You're lucky to have encountered a loving, truly helpful group. Good for you and great that you're not finding this conflicting with your belief in science.

I get it and nicely written. I don't go to church and I don't believe in god, but when I was a youngster the only place in our small town that offered anything for kids was the mission and the Franciscan Brothers.

They took an old building and turned it into a place filled with board games, ping-pong, a pool table and weights and opened it to the kids regardless of their faith or lack thereof. They also, I learned while going there, feed the homeless.

I never "got religion" because of it, but I did feel at home there, cared about and there were always snacks and something to drink (bonus!). It was a safe oasis for us kids and it's where I learned to respect those who did believe, even if I didn't.

This is so well written. Beautiful.

You need to know Jesus. He is a wonderful counsellor.

That’s great.

I’m a churchgoer myself, and my Catholic faith is an important part of my life, so I approach this from a different perspective. That said, I really appreciate the honesty and authenticity in what you’ve written.

What struck me most is your recognition of the kindness you received when you needed it most. Beliefs may differ, but compassion, generosity, and a sense of belonging are things we can all understand and value.

Whether someone calls it faith, community, compassion, or simply human decency, being welcomed, supported, and cared for can be life-changing. Not everyone needs all the answers to appreciate the peace and connection they find there.

So, you go to a Protestant church for your social club.

Well written. I’m glad there was a church there to reach out and help you. Not all churches are bad.

If there's one thing church does well it's community.

I can get on board with that. I am an atheist too, but your local church can also be a community.

Rarely do you find the warmth like that in a church. The people there are full of the love of God. Paul says we should pray for this. You are experiencing it.

I'm a person of faith. However, I couldn't care less if the person next to me is not. It just doesn't bother me and can't imagine why it should. That goes for politics, music, films, you name it. Don't agree with me? OK, onward and upward.

I usually get something out of going to a service at church or a synagogue. Sure, we hear all the time about hypocritical religious people, but my experience runs counter to that--I usually meet pleasant people.

Nice post man. You sound like a reasonable person.. I hope one day you come to believe in God and believe Jesus and trust in The Way He made to have you saved forever and ever.. Hoping you get the Max Eternal Value out of your experiences with a church..

I'm glad this church functions like it should you're seeing a better example than many people see.
If you believed in God you could almost say He put you in this church so you could see how people conduct themselves when they follow the truth they say they believe in.
I do not believe the basic principles of math or science expels God from the equation.

These people have understood why christianity is there. I admire your wish to show us the difference between Words and deeds.

You mean you don’t really believe in Elon Musk ?!

There's something to the ritual, no matter what you believe/don't believe. I go to Buddhist Temple for the same feeling. Catholic Mass is also enjoyable.

Do you pretend like you're a believer when you go to church or worship? If you do you are in good company. Probably 90% of the people around don't believe it either. Or at least they have serious question it.

Well there are definitely worse places to spend a few hours a week.

Has anyone questioned your faith?

Have you thought about how you might handle it if the topic of faith comes up?

Just curious.

You didn't mention how long you've been doing this. It would be cool to have included that.