I went to church this Sunday, which is pretty much my weekly routine. Wake up, go to church, sit, stand, sit, stand, kneel, sit, stand, kneel, sit, line up, "amen", swallow bread, sit, stand, sit, leave. I was baptized at an early age and went through all the necessary stages to be a good great Catholic. I went to Sunday school, had my first communion, had my confirmation, and now here I am, a child of the Lord with crucifixes around the house that would put Carrie White's mother to shame. Bibles? I got plenty lined up in my study room. I have at least 10 Bibles and a Catholic For Dummies book, too (I'm not kidding). But when I was at church, I sat next to a little boy who was running around picking up flowers and ignoring the sermon, and I thought, what is he doing here?
Let's get to it:
This little boy was four or five years old. He was more interested in the flower he was holding than the sacred word of God. He also has 6 fingers on his left hand, which was a "what the fuck" moment as I stared at his second thumb growing out of his normal thumb. It looks like his thumb had a twin, I shit you not.
The mother of the kid kept trying to tame him, but other kids started playing with him, taking the flower and running around. The mother took her son and said, "Jesus Christ wants you to sit down!" Because you know, Luke 349:11 says "Thou shalt not stand."
But how could any parents who bring their young ones to church expect them to behave? By convincing them that sitting down is the Lord's will? By trying to explain that the sermon is the way, the truth and the life? Get out of here. These kids don't know what 15+18 is and you're trying to explain to them about a divine entity that transcends time and space? Good luck with that.
Sunday school, I think, is like showing kids a cute and happy forefront and hiding the true wrath of God in the background. Here kids, God will protect you from lions (Daniel in the Lion's Den) and fire (Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego). It's never like, hey kids, when children made fun of Elijah's balding hair, Elijah cursed them in the name of the Lord and suddenly two bears emerged from the woods and mauled all 42 children. Where's that Biblical tale? It's like force feeding kids all the good stuff and as they grow up they'll be too used to the idea of having a God that they're just like, "yeah kay I'll stick to this, whatever."
I was brought to church at a very young age, and rarely, if ever, was I brought to Sunday school. Maybe because my church wasn't too big on enlightening children with fluff stories from the Bible and that kids should all fathom the parables and morals of the mass. I hated church. I had to sit still for hours and to be honest, everyone at church looked like they were forced to be there. I rarely found someone who looked like they were there because they truly loved God and enjoyed every second of the incomprehensible sombre Latin hymns.
Then I realized. Most of these people who go to Church find it a responsibility to attend Church simply because it was written in the Bible and if they didn't come, they'll feel like they're going to lose God. My parents, who were adamant that going to Church each week makes one a true blue Catholic, would sometimes dose off during the homily. People seem to go to church for the sake of satiating their conscience with the idea that they are good Catholics.
When people talk about a person's faith, they'd say things like, "yeah, she's super religious, she goes to church every week." As if the underlying reason for someone to be a 'good Catholic' is to attend church every single week. If you don't then you're a fake. You're not a follower. You're a false Catholic.
Then there are teenage kids who boast about going to church every week, and when I ask them where, they'd respond with some fun and hip Christian 'church' which turns out to be more of a gathering. The service acts like a checkpoint to meet friends and hang out on a Sunday morning. They have a live band, their pastor is humorous, and sometimes they play games. Sure, that kind of church might be great for some people, but honestly, it feels and looks like a hangout with God trying to shimmy His way in. "Hello guys. I exist too. Hello. Stop eating that Dorito please you are in my temple."
What I dislike about growing up being forced to go to Church every single week is the idea instilled in me that going to Church is equivalent to faith. Going to Church, regardless if you're thinking about butt fucking Condoleezza Rice for two hours straight, will still get you a ticket to Heaven. It's a terrible thought to give your kids, that God exists only in temples and that going there every week will confirm your existence in Heaven and without Church, the bond you have with God is nonexistant.
I think the basis for faith should not be a two-hour sacrament every Sunday, it should be much more than that. If you want to go to Church, do so because you feel in your heart that you want to, and when you're there, listen to every word. But if you don't want to go to Church, then you shouldn't be burdened to go based on the endless tirade from your parents. Church is a place people can come and go as they like and is not a checklist in God's book.
Maybe back in the day, getting the word of God was difficult to obtain. Many people couldn't read, so they had to gather at a temple to listen to a member of the clergy read it out to them. That was the only way to get the gospel. But now, receiving answers and reading the Bible can be done left and right. That doesn't mean we should abandon church altogether, but the routine practice of listening to a sermon is no longer a necessary tool to build faith. After all, going to Church doesn't make you a good Christian just like standing in a garage makes you a car.
No comments :
Post a Comment