Do People Who Regularly Attend Church go to find a sense of "belonging"?

Have you tried a UU church?

Universalist Unitarians are not Christians; though they do have liberal Christians, Jews, Pagans, Buddhists, etc. and also a lot of atheists and agnostic.

They're really big on activity in the church, too (choir, talk groups, charity drives, maintenance & repair, GLBT groups, Sunday School, etc.).

The thing is that it is a community of shared values, not shared beliefs, but it's more like having a traditional Church community. No one is going to tell you what to believe or preach at you.

Worship services on Sundays usually focus on the big questions in life, or issues that we can all relate to, but it draws from wisdom of many sources. You might want to check it out UUA.org.

I'm sorry your a little confused also please don't judge all Christians from those who get caught up hating those who are not, they forget the Very essence of Gods nature which is love. Believers/Christians found God because they were attracted to Gods love which fills us. The bible can be confusing and scary sometimes but it all shows us that God will be there for us. I hope you don't get discourage

Yes some churches get caught up in the law of God so much that they forget that we need to be like Christ who was loving and never turned anyone away, if you read the works and preaching of when Christ was on earth he only taught the goodness of God and mercy , love and forgiveness , not about law, the law is so that we could live a life of righteousness not to judge others. I'm not saying that we should ignore the commandments but as Christians we live by it and not condem people who aren't.

I hope you find a church. By the way church/mass was created because in the bible it says that God rested on the 7th day so we can rest and go fellowship with other believers to celebrate and learn the goodness of God once a week :)

I think like anything, one gets what they give, and we see what we are looking for.

When I was in college, I too was involved with Buddhism, but it wasn't enough, and didn't manage to last. I was raised Methodist-Mom was the Alto Soloist, and Dad was head usher. I went to Sunday school, AND church services, I learned a lot of hypocrisy, and was very frustrated with the "religious" stories. I know I must have lived at the time of Jesus, cause I used to argue with my Sunday school teacher about why Jesus came to earth, and what he really looked like!

To me, God is an energy that encompasses everything. God is universal law, natural science, Cause and effect, unconditional love-patience, intelligence and perfection. Here and throughout the Universe. I don't understand atheism, and therefor wouldn't/couldn't try to convince you otherwise.

Church can be good for focusing the power of prayer-as the country certainly needs as much as it can get! It can be a positive experience if you find a place that feels like a good church home...people want you there, and you are able to relate to and even help others. Stay away from cults if that's a concern, and remain an observer until you find a place you know is safe and offers what you seek..

Here is the way I see it:

People like to get together with like-minded people. Although it is good to remain open-minded, we all like to find ways to reinforce our habits and beliefs.

I have a gym membership. Yes I can work out at home, but it helps inspire me to see others working out.

I am a professional astrologer since 1986, but I have enjoyed it so much more when I started attending regular meet-ups in 2004 with other astrologers, where we can discuss our theories and share experiences.

I think the original churches started under the same kind of structure: wanting to share common spiritual experiences.

But I think over time, as these churches grew in size, it became institutionalized and suddenly "requirements" came along, in how you are "supposed" to be spiritual. This is often the downfall of many organizations. They write up a bunch of rules and suppress spontaneity and playfulness.

Am I "lonely?" That's kind of a harsh interpretation. We, as a species, naturally gravitate to groups, and we start creating societies, while still desiring some personal autonomy.

Me? I like group activities, and I like my solo time. And I live by the simple rule: Question Authority. That keeps me, and the group, honest.

Hey buddy your doing fine. You want to know what is truth. And you don't want to here BS. Nor do you want to hear people who say that they are this or that or with these people or those people, but they aren't being or acting like they say that you should be or act. This is about you seeking God. This is also about you finding a truth that you can believe in and trust. The thing that you need to do is sincerely and honestly seek God and trust what is known as truth. This truth never fails although there are people who fail the truth. This is about your life and that is important to you.

Psalms 34:8

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Here you can see that this truth lays it all out on the table. Its all about saying I'm God! Check me out like you really want to find me. Because unless you are sincere and are truly looking for the truth, you will never believe anything that you look for. The word of God makes it simple. Here I am. Come and get me and learn for yourself that my truth is real and my promises come true. I can tell you this because I have seen God move according to His word so many times. Now where there used to be unbelief, there is only faith. There is no way that I cannot believe in God. He has just shown me too much. If you are going to follow something, make sure that it is worth following. And has stood the test of time. And proves itself to those who follow. Why else would I bother. Everything that you feel that you may need to help you, is waiting for you to ask of God. Who is a great rewarder to those who diligently seek Him. Lack in faith, ask for it and expect it to come because it will. Lack in wisdom and understanding, ask of God and He will give it to you liberally. Why would He not give it to you.

Different people go for different reasons. I'm sure some are looking to "belong." Some feel it is required for their faith. But many actively want to be there for worship service. They find it enhancing to their spirituality. They can also want to socialize with like-minded people without feeling a specific need to belong.

But if you don't believe in it, its probably going to be pretty boring, although some churches get pretty jazzed up with their music. And the messages aren't going to be for you, since you don't believe in them.

The only reason I go now is weddings and funerals. I got out of attending it as a family event years ago. The fact is the services are not for me. they cater to the believers, not the non-believers.

maybe some people at first. but seriously, have you been to church. is that what you consider a good time? don't you think there is a reason people keep going back aside from a need to feel loved by someone? I actually went to church in the beginning because I wanted help. I keep going back because I got it. FROM GOD.

There are many reasons for going to church. You have mentioned some of them, but there are many others. As you say some are fake, but they tend not to have much of a following.

If there is genuine love present, ask yourself why that is. It's not a bad test!

My advice to you is to obtain the book titled 'Piso Christ', at any bookstore or ask them to order it for you if it is not in stock.. Author is Jay Gallus. You will learn all that you need to know about how Christianity was invented and by whom and why.

i'm sure some do.