serious sin by Catholics if you have the opportunity to go to mass on Sunday and don't go on purpose. It's called keeping the Sabath holy.

[Vilo159]

I've gone to church on Sundays my whole life. It was my parents' decision, but that doesn't mean I was or am against it. I love going. I think there's a lot to be gained in physically attending the church as compared to an online sermon or something. There is the sense of community like Sierra said, which I think is a big part, its a part of keeping the Sabbath holy like Sierra said, and a few other things. I also have responsibilities and a calling in my church like Xeno had, but I don't think thats a detrimental thing like it was for him; I actually think its a good thing. Responsibility keeps us active and engaged, instead of just sitting through a service and leaving, which is something thats harder to get out of an online sermon. But I think I probably had less pressure on me than Xeno had, and I can understand where things would get pretty stressful.

I try my hardest to make my church attendance a priority, because I think its pretty important, but I understand how circumstance could make that difficult, such as a job. I would do my best to not work on Sundays, but that seems to be getting less and less of an option. I make it a point to not let homework and such get in the way of my church stuff, even though I've had times like Goldy where I simply had to get it done and had to miss church. My church attendance definitely isn't perfect, but I put as much effort into it as I can.

My church doesn't have weekday services though, other than youth group activities, so I guess I don't really have an opinion on the subject.

I'm with Yuki, I don't think church attendance should be a forced thing, at least not when you're older. But I think Sierra meant more that she's going to make her kids attend church when they're younger; its going to be something they do in her house. I know there were times when I was little that I didn't want to go to church and my parents made me. Is that a bad thing? No, because I was young and I still needed that guiding hand. In my opinion, even at my age parents should have the most say in my church attendance, because kids my age are changing and still need that guiding hand to remind them of what's right. But once you're over 18, reaching adulthood, it should become more and more of your decision. I have a sister who went to college and ended up never going to church. It wasn't that she thought it wasn't right or anything, she just lost that motivation to go and she didn't feel it was necessary. She's almost 20, which means it isn't my parents' responsibility to make her go anymore, and they don't. They begged her to, encouraged her to, and did everything they could, but they couldn't force her. She has gotten more active again, but she still struggles with it.

[Atria35]

I grew up with it and intend to enforce it if I ever have kids.

[/quote]Also, I don't think I will have kids.[/quote] Um....

If it interferres with your work schedule, there are lots of different mass times. It's usually just one hour of your busy week. I was talking about just attending one mass on Sundays.

OH! Somehow the topic went from 'every week' to 'every time there's a service', as in Sunday, Saturday, Weds, and any other day of the week they might hold one. I was responding thinking you were saying you'd enforce going every time there was a mass, period.

By the way, it's seen as a serious sin by Catholics if you have the opportunity to go to mass on Sunday and don't go on purpose. It's called keeping the Sabath holy.

As amazing as this might sound, that phrase is pretty well-known and incredibly well-used. And if that's the case for Catholics, then that's how it is. I'm just saying that others might not see it as a sin not to go.

[SierraLea]

Take a listen in. This will make you think, but they go as a pair so you should listen to them one after another. The speaker is Catholic talking to Catholics, and an American for those of you who are from other places, but I think we can all learn something from this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTReSiFoWEk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLGhvpeu6rQ

[Xeno]

By the way, it's seen as a serious sin by Catholics if you have the opportunity to go to mass on Sunday and don't go on purpose. It's called keeping the Sabath holy.

Is it the same kind of sin you've committed if you eat meat other than fish on a Friday? From what I understand there is kind of a murky story behind where Fish Fridays comes from too (note: I could be wrong on this, but I've heard conflicting stories from a number of Catholics, so ).

Also, since in the United States our week starts on Sunday, the sabbath would technically be on Saturday (the seventh day of the week), so that is the day you should keep holy. Attending mass/church services does not sanctify a day by itself. It's what you do on that day internally, and in many cases externally as well, that make it a holy day. It's very possible to never attend mass/church and properly observe the Sabbath every week.

So I was surprised when I found out for some people, they always go to churches three times, Sunday morning, evening and Wednesday nights for prayer meetings or some other worship type event. What shocked me even more was that people put these church times above everything else. Thus, family get togethers, birthdays, and anything else were no exceptions. Church attendance was put above everything else, unless someone had a bad illness the entire family was expected to go to church. In fact I know one person who is still required by their family to go to church every week even though this person is an adult.

Did anyone else grow up with this? Or am I just an odd one?

I didn't grow up in this but I've been to churches since that have had this attitude towards their constituents, and in my opinion it all comes down to power and control. Churches that enforced this sort of thinking rarely had the attitude SierraLea had towards God (reverence) and rarely if ever actually had sermons on the Bible such as the aforementioned series (as Furen mentioned), and were more focused on the pastors pet peeves and how he could biblically justify them as things to avoid. Essentially the enforced attendance was a power trip by the pastor and their power structure to enforce their opinions (not biblical teaching since the Bible rarely came into play in a meaningful manner), and maintain a 'following' by essentially caging members with 'christian responsibilities' to ensure they were too busy to do anything but attend church and follow the pastors orders.

Also, all of this.

[mechana2015]

Because it's a serious damper on a social life and/or work life? Not everyone can afford to have a job that leaves them free on Sundays (when they're old enough to have jobs). And when I was in high school/college, Wednesdays were often the only afternoon I had free to hang out with people - I would have lost a few friends if they'd been forced into that because I would never have been able to see them.

You're also assuming that your kids will grow up to be Christian. They might decide at some point they're not (yes, even as teenagers), and even if it turns out to be a temporary thing, forcing them to go - forcing God down their throat - can only serve to alientate and antagonize them.

For a friend of mine, she had to attend every church service for 5 years in order to be considered in good standing and eligible for missionary service. And I mean, if she had missed any (pretty much no matter the reason why, even if she was bleeding to death) it would have disqualified her.

If it interferres with your work schedule, there are lots of different mass times. It's usually just one hour of your busy week. I was talking about just attending one mass on Sundays.

That may work for catholic churches but most of us here in this thread aren't in a denomination that has a large number of services, often one church service and then a prayer meeting or two throughout the week is all there is, and most of the churches overlap these with each other, so it's not like you can trade off to another church.

[Ante Bellum]

By the time I was old enough to not be bored out of my skull by church, I instead participated in a private Bible study. We thought that wasn't a problem. It didn't help much that the only churches we felt comfortable with were too far away to attend.
Of course, we kept getting antagonized by my grandmother about not going to an actual church. So what did this griping accomplish?
Let's just say it helped me become an atheist. Okay, that was part of the beginning. I was forced, complete with more antagonizing, to attend (Catholic) church a few times while I was questioning and even after I became an atheist. Those times only served to, among other reasons, drive me away from religion. (Though I'll be honest, not going wouldn't have helped anything; it just helped speed the process along and solidify my decision.)
Knowing this possibility, would you still like to force your children to attend church?

[Lynna]

I went to church often every week growing up, but my parents are pretty laid back about it, and now that I'm older they let me decide for myself. Sometimes I'll stay home to do homework. Which yes, I do homework on Sundays because Saturday was the original Sabbath and God never told us to change it because Jesus rose on a Sunday. I like going to church, but often the sermons are boring or I disagree with them or don't find the relevant. And There are only a handful of people my age who go there. I've tried going to other churches, but I'm kind of attached to mine despite me not always being happy with it, and most church services are in the morning, while ours is in the evening, and I'm too lazy to get up early
Other than that, I go to Youth Group on Fridays.

[Davidizer13]

I got lucky when it came to going to church as a kid - I wanted to go, and I did, nearly every week, unless I was really sick or we were traveling (which likely meant we were going to be at another church that week anyway). Of course, that could be because most of my friends and family were also going to that same church. And the fact that we're Sabbatarians and nothing exciting ever happens on Saturdays, and since my parents didn't let me on the computer until sundown on Saturdays, so there was really nothing better to do. And because we have awesome potlucks. At any rate, the habit's stuck with me - I still go to church once a week whenever I can, and since I go back to my parents' pretty often, it's usually even the same church. Groovy.

As for going on other days, I really didn't, unless there was something really special going on, like the Lord's Supper, or if I was playing with the worship team and we practiced mid-week. Mostly, my home church does all its activities on Saturdays, 'cause everyone's already there and, again, we've got nothing better to do, and it's what the Sabbath's for, right?

If it interferres with your work schedule, there are lots of different mass times. It's usually just one hour of your busy week. I was talking about just attending one mass on Sundays.

I feel convicted to not work Saturdays, as part of that "keeping the Sabbath holy" you were talking about, and for me, worshiping God in the way I see fit requires more than an hour's sacrifice a week. Not like I'm trying to medal in the Persecution Olympics here, but I've had to give up pursuing jobs where I'd be working rotating shifts because of it.