The Church

I have been attending Sunday services at a local protestant church here in Arkansas for several weeks now. This is something I never thought I would catch myself doing. Yet fear not for I have not shaved my head and sworn vendetta on the unbelievers quite yet. Many of my friends went and I was invited, so curiosity got the better of me. It has been very worthwhile.

From my infidel British viewpoint there are some positives:
1. Not everyone actually takes it seriously. 2. It seems to give society some sort of organisational backbone and does a lot of good works. 3. It provides great spiritual guidance and aids people through emotional crises and the like, producing some really genuine people in the process.

And some negatives:
1. Some people do take it seriously. 2. It follows the Bible’s teachings so practices discrimination against women and homosexuals, (homosexuals are not allowed in and woman have a limited role within it). 3. Whilst being very ‘accepting’, it is only ‘accepting’ on their terms.

I would encourage anyone to attend church services at some point. Despite being based on an age old fabrication of a document the church still provides a hub of active (if not progressive) discussion and reflection on social issues. It makes you think and challenges your conceptions – something Sunday morning TV does not do. On the whole I think I have a more positive approach to the church than I did before (which admittedly isn’t saying much).