Well I did. [I Go to Church]

I joined a sister church when I moved to a different state. I went faithfully for many years until I started working a lot of jobs.

I finally went back and was shocked to see that the congregation had dwindled down to nothing. The church was mismanaged and it was utter chaos. It was pretty obvious that the church was mismanaged.

I went to church number 2 on the recommendation of our music director who also left church 1. One Sunday a few weeks ago, I showed up for church but there was a sign on the door saying the church was closed due to Covid. The weird thing is they WERE HAVING a service for a select few invited guests. I was NOT one of them. I was a little confused seeing the sign and watching the people pull up. I knocked on the door but was ignored. Then the minister's wife headed toward me-she ducked her head and turned away.

I went to Church number 3 this past Sunday. It is a mega church with over 30,000 members in several locations. The minister asked for us to pray for our new leaders. Then he justified it by saying, "The Bible says so". Then he added he would have prayed for Obama and...well Trump too.

I got up mid sermon and left. I believe in separation of church and state.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

billybcgn25 · 70-79, M

This reminds me of a story from the mists of time--ca. 1977 or 78 or so. I was in the US Navy, married, and either no kids, or just one. We were attending a fairly good size (a few hundred) independent Baptist church. Lively, good music (no choir, but...), and good folks. Lots of Navy and Marine Corps families. Several buses which picked up kids all over the mostly hispanic/Navy/Marine residences.

We had "visitation" on either Tuesday or Thursday evenings--going out with the then ubiquitous "visitors' cards" which ... well, visitors ... had filled out.

A nice young couple visited one Sunday, and as was typical, were warmly greeted. But there was one glaringly unusual thing: The wife was [[i]GASP!!][/i] [b][i][u][c=BF0000]bRALESS!!![/c][/u][/i][/b]

No big deal to me, but this [i]was[/i] an independent Fundamentalist Baptist church, even if it was the late 70s and southern California, where bras were as common as the dodo bird. (They had no idea that I had visited Black's Beach back in 1975 twice.)

Well, visitation night comes around, and Don and I get their card, visit their apartment, have a pleasant visit, and return. But Don points out the obvious again, followed by, "they are trouble." [i]"Really?"[/i] thinks I.

They visited perhaps two or three times more, then we never saw them again. Each time she was braless, but it was merely apparent--not flaunting it.

I was disheartened, and a bit angry. What?! Are bras required to pray? If so, which ones? Playtex Cross Your Heart? They're pretty heavy duty. Maidenform? What about Bali? Or Victoria's Secret? Gettin' a little risque, don't you think? What about underwires? If they're metal, do they act as antennae, boosting the prayer signal??? Asking for a friend (tm).